Agenus Inc.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for standing by and welcome to AGENAS first quarter 2021 conference call and webcast. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After today's presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. To ask a question, please press star then one. Please note that this event is being recorded and may be used in future AGENAS promotional material. I would now like to turn the conference over to John Medina, Director of Investor Relations. John, please go ahead.

Thank you, Rebecca, and thank you all for joining us today. Today's call is being webcast and will be available on our website for replay. I'd like to remind you that this call will include forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our clinical development, regulatory and commercial plans and timelines, as well as timelines for data release and partnership opportunities. These statements are subject to risk and Uncertainties, and we refer you to our SEC filings for more details on these risks. As a reminder, this call is being recorded for audio broadcast. Joining me today are Dr. Garo Armen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jennifer Buell, President and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Steven O'Day, our Chief Medical Officer, and Christine Klaskin, Vice President of Finance. Now I'll turn the call over to Garo to highlight our progress during 2021 so far.

Good morning everybody and thank you John. Thank you all for your participation and interest in agenus. In the past seven and a half weeks since our last call, we have continued to make progress on our key programs and milestones. These include additional clinical trial data, advancing our INKT programs in COVID and cancer, earning two presentation slots at ASCO, Filing our first BLA, defining our strategy for 1181, and being on track for cash accretive corporate transactions for this year with a start in the current quarter. Firstly, we announced that we submitted our Bostilumab BLA to the FDA for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. under the accelerated approval pathway. Second, regarding our next generation CTLA-4 inhibitor, Agen 1181. At the ACR annual meeting in April, we disclosed new clinical responses for this antibody. There has been steady and impressive results continuing the trend we had previously disclosed. Additional data and clinical responses will be presented at upcoming conferences. Third, regarding our INKT program, we had indicated in our last call in March, we extended our INKT clinical development program into cancer. While we continue to advance INKT cells in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, Secondary to COVID-19, we have recently announced the initiation and dosing of our first patient with cancer and will soon initiate our cell therapy combinations with checkpoint antibodies in solid tumor cancers. Turning to TIGIT. We have advanced our efforts to expect to file an IND for our lead anti-tiget program, AGEN 1777 by specific, during this current quarter. Next, regarding corporate transactions, we continue to expect cash accretive corporate transactions this year, starting in the current quarter. While there has been tremendous upheaval around the world over the last 12 months, a genesis core mission is unchanged. And we are on track with the delivery of our objectives. Speed and quality of our innovations is and will continue to be the core to our strategy. We will continue to marshal the best people and the resources that are paramount to achieve success for us. I would like to now turn the call to our President and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Jennifer Buell. Dr. Buell.