Compass Therapeutics Announces Publication of Phase 2/3 COMPANION-002 Results for Tovecimig in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Oral Presentation at ESMO 2026
Key Highlights
- ➤ORR improved to 18.0% from 5.3% with tovecimig plus paclitaxel
- ➤Median PFS reached 4.7 versus 2.6 months; progression/death risk fell 56%
- ➤Disease control rate rose to 62.2% versus 36.8% with paclitaxel alone
- ➤Crossover-adjusted OS hazard ratio was 0.85; result was not statistically significant
- ➤Grade 3+ adverse events occurred in 93.5% versus 64.2% for paclitaxel alone
Expert Statements
Nilofer S. Azad, M.D., Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
“COMPANION-002 is an important, randomized study in patients with previously treated, advanced biliary tract cancer. The significant improvements in response rate and progression-free survival, together with the durability of responses and disease control, are encouraging for patients in this setting. We also saw activity in patients who switched to tovecimig after their disease progressed on paclitaxel alone, which is notable in a setting where disease often progresses quickly.”
Thomas Schuetz, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Compass Therapeutics
“Publication of the COMPANION-002 results in the Journal of Clinical Oncology following independent peer review is a significant milestone for patients with BTC. These data, including the new two-stage estimation adjusting for the crossover impact on overall survival, strengthen our conviction that tovecimig has the potential to make a meaningful difference for patients with previously treated, advanced biliary tract cancer who have few treatment options. We are determined to bring tovecimig to these patients and will continue working with the FDA toward that goal.”
* As published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) and presented at ESMO, COMPANION-002 met its primary endpoint of ORR and key secondary endpoint of PFS, with a 56% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death. * Responses were durable, with a median duration of response (DOR) of 4.9 months, and disease control rate (DCR) was also significantly improved (62.2% vs. 36.8%). * A new, post hoc analysis of overall survival (OS) included in the JCO publication uses the Two-Stage Estimation, an established method for adjusting for crossover, and demonstrates an OS hazard ratio of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.59–1.26; p=0.53). * Safety profile was consistent with prior tovecimig studies and the anti-VEGF class, with no new safety signals identified. BOSTON, Oct. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Compass Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMPX), a clinical-stage, oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company developing proprietary antibody-based therapeutics to treat multiple human diseases, today announced the publication of results from the positive Phase 2/3 COMPANION-002 study of tovecimig in combination with paclitaxel in patients with previously treated, advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). The results are also being presented today by Nilofer S. Azad, M.D., Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, at the 2026 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Madrid, Spain. The full publication is available via open access at https://ascopubs.org/toc/jco/0/ja.
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