On October 15, 2021 Philogen, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on antibody and small molecule-based targeted therapeutics, reported that Philochem’s European Patent 3083957 relating to important features of proprietary DNA-encoded chemical libraries ("ESAC 2+1" technology) was upheld after Oral Proceedings in front of the Opposition Division at the European Patent Office (Press release, Philogen, OCT 15, 2021, View Source [SID1234591400]).

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The patent entitled "Production of Encoded Chemical Libraries", granted on May 23rd 2018, claims inventions that are instrumental for the isolation and discovery of novel ligands for biologically relevant targets.

The European Patent Office decision came in response to a notice of opposition filed by NuEvolution A/S, now part of Amgen, on February 23rd2019. The decision rejected all opposition grounds filed by NuEvolution and all claims were maintained.

"We are pleased that the European Patent Office has upheld the validity of this important patent" said Prof. Dario Neri, CEO of Philogen, "The confirmation of these inventions strengthens our patent portfolio and emphasizes the international value and appeal of our IP. We encourage companies focused on the discovery of important ligands from Encoded Chemical Libraries to join forces and discuss licensing agreements with us as we have the ability and the track-record to show that we can provide innovative solutions in finding ligands against difficult or undruggable targets""

On October 15, 2021 Silence Therapeutics plc (AIM:SLN and Nasdaq: SLN), a leader in the discovery, development and delivery of novel short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) therapeutics for the treatment of diseases with significant unmet medical need, and Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Company Limited ("Hansoh Pharma", 3692.HK), one of the leading biopharmaceutical companies in China, reported a collaboration to develop siRNAs for three undisclosed targets leveraging Silence’s proprietary mRNAi GOLD platform (Press release, Silence Therapeutics, OCT 15, 2021, View Source [SID1234591397]).

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Under the terms of the agreement, Hansoh will have the exclusive option to license rights to the first two targets in Greater China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan following the completion of phase 1 studies. Silence will retain exclusive rights for those two targets in all other territories. Silence will be responsible for all activities up to option exercise and will retain responsibility for development outside the China region post phase 1 studies.

Hansoh will also have the exclusive option to license global rights to a third target at the point of IND filing. Hansoh will be responsible for all development activities post option exercise for the third target.

Hansoh will make a $16 million upfront payment and Silence is eligible to receive up to $1.3 billion in additional development, regulatory and commercial milestones. Silence will also receive royalties tiered from low double-digit to mid-teens on Hansoh net product sales.

Mark Rothera, President and Chief Executive Officer of Silence Therapeutics, said: "We believe Hansoh’s extensive clinical development and commercialization experience in China make them an ideal partner. This collaboration is a good example of our hybrid model in action, balancing proprietary and partnered programs to maximize the substantial opportunity of our mRNAi GOLD platform for targeting disease associated genes in the liver. The Hansoh partnership enables us to move two new proprietary programs forward subsidized by non-dilutive capital while also gaining access to the second largest pharmaceutical market globally. We look forward to discussing this deal and our broader pipeline in more detail at our upcoming R&D Day on October 21st in New York City."

Eliza Sun, Executive Director of the Board of Hansoh Pharma, said: "We are excited to partner with Silence, a pioneer in siRNA therapeutic development with decades of scientific and technical experience. As one of the largest biopharma in China, Hansoh strives to partner with innovative companies globally to build out and advance our robust pipeline spanning across multiple therapeutic areas. We see substantial opportunity in Silence’s mRNAi GOLD platform to develop and bring better precision-based medicines to patients across China and worldwide."

On October 15, 2021 Antengene reported that The 36th Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy for Cancer (SITC 2021) will take place in Washington, D.C., United States, on November 10-14, 2021 (Press release, Antengene, OCT 15, 2021, View Source [SID1234591309]). The SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper)’s annual meeting is the world’s largest gathering in the field of immuno-oncology. The event is dedicated to promoting exchanges and collaborations in the field in order to improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients. At this year’s event, Antengene will release data of its PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific antibody, ATG-101, and its ERK1/2 inhibitor, ATG-017, in poster presentations both online and offline.

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Details of those poster presentations are as follows:

Abstract Number: 227
Title: A computational semi-mechanistic pharmacology model of ATG-101, a PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific antibody for treatment of solid tumors and NHL
Time: 7:00-17:00 EST, November 12-14, 2021
Presenter: Dr. David C. Flowers, Applied BioMath, LLC
First Author: Dr. David C. Flowers, Applied BioMath, LLC

Abstract Number: 608
Title: Synergistic effect of the combination of ATG-017, an ERK1/2 inhibitor, and immune checkpoint inhibitor in preclinical cancer models
Time: 7:00-17:00 EST, November 12-14, 2021
Presenter: Dr. Bing Hou, Antengene Corporation Limited
First Author: Dr. Peng Chen, Antengene Corporation Limited

Abstract Number: 893
Title: ATG-101, a novel PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific antibody, augments anti-tumor immunity through immune checkpoint inhibition and PDL1-directed 4-1BB activation
Time: 7:00-17:00 EST, November 12-14, 2021
Presenter: Dr. Bing Hou, Antengene Corporation Limited
First Author: Dr. Hui Yuwen, Antengene Corporation Limited

