SHINE closes $80-million

On September 2, 2020 SHINE Medical Technologies LLC, a nuclear technology company focused on becoming the world’s leading producer of medical isotopes, reported that it has closed an $80-million Series C financing (Press release, Shine Medical Technologies, SEP 2, 2020, View Source;pk_kwd=shine-closes-80-million [SID1234564411]). Fidelity Management and Research Company LLC was the largest investor in the round, which also included participation from other new investors and the company’s current investors.

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"SHINE is grateful to Fidelity and all of our investors for providing us the capital to move our product commercialization efforts forward," said Todd Asmuth, president and chief financial officer of SHINE. "SHINE continues to make strong progress in our work to commercialize molybdenum-99, an essential diagnostic isotope, and lutetium-177, a therapeutic isotope that is showing great promise for the treatment of cancer."

SHINE is building a first-of-a-kind medical isotope production facility in Janesville, Wis. The facility will initially produce molybdenum-99, or Mo-99, which is used in more than 40 million patient procedures annually. There has been little or no domestic production of the isotope for decades, causing chronic shortages of Mo-99. These shortages routinely and significantly affect the diagnosis and treatment of patients around the world.

SHINE has off-take agreements with three of the world’s largest Mo-99 distributors for the future supply of Mo-99. The company’s production facility will be capable of supplying more than one-third of the global demand for Mo-99.

Last October, the company created SHINE Therapeutics to focus on critical customer needs in the rapidly growing therapeutic isotope market. The division is working to commercialize lutetium-177, or Lu-177, a therapeutic isotope used to treat prostate, neuroendocrine and other cancers. SHINE’s unique technology enables it to produce non-carrier-added, high specific-activity Lu-177, the form of the isotope most in demand by today’s clinical trial sponsors.

"This funding round will help SHINE’s continuing efforts to commercialize vital diagnostic and therapeutic isotopes that will be created by our revolutionary, responsible production technologies," said Greg Piefer, founder and CEO of SHINE. "The opportunity for SHINE to fill an urgent market need by creating a more robust supply of these isotopes was evident once again as patient supplies were being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This equity round is an affirmation by high-quality investors of our long-term business strategy and the ongoing success of our efforts to build a U.S. production platform that will produce a reliable isotope supply, fill an urgent market need and meet the needs of tens of millions of patients each year."

Final analysis of the observational GioTag study: Sequential afatinib and osimertinib in patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer

On September 2, 2020 Boehringer Ingelheim reported the final analysis from GioTag, a real-world retrospective, observational study (Press release, Boehringer Ingelheim, SEP 2, 2020, View Source [SID1234564365]). The study assessed the impact of first-line treatment with Gilotrif (afatinib) followed by osimertinib in Del19/L858R epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive (EGFR M+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with acquired T790M mutations, the most common mechanism of resistance to first-and second-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Results showed that across the 203 patients included in the analysis, sequential treatment of afatinib followed by osimertinib provided a median overall survival (OS) of 37.6 months (90% confidence interval (CI): 35.5–41.3) and median time to treatment failure (TTF) of 27.7 months (90% CI: 26.7–29.9).

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Dr. Maximilian J. Hochmair, Medical Oncologist, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Karl Landsteiner Institute and coordinating investigator of the GioTag study said, "The real-world data reported here represent the most mature analysis of OS with sequential afatinib and osimertinib to date. The final GioTag results support the results of our previous analyses, that sequential afatinib and osimertinib treatment could be a feasible and effective therapeutic strategy in a broad, real-world population of patients with EGFR M+ NSCLC who acquire T790M."

Results showed that Asian and Del19-positive patients saw a median OS of 44.8 months (90% CI: 37.0–57.8) and 41.6 months (90% CI: 36.9–45.0) respectively. Median TTF was 37.1 months (90% CI: 28.1–40.3) and 30.0 months (90% CI: 27.6–31.9) for these groups, respectively. In the 31 Asian patients with Del19-positive disease, median OS was 45.7 months (90% CI: 38.2–57.8) and TTF was 40.0 months (90% CI: 36.4–45.0).

Clinical effectiveness was also consistent across patient subgroups which are sometimes unexamined in prospective randomized clinical trials due to poor prognosis characteristics. For these subgroups, median OS was 31 months (90% CI: 19.5–45.0) in patients with stable brain metastases, 36.9 months (90% CI: 33.0–44.8) in patients aged ≥65 years, and 32 months (90% CI: 24.5–34.5) in those with ECOG PS ≥2. TTF for these groups was 22.2 months (90% CI: 16.8–29.9), 27.3 months (90% CI: 20.4-31.3) and 22.2 months (90% CI: 16.0–26.5), respectively.

