On August 31, 2020 Vessi Medical, a portfolio company of The Trendlines Group Ltd. (SGX: 42T) (OTCQX: TRNLY) reported that it secured $1.7 million in funding for its cryoablation solution for superficial bladder cancer (Press release, Vessi Medical system, AUG 31, 2020, View Source [SID1234564202]). Participating in the financing were Agriline, The Trendlines Group, the Israel Innovation Authority, and ExitValley investors. Vessi’s first-in-human (FIH) study demonstrating safety and efficacy of the Vessi intravesical cryotherapy device is planned for Q1 2021.

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Vessi Medical’s minimally invasive ablation solution for superficial bladder cancer (or non-muscle invasive bladder cancer – "NMIBC") is expected to improve quality of life for many of the two million people globally suffering from NMIBC. NMIBC patients suffer from symptoms including problems with urination, pain, and blood in urine, as well as sexual dysfunction, mental health effects, and a significant decrease in quality of life. The immediate worldwide addressable market of low-grade papillary tumors (70% of NMIBC patients) is estimated at $1.2 billion per year.

Current treatment, Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TURBT), is a costly, invasive surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia in hospital and is often inadequate (in up to 80% of cases, the cancer returns). Patients often require multiple repeat procedures due to return of the cancer which further reduces quality of life.

Vessi’s minimally invasive NMIBC solution provides a new, first-line outpatient clinic treatment alternative to surgery using bladder-specific cryotherapy technology. The Vessi system consists of a standalone console and a disposable device inserted transurethrally into the bladder.

Vessi Medical, CEO, Eyal Kochavi remarked, "Demonstrating the technology in humans is an important milestone towards making cryo-spray ablation a significant tool for the treatment of superficial bladder cancer. We are currently focused on bladder cancer, but the Vessi technology will address other bladder diseases, such as overactive bladder, benefiting patients, physicians and the healthcare system."

Trendlines Incubators Israel CEO, Barak Singer added: "Vessi Medical has made tremendous progress in their product development. We are very pleased with the company’s ability to complete this financing during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made fundraising more challenging. The importance of minimally invasive treatment solutions that do not require hospitalization has been highlighted by the pandemic and supports the move to less centralized healthcare options."

Mr. Vincent Tchenguiz, a British entrepreneur and beneficiary of the trust that owns Agriline, commented, "We recognize the strength of Vessi’s platform technology and believe that the company’s product has the potential to offer unique value to patients suffering from bladder cancer. We are keen to work with the company as it matures and look forward to helping it fulfil its mission to significantly improve results for all those involved – the patients, the physicians and the healthcare system as a whole."

On August 31, 2020 ThermoGenesis Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: THMO), a market leader in automated cell processing tools and services in the cell and gene therapy field, reported management’s participation in the following investor conferences in September (Press release, Thermogenesis, AUG 31, 2020, View Source [SID1234564201]).

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September 1-4: LD Micro 500. Chris Xu, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of ThermoGenesis, will present a company overview at this virtual conference on Wednesday, September 2, at 5:00 pm ET. A live webcast of the presentation will be available on the ThermoGenesis website at: View Source
An archived replay will be available for a period of 90 days after the conference.
September 14-16: H.C. Wainwright 22nd Annual Global Investment Conference. Jeff Cauble, Chief Financial Officer of ThermoGenesis, will present a company overview at this virtual conference on Tuesday, September 15, at 12:00 pm ET. A live webcast of the presentation will be available on the ThermoGenesis website at: View Source
An archive replay will be available for a period of 90 days after the conference.

On August 31, 2020 The HealthWell Foundation, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, reported that it has launched a new fund to provide copayment and premium assistance to Medicare patients living with prostate cancer (Press release, HealthWell Foundation, AUG 31, 2020, View Source [SID1234564200]). Through the fund, HealthWell will provide up to $8,000 in financial assistance for a 12-month grant period to eligible patients who have annual household incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level.

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"A prostate cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, scary, and costly. HealthWell’s new copay assistance program is a welcomed option to help patients better afford their prescribed treatment. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, financial barriers are more stressful than ever, and this new fund will provide a critical safety net for patients in need," said Jamie Bearse, CEO of ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer begins when cells in the prostate gland start to grow out of control. Some prostate cancers grow and spread quickly, but most grow slowly. Almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas, which develop from the gland cells. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. In 2020, the ACS estimates approximately 192,000 new prostate cancer cases will be diagnosed and over 33,000 deaths will occur as a result of the disease. Approximately 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men and in African-American men. About 6 cases in 10 are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older, and it is rare in men under 40. The average age at diagnosis is about 66.

