LEXINGTON, Mass.– Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in immuno-oncology, has announced a strategic collaboration with Noetik, an AI-driven spatial and multimodal biology company, to develop predictive biomarkers for the combination therapy of botensilimab (BOT) and balstilimab (BAL). The initiative will harness Noetik’s advanced AI foundation models to accelerate precision medicine in cancer treatment and identify which patients are most likely to benefit from the BOT/BAL regimen.
At the center of the collaboration is Noetik’s OCTO virtual cell model—a large-scale, 1.5 billion parameter foundation model trained on one of the world’s most extensive proprietary spatial datasets. This multimodal dataset integrates spatial proteomics, transcriptomics, pathology imaging, genotyping, and clinical metadata from nearly 200 million tumor and immune cells across various cancer types, including colorectal, non-small cell lung, ovarian cancers, and sarcomas. The system-level approach aims to simulate tumor behavior within real patients, offering new insights into the biology of cancer and immune responses.
The BOT/BAL combination, which includes an Fc-enhanced anti-CTLA-4 and an anti-PD-1 therapy, has been studied in over 1,200 patients across nine tumor types. It has demonstrated deep and durable responses, particularly in tumors traditionally considered resistant to immunotherapy. The treatment has gained recognition for its efficacy in late-stage and neoadjuvant settings and has been featured in numerous peer-reviewed studies and international medical conferences.
By applying Noetik’s AI models to clinical trial data from BOT/BAL patients, the collaboration seeks to uncover actionable biomarkers that predict therapeutic outcomes. These insights are expected to improve trial design, increase the likelihood of success in pivotal studies, and enable more personalized and effective cancer treatments. Agenus will retain exclusive rights to incorporate these findings into its drug development and commercialization strategy.
“Enhancing clinical efficacy is the most important problem in developing new medicines, and exactly what we’ve trained our foundation models to do,” said Dr. Ron Alfa, CEO and Co-Founder of Noetik. “We are excited to deploy our virtual cell foundation models on Agenus’ clinical data to uncover biomarkers that can enrich patient response and drive precision therapies forward.”
Dr. Garo Armen, Chairman and CEO of Agenus, emphasized the potential of the collaboration to transform cancer care. “This partnership allows us to combine next-generation immunotherapies with cutting-edge AI to better understand individual patient biology. With Noetik’s virtual cell models and our robust BOT/BAL dataset, we can accelerate the discovery of predictive biomarkers and deliver more targeted, effective treatments for patients who currently have limited options.”
The partnership aligns with broader national priorities and FDA initiatives to promote AI-driven clinical innovation and equitable access to precision therapies. By leveraging model-driven research and large-scale patient data, the companies aim to lead a shift in oncology toward more personalized and effective treatment strategies.
