Benny Johnson, Senior Medical Director at Agenus, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“..like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand… -Jeremiah 18:6
Yesterday, my wife Liji Johnson crossed the finish line of a 10K run for the Colon Cancer Coalition – a powerful symbol of strength, grace, and renewal.
Not long after she completed her treatment last November, Lij took me to a pottery studio on my birthday. At the time, I was wrestling with her diagnosis on so many levels. In the studio, we shaped clay together – fragile, unformed, yet full of potential. That quiet moment reminded me that healing isn’t just physical, rather it’s a process of being molded, refined, and remade for a purpose.
Her journey through colon cancer reflected that truth. Her bravery to enroll on the NEST clinical trial at Cornell, traveling back and forth from Houston to NYC, so focused and determined for her family was inspiring. Like the clay being molded there were cracks and challenges due to external pressure, but also remarkable faith and resilience. Through it all, she trusted the Potter’s hands that shape life- and yesterday, seeing her finish her run radiant and strong, was a living testimony that we are never beyond restoration.
As a GI medical oncologist and part of the Agenus clinical development team, I’m privileged to work on advancing immunotherapy into the clinic with botensilimab and balstilimab (bot and bal) – innovative agents that are reshaping outcomes and offering new hope for patients facing advanced cancers, especially colorectal cancer. Every story like Lij’s reminds me why this work matters and fuels my passion: bringing meaningful science to serve the deeply human story of healing and transformation.
Thank you to everyone who has supported, prayed, generously donated and ran alongside us yesterday. As we collectively continue to fight this disease let’s keep running this race together -for life with quality, for meaningful hope, for better therapies for our patients and ultimately for the eradication of colorectal cancer.”
Joseph Grossman, Vice President of Early Clinical Development at Agenus, shared this post, adding:
“Congrats to you and Lij!!
Beautifully said. I am fortunate to work with Benny Johnson and our team at Agenus on such an incredible program.”
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