Bjoern Rueter, M.D., Therapeutic Area Head Oncology, USA, at Boehringer Ingelheim, said, "Resistance to first-line EGFR TKI therapy is an inevitability, making subsequent treatment options following disease progression a key consideration. While no prospective overall survival data are currently available to compare different sequential regimens of EGFR TKIs, the final GioTag study data provide important insight into the use of afatinib followed by osimertinib. The GioTag data suggest a potential for prolonged periods of time on non-chemotherapy treatment in patients with EGFR Del19 who develop T790M mutation-positive tumors."

About GioTag

GioTag was a real-world retrospective, observational study which assessed the impact of first-line treatment with afatinib followed by osimertinib in Del19/L858R EGFR M+ non-small cell lung cancer patients with acquired T790M mutations, the most common mechanism of resistance to first- and second-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The study was conducted across ten countries: Austria, Canada, Israel, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Taiwan and USA; NCT03370770. Data were collected between December 2017 and December 2019. Inclusion was restricted to patients who initiated osimertinib treatment ≥10 months prior to enrolment to avoid early censoring and ensure mature data. A maximum of 15 patients were enrolled per site. Data were sourced either from sites directly approached by Boehringer Ingelheim (n = 77; 38%) or from electronic health records (n = 126; 62%) supplied by Cardinal Health (OH, USA). For quality assurance of the documented patient observations, source data verification was performed on approximately 30% of included patients. Main limitations of this study were its retrospective nature and potential for selection bias. The other main limitation of the study was a lack of a comparator arm, which limits interpretation of the results.

What Is Gilotrif?

Gilotrif is a prescription medicine that is used to treat people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that:

has certain (non-resistant) abnormal epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene(s). Your healthcare provider will perform a test to make sure that Gilotrif is right for you.
has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic), and
has not been previously treated for metastatic lung cancer
It is not known if Gilotrif is safe and effective in treating people with lung cancer that has resistant abnormal EGFR genes.

or

is used to treat people with squamous cell lung cancer that:

has spread to other parts of the body, and
has been previously treated with chemotherapy that contains platinum.
It is not known if Gilotrif is safe and effective in children.

Important Safety Information for Gilotrif (afatinib) Tablets

Before you take Gilotrif, tell your doctor if you:

have kidney or liver problems
have lung or breathing problems other than lung cancer
have a history of an ulcer, a tear (perforation) in your stomach or intestine, or diverticular disease (inflammation) in parts of your large intestine
have a history of severe dry eye or any other eye problems. Tell your doctor if you wear contact lenses.
have heart problems
have any other medical conditions
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Gilotrif can harm your unborn baby.
Females who are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment with Gilotrif and for at least 2 weeks after your last dose of GILOTRIF. Talk to your doctor about birth control methods that may be right for you.
Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant or think you are pregnant during treatment with Gilotrif.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Gilotrif passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed while taking Gilotrif and for 2 weeks after your last dose of Gilotrif. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take Gilotrif.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Gilotrif may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect the way Gilotrif works. Taking certain medicines with Gilotrif may increase your risk of developing a tear (perforation) in your stomach or intestine.

What to avoid while taking Gilotrif Limit your time in the sun. Gilotrif can make your skin sensitive to sunlight. You could get or have worsening rash or acne. You could get a severe sunburn. Use sunscreen and wear a hat and clothes that cover your skin if you have to be in sunlight during treatment with Gilotrif.

Gilotrif may cause serious side effects, including:

Diarrhea. Diarrhea is common with Gilotrif and may sometimes be severe. Severe diarrhea can cause loss of body fluid (dehydration) and kidney problems that can sometimes lead to death. During your treatment with Gilotrif, your doctor should prescribe medicines to treat diarrhea. Take this medicine exactly as your doctor tells you to. Tell your doctor if you have diarrhea. Get medical attention right away if your diarrhea does not go away or becomes severe.

Skin reactions. Gilotrif can cause redness, rash, and acne. It is important to get treatment for skin reactions as soon as you notice them. Take medicines to help skin reactions exactly as your doctor tells you to. Get medical attention right away if you develop severe skin reactions such as peeling or blistering of the skin, or blisters in your mouth.

