Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company MiNK Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:INKT) reported on Wednesday the launch of a Phase 2 investigator-sponsored study led by Dr Yelena Janjigian at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for agenT-797 in second-line gastro-oesophageal cancer.

This randomised Phase 2 trial is supported by Stand Up To Cancer as part of an initiative to find treatments for the approximately 70% of gastro-oesophageal cancer (GEC) patients who are unresponsive to current treatments. It marks the first novel combination of allogeneic cell therapy with botensilimab/balstilimab through a collaboration between MiNK and biotechnology company Agenus Inc (NASDAQ:AGEN).

Dr Janjigian highlighted the significance of exploring new treatment combinations to enhance outcomes for patients with refractory gastric cancers. AgenT-797, an off-the-shelf invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell-based therapy, has demonstrated the ability to target cancerous cells in diseased tissues and is compatible with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

The study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of agenT-797 in combination with botensilimab, balstilimab, ramucirumab and paclitaxel for patients with advanced oesophageal, gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma. Approximately 38 patients with advanced forms of these cancers, who have experienced disease progression post-initial treatment, are targeted for enrolment.