Compass Therapeutics tovecimig data wins oral slot at ESMO 2026
Compass Therapeutics has secured an oral Proffered Paper slot at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2026 for data from its COMPANION-002 trial, a randomised, controlled Phase 2/3 study evaluating tovecimig in advanced biliary tract cancer.
The Boston-based company announced on 17 July that the abstract, titled "A randomised trial of paclitaxel ± tovecimig in previously treated patients with advanced biliary tract cancer", will be presented during a session on 24 October, the second day of the congress, which runs from 23 to 27 October in Madrid. Nilofer Azad, Professor of Oncology and Associate Director of Clinical Research at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, will deliver the presentation.
Tovecimig is a bispecific antibody targeting both DLL4 and VEGF-A. COMPANION-002 tests it in combination with paclitaxel in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer who have received prior treatment. Compass has not released the underlying trial data ahead of the ESMO presentation, in line with congress embargo policies.
Why an oral slot matters
An oral Proffered Paper presentation at ESMO carries meaningful weight in the oncology conference calendar. Abstracts selected for oral delivery are generally judged by the programme committee to carry the most practice-changing or scientifically novel data in their category. For a clinical-stage company with a market capitalisation in the lower range of Nasdaq-listed biotechs, a positive readout at this forum could materially affect the competitive positioning of tovecimig and the company's ability to attract partnership interest or further capital.
Market context
Biliary tract cancer, which encompasses cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer, is a rare but notoriously difficult-to-treat malignancy with limited second-line options. The approval of pemigatinib, infigratinib, and ivosidenib for genomically selected subpopulations has expanded the treatment landscape in recent years, but patients without actionable FGFR2 or IDH1 alterations continue to face poor prognoses in later lines of therapy. A regimen effective in an unselected or broader population would therefore address a genuine unmet need.
The DLL4-VEGF-A bispecific mechanism is designed to suppress tumour angiogenesis and disrupt Notch signalling simultaneously, an approach intended to prevent the vascular adaptation that can blunt single-agent anti-angiogenic therapy. Compass's scientific focus on the intersection of angiogenesis and tumour immune microenvironment places tovecimig in a competitive space occupied by a number of antibody and small-molecule programmes from mid-sized and large pharmaceutical companies. Whether the COMPANION-002 data demonstrate a clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival or progression-free survival over paclitaxel alone will be the central question for investors and clinicians attending ESMO.
Full presentation details, including any data disclosures, are subject to ESMO Congress policies and are expected to become available closer to the October session date.