Results from the IMPACt Trial Show Agendia Assays Consistently Inform Treatment Planning and Increase Physician Confidence when Caring for Patients with Early Stage Breast Cancer

On February 18, 2020 Agendia, Inc., a world leader in precision oncology for breast cancer, reported that BMC Cancer published results from the IMPACt trial. The study measured changes in both treatment decisions and physician confidence when using the MammaPrint and BluePrint assays to support medical management for patients with early stage breast cancer (Press release, Agendia, FEB 18, 2020, View Source [SID1234554468]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Because breast cancer is not a single disease, outcomes and response to therapy vary greatly from patient to patient based on biology that is not always reflected in standard clinical and pathologic features. Genomic testing has become more widely utilized to help understand these differences with the goal of improving patient outcomes. MammaPrint is a 70-gene signature that offers clarity on a patient’s risk of recurrence, whereas BluePrint is an 80-gene signature that goes beyond the surface of the tumor to identify the functional pathway driving its growth. The IMPACt study aimed to evaluate the role of genomic profiling in treatment planning as well as the degree of physician confidence when utilizing the MammaPrint and BluePrint assays.

"Through Agendia’s comprehensive genomic profiling tools, we are increasing our understanding of an individual’s tumor biology," stated Hatem Soliman, MD. "It is important to evaluate how that information impacts treatment planning in a real world clinical setting."

IMPACt prospectively enrolled 452 patients between November 2015 and August 2017. In the real-world cohort, MammaPrint and BluePrint reclassified 40% of pathologically subtyped tumors. This highlights the utility for a BluePrint molecular subtyping profile in early stage breast cancer and a more personalized approach to treatment for patients. The study also showed that physicians’ treatment plans for patients were consistent with their MammaPrint results in 89% of cases, supporting the use of this signature to inform treatment decisions in clinical practice. For clinically high risk patients for whom chemotherapy was initially recommended, there was a 60% reduction in the use of chemotherapy when patients were classified as Low Risk by MammaPrint. Conversely, when clinically low risk patients had a High Risk genomic profile, chemotherapy was added to the treatment plan in 60% of cases that did not initially include it.

Additionally, physicians reported greater confidence in their treatment decisions for 72% of cases after receiving MammaPrint results, supporting the findings of the 2015 PROMIS trial, which showed increased physician confidence in 79% of patient treatment plans. Both studies demonstrate a high level of certainty that patients are being offered chemotherapy when appropriate and reassurance that Low Risk patients can safely forego chemotherapy and its associated toxicities.

"Physician confidence is an integral component to determining the most effective treatment plan and provides much-needed peace of mind for our patients," says Robert Gabordi, MD.

"We are very encouraged with the results of this important trial confirming the clinical utility of MammaPrint and BluePrint," commented Agendia’s Chief Medical Officer, William Audeh, MD, MS. "This not only underscores the reliability of our genomic assays, but it further reinforces the critical role they play when optimizing a personalized treatment strategy for patients with early stage breast cancer."

Luminex Corporation Declares First Quarter Cash Dividend

On February 18, 2020 Luminex Corporation (Nasdaq:LMNX) (the "Company") reported that its board of directors declared a cash dividend for the first quarter of 2020 of $0.09 per share of common stock payable on April 9, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business March 19, 2020 (Press release, Luminex, FEB 18, 2020, View Source [SID1234554467]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!


Accelerate Diagnostics schedules call to review 2019 fourth quarter and full-year results

On February 18, 2020 Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc. reported that management will host a conference call on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to review 2019 fourth quarter and full-year financial results (Press release, ACCELERATED MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS, FEB 18, 2020, View Source [SID1234554466]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

To listen to the audio webcast online, visit ir.axdx.com. A replay of the audio webcast will be available until May 19, 2020.

To listen by phone, dial +1.877.883.0383 and enter the conference ID: 2860141

International participants may dial +1.412.902.6506. Please dial in 10-15 minutes prior to the start of the conference. A replay of the call will be available by telephone at +1.877.344.7529 (U.S.) or +1.412.317.0088 (international) using the replay code 10138283 until May 19, 2020.

