Agenus Inc. - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Agenus Inc. is Medium Risk.

Agenus, Inc. is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	No Data
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Agenus integrates ESG into its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Charter: “Agenus will be integrating an ESG management platform that will enable the Company to gather relevant information, conduct reviews, and help establish ESG priorities” and the company “seek[s] to integrate [its] ESG priorities on a global scale” (1). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy (2). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (3).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Agenus does not publish charitable giving guidelines (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Agenus appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its Guidelines on Significant Corporate Governance Issues: “The Governance Committee is committed to ensuring that the individuals on the Board of Directors represent a mix of backgrounds and experiences that will maximize the Board of Director’s ability to serve the Company’s needs and the long-term interests of Agenus and its stockholders” (1). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (2).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Agenus supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Charter: “We ensure all employees are treated fairly and equally and promote diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI)” (1). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Charter: “Our governance framework and culture provide the basis for proactive engagement and shared accountability of ESG across our operations, including research and development, clinical trials, manufacturing and all other aspects of the business” (2). The company hosted a workshop on employee members sharing their diversity and inclusion experiences (3).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Agenus has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Agenus does not operate a PAC or report on its lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).