Benzinga | Feb 4, 2021 10:47AM EST

Encouraging Interim Data From Early-Stage COVID-19 Study With Cell Therapy Lifts Agenus Shares

* Agenus Inc (NASDAQ: AGEN) has announced positive preliminary results from its Phase 1 trial evaluating its iNKT cell therapy in patients with moderate to severe symptoms of COVID-19 through its subsidiary, AgenTus Therapeutics.

* Preliminary data show that three out of the four patients dosed to date were extubated and released after treatment. Notably, two of these patients were extubated within 24 hours of dosing.

* AgenTus is accruing and treating patients with dose escalation underway.

* Dose escalation is expected to complete in the first half of this year for an initiation into a Phase 2 trial with data readouts expected in the fourth quarter of this year.

* Price Action: AGEN gained 6.14% at $4.67 on the last check Thursday.