About ATG-101

ATG-101 is a novel PD-L1/4-1BB bi-specific antibody being developed for the treatment of multiple kinds of cancer. ATG-101 can activate anti-tumor immune effectors by simultaneously blocking the binding of PD-L1/PD-1 and inducing 4-1BB stimulation. In PD-L1 over-expressed cancer cells, ATG-101 has shown potent PD-L1 crosslinking-dependent 4-1BB agonist activity, thus potentially enhancing therapeutic efficacy, whilst mitigating risk of hepatoxicity. Antengene is currently conducting a Phase I study of ATG-101 in Australia for the treatment of patients with metastatic/advanced solid tumors and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

About ATG-017

ATG-017 (AZD0364) is a potent and selective small molecule extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) inhibitor. ERK1/2 are related protein-serine/threonine kinases that function as terminal kinases in the RAS-MAPK signal transduction cascade. This cascade regulates a large variety of cellular processes, including proliferation. The RAS-MAPK pathway is dysregulated in more than 30% of human cancers with the most frequent alterations being observed in RAS or BRAF genes across multiple tumor types. An ERK inhibitor enables the targeting of both RAS and BRAF mutant diseases. In nonclinical pharmacology studies, ATG-017 has demonstrated potent inhibition of ERK1/2 enzyme activity and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. At present, Antengene is conducting a Phase I study of ATG-017 in Australia for the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.

On October 15, 2021 Applied BioMath (www.appliedbiomath.com), the industry-leader in applying systems pharmacology and mechanistic modeling, simulation, and analysis to de-risk drug research and development, reported a collaboration with BYOMass, Inc. for systems pharmacology modeling in chronic diseases (Press release, Applied BioMath, OCT 15, 2021, View Source [SID1234591308]). BYOMass is a preclinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the TGF-ß superfamily.

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"We chose Applied BioMath given their proven track record of helping companies identify ideal therapeutic properties and platforms," said Margaret Jackson, D.Phil., Founder and CEO of BYOMass. "We hope that this collaboration will help us identify the properties of a lead candidate as efficiently as possible and aid in the design of future studies."

Applied BioMath employs a rigorous fit-for-purpose model development process which quantitatively integrates knowledge about therapeutics with an understanding of its mechanism of action in the context of human disease mechanisms. Their approach employs proprietary algorithms and software that were designed specifically for systems pharmacology model development, simulation, and analysis.

"We often work with early-stage companies to help them understand what their therapeutic needs to look like in order to be best in class," said John Burke, PhD, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Applied BioMath. "We look forward to collaborating with BYOMass and helping them decide next steps for this project."

On October 15, 2021 Adastra Holdings Ltd. (formerly Phyto Extractions Inc.) (CSE: XTRX) (FRA: D2EP) ("Adastra" or the "Company") reported positive operational and financial developments as the Company continues to pursue its mission to be a leader in the development and manufacture of pharma-quality, cannabis API and derivative products (Press release, Adastra Pharmaceuticals, OCT 15, 2021, View Source [SID1234591306]). These developments include record shipments in September, product portfolio expansion, and continued progress with Health Canada regarding its Controlled Substances Dealers License application.

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Record September Shipments
Adastra shipped 68,272 consumer-packaged units and 20,000g of bulk extract in September compared to 41,571 units in September 2020, a 64% increase year over year.

Psychedelics
Adastra received a request for additional information from Health Canada as part of the agency’s formal review of the Company’s application for a Controlled Drugs and Substances Dealer’s License, which was submitted and formally accepted in late August 2021. The Company believes that the request for information is the next step toward attaining approval. In addition, Health Canada advised it commits to a 270 calendar day review period from the date of receipt for processing these applications. As a result, management expects Health Canada to finish reviewing Adastra’s application by March 2022.

New Products
Adastra is moving aggressively to expand its Phyto Extraction branded products portfolio to take full advantage of the shift in Canadian consumer preference for derivative hydrocarbon extract products. Planned new products include:

THCA Diamonds & Sauce. Adastra has commenced production of a THCA diamond concentrate that it intends to introduce to the market under the Phyto Extractions brand label in December 2021. Known popularly as the "super concentrate," THCA diamond is a highly potent variety of concentrate that gives users the option to inhale nearly pure THC and is currently the best-selling concentrate product type across Canada based on recent Headset data.
White Widow Shatter. Adastra is introducing a 1g version of White Widow. This balanced hybrid strain is a cross between a Brazilian sativa landrace and a resin-heavy South Indian indica that is expected to be available across Canada in December 2021.
Vapes. Adastra is introducing a 1g Black Cherry Distillate vape cartridge that management believes will capture the market’s excitement in new vape products.
Operational Changes
Adastra is hiring to scale up and meet increasing order demand by increasing capacity across two shifts (Mon-Fri) and by adding a weekend shift primarily for packaging. Adastra Labs Inc. is actively hiring staff across two shifts to meet increasing order demand for Phyto Extraction products. In addition, a weekend shift was also added to meet the growing demand for packaged goods.

Insider Open Market Purchases of Adastra Common Stock
The Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer have recently purchased shares of the Company on the open market, the details of which will be set out in their respective SEDI reports.

Michael Forbes, Chief Executive Officer of Adastra, said, "With the downturn in industry stock prices recently, this was an opportunity to show investors that Adastra management is committed to creating long-term shareholder value. We believe the current share price does not reflect the true value of Adastra and the incredible growth we have coming in the near future."