Synlogic Announces Participation in Upcoming Investor Conferences

On February 18, 2020 Synlogic (Nasdaq: SYBX) reported that Aoife Brennan, M.B., B.Ch., Synlogic’s president and chief executive officer, will participate in the following upcoming investor conferences (Press release, Synlogic, FEB 18, 2020, View Source [SID1234554465]):

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

9th Annual SVB Leerink Global Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, February 25 at 1:00 pm ET in New York
Cowen 40th Annual Health Care Conference on Monday, March 2 at 2:10 pm ET in Boston
Live webcasts of the presentations can be accessed under "Event Calendar" in the Investors & Media section of the Company’s website. Archived webcast recordings will be available on the Synlogic website for approximately 30 days after each event.

Viracta’s Precision Oncology Research in EBV+ Cancers Highlighted at 16th Annual UCSD Moores Cancer Center Symposium

On February 18, 2020 Viracta Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company"), a precision oncology company targeting virus-associated malignancies, reported that Ivor Royston, M.D., the Company’s President and CEO, will present an overview of Viracta’s approach in treating patients with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-associated malignancies and data from the ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial in lymphoma (Press release, Viracta Therapeutics, FEB 18, 2020, View Source [SID1234554464]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

It is estimated that there are over 200,000 new cases of EBV-associated cancers each year. Scientific research has worked to better understand these diseases and develop novel therapeutic approaches to address this global unmet need, however, there are no approved therapies targeting EBV-associated malignancies. Viracta has developed a novel approach to selectively target malignant cells associated with EBV that is applicable across many cancer types, which may also have utility in other virus-associated diseases.

Viracta is currently in a Phase 2 clinical study, evaluating its proprietary investigational drug, nanatinostat, in combination with valganciclovir as an oral combination therapy. The data from the Phase 1b portion of Viracta’s clinical study was presented in an oral session at the ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in December 2019.

"We are honored that Viracta’s research and clinical findings have been recognized among the world-renowned leaders at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center," said Ivor Royston, M.D., President and CEO of Viracta. "We believe that our precision approach to treating virus-associated malignancies is truly unique and has the potential to provide the first non-toxic and effective therapeutic solution for these patients."

Viracta has received Fast Track Designation from the FDA for its proprietary investigational drug, nanatinostat, in combination with valganciclovir, in relapsed/refractory lymphomas, as well as Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder, plasmablastic lymphoma, and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

Viracta aims to develop a new, highly targeted, non-toxic and non-immunosuppressive therapy which may be given on an out-patient basis for EBV-associated malignancies in hematological and solid tumors. If successful, this approach may be investigated as a possible treatment for additional virus-associated malignancies and other serious diseases.

UCSD Moores Cancer Center presentation details are as follows:

Title: "Precision Therapy of Relapsed/Refractory EBV+ Lymphomas Utilizing an Oral Inducer of Viral Kinases to Activate an Anti-tumor Prodrug"
Session: Hematology/Oncology
Date/Time: Thursday, February 20, 2020, 4 p.m. PST
Location: Moores Cancer Center at UCSD Health, San Diego, CA
About Nanatinostat

Nanatinostat (VRx-3996) is an orally available histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor being developed by Viracta. Nanatinostat is selective for specific isoforms of Class I HDACs which is key to activating latent viral genes in EBV-associated malignancies. The nanatinostat and valganciclovir combination is being investigated in EBV-associated lymphomas in an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial [NCT03397706].

About EBV-Associated Cancers

Approximately 95% of the world’s adult population is infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Infections are commonly asymptomatic. Following infection, the virus remains latent in a small subset of lymphatic cells for the duration of the patient’s life. Under certain circumstances, such cells may undergo malignant transformation and become lymphoma. In addition to lymphomas, EBV is associated with a variety of solid tumors, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric cancer.