Aptevo gets $1.5 million grant to advance solid tumor immunotherapy APVO451

Aptevo Therapeutics announced on June 30, 2026 that it had been awarded a research grant from the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund to support investigational new drug (IND)-enabling work for APVO451, Aptevo's novel trispecific antibody-like immunotherapy candidate for solid tumors.¹ The award was made through the CARE Fund's Implementation and Outcomes Research program, as stated in the release.

According to the company's 8-K, the agreement was signed on June 29, 2026 with the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment Fund, a Washington State–established public research endowment.¹ The fund will provide $1,499,951.00 in funding on a reimbursement basis only to support IND-enabling studies for APVO451 during the grant period.¹ Funding is contingent on Aptevo providing matching non-state contributions at least equal to the CARE Fund's contribution.¹

The project period is expected to run through June 2028, subject to earlier termination under the agreement.¹ Reimbursement will follow an approved budget and will depend on Aptevo hitting certain milestones and meeting reporting and compliance requirements, per the filing. Aptevo retains ownership of intellectual property generated under the project, subject to obligations including acknowledgment of the Grantor's support and commitments tied to commercialization and public benefit.¹

APVO451 is designed as a trispecific molecule combining three mechanisms in one construct: binding to the tumor marker nectin-4, activating CD40 on antigen-presenting cells, and engaging CD3 to direct T cells toward tumor cells, the company said. Aptevo said the program is advancing toward development candidate selection by year-end 2026, with IND-enabling studies set to begin in the first quarter of 2027.¹ The candidate uses the same CRIS-7-derived CD3 binding domain found in mipletamig, Aptevo's lead clinical program.¹