Context Therapeutics acquires new cancer therapy candidate By Investing.com

PHILADELPHIA – Context Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:CNTX), a company specializing in the development of treatments for solid tumors, has announced the acquisition of a clinical-stage therapeutic agent, CT-95, from Link Immunotherapeutics, Inc. CT-95, a mesothelin x CD3 T cell engaging bispecific antibody, has received Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is poised for Phase 1 clinical trial initiation in early 2025.

The acquisition of CT-95, previously known as LNK101, is aligned with Context’s strategy to expand its pipeline of T cell engager assets aimed at tackling solid tumors. Mesothelin (MSLN), the target molecule of CT-95, is commonly found in several types of solid cancers, such as ovarian, lung, and pancreatic, which are often underserved by current therapies.

Martin Lehr, CEO of Context Therapeutics, expressed optimism about the potential of CT-95, citing “compelling preclinical data” that suggest the therapy could be a first-in-class and best-in-class option for targeting MSLN.

Lehr also indicated that the company plans to fund the acquisition and the initial phase of the clinical trial using its existing cash reserves.

CT-95 is designed to address the challenges of developing MSLN-targeted therapies, which have been hindered by the presence of a shed MSLN “sink” in blood and the tumor microenvironment.

The therapy uses a fully humanized bispecific T cell engager (TCE) with an IgG-scFv architecture and an effector-silenced IgG1 backbone. It is engineered to have a relatively low affinity but high avidity for membrane-bound MSLN, which could minimize the effects of the shed sink.

This development marks a significant step for Context Therapeutics as it aims to broaden its portfolio of innovative treatments for cancers associated with MSLN expression. The company continues to advance its clinical-stage bispecific therapeutics, including CTIM-76, a Claudin 6 x CD3 bispecific antibody, alongside CT-95.

This news is based on a press release statement from Context Therapeutics.

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