On October 27, 2021 Abcam (AIM:ABC; NASDAQ:ABCM), a global innovator in life sciences reagents and tools, reported the successful completion of its acquisition of BioVision and the expansion of its immunoassay capacity in Eugene, OR (Press release, Abcam, OCT 27, 2021, View Source [SID1234591995]).

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Across the life sciences sector, the events of the last 18 months have amplified the need for efficient workflows and robust data generation, to enable the faster delivery of positive outcomes for science and health. Widespread access to high-performance, reproducible, off-the-shelf assays and kits has become invaluable to enable the biopharma industry and academia to achieve meaningful advances at pace. To further support the growing demand of the sector and to strengthen its position in the assay market, Abcam today announces two significant developments, accelerating the execution of its strategic growth plan.

The addition of BioVision enhances Abcam’s in-house innovation and adds scale to support the biochemical assay and cellular assay markets. The successful acquisition brings BioVision’s product portfolio, capabilities, and 70-strong expert development and manufacturing teams into Abcam. The global research community will gain ready access to this portfolio of biochemical and cell-based assays via Abcam’s global commercialization network.

Supplementing the acquisition, Abcam has doubled the footprint of its immunoassay kit R&D and manufacturing facility in Eugene, OR. This enhanced capacity is another component of Abcam’s growth journey in the US and will further enable its commitment to support the research and biopharma sector globally.

"We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues to Abcam. Providing a platform for future growth and addition of new product lines, the acquisition of BioVision and expansion of our Eugene facility reinforce our commitment to the acceleration of scientific breakthroughs. Enabling scientists to reproducibly generate the robust results they need, faster, is essential for the delivery of new innovations that can positively impact us all."

On October 27, 2021 EpiAxis Therapeutics reported at three conferences this week – Australia Biotech Invest & Partnering 2021; Europe’s largest life science partnering conference, BIO-Europe 2021; and Wholesale Investor’s STEM 2021 Conference (Press release, EpiAxis Therapeutics, OCT 27, 2021, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=epiaxis-headlines-three-key-biotech-conferences [SID1234591993]).

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CEO of EpiAxis Therapeutics, Dr Jeremy Chrisp, presented at the Australia Biotech Invest & Partnering 2021 earlier this week which is Australia’s premier life sciences investment conference. It’s an interactive digital showcase, designed to foster growth and drive business-to-business investment and collaboration in what continues to be a significant time for life sciences and medical research. The conference was held online on Tuesday, October 26, 2021. Engaging capital with innovation, it was an opportunity for companies to present their technology and story to a network of potential international partners and investors. Investors include those in venture capital, private equity, HNW individuals, research analysts and brokers, as well as industry executives from major global pharmaceutical companies. The program also featured keynote sessions from investment leaders on industry trends and market updates.

The international BIO-Europe 2021 gathering is being held digitally from October 25-28, bringing the global biopharma and investment leaders together to build partnerships that facilitate innovation and medical breakthroughs.

Chrisp will also appear at Wholesale Investor’s STEM 2021 Conference on Thursday, October 28. EpiAxis recently joined Wholesale Investor, Australasia’s leading investment platform for connecting innovative, emerging companies that are looking to raise capital with an active, engaged and growing ecosystem of more than 29,300 high-net-worth investors, fund managers, family offices, PE and VC firms, government bodies and industry participants. The showcase includes everything investors need to capitalise on STEM investment opportunities.

"We are delighted to be presenting at these conferences with our biotech peers to raise the profile of EpiAxis and the importance of epigenetic therapies as a new approach to treating cancer," Chrisp said. "It has also been an excellent opportunity to network with potential investors and familiarise them with our novel approach, which targets cancer stem cells that can evade chemotherapy and immunotherapy, to ‘reprogram’ them back to normal cells."

On October 26, 2021 GlycoMira Therapeutics reported that it received a $2.8M award from the National Institutes of Health to develop its lead compound, GM-1111, as a therapeutic for oral mucositis arising from radiation treatment of head and neck cancers (Press release, GlycoMira Therapeutics, OCT 26, 2021, View Source [SID1234632164]). The award will enable the completion of the requisite pre-clinical studies necessary for filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate human clinical trials.

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Oral mucositis is a common, debilitating complication characterized by painful, severe ulcerations of the mouth that develop in head and neck cancer patients receiving chemoradiation therapy. The disease substantially degrades quality of life and compromises treatment and prognosis. Over 67K new head and neck cancer cases occur annually in the U.S., and the global market for the treatment of such cancers is projected to reach $2.3B by 2025.

GlycoMira’s pivotal studies in pre-clinical models demonstrate a significant reduction in the occurrence and severity of oral mucositis. Significant reductions in tumor volume were additionally observed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma models when GM-1111 was administered as an adjuvant to radiation therapy. GM-1111 is believed to suppress tumor growth by blocking innate immune receptors and angiogenic factor-mediated cell signaling, as well as inhibiting cancer stem cell growth which is expected to improve therapeutic outcomes.

