LEXINGTON, Mass. — Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in immuno-oncology innovation, has appointed José Iglesias, M.D. as Chief Medical Affairs Officer, effective November 10, 2025. Dr. Iglesias will oversee global medical affairs for botensilimab (BOT) and balstilimab (BAL) as the combination advances through Phase 3 trials and becomes available in select countries through early-access pathways, including France’s Autorisation d’Accès Compassionnel (AAC) program.
BOT is an Fc-enhanced multifunctional CTLA-4 antibody and BAL is a PD-1 antibody. Together, the BOT/BAL combination is being evaluated in patients with microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer (MSS CRC), a patient population historically underserved by immunotherapy despite significant unmet need.
Dr. Iglesias brings more than 30 years of experience in global oncology and immuno-oncology drug development. At Abraxis BioScience and Celgene, he led late-stage development and life-cycle management of Abraxane for pancreatic, lung, and metastatic breast cancers, contributing to its acceptance as standard-of-care in multiple tumor types. He later held senior medical leadership positions at Bionomics, Biothera, and Apobiologix, managing global oncology programs spanning biologics, small molecules, and immunotherapies.
In his new role, Dr. Iglesias will lead medical affairs strategy for BOT/BAL, focusing on medical evidence generation, scientific communication, and engagement with clinicians and regulatory authorities. He will also oversee appropriate use and real-world data collection through regulatory and early-access channels such as France’s AAC, where the BOT/BAL combination has already received authorization for MSS colorectal cancer with full reimbursement.
France’s AAC framework allows eligible patients with serious unmet medical needs to access treatments not yet approved through traditional regulatory pathways. Hospitals and physicians in France have begun submitting AAC requests for BOT/BAL, and treatment has already started. This AAC authorization complements existing and planned named-patient and early-access programs in other countries where Agenus is pursuing regulatory-cleared availability.
“José has played a central role in the development and global adoption of important oncology medicines such as Abraxane,” said Garo Armen, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Agenus. “As BOT/BAL moves through our global Phase 3 BATTMAN program and becomes available through mechanisms like the French AAC and other early-access and named-patient pathways, his experience in evidence generation, access strategy, and post-approval data collection will be critical to how we work with clinicians, regulators, and payers to inform care for patients with MSS colorectal cancer.”
“Throughout my career, I have focused on building the clinical and real-world evidence needed to bring new oncology treatments, including Abraxane, into standard practice,” said Dr. José Iglesias. “BOT/BAL is being studied in patients with MSS colorectal cancer, a group for whom current options remain limited. My priority is to build a medical affairs organization that collaborates closely with investigators and treating physicians, supports high-quality evidence generation, and ensures that early-access frameworks such as AAC in France and named-patient programs in other countries are used appropriately and responsibly for eligible patients.”
Dr. Iglesias has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). He earned his medical degree in Uruguay and completed post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Toronto, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and Duke University. He began his career in clinical oncology and hematology practice before transitioning to the biopharmaceutical industry.
