Presentation at ASCO builds on previous successful clinical trials at the Research Institute that have resulted in significant gains for pancreatic cancer patients
CHICAGO — June 2, 2025 — A new 7-drug treatment for pancreatic cancer dubbed the MAG 7 was presented by HonorHealth Research Institute at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the world's leading professional organization for physicians and oncology professionals caring for cancer patients.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult-to-treat of all malignancies. In the U.S., it is the third leading cause of cancer-related death. This year, nearly 52,000 Americans are expected to succumb to this aggressive disease. Only 13% of patients survive past 5 years.
The ASCO poster presentation is based on a current Phase 1 clinical trial at the Research Institute that is considering the safety and effectiveness of a combination of “botensilimab (AGEN1181) + balstilimab (AGEN2034) + nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine + cisplatin + chloroquine + celecoxib” in adult patients with previously untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer, meaning that it has spread to other parts of the body.
Researchers are looking to this combination to induce what is known as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the UPR cellular pathway, resulting in the death of pancreatic cancer cells.
“This combination of drugs builds on previously successful clinical trials over the past two decades that used some of these same drugs — especially gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel and cisplatin — pioneered at HonorHealth Research Institute, which have shown high response rates in individuals with advanced pancreatic cancer,” said Erkut Borazanci, M.D., medical director of the Oncology Research Division of the Scottsdale-based HonorHealth Research Institute. Dr. Borazanci is the poster’s lead author.
As with many of the previous clinical trials, the poster includes essential research contributions by the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen). It also includes contributions from Agenus, a biotechnology company based in Lexington, Mass.
To run the study, HonorHealth Research Institute is working with ClinChoice, based in Horsham, Penn., an international contract research organization. Their head of Hematology and Oncology, Chris Houchins, said: “Contributing to HonorHealth Research Institute’s advancement of innovative oncology solutions aligns with our commitment to scientific excellence and accelerating the development of life-changing therapies.”
One of the primary objectives of the trial, which looks to enlist up to 18 patients, is to determine the dosage of botensilimab in combination with the other six drugs, according to the poster presentation. Botensilimab has been shown to augment immune responses across a wide range of tumor types by priming and activating T cells, activating myeloid cells and inducing long-term memory responses.
Clinical trial participants must be at least 18 years old and have a current life expectancy of at least three months. They also must not have received radiation, surgery, chemotherapy or investigational therapy for treatment of metastatic disease.
“MAG 7 represents an effort to target a range of cancer-related biologic elements with the goal of enhancing the already proven strengths of our drug development in pancreatic cancer,” said Michael Gordon, M.D., FASCO, Chief Medical Officer of HonorHealth Research Institute, and one of the poster’s authors.
The MAG 7 poster is one of more than 7,500 abstracts reviewed for this year’s ASCO meeting, which runs through June 3 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
This study is supported by the TGen Pancreas National Advisory Council and the Purple Pansies Foundation, dedicated to improving the lives of pancreatic cancer patients.
For more about HonorHealth Research Institute clinical trials: call 833-354-6667 or email clinicaltrials@HonorHealth.com.