Denmark's Genmab Pulls Plug on Acasunlimab to Prioritize Late-stage Clinical Assets

12:43 AM EST, 12/30/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Genmab (GMAB.CO) decided to stop further development of its investigational cancer therapy acasunlimab to enhance focus on its late‑stage oncology portfolio, according to a Monday release. Acasunlimab, a bispecific antibody developed using Genmab's DuoBody technology and German biopharmaceutical BioNTech's (22UA.F) proprietary immunomodulatory antibodies, was designed to stimulate an antitumor immune response, particularly in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. BioNTech quit the joint development program in August 2024 as part of a portfolio strategy review, leaving Genmab with full responsibility for the drug's continued development and potential commercialization, including milestone payments and tiered single-digit royalties payable to BioNTech. Following a subsequent portfolio review, Genmab has now opted to halt acasunlimab's clinical development, saying it will prioritize "higher-impact" opportunities in an increasingly competitive oncology environment. "Although the data have been encouraging, the compelling opportunities we see in our late‑stage pipeline led us to focus our investments where we believe we can deliver the greatest benefit for patients and shareholders," said Genmab Chief Executive Officer Jan van de Winkel. "We are highly energized by the momentum of EPKINLY, petosemtamab and Rina‑S, and we remain committed to executing these programs with speed and rigor." The move will not impact Genmab's financials for the full year 2025, the company said.