On October 24, 2020 PARP inhibitors like Lynparza from Merck and AstraZeneca have been effective in some patients with ovarian and breast cancers, but many develop resistance to the drugs, and some people don’t respond at all (Press release, KSQ Therapeutics, OCT 24, 2020, View Source [SID1234568951]). KSQ Therapeutics hopes to provide hope for those patients with a first-in-class drug that may be able to boost Lynparza’s effectiveness when used in combination with it—and the company has rolled out promising animal data to back up that strategy.

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KSQ’s drug inhibits ubiquitin specific peptidase 1, an enzyme that has been shown to promote the survival of cancer cells by facilitating DNA repair. The drug, dubbed KSQ-4279, inhibited tumor growth both on its own and when combined with Lynparza in mouse models of ovarian and triple-negative breast cancers, the company reported during a presentation at the EORTC-NCI-AACR (Free EORTC-NCI-AACR Whitepaper) Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics.

KSQ discovered the drug using a technology platform it calls CRISPRomics, which allows its researchers to identify therapeutic targets by applying CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to the whole genome. The company has used the platform to study 20,000 human genes in 600 cancer models.

RELATED: KSQ grabs $80M to move T-cell treatment for PD-1 resistance into the clinic

PARP inhibitors work by interrupting DNA repair, but KSQ’s researchers believe KSQ-4279 "inhibits different yet complementary DNA repair pathways," said the company’s chief scientific officer, Frank Stegmeier, Ph.D., in a statement.

In multiple animal models of ovarian cancer and triple-negative breast cancer, combining KSQ-4279 with Lynparza was more effective than either drug on its own. The combo approach prompted a complete response in some of the breast cancer models.

PARP inhibitor combinations are gaining steam in the oncology market. In May, the FDA approved a combination of Lynparza with Roche’s VEGF inhibitor Avastin to treat ovarian cancer with or without BRCA mutations.

Last year, Yale University researchers discovered that AstraZeneca’s experimental VEGF inhibitor cediranib also prevents DNA repair. The researchers suggested that cediranib could make tumors more responsive to Lynparza and other PARP inhibitors.

As for KSQ, it has grown quickly over the last few years, raising $76 million in 2017 and another $80 million a year later to advance its lead programs, one of which is a T-cell therapy for solid tumors that are resistant to PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. KSQ-4279 is now its lead program, and the new data in ovarian and breast cancers give the company "confidence" to advance the drug into clinical trials "as a novel agent in a new class of targeted oncology treatment," Stegmeier said.

On October 23, 2020 BerGenBio ASA (OSE:BGBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, selective AXL kinase inhibitors for severe unmet medical needs, reported that it will host a virtual R&D Day on 06 November 2020 from 13.00 CET (Press release, BerGenBio, OCT 23, 2020, View Source;06-november-2020-301158567.html [SID1234568941]).

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Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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The event will feature independent experts highlighting the role of AXL kinase as an essential mediator of the biological mechanisms underlying life-threatening diseases. The presentations will focus on the role of AXL in specific disease areas including oncology, fibrosis and infectious disease such as COVID-19. Each presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

A preliminary program for the event is outlined below. To register, please click here.

Preliminary Agenda

13:00

Introduction – Richard Godfrey, Chief Executive Officer, BerGenBio

13:10

AXL in AML/MDS – Professor Sonja Loges, Director, Department of Personalised Oncology, University Hospital Mannheim and Division of Personalised Medical Oncology, German Research Center – DKFZ (Heidelberg, Germany)

13:40

AXL in lung cancer – Dr Matthew Krebs, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Experimental Cancer Medicine and Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust (Manchester, UK)

14:10

AXL and viruses/COVID-19 – Professor Wendy Maury, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa (Iowa City, USA)

14:40

AXL in fibrosis/IPF – Professor Cory Hogaboam, Professor of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles, USA)

15:10

Bemcentinib clinical development plan – Hani Gabra, Chief Medical Officer, BerGenBio

15:25

Concluding remarks – Richard Godfrey, Chief Executive Officer, BerGenBio

For further information, please contact Consilium Strategic Communications at [email protected] or [email protected]

About AXL

AXL kinase is a cell membrane receptor and an essential mediator of the biological mechanisms underlying life-threatening diseases. In cancer, AXL suppresses the body’s immune response to tumours and drives cancer treatment failure across many indications. AXL expression defines a very poor prognosis subgroup in most cancers. AXL inhibitors, therefore, have potential high value at the centre of cancer combination therapy, addressing significant unmet medical needs and multiple high-value market opportunities. Research has also shown that AXL mediates other aggressive diseases.