Dr. Stephen Sonis, Professor of Oral Medicine at Harvard stated, "Oral mucositis remains a common and devastating side effect of radiation therapy for head and neck cancers. Critically, it is often a reason why patients are unable to complete optimal anti-cancer treatment. I am excited to collaborate with the GlycoMira team so that we can accelerate the move of their innovative technology into the clinic."

On October 26, 2021 Ancora Biotech reported, in connection with the closing of the acquisition of Teneobio, Inc., by Amgen Inc., that Teneobio’s former shareholders and their representatives will provide oversight of three previous affiliates of Teneobio, including TeneoTwo, Inc. (TNB-486, anti-CD19xCD3), TeneoFour, Inc. (anti-CD38 enzyme inhibitor TNB-738) and TeneoTen, Inc. (anti-HBVxCD3) (Press release, Amgen, OCT 26, 2021, View Source [SID1234611557]). These spin-offs were not part of the acquisition by Amgen of Teneobio.

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TeneoTwo’s TNB-486 is currently in phase I clinical studies for the treatment of B-cell malignancies, while TeneoFour’s TNB-738, targeting inflammatory diseases, will enter Phase I in early 2022. TeneoTen’s anti-HBVxCD3 involves a new approach to potentially cure chronic hepatitis B.

Roland Buelow, former CEO of Teneobio, Inc., and CEO of Ancora Biotech said, "We are excited that Amgen will advance Teneobio’s pipeline of assets in the clinic and further apply Teneobio’s technologies. In parallel, Teneobio’s former shareholders and their representatives will oversee development of the former Teneobio affiliates that were not part of the Amgen transaction. We strongly believe in the potential of TNB-486 which targets malignant B-cells, TNB-738 targeting inflammation and our anti-HBVxCD3 that will target liver cells chronically infected with Hepatitis B virus."

In 2016 Lightspeed Venture Partners led Teneobio’s Series A Preferred round, Teneobio’s only institutional financing, along with Sutter Hill Ventures. Jonathan MacQuitty, Head of Life Science Sector at Lightspeed who joined Teneobio‘s Board at the time of the Series A Preferred round, commented, "With the Amgen acquisition and the recent exercise by Abbvie of its option to acquire TeneoOne, Roland and the team at newly formed Ancora Biotech LLC can now focus on these remaining spin-offs."

Dr. MacQuitty continued, "The vision that Roland brought to Lightspeed in 2016 of a novel bispecific platform that could provide life changing therapies was compelling. It has now borne fruit and with the help of Amgen, Abbvie and now Ancora, we look forward to its potential use in helping patients with several different life-threatening diseases."

On October 26, 2021 Theratechnologies Inc. (Theratechnologies) (TSX: TH) (NASDAQ: THTX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies, reported that it has reached an agreement with the Italian Medicines Agency, AIFA, for the reimbursement of Trogarzo for eligible people aged 18 and older living with multi-drug resistant (MDR) HIV-1 (Press release, Theratechnologies, OCT 26, 2021, View Source [SID1234596237]).

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"This agreement is an important milestone for Trogarzo and for HIV-1 patients in Italy," said Conor Walshe, General Manager, Europe. "Italy is the first country with a universal healthcare plan that has approved the formal reimbursement of Trogarzo for all patients in need. We expect to launch Trogarzo in Italy during the current quarter and look forward to its wider commercial availability in Europe over the coming months."

Trogarzo was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2018 and was the first long-acting agent approved for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in heavily treatment-experienced adults with MDR HIV-1 infection failing their current antiretroviral regimen. Trogarzo was approved by the European Medical Agency (EMA) in September 2019 for the treatment of adults infected with MDR HIV-1 for whom it is otherwise not possible to construct a suppressive antiviral regimen and is also commercially available in Germany. A number of patients are also being treated with Trogarzo in other European countries through early access programs. Theratechnologies plans to launch Trogarzo on a country-by-country basis across Europe as it gains reimbursement in each individual country. In addition, the Company received regulatory approval in Israel for Trogarzo and is working to secure pricing and reimbursement.

About Trogarzo1
Trogarzo a humanized monoclonal antibody of immunoglobulin G type 4 (IgG4), is a CD4 domain 2-directed HIV-1 inhibitor.

Trogarzo blocks HIV-1 from infecting CD4+ T cells by binding to domain 2 of CD4 and interfering with the post-attachment steps required for the entry of HIV-1 virus particles into host cells and preventing the viral transmission that occurs via cell-cell fusion. Trogarzo is administered every 2 weeks via intravenous infusion.

The most frequently reported adverse reactions were rash (9.2%), diarrhea (3.9%), dizziness (3.9%), headache (3.9%), nausea (3.9%), fatigue (2.0%) and vomiting (2.0%).