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AACR Annual Meeting 2026

April 17–22, 2026 · San Diego · 2418 items

After the meeting★★

PD-1 × VEGF bispecifics after ivonescimab

54 people · 55 posts3 topics

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PD-1 takes the brake off T cells; VEGF grows tumor vessels and also suppresses immunity. Combining the two drugs already worked in liver and kidney cancer. A bispecific puts both arms on one molecule, so the drug is pinned in the tumor vasculature and T-cell activation and vessel normalization happen together.

ivonescimab has already beaten pembrolizumab in lung cancer. This meeting was not a new target. It was the first data window for the second wave — JS207, MK-2010, pumitamig, SSGJ-707 — and whether any of them can leave lung cancer, especially microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer, where immunotherapy has historically failed.

A bispecific has three pharmacological edges over a two-drug combo: higher local concentration in the tumor; VEGF is itself an immune suppressor, so blocking it also frees dendritic cells and T-cell entry; vessel normalization lets T cells in. ivonescimab’s preclinical data already showed stronger intratumoral PD-1 blockade than an exogenous two-antibody mix at the same dose.

Most molecules hit PD-1 × VEGF; BioNTech’s BNT327 / pumitamig hits PD-L1 × VEGF-A. PD-L1 sits more on tumor and myeloid cells, so the molecule is steered onto a different surface. There is no head-to-head yet. BNT327’s readout will be the first indirect comparison.

Analysis

The field has moved from “Akeso proved the concept” to several molecules, several tumors, and deep MNC involvement. That MK-2010’s data are entirely from China is itself an industry signal: Merck is willing to refill post-PD-1 through this path.

Another lung PFS will not rewrite the map. MSS colorectal cancer will. KEYNOTE-164 had essentially no responses there. If JS207 plus chemotherapy holds, that is the clinical proof that a bispecific is more than two drugs in one vial.

Still open
  • Which second-generation molecule first finishes an FDA confirmatory trial.
  • Whether HARMONi-7’s global data come in weaker than the China cohort.
  • Whether JS207’s MSS CRC signal reproduces in a larger sample.
Key readout

ivonescimab · mPFS 11.14 vs 5.82 mo, HR 0.51HARMONi-2 · 1L PD-L1+ NSCLC · approved in China

Records

Drug / trialReadoutSetting
ivonescimabivonescimabmPFS 11.14 vs 5.82 mo, HR 0.51HARMONi-2 · 1L PD-L1+ NSCLC · approved in China
JS207 + XELOX#COLORECTALCANCEREarly signal in 1L MSS/pMMR CRCHistorically IO-refractory · Phase 1/2
MK-2010MK-2010First-in-human data, all from China trialsMerck / LaNova · solid tumors Phase 1
pumitamigMulti-indication; TNBC sits under breastBNT327 · PD-L1×VEGF

Floor

Apr 21Tue
Apr 20Mon
Apr 18Sat

Other directions

CBACBA Frontier Insights (CFI)Chinese Biopharmaceutical Association (CBA)www.cba-usa.org