On August 24, 2021 Ocumension Therapeutics reported that it has entered into a product acquisition agreement with a leading global pharmaceutical company Novartis, pursuant to which the Company will acquire all the equity interests in two ophthalmic drugs, Emadine (Emedastine Difumarate Eye Drops) and Betopic S (Betaxolol Hydrochloride Eye Drops), in Mainland China and obtain the transfer of the corresponding manufacturing technology (Press release, Novartis, AUG 24, 2021, View Source [SID1234586969]). Ocumension’s ophthalmic drug pipeline will be expanded to 20 products, with four products already commercialized and five products in phase III clinical trials worldwide, highlighting the value of its ophthalmic innovative drug platform. Through this transaction, Ocumension will also continue to strengthen its cooperation with Novartis in various aspects, such as manufacturing, sales and commercial promotion.

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Emadine (Emedastine Difumarate Eye Drops) is a relatively selective H1 receptor antagonist indicated for the temporary relief of signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis and is a commonly used drug in clinical treatment of allergic conjunctivitis; Betopic S (Betaxolol Hydrochloride Eye Drops) is a beta-adrenergic receptor blocker that is effective in reducing intraocular internal pressure and is used in the treatment of patients with chronic angular glaucoma and/or ocular hypertension. It can be used alone or in combination with other drugs that reduce intraocular pressure.

On August 24, 2021 Alphamab Oncology (stock code: 9966 HK) reported that Jiangsu Alphamab Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. ("Jiangsu Alphamab" or "the Company"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphamab Oncology, signed a contract with JMT-Bio, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (stock code: 1093.HK), for the development and commercialization of the company’s proprietary anti-HER2 bispecific antibody KN026 in Mainland China (Press release, Alphamab, AUG 24, 2021, View Source [SID1234586905]). The totaldeal size reaches 1 billion RMB, and the Company will receive a double-digit royalty based on sales revenue.

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According to the terms of the agreement, JMT-Bio will obtain the exclusive license rights of KN026 for the development and commercialization in the indications of breast cancer and gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancers (GC/GEJ) in mainland China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), and bear the cost of all planed clinical trials in territory; In addition, JMT-Bio will devote joint efforts with Alphamab to develop more potential indications of KN026 single agent or combo treatment in other solid tumors . Alphamab Oncology will receive 150 million RMB upfront payment, with up to 850 million RMB development and sales milestone payments, and will receive a double-digit royalty based on sales revenue.

KN026 is an anti-HER2 bispecific antibody developed by Alphamab Oncology using the proprietary Fc-based heterodimer bispecific platform technology called CRIB (Charge Repulsion Induced Bispecific). It can bind two non-overlapping epitopes of HER2 simultaneously, leading to a dual HER2 signal blockade. In pre-clinical studies, KN026 has demonstrated equivalent efficacy compared with the combination of Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab and was superior to either single agent in HER2-positive tumor cell lines. Data from several clinical studies have shown that in patients with HER2-positive GC/GEJ or breast cancer, even after first-line or multi-line treatment, KN026 still demonstrated positive data, especially for patients with GC/GEJ.

About KN026

KN026 is an anti-HER2 bispecific antibody developed by Alphamab Oncology using the proprietary Fc-based heterodimer bispecific platform technology called CRIB (Charge Repulsion Induced Bispecific). KN026 can bind two non-overlapping epitopes of HER2 simultaneously, leading to a dual HER2 signal blockade. KN026 has demonstrated potentially equivalent efficacy compared with Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab in combination, and was superior to either single agent, such as increased binding affinity, as well as better tumor inhibition in HER2-positive tumor cell lines. Additionally, KN026 has also shown inhibitory effect on tumor cells with medium or low HER2 expression or Trastuzumab-resistant cell lines.

KN026 received IND approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018. Currently, it is in multiple phase I/II clinical trials in China and phase I clinical trial in the United States. The results of Phase I clinical trials show KN026 has good safety, tolerance and potentially superior anti-tumor activity in HER2-positive breast cancer patients who progressed after multiple lines of anti-HER2 treatment.

On August 24, 2021 Quest Diagnostics, the nation’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, reported it has acquired select assets of Nationwide Laboratory Services (NLS), an independent clinical diagnostics laboratory headquartered in Boca Raton, FL with over 25 years of patient centric service throughout the country (Press release, Quest Diagnostics, AUG 24, 2021, View Source [SID1234586900]).