On October 23, 2020 Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: MIST), a Phase 3 clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing etripamil for the treatment of cardiovascular indications, reported the pricing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of 3,810,097 of its common shares, and to certain investors in lieu thereof, pre-funded warrants to purchase 4,761,903 of its common shares at an exercise price of $0.01 per share (Press release, Milestone Pharmaceuticals, OCT 23, 2020, View Source [SID1234568940]). The public offering price of each common share is $5.25 and the public offering price of each pre-funded warrant is $5.24 per underlying share. In addition, Milestone has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,285,800 common shares. The offering is expected to close on October 27, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

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Jefferies and Piper Sandler are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. Oppenheimer & Co. is acting as lead manager for the offering.

Milestone expects to receive gross proceeds of $45 million from the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. Milestone intends to use the net proceeds from the offering primarily to fund the clinical development of its lead product candidate etripamil, and for working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes.

The securities described above are being offered by Milestone pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-239318) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on June 19, 2020 and declared effective by the SEC on July 6, 2020. A preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the offering is, and a final prospectus supplement related to the offering will be, filed with the SEC and available on the SEC’s website at View Source Copies of the preliminary and final prospectus supplements relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, by contacting Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, by telephone at (877) 547-6340 or by email at [email protected]; or Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, MN 55402, by telephone at (800) 747-3924 or by email at [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

On October 23, 2020 Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA), a leading medical genetics company, reported that it will report its third quarter 2020 financial results on Thursday, November 5, 2020 and will host a conference call and webcast that day at 4:30 p.m. Eastern / 1:30 p.m. Pacific to discuss its financial results and recent highlights (Press release, Invitae, OCT 23, 2020, View Source [SID1234568939]).

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Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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To register for the conference call and webcast, please use one of the methods below. Upon registering, each participant will be provided with call details and a registrant ID. Reminders will also be sent to registered participants via email.

Online registration: View Source

Phone registration: (888) 869-1189 or (706) 643-5902

The live webcast of the call and slide deck may be accessed here or by visiting the investors section of the company’s website at ir.invitae.com. A replay of the webcast and conference call will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and will be archived on the company’s website.

Following prepared remarks, management will respond to questions from analysts, subject to time limitations. We encourage our shareholders and those representing them to send in questions to ir.invitae.com.

On October 23, 2020 Amyris, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMRS), a leading synthetic biotechnology company in Clean Health and Beauty markets through its consumer brands, and a top supplier of sustainable and natural ingredients, reported that it will issue its financial results for the fiscal 2020 third quarter ended September 30, 2020 on Thursday, November 5, 2020 (Press release, Amyris Biotechnologies, OCT 23, 2020, View Source [SID1234568938]). The company plans to hold a conference call and live audio webcast for analysts and investors at 6:00 am Pacific Time (9:00 a.m. Eastern Time).

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Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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On the call, John Melo, President and Chief Executive Officer, Han Kieftenbeld, Chief Financial Officer, and Eduardo Alvarez, Chief Operating Officer will provide an update on Amyris’ financial results and the company’s business.

The call can be accessed by dialing (877) 870-4263 (domestic) or (412) 317-0790 (international) and asking to join the Amyris, Inc. call. A live webcast of the call will be available online on the Amyris website. To listen via live webcast, please visit: View Source A replay of the webcast will be available on the Investor Relations section of the company’s website approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call.

It is recommended to dial-in at most 15 to 20 minutes prior to the call start to reduce waiting times. If a participant will be listen-only, they are encouraged to listen via the webcast on Amyris’ investor page.