Terns Pharmaceuticals to Highlight 2026 Priorities and Program Milestones at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

Core Insights - Terns Pharmaceuticals is advancing its lead program TERN-701, an allosteric BCR-ABL inhibitor for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), with significant milestones planned for 2026 [1][3][8] - The company has reported strong enrollment in the CARDINAL Phase 1/2 trial and aims to initiate pivotal trials by late 2026 or early 2027 [1][2][3] - Terns has a robust financial position with approximately $1.0 billion in cash and marketable securities, expected to sustain operations into 2031 [1][8] Milestones and Clinical Development - Key milestones for TERN-701 in 2026 include pivotal dose selection and an End of Phase 2 regulatory interaction with the U.S. FDA [1][3] - The initiation of the first pivotal trial targeting the 2L+ patient population is anticipated in late 2026 or early 2027 [1][3] - The trial design includes evaluating TERN-701 against a control arm of second-generation TKIs, with major molecular response (MMR) at six months as the primary endpoint [3] Clinical Data and Efficacy - At the 67th ASH Annual Meeting, TERN-701 demonstrated a 75% MMR achievement rate by 24 weeks in evaluable patients, significantly higher than previous treatments [8] - The safety profile of TERN-701 is encouraging, with 87% of patients remaining on treatment and no dose-limiting toxicities observed [3][8] - The majority of treatment-emergent adverse events were low grade, with grade 3 or higher events occurring in less than 10% of patients [3] Financial Position and Corporate Updates - Terns completed a public offering in December 2025, raising approximately $747.5 million, enhancing its financial stability [8] - The company is exploring strategic partnerships to advance its legacy metabolic programs, TERN-501 and TERN-801 [8] - Terns is committed to rapidly advancing TERN-701 towards product launch to maximize its therapeutic and commercial potential [2]