Agenus gets rights to novel antibodies from Diatheva

US biotech firm Agenus (Nasdaq: AGEN) has acquired rights to antibodies targeting Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (CEACAM1), a glycoprotein expressed on T cell and NK cell lymphocytes, from Diatheva, an Italian biotech company controlled by SOL SpA.

CEACAM1 is over-expressed in melanoma, bladder, lung, colon, pancreas, and gastric cancers and has been shown to modulate innate and adaptive immune suppression in pre-clinical studies. Antibodies targeting CEACAM1 are thought to have the potential to effectively treat cancer alone or in combination with other checkpoint modulator antibodies, including those in Agenus’ development pipeline.

“CEACAM1 is emerging as a powerful immune modulator, with significant evidence that chief scientific officer of Agenus, adding: “Diatheva’s anti-CEACAM1 monoclonal antibodies expand and complement our broad portfolio of checkpoint modulators and personalized cancer vaccines, with the potential to create best-in-class combination therapies for treating patients with cancer.”