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With the acquisition, Quest will broaden access to diagnostic innovation and insights empowering better health for more communities in South Florida. Testing services provided by NLS will transition to Quest’s full-service laboratory in Miramar, FL. Quest will also acquire select patient service sites in South Florida.

"Access to quality, innovative and cost-effective laboratory services is more important now than ever, given the twin health threats of COVID-19 and delays in medical care caused by the pandemic," said Alan Myers, Vice President and General Manager, Southeast Region, Quest Diagnostics. "We look forward to delivering diagnostic insights for COVID-19 and a range of other medical conditions to help empower better care and outcomes, particularly for communities in South Florida."

"It was vital to pass our valued clients and patients to an organization with the same guiding principles and patient-centric focus," said Dean Morris, CEO and Corporate Counsel, Nationwide Laboratory Services. "It was a competitive bidding process, but Quest’s vision, reputation and leadership made the choice clear cut."

Based in Secaucus, NJ, Quest Diagnostics operates major laboratory facilities in Tampa as well as Miramar and over 50 patient sites across Florida. Its services include COVID-19 testing through several leading retail providers and its own QuestDirect consumer-initiated testing platform, which offers a $0 out-of-pocket cost test option.

In addition, Quest collaborates with community and healthcare organizations to help close gaps in care for underserved communities in Florida through its Tackle Your Testing program.

On August 1, 2021 ERYTECH Pharma (Nasdaq & Euronext: ERYP), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, leader in red blood-cell based cancer therapeutics, reported it will host a key opinion leader webinar on its lead product candidate eryaspase, L-asparaginase encapsulated in donor-derived red blood cells, on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 10:00am Eastern Time (Press release, ERYtech Pharma, AUG 24, 2021, View Source [SID1234586878]). The webinar will feature a presentation by KOLs and also the Principal Investigators of the TRYbeCA-1 and rESPECT studies, respectively; Dr. Manuel Hidalgo Medina, M.D., Ph.D., Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and Dr. Marcus Noel, M.D., Georgetown University.

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On August 24, 2021 As part of its commitment to investing in translational science that significantly improves the lives of patients, UPMC reported that it has launched Novasenta, a drug discovery and development company seeking novel and effective treatments for cancer (Press release, UPMC Enterprises, AUG 24, 2021, View Source [SID1234586865]).

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Based on years of cancer research by renowned University of Pittsburgh scientists and a machine-learning-enabled platform that drives the discovery of potential drug targets, Novasenta focuses on the tumor microenvironment – or the ecosystem that surrounds and constantly interacts with the tumor inside the body – to develop immunotherapies.

"Novasenta has the ability to analyze the tumor microenvironment of a wide variety of cancers due to our strong research and clinical relationships with Pitt and UPMC," said Mani Mohindru, Ph.D., Novasenta’s recently hired chief executive officer and a veteran biotechnology leader. "This allows us to capitalize on the critical relationship between disease, immune response and metabolism when assessing the tumor microenvironment for the discovery of novel druggable targets, which will help us develop treatments that benefit patients with cancer."

Co-founded in late 2018 by Robert Ferris, M.D., Ph.D., Dario Vignali, Ph.D., and Greg Delgoffe, Ph.D., all of the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and Pitt, Novasenta is currently focused on T-cell targets and rapidly advancing programs with the goal of launching its first clinical trial by the end of 2023.

"We are building on decades of successful research from our founders in the fields of tumor biology, immunology, computational biology and drug discovery. Our expanding team brings a broad set of skills and expertise to our unique platform, allowing us to integrate a wide range of relevant disease data into our discovery and validation processes to develop more effective cancer therapies," added Mohindru.

UPMC invested in Novasenta through the health system’s innovation and venture capital arm, UPMC Enterprises. Novasenta is one of three local life science start-ups incubated by UPMC Enterprises in collaboration with Pitt over the last four years and is adding to a growing number of preclinical development programs this partnership is rapidly advancing. The company recently celebrated the opening of its new office and laboratory space at The Riviera in Pittsburgh’s South Oakland neighborhood, part of a growing hub of biomedical activity in the city.

"As both a caregiver and investor, UPMC is excited about the characteristics that make Novasenta so promising: Unmatched clinical and scientific expertise paired with computational innovation have the potential to identify transformative therapies in record time," said Jeanne Cunicelli, president of UPMC Enterprises. "The launch of this company will benefit not only our region but cancer patients everywhere."