Lung or breathing problems. Gilotrif may cause inflammation of the lung that may lead to death. Symptoms may be similar to those symptoms from lung cancer. Tell your doctor right away if you have any new or worsening lung problems, or any combination of the following symptoms: trouble breathing or shortness of breath, cough, or fever.

Liver problems. Gilotrif can cause liver problems that can sometimes lead to death. Tell your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of a liver problem which may include:
yellowing of your skin or the white part of your eyes (jaundice)
dark or brown (tea-colored) urine
pain on the upper right side of your stomach area (abdomen)
bleeding or bruising more easily than normal
feeling very tired
Your doctor will do blood tests to check your liver function during your treatment with Gilotrif.

Tear (perforation) in your stomach or intestine. Tears in your stomach or intestine can happen with Gilotrif and can sometimes lead to death. Your risk of developing a tear in your stomach or intestine may be increased if you:
take certain medicines with Gilotrif including: corticosteroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), and certain other medicines.
have a history of stomach or intestinal ulcers, or if you have had diverticular disease (inflammation in parts of the large intestine)
Get medical help right away if you develop severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain during treatment with Gilotrif.

Eye problems. Tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of eye problems. Symptoms may include:
eye pain, swelling, redness, or tearing
blurred vision
sensitivity to light
other changes in your vision
Heart problems. Tell your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of a heart problem which may include:
new or worsening shortness of breath while at rest or with activity
cough
tiredness
swelling of your ankles, feet, or legs
feeling that your heart is pounding or racing (palpitations)
sudden weight gain
Your doctor may change your dose, temporarily stop or permanently stop treatment with Gilotrif if you have certain side effects.
The most common side effects of Gilotrif include diarrhea, rash, acne, mouth sores, nail inflammation, dry skin, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, and itching.

Gilotrif may cause decreased fertility in females and males. This may affect your ability to have a child. Talk to your doctor if this is a concern for you.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all of the possible side effects of Gilotrif. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

MEI Pharma to Release 2020 Fiscal Year End Financial Results and Provide Corporate Update on September 9, 2020

On September 2, 2020 MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEIP), a late-stage pharmaceutical company focused on advancing new therapies for cancer, reported that the Company will release its 2020 fiscal year end financial results after the close of the U.S. financial markets on September 9, 2020 (Press release, MEI Pharma, SEP 2, 2020, View Source [SID1234564364]). The Company will host a conference call and live webcast with the investment community to provide a corporate overview and update the same day at 5:00 p.m. ET.

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Conference Call & Webcast Information
When: September 9, 2020, 5:00 p.m. ET
Dial-in: (866) 939-3921 (United States) or (678) 302-3550 (International)
Conference ID: 49919899

Please join the conference call at least 10 minutes early to register. You can access the live webcast under the investor relations section of MEI’s website at: www.meipharma.com. A replay of the conference call will be archived under for at least 30 days after the call.

PharmAbcine is presenting at the KSMO 2020

On September 2, 2020 PharmAbcine Inc. (KOSDAQ: 208340ks), a clinical-stage biotechnology company in South Korea, reported that on September 4th, the company will present the interim data of its ongoing IO combo clinical trials at KSMO 2020 (Press release, PharmAbcine, SEP 2, 2020, View Source [SID1234564363]).

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KSMO 2020 is the 13th annual conference hosted by the Korean Society of Medical Oncology (KSMO), the largest cancer organization in South Korea. Through this event, the organization will facilitate meetings among members, promote research in clinical oncology, and cultivate cooperation with clinical oncologists around the world.

Dr. Jin-San Yoo, CEO of PharmAbcine, will present the interim data as of two olinvacimab with pembrolizumab combination trials (Phase 1b), one for mTNBC (metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer) patients and the other for rGBM (recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme) patients. The first mTNBC patient came in on October 2018 whereas the first rGBM patient came in on January 2019. will end within this year.

"We are honored to be invited and excited to share and discuss interim clinical data with global leading medical oncologists," said Dr. Yoo. "We particularly find the mTNBC data quite encouraging."

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizing committee will hold the conference digitally to ensure the safety of 1428 participants. The event will be broadcasted online for two days of September 3rd and 4th, 2020.

