Terns' 'Unprecedented' CML Data Puts TERN-701 on Track to Challenge Novartis' Scemblix
SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 11, 2025 - Terns Pharmaceuticals is rapidly emerging as a serious contender in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), after early clinical data for its allosteric BCR/ABL1 inhibitor TERN-701 more than doubled response rates seen with Novartis' approved STAMP inhibitor Scemblix in comparable settings and sent the biotech's share price sharply higher.
Best-in-Disease Early Efficacy Raises the Bar in CML
At the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, Terns reported Phase I data from the CARDINAL trial in previously treated CML patients, with 38 participants evaluable for efficacy. TERN-701 achieved a major molecular response (MMR) rate of 75% at week 24, with 64% of patients reaching MMR overall in the dataset presented. The investigational agent also supported simple once-daily dosing without a food effect, improving convenience relative to many existing tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) regimens.