On April 18, 2018 Sosei Group Corporation ("Sosei" or the "Company"; TSE Mothers Index: 4565), the world leader in GPCR medicine design and development, reported that new preclinical data for AZD4635 was presented by AstraZeneca in a poster (abstract 3751) yesterday at the American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting, 17 April 2018; Chicago, IL, USA (Press release, Sosei, APR 18, 2018, View Source;sid=1573490 [SID1234525518]).

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AZD4635 is a potent and selective, orally available, small molecule adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) antagonist. It was discovered by Sosei’s wholly-owned subsidiary Heptares Therapeutics and AstraZeneca licensed exclusive global rights to the molecule in 2015.

The poster is entitled "Inhibition of A2AR by AZD4635 induces anti-tumor immunity alone and in combination with anti-PD-L1 in preclinical models," and highlighted the following results:

Adenosine signalling through the A2AR results in a range of immunosuppressive effects which can promote tumour growth
AZD4635 is an oral, specific A2AR antagonist that is demonstrated to reverse adenosine mediated T cell suppression.
Treatment with AZD4635 alone and in combination with an anti-PD-L1 antibody led to a significant reduction in tumour growth in syngeneic tumour models exhibiting both high and low levels of adenosine
These effects were absent in immune-deficient animals confirming the immune-mediated mechanism of action. Further exploration of target engagement by AZD4635 is ongoing.
These data suggest that AZD4635 has the potential to restore immune responsiveness resulting in anti-tumour benefits alone and in combination with other cancer immunotherapies irrespective of the background tumour adenosine levels
AZD4635 is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial as a single agent and in combination with AstraZeneca’s anti-PD-L1 antibody IMFINZI (durvalumab) in patients with solid malignancies (NCT02740985).

Notes to Editors

About AZD4635

AZD4635 is a potent and selective, orally available, small molecule adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) antagonist discovered by Sosei subsidiary Heptares Therapeutics and licensed to AstraZeneca in 2015. High levels of adenosine are found in tumour microenvironments and benefit the progression of cancer. By activating the adenosine A2A receptor increased adenosine levels impair T-cell function and result in suppression of the host immune response. AZD4635 specifically blocks adenosine signalling via the A2A receptor signalling resulting in increased immune responsiveness and potential to destroy cancer cells and decrease tumour burden, A2A receptor antagonism can therefore promote the anti-cancer response of T-cells within the tumour microenvironment, offering a novel mechanism of action as a mono- or combination therapy.

On April 18, 2018 Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: PVCT, www.provectusbio.com), ("Provectus" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing PV-10 as the first small molecule oncolytic immunotherapy for solid tumor cancers, reported that the Japan Patent Office (JPO) had granted and the European Patent Office (EPO) had allowed the Company’s patent application for the combination of PV-10 with systemic immunomodulatory therapy (i.e., immune checkpoint inhibition) (Press release, Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, APR 18, 2018, View Source [SID1234525516]).Pfizer, Inc. is a co-assignee on the award and allowance.

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The JPO patent and EPO patent allowance are related to U.S. patent (USP) 9,839,688, "Combination of rose bengal and systemic immunomodulative therapies for enhanced treatment of cancer," which was awarded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in December 2017. USP 9,839,688 is one of the continuations of the Company’s foundational cancer combination therapy patent, USP 9,107,887, which was awarded by the USPTO in August 2015.

Provectus’ patent portfolio provides global intellectual property protection into the 2030s for the synthesis and use of PV-10 and other halogenated xanthene-based therapeutics as monotherapies and part of combination therapies for cancer.

About PV-10

Provectus’ lead investigational cancer drug product, PV-10, the first small molecule oncolytic immunotherapy, can induce immunogenic cell death. It elicits tumor immunity via activation of dendritic cells mediated by the release of damage-associated molecular pattern molecules. PV-10 is undergoing clinical study for adult solid tumor cancers, like melanoma and cancers of the liver, and preclinical study for pediatric cancers.

On April 18, 2018 Medigene AG (FSE: MDG1, Prime Standard, TecDAX) reported its participation at the following upcoming conferences (Press release, MediGene, APR 18, 2018, View Source [SID1234525515]):

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Kempen Life Sciences Conference
Date: 18 – 19 April 2018
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

16th CIMT (Free CIMT Whitepaper) Annual Meeting
Date: 15 – 17 May 2018
Location: Mainz, Germany

The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) Annual Meeting
Date: 16 – 19 May 2018
Location: Chicago, USA

UBS Global Life Science Conference
Date: 21 – 23 May 2018
Location: New York, USA
Dr. Thomas Taapken, CFO of Medigene, will hold a company presentation on 22 May.

3rd Annual Advances in Immuno-Oncology Congress
Date: 24 – 25 May 2018
Locations: London, UK
Prof. Dolores Schendel, CEO and CSO of Medigene AG, will present on "T cell receptor discovery to match medical needs worldwide" on May 24.