The Lancet Oncology Publishes Analysis That Followed for Three Years Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (LLC) Treated with VENCLEXTA® (venetoclax) in Combination with obinutuzumab

On September 2, 2020 AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV ) reported the publication of the results of a three-year follow-up analysis of the CLL14 clinical study, which demonstrated that after a period of at least 24 months from the end of treatment, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) without previous treatment, when submitted to a fixed duration treatment of VENCLEXTA (venetoclax) plus obinutuzumanbe, maintained higher rates of Disease Progression-Free Survival, when in comparison to the group of patients who received chlorambucil in combination with obinutuzumab (median not achieved vs. 35.6 months; Risk Rate [HR] = 0.31 [95 percent CI 0.22-.44]) 1 (Press release, AbbVie, SEP 2, 2020, View Source [SID1234564362]). SLP is the period between the start of treatment until the progression of the disease or death of the patient.

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The data set for this analysis was published in the September issue of the scientific journal The Lancet Oncology . 1

"AbbVie is committed to helping raise the standard of care for cancer patients, and while there is still a lot to be done, the results of the CLL14 study are promising for a difficult-to-treat patient population," said Marco Paschoalim, Director AbbVie doctor. "We are encouraged by the progress we have seen in treating blood cancers that are quite challenging, such as LLC. And AbbVie remains committed to expanding the discovery and development of new treatments to help more cancer patients."

In three years, with an average follow-up of approximately 40 months, the estimated progression-free survival rate was 81.9% in the study arm treated with venetoclax-obinutuzumab and 49.5% in the arm treated with chlorambucil-obinutuzumab. This result was consistent across all risk groups, clinical and biological, including patients with mutation / deletion of the TP53 gene and non-mutated IGHV1.

The analysis also noted that patients who received venetoclax-obinutuzumab maintained higher rates of undetectable DRM in peripheral blood, than patients who received chlorambucil-obinutuzumab, at 18 months after completion of treatment (47.2 percent vs. 7, 4 percent, respectively). The overall survival factors (SG) were similar in both groups, with the death of 27 patients (12.5%) in each arm of the study. Median SG was not achieved in any of the treatment groups. At the three-year follow-up mark, 88 percent and 88.9 percent, respectively, of the patients, the chlorambucil-obinutuzumab and venetoclax-obinutuzumab arms were alive. 1

The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness and durability of a first-line, fixed-term treatment for CLL with an emphasis on DRM in three years of follow-up, after the completion of 12 months of treatment with the combined venetoclax and obinutuzumab regimen. The observed safety profile of the combined therapeutic regimen was, in general, consistent with the known safety profiles of the two drugs alone.

"We have to establish a fixed-term treatment regimen, which achieves higher rates of minimal undetectable residual disease, for patients with previously untreated CLL, as they are generally elderly and have difficulty following a continuous chemotherapy program," said Dr. Othman. Al-Sawaf, Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, is a member of the German LLC Study Group and lead author of The Lancet Oncology article . "Given the advanced average age of patients in this study, a considerable fraction of patients treated with the venetoclax-obinutuzumab combination can be subjected to only this treatment regimen, allowing them to enjoy their daily activities."

The most frequent serious adverse reactions (> 2 percent) in patients who received venetoclax in combination with obinutuzumab or rituximab were pneumonia, sepsis, febrile neutropenia and SLT (tumor lysis syndrome). Common adverse reactions (> 20 percent) of any degree in patients who received venetoclax in the combined studies were neutropenia, diarrhea and upper respiratory tract infection .1

LLC is a slow-progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow, in which some white blood cells, called B lymphocytes, become cancerous and multiply abnormally. LLC is the most common form of leukemia in the West, accounting for approximately one third of new leukemia cases 2,3. In Brazil, according to information from INCA 2018, there are 10,800 new cases of leukemia in the year.

About the CLL14 Study
The CLL14 Phase 3 study (prospective, randomized, multicenter, active, controlled), conducted in collaboration with the German LLC Study Group (DCLLSG), assessed the efficacy and safety of venetoclax and obinutuzumab (n = 216) , in comparison with obinutuzumab and chlorambucil (n = 216) in patients without previous treatment of the disease and with coexisting medical conditions. The therapies were administered over a fixed period of 12 cycles of venetoclax in combination with six cycles of obinutuzumab. The cycles comprised 28 days.

About VENCLEXTA (venetoclax)
VENCLEXTA (venetoclax) first in a new class of drugs that selectively inhibits the Bcl-2 protein. In some types of blood cancer and other tumors, BCL-2 prevents the natural process of cancer cell death, or a process of self-destruction called apoptosis. VENCLEXTA targets this protein, BCL-2, and acts to restore the apoptosis process. Venetoclax has been developed by AbbVie and Roche. It is marketed jointly by AbbVie and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group , in the USA; and AbbVie outside the US.