"We are pleased to see that financial resources are now available to this patient community," said Joanna Morales, Esq., Chief Executive Officer at Triage Cancer. "As we continue to see a rise in the cost of cancer treatments, addressing the critical need to relieve the financial burden these patients and their families face is paramount. Recognizing these financial disparities, especially among Medicare patients, and providing resources to enable access to treatments that would otherwise be prohibitive due to cost, will help allay the financial impact of a cancer diagnosis."

"A prostate cancer diagnosis can be devastating to the patient and his family and decisions regarding treatments and the costs of those treatments can pose additional stress and anxiety, especially for patients on Medicare," said Alan Klein, Chief Development Officer at the HealthWell Foundation. "We are particularly proud to add this fund to our growing list of available financial resources for the Medicare community. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are now able to provide a financial lifeline to ensure that Medicare patients living with prostate cancer are able to start or continue critical, possibly lifesaving, treatments they otherwise would not be able to afford."

To determine eligibility and apply for financial assistance, visit HealthWell’s Prostate Cancer – Medicare Access Fund page. To learn how you can support this or other HealthWell programs, visit HealthWellFoundation.org.

On August 31, 2020 Transcenta Holding Limited ("Transcenta"), a global biotherapeutics company with fully-integrated capabilities in discovery, development and manufacturing of antibody-based therapeutics, reported that the first subject has been dosed successfully on August 28th in China Phase I clinical trial of TST001, a humanized Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2) monoclonal antibody developed by Transcenta’s subsidiary Mabspace Biosciences (Suzhou) Co., Ltd (Press release, Transcenta, AUG 31, 2020, View Source;301120806.html [SID1234564199]). Transcenta conducts clinical trials of TST001 simultaneously in both China and the US, and the first subject has been dosed in the US on June 29th, 2020.

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NCT04495296 is a Phase I clinical study conducted in China to evaluate the safety, tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, initial clinical activity and recommended dose for Phase 2 study of TST001 in Chinese patients with unresectable or metastatic solid tumors.

"CLDN18.2 is found to be overexpressed in many tumors including gastric cancer, which makes it a promising anti-cancer therapeutic target. Currently, there is no approved anti-CLDN18.2 targeted therapeutics globally," said Professor Lin Shen, the lead investigator from Beijing Cancer Hospital, "We have dosed the first subject in China successfully, and we look forward to having a positive result, and we hope TST001 can be an effective and safe agent to benefit more gastric cancer patients."

"We have made significant progress on TST001 since the beginning of this year. Within the last 6 months, we have obtained IND clearance and dosed first patient in US and in China, and we hope to initiate Phase Ib for TST001 next year," said Dr. Xueming Qian, Transcenta’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer.

About TST001
TST001, developed by Transcenta’s subsidiary Mabspace Biosciences (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., is a high affinity humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CLDN18.2 positive tumors by mechanisms such as complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) through combining CLDN18.2 with high affinity. Through bioprocess engineering, TST001 is produced with reduced fucosylation and results in significant enhancement in its activity against CLDN18.2-expressing tumors. In preclinical pharmacodynamics studies, TST001 shows better anti-cancer activity than similar molecules.

On August 31, 2020 Viva Biotech Holdings (the "Company" and, together with its subsidiaries, collectively the "Group" or "Viva Biotech"; stock code: 1873.HK) reported its interim results for the 6 months ended June 30, 2020 (the "Reporting Period") (Press release, Viva Biotech, AUG 31, 2020, View Source [SID1234564198]). As of June 30, 2020, the Group’s revenue amounted to RMB197.6 million, representing a YOY increase of 38.9%. Gross profit was RMB100.1 million, representing a YOY increase of 39.2%. Adjusted net profit was RMB123.7 million, representing a YOY increase of 25.5%. Backlog amount reached approximately RMB493 million, representing a significant YOY increase of approximately 138.2%.