Medigene AG (FSE: MDG1, ISIN DE000A1X3W00, Prime Standard, TecDAX) is a publicly listed biotechnology company headquartered in Martinsried near Munich, Germany. The company is developing highly innovative immunotherapies to target various forms and stages of cancer. Medigene concentrates on the development of personalized T cell-based therapies, with associated projects currently in pre-clinical and clinical development.

For more information, please visit www.medigene.com

On April 18, 2018 Xencor, Inc. (NASDAQ: XNCR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergic diseases and cancer, reported that preclinical data on XmAb24306, an IL15/IL15-receptor alpha complex fused to a bispecific XmAb Fc domain (IL15/IL15Rα-Fc) for the treatment of multiple oncology indications (Press release, Xencor, APR 18, 2018, View Source [SID1234525514]). Data show that the engineered complex enhanced the duration and magnitude of T and NK cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. XmAb24306 is designed for reduced potency and extended half-life, and exhibited a steady, tolerable and sustained increase in T-cells in primates.

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Key findings from the study presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2018 Annual Meeting include:

Fusing IL15/IL15Rα with Xencor’s highly stable heterodimer Fc platform and Xtend Fc domain creates a long-acting CD122 agonist, without targeting CD25
Potency reduction of the complex promotes improved exposure and sustained pharmacodynamics
Preserves native CD122/CD132 signaling despite potency reduction
Marked and sustained peripheral NK and T cell expansion at well-tolerated doses
"The plug and play nature of our XmAb technology provides tremendous opportunity to build a suite of tumor microenvironment activators with tunable potency and sustained activity, which have the potential for improved performance over current approaches," said Bassil Dahiyat, president and chief executive officer of Xencor. "With the IL15/IL15Rα-Fc platform, we have an engine to develop these candidates quickly, and are on track to file an IND for XmAb24306 in 2019."

XmAb24306 is the first of a suite of tumor microenvironment activators using the IL15 bispecific platform. Additional IL15 bispecific candidates, which target specific sub-populations of T cells, in preclinical development include:

A PD1 targeted IL15/IL15Rα (PD1 x IL15) candidate to promote selective expansion and activation of exhausted T cells
Additional targeted IL15/IL15Rα candidates
About XmAb IL15 Bispecific Platform

Xencor’s XmAb IL15 bispecific antibody platform provides a more druggable version of IL15 with reduced potency to improve tolerability, slow receptor-mediated clearance, and prolong half-life. IL15 is an extremely potent cytokine that stimulates the proliferation of lymphocytes, however its potential as a therapeutic has been limited by low tolerability and very fast clearance that limits therapeutic window. IL15 naturally targets CD122 without targeting CD25. Xencor has engineered the IL15/IL15Rα-Fc complex to create lead candidate XmAb24306 and to provide a basis for rapid generation of targeted T-cell activators. These Fc-fusions have been tuned for enhanced in vivo lymphocyte proliferation as a result of more sustained exposure.

On April 18, 2018 Verseon, a technology-based pharmaceutical company employing a computer-driven platform to develop a diverse drug pipeline, reported new preclinical data on its anticancer drug candidates at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) annual meeting yesterday (Press release, Verseon, APR 18, 2018, View Source [SID1234525513]). Dr. Mohan Sivaraja, Associate Director of Discovery Biology, presented studies showing that Verseon’s drug candidates are potent against a range of cancer cell lines, including those that exhibit multidrug resistance.

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While chemotherapy remains the first line of treatment against most cancers, many tumors develop resistance to chemotherapy agents over time, limiting their efficacy. A common way for cancer cells to render drugs ineffective is by triggering an overproduction of transport proteins (efflux pumps) that expel many chemicals, including chemotherapeutics. In addition, cells can become resistant to tubulin-targeting chemotherapy drugs by overexpression of β-III tubulin.

The preclinical studies presented at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) conference demonstrate that Verseon’s drug candidates target cancer cells by inhibiting the protein tubulin, which leads to cell cycle arrest. While marketed chemotherapies such as doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and vincristine show up to 2,000-fold reduced potency in cell lines overexpressing the major MDR1, MRP1, and BCRP efflux pumps, Verseon’s drug candidates are only weakly affected by these transporters (typically less than 2-fold). The Company’s drug candidates also appear unaffected by the overexpression of β-III tubulin. Dr. Sivaraja also presented pharmacokinetic data for one of Verseon’s tubulin inhibitors, which shows good exposure suitable for infusion. The candidate was also well tolerated in a preclinical repeat-dosing study.

"We are very encouraged by these preclinical results," said Dr. Sivaraja. "Multidrug resistance is one of the main reasons why chemotherapies fail. The insensitivity of our compounds to the major transporters and to the overexpression of β-III tubulin may help us address the need for a more effective, precise therapy."

About Verseon’s oncology program
Verseon plans to use its promising class of tubulin inhibitors to target multidrug resistant cancers. Several drug candidates show potency in functional and cellular assays. Furthermore, Verseon’s inhibitors maintain their efficacy across multiple chemotherapy-resistant cancer cell lines and are either unaffected or only weakly affected by the overexpression of common transporters, a primary source of multidrug resistance.