Context Therapeutics Acquires Phase 1-ready CT-95 T Cell Engager

Context Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: CNTX), a biopharmaceutical firm focusing on treatments for solid tumors, has announced a significant acquisition. The company has entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire CT-95, a mesothelin (MSLN) x CD3 T cell engaging (TCE) bispecific antibody from Link Immunotherapeutics, Inc. This antibody is notable for its first-in-class potential and has already received Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company plans to initiate Phase 1 trials for CT-95 in the first quarter of 2025.

Martin Lehr, CEO of Context Therapeutics, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, indicating that it aligns with the company's strategy of developing TCE assets to treat solid tumors. Lehr highlighted that mesothelin is a target of interest due to its high prevalence in various underserved solid cancers, including ovarian, lung, and pancreatic cancers. He noted that preclinical data suggests CT-95 could be both first-in-class and best-in-class in targeting MSLN.

CT-95 is set to be rapidly progressed into clinical trials, with Context planning to fund the acquisition and subsequent dose escalation portion of the Phase 1 trial using existing cash reserves.

CT-95 targets mesothelin, a membrane protein overly expressed in many cancers but with limited presence in normal tissues. One challenge in developing mesothelin-targeted therapies is the presence of shed mesothelin in both blood and the tumor microenvironment. CT-95 is a fully humanized bispecific TCE that uses an IgG-scFv architecture with an effector-silenced IgG1 backbone. It features low affinity but high avidity for membrane-bound mesothelin, which helps minimize the impact of the shed mesothelin. The therapy is being developed for advanced cancers that express mesothelin.

Context Therapeutics is headquartered in Philadelphia and is building a portfolio of clinical-stage T cell engaging bispecific therapeutics. This includes CTIM-76, a Claudin 6 (CLDN6) x CD3 bispecific antibody, alongside CT-95. The company is committed to advancing innovative treatments for solid tumor cancers.