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Facing difficulties induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Group proactively implemented containment measures to seek opportunities behind such crisis and accelerate the integration of research and development ("R&D") and production service chain of new drug industry, thereby achieving further synergistic effect between the cash-for-service (CFS) and equity-for service (EFS) models.

Revenue from CFS Surged Successively with Continuously Optimized Customer Structure

During the Reporting Period, both the Company’s backlog amount and number of customers recorded substantial growth. As of June 30, 2020, the Company has provided drug discovery services to an aggregate of over 495 biotechnology and pharmaceutical customers worldwide, delivered over 17,000 protein complex structures and conducted research into more than 1,300 independent drug targets. Revenue from the CFS segment maintained a rapid escalation to RMB154.0 million from RMB105.4 million for the corresponding period last year, representing a YOY growth of 46.1%. Furthermore, total revenue from the top 10 customers increased YOY from RMB64.7 million to RMB82.1 million, while that as a percentage of the Group’s total revenue dropped from 45.5% to 41.5%, indicating a continuously optimized customer structure.

Extensively Explored EFS Opportunities, Proactively Developed Post-Investment Management

As for the EFS segment, the Company extensively explored business opportunities around the globe on an ongoing basis and established long-term cooperation relations and recommendation systems with nearly 60 universities, research transformation centers and investment institutions world-wide. During the Reporting Period, the Company reviewed a total of over 425 projects globally, added 10 start-ups to its portfolio companies, made additional investment in 3 existing portfolio companies and was in negotiation for incubation and investment in 3 new companies. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had a total of 56 portfolio start-ups with a wide range of indications and geographical coverage.

Viva Biotech continuously attracts top ranking scientists from China and overseas to join as business partners. The Company’s business partners have increased to 30, of who have attained remarkable achievements in their academic and drug discovery fields. The Company also actively conducted post-investment management to facilitate incubated companies to advance R&D progress, introduce talents, optimize product pipeline development strategies and coordinate fund-raising resources.

Actively Developed New Technology Platforms, Accelerate the Expansion of Facilities

As of June 30, 2020, the Company’s R&D investment totaled RMB 22.3 million, representing a YOY increase of 42.9%, primarily used for introduction of new technology platforms such as Cryo-EM, Computational Chemistry and HDX-MS. In addition, the Company also proactively mapped out in the antibody macromolecules field and set up CMC process development team so as to expand and satisfy customers’ needs at different R&D stages. To better meet the Company’s requirements arising from rapid business development, in February 2020, the Company acquired the property with a site area of 7,576 square meters located on Faladi Road, Pudong, Shanghai. In April 2020, Viva Biotech New Drug Incubation and Production R&D Center located in Wenjiang of Chengdu with a site area of 33,607 square meters also commenced construction. Furthermore, the Company successfully entered into a bid for the property located in Zhoupu, Pudong, Shanghai, with a gross floor area of approximately 40,000 square meters. It will be developed as Viva Biotech’s Shanghai headquarters. The above facilities will save the Company’s rental expenses and provide stable R&D, manufacturing and operation premise.

Vertically Integrated Industrial Chain to Construct a One-Stop Comprehensive Drug R&D Platform

The Company is speeding up the construction of a comprehensive and one-stop drug service platform, which is designated to provide customers with more comprehensive drug development services. In August 2020, the Company entered into a strategic integration with Zhejiang Langhua Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which brought together the synergistic effect of both parties in the R&D, design and manufacturing fields of global pharmaceutical markets, which is of great strategic significance to the Company in terms of vertical integration along the industrial chain and expansion into the CDMO business.

Dr. Cheney Mao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Viva Biotech Holdings said: "Viva Biotech is positioned at the source of early-stage discovery of innovative drugs with technology platform, flow of traffic and talent advantages. Making good use of the traffic flow from CFS and EFS businesses at the source, we will seek strategic collaborations with leading enterprises in each sector along the industrial chain, establish a solid comprehensive R&D and manufacturing system and forge a one-stop platform for new drug discovery, providing customers with the most quality services throughout the full spectrum. Meanwhile, we will continue to strengthen technology advantages, enhance operation efficiency, introduce more talented scientists and technologies, improve capacity of the incubation platforms, strengthen loyalty between existing customers and portfolio companies and proactively conduct industrial integration, in a bid to establish an open and cooperative platform targeting at global biopharmaceutical innovators and build an ecosystem featuring cooperation and mutual benefits."