Bispecific antibodies were the fastest-growing modality at ASCO 2026 — we covered the surge itself here. But the headline number hides the more important story. Break the modality down by target pair and by tumor type, and you can see the exact moment T-cell engagers crossed from their hematology origins into solid tumors. That crossover is the most consequential thing happening in immuno-oncology right now.
The crossover, quantified
Split every bispecific study into two buckets — agents anchored in blood cancers (BCMA, GPRC5D, CD20 engagers) versus agents aimed at solid tumors (DLL3, EGFR×MET, PD-1×VEGF, PD-1×CTLA-4, gp100) — and the divergence is dramatic.
Heme-anchored engagers grew modestly (52 → 61 studies). Solid-tumor bispecifics nearly tripled, from 41 to 115. For a decade, the hard frontier of the T-cell-engager field was the solid tumor — where antigens are messy and circulating T-cells struggle to reach the tumor. ASCO 2026 is the year the data shows that frontier decisively giving way.
The full target-pair map
Within those two buckets, each target pair has its own competitive dynamic. Here is the complete map, ranked by 2026 study volume.
| Target pair | Lead agents | Tumor stream | 2026 studies |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLL3 × CD3 | tarlatamab | Small cell lung cancer | 37 |
| BCMA × CD3 | teclistamab, elranatamab, linvoseltamab | Multiple myeloma | 29 |
| PD-1 × CTLA-4 | cadonilimab | Gastric, cervical (China) | 24 |
| EGFR × MET | amivantamab | EGFR-mutant NSCLC | 24 |
| CD20 × CD3 | epcoritamab, glofitamab, mosunetuzumab | B-cell lymphoma | 21 |
| GPRC5D × CD3 | talquetamab | Multiple myeloma | 21 |
| PD-1 × VEGF | ivonescimab | Lung, broad solid tumors | 20 |
| gp100 × CD3 | tebentafusp | Uveal melanoma | 15 |
Solid tumors: the engines of the crossover
DLL3 × CD3 (tarlatamab) is the breakout — 2 → 37 studies — having delivered the first overall-survival win in relapsed small cell lung cancer in a generation. The dual-pathway pairs are the other engines: PD-1 × CTLA-4 (cadonilimab) and PD-1 × VEGF (ivonescimab, whose HARMONi-6 trial won the ASCO Plenary) attack two pathways with one molecule, and EGFR × MET (amivantamab) anchors EGFR-mutant lung. These are not T-cell engagers in the classic sense — they are proof that the bispecific format, not just the CD3 engager mechanism, is what is winning.
Heme: crowded, and consolidating
The blood-cancer bench is deep but no longer fast-growing. Myeloma alone now has BCMA engagers (teclistamab, elranatamab, linvoseltamab — 29 studies) and a GPRC5D engager (talquetamab — 21), while lymphoma has three competing CD20 × CD3 engagers. This is a crowded, maturing field where the competitive questions have shifted to sequencing, fixed-duration dosing, and outpatient administration.
Format innovation is the next battleground
As target pairs crowd, the engineering of the molecule becomes the differentiator. The ASCO 2026 program shows the field competing on format: subcutaneous dosing to replace IV infusion, step-up dosing schedules to blunt cytokine release syndrome, and earlier-generation toward off-the-shelf administration. For T-cell engagers, where cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity are the gating toxicities, a safer or more convenient format can decide a market as much as the target pair does.
The commercialization read
For BD teams: the heme target pairs (BCMA, GPRC5D, CD20) are crowded — entering them now means competing on format and sequencing. The white space is in novel solid-tumor antigen pairs and next-generation formats (lower-CRS, subcutaneous, off-the-shelf). For competitive strategy: the dual-pathway bispecifics (PD-1×VEGF, PD-1×CTLA-4) put every single-target checkpoint franchise on notice. For investors: the 41 → 115 solid-tumor crossover is the clearest leading indicator in the modality — the assets driving it (tarlatamab, ivonescimab, amivantamab) are the franchises forming in real time.
Explore the underlying data
Every number above is live and pivotable on the Knitify ASCO Radar — analyze the 7,222 studies in the ASCO 2026 program by drug, indication, sponsor, or trial-in-progress status, and compare year over year against 2025 and 2024. Filter the board to a bispecific target pair such as DLL3 or BCMA to reproduce every count in this article. The radar links to each study on the official ASCO program; it does not reproduce copyrighted text.
Methodology & scope: figures in this article are structured signals the Knitify ASCO Radar derives from the publicly released ASCO 2026 scientific program (7,222 studies presented; 6,511 in 2025; 5,885 in 2024) — counting how many studies reference a given drug, indication, or modality class. They quantify research attention and momentum, not clinical efficacy or market share. Named trial results are quoted from public company press releases, the ASCO press program, and peer-reviewed journals (cited below). The radar does not reproduce any copyrighted text — it links to each study on the official ASCO program. This is editorial commentary on public data — not investment, legal, regulatory, or medical advice.