Coherus Oncology Maps LOQTORZI Ramp, Cancer Pipeline Catalysts and Deal Push

Coherus Oncology (NASDAQ:CHRS) Chief Executive Denny Lanfear outlined the company’s immuno-oncology strategy at the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference, emphasizing commercial growth for LOQTORZI and clinical development plans for tagmokitug and casdozokitug.

Lanfear said Coherus has been a “full-on immuno-oncology company” for about a year after divesting its biosimilar business roughly two years ago. He described the company’s current focus as “value creation through drugs, data, and deals,” centered on LOQTORZI as a commercial PD-1 therapy and as a backbone for combinations with Coherus’ wholly owned pipeline assets.

LOQTORZI Commercial Ramp Remains a Priority

Lanfear said LOQTORZI is generating sales and is projected by the company to reach a $175 million annual run rate in 2028. He also reiterated commercial targets of $15 million per quarter this year and $30 million to $35 million per quarter sometime in 2027.

He highlighted six-year survival data in nasopharyngeal cancer, saying patients treated with chemotherapy plus LOQTORZI had median survival of 64.8 months compared with 33.7 months for chemotherapy alone. Lanfear said the data had been well received by physicians and noted that LOQTORZI has “top billing” in NCCN guidelines as the only preferred regimen established there for first-line nasopharyngeal cancer.

Coherus is expanding its commercial efforts around the product, Lanfear said, including the purchase of broader claims data, enhanced information systems for field teams, additional field personnel in four regions, a dedicated Veterans Affairs team and an internal salesforce team.

Tagmokitug Program Expands Across Tumor Types

A major portion of the presentation focused on tagmokitug, Coherus’ CCR8-targeted T regulatory cell, or Treg, depleter. Lanfear said the company believes tagmokitug is “best in class,” citing what he described as selective CCR8 targeting, tumor Treg depletion, CD8+ T-cell infiltration, linear pharmacokinetics and tolerability.

He said the company has observed no dose-limiting toxicities up to 1,200 milligrams per dose and no Grade 3 infusion site reactions. Lanfear said Coherus views selectivity as critical in the CCR8 field because cross-reactivity could affect side effects, pharmacokinetics and dosing.

Coherus is studying tagmokitug in combination with LOQTORZI across gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal cancer, as well as head and neck cancer. Lanfear said the company recently raised $50 million to support two of the programs. He said a second-line head and neck study of tagmokitug plus toripalimab is ongoing, nearly fully enrolled and tracking toward a mid-2026 readout, though he noted the exact timing will depend on scans.

In gastrointestinal cancers, Lanfear said Coherus is pursuing gastric, gastroesophageal junction, esophageal and colorectal cancer studies. He said enrollment in colorectal cancer is progressing but not yet complete, with completion expected toward the end of the year as previously projected.

J&J Collaboration Targets Prostate Cancer

Lanfear also discussed Coherus’ recently announced collaboration with Johnson & Johnson involving tagmokitug and a T-cell engager in metastatic prostate cancer. He said tagmokitug is the first anti-CCR8 therapy to be used in combination with a T-cell engager and the first to be used in prostate cancer.

The protocol is ready, Lanfear said, and Coherus expects to initiate the study in the fall. He said the company could see data late in the fall or in the first quarter of next year.

Lanfear framed the collaboration as part of a broader strategy to develop tagmokitug with partners across therapeutic approaches, including T-cell engagers, radiation therapy and antibody-drug conjugates. He said Coherus is in discussions with companies developing ADCs and is seeking additional collaborations.

Casdozokitug Study Fully Enrolled in Liver Cancer

Lanfear also reviewed casdozokitug, which he described as a first-in-class and potentially only-in-class IL-27 antagonist. He said IL-27 plays a role in turning off immune responses by upregulating checkpoint receptors such as PD-L1, LAG-3 and TIGIT, downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and moderating natural killer cell responses.

Coherus previously studied casdozokitug with atezolizumab and bevacizumab in first-line hepatocellular carcinoma. Lanfear pointed to a complete response rate of 17% in that study and said some patients remained on treatment for nearly two years.

The follow-on first-line liver cancer study is now fully enrolled, Lanfear said. The study combines LOQTORZI with casdozokitug and bevacizumab across three arms, including two casdozokitug doses and a toripalimab-bevacizumab control arm. He said Coherus remains on track to report data later, consistent with prior guidance, depending on the number of scans needed. The company also plans to use circulating tumor DNA analysis to better understand early treatment effects.

Lanfear said casdozokitug may also have potential in squamous non-small cell lung cancer, based on prior data, but Coherus has not yet started that study.

Licensing and Deal Outlook

Lanfear said Coherus holds global rights to tagmokitug and casdozokitug and is interested in global deals and ex-U.S. licensing. He specifically pointed to potential ex-U.S. licensing opportunities for casdozokitug in Asia, where he said liver cancer represents a significant opportunity.

He said the company expects deal activity could occur over six-, 12- or 18-month time frames, particularly for tagmokitug and casdozokitug outside the United States, while Coherus continues to generate clinical data across its programs.

About Coherus Oncology (NASDAQ:CHRS)

Coherus Oncology, Inc is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of biologic therapies for oncology support and immuno-oncology. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Redwood City, California, Coherus specializes in biosimilar versions of established oncology agents as well as novel immunotherapy candidates.

The company’s lead marketed products include Udenyca (pegfilgrastim-cbqv) and Fulphila (pegfilgrastim-jmdb), biosimilars to Amgen’s Neulasta, which are designed to reduce the incidence of infection in patients undergoing myelosuppressive chemotherapy.