Agenus abandoned a Phase 3 colorectal study just three months after launch, redirecting resources toward a new focus on colon cancer. The company said it would scrap the Battman trial, which was evaluating botensilimab plus balstilimab in unresectable MSS metastatic colorectal cancer. Agenus said the enrollment effort faced an operational challenge, but it emphasized that it would “honor its obligations” to patients already receiving treatment. It aligned with the FDA on the design for Robbin, a planned Phase 3 study in high-risk stage II and stage III MSS colon cancer. The pivot is backed by a new planned funding approach: Agenus said the Robbin trial would be bankrolled by a private placement that could bring in up to $340 million. The company’s immunotherapy strategy reflects ongoing difficulty in MSS colorectal tumors, which have historically shown limited checkpoint responsiveness.