On October 20, 2021 Van Andel Institute’s Scott Rothbart, Ph.D., reported that it has earned a four-year, $792,000 Research Scholar’s Grant from the American Cancer Society to investigate the mechanisms that power a promising class of potent anti-cancer drugs (Press release, Van Andel Institute, OCT 20, 2021, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=american-cancer-society-grant-scott-rothbart [SID1234591602]).

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!

Scott Rothbart, Ph.D.

The drugs, called EZH2 inhibitors, work by targeting an enzyme called EZH2 that has long been of interest to cancer researchers because it interacts with the proteins that support DNA. As such, EZH2 plays a major role in switching genes that regulate cell proliferation "on" or "off" — a process that can lead to cancer if it goes awry. It also helps tumors evade attack by the immune system.

Because of their central role in all aspects of health and disease, proteins and the molecules that interact with them, such as EZH2, often are powerful targets for therapeutic development. Currently, several EZH2 inhibitors are undergoing clinical trials in cancer.

"EZH2 has immense potential to move the needle toward more targeted cancer treatments. We hope to contribute to this important work by defining the spectrum of molecules with which EZH2 interacts to help guide development of more precise therapeutic strategies," Rothbart said. "I am honored and humbled to receive this award from the American Cancer Society and look forward to uncovering new insights that may help improve treatment for people with cancer."

In 2018, Rothbart and his collaborators developed a new method to study lysine methyltransferases, the family of enzymes to which EZH2 belongs. Their work revealed that these important molecules interact with far more proteins than previously thought. Proteins are the molecular workhorses of the body and are responsible for carrying out all biological processes.

"We are proud to fund the innovative research by Dr. Scott Rothbart at Van Andel Institute, made possible by dedicated American Cancer Society supporters," said Kathy Goss, Ph.D., vice president of Regional Cancer Control at the American Cancer Society. "By investing in the research community’s brightest minds and best ideas, we continue to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families and, ultimately, move closer to a world without cancer."

Scott B. Rothbart, Ph.D., is supported by a Research Scholar Grant, RSG-21-031-01-DMC, from the American Cancer Society.

On October 20, 2021 TCR2 Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: TCRR), a clinical-stage cell therapy company with a pipeline of novel T cell therapies for patients suffering from solid tumors, reported new programs and provided highlights from its emerging TRuC pipeline programs during its first virtual R&D Day (Press release, TCR2 Therapeutics, OCT 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234591601]).

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!

"At TCR2, our mission is to build the next great cell therapy company in solid tumors based on the early success of our mesothelin franchise and an emerging pipeline which will extend our reach into new cancer patient populations and beyond," said Garry Menzel, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of TCR2 Therapeutics. "Today we will review our narrowed focus on solid tumors and unveil new strategies to potentially further enhance the persistence and efficacy of our TRuC-T cells. In addition, we will introduce compelling preclinical data for our TRuC Tregs, which could expand our footprint into the autoimmune disease setting. We believe that TCR2 is already helping to change the treatment paradigm for patients with treatment-refractory solid tumors and, through continued innovation, will progress our re-prioritized pipeline to patients with a variety of unmet medical needs."

Pipeline Updates

Gavo-cel:

TCR2 announced today the completion of the 3-patient cohort at the new dose level 3.5A (3×108/m2 following lymphodepletion) using a split dosing approach. Two patients were evaluable for safety. In both cases, gavo-cel was well-tolerated with no patients experiencing on-target, off tumors toxicities or Grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) non-hematologic toxicities.
TCR2 anticipates the identification of the RP2D in 4Q21.
TC-110:

TCR2 announced today that, in alignment with its pipeline prioritization on solid tumors, the Company has deprioritized the development of TC-110 for the treatment of patients with CD19+ non-Hodgkin lymphoma or adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia and plans instead to evaluate business development options.
TC-510:

TCR2 announced today the Company anticipates the IND filing for its first TRuC-T cell enhanced with a PD1xCD28 switch receptor to be in 1Q22.
TC-520:

TCR2 announced today the selection of its lead candidate targeting CD70 co-expressing an IL-15 enhancement as TC-520. In new preclinical data highlighted at the R&D Day, TC-520 enhanced with membrane-bound IL-15 resulted in a significant increase in TC-520 cells with a CD8+ naïve/T memory stem cells phenotyope, improved autonomous persistence as well as increased expansion following repeated stimulation with CD70-expressing cancer cell lines.
The Company anticipates initiating IND-enabling studies for TC-520 with an indication focus on renal cell carcinoma in 2022.
Allogeneic:

TCR2 announced today new preclinical data demonstrating allogeneic (off-the-shelf) TRuC-T cells targeting mesothelin that utilized a CRISPR/Cas9 endonucleases approach and the use of fully human TCRγ/δ domains reduced the risk of immunogenicity and host rejection, lacked alloreactivity while maintaining clearance of tumor cells comparable to autologous TRuC-T cells targeting mesothelin.
TCR2 is currently evaluating the combination of enhancements with allogeneic TRuC-T cells to potentially improve persistence.
The Company anticipates the identification of a lead candidate for its allogeneic program in 2022.
TRuC Tregs:

TCR2 announced today new preclinical data demonstrating proof-of-concept for TRuC Treg cells targeting HLA-A*02 for the prevention of Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD). In in vitro and in vivo experiments, TRuC Tregs utilizing the full TCR signaling complex promoted and stabilized Tregs by suppressing the proliferation of mismatched effector cells and inhibiting the production of cytokines in a dose dependent manner.
TCR2 plans to evaluate business development options to enable the treatment of patients with GvHD and other autoimmune diseases.

On October 20, 2021 Sysmex Inostics reported that it has developed a new CLIA-validated liquid biopsy test for the detection of Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) (Press release, Sysmex Inostics, OCT 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234591600]). A global leader and pioneer in blood-based, ultra-sensitive molecular testing for oncology, the company’s new test uses a targeted Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) panel.

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!

"The new test, AML-MRD-SEQ, offers clinical trial sponsors, and eventually physicians and patients, an early signal for the presence of cancer cells following initial therapy. This new liquid biopsy solution is a major step in developing treatment strategies to support the fight against a devastating disease," said Shinichi Sato, CEO of Sysmex Inostics, Inc.

This new test, AML-MRD-SEQ, adds to the portfolio of ultra-sensitive Plasma-Safe-SeqS technology NGS tests available through Sysmex Inostics’ CLIA lab services in Baltimore, Maryland.

Previous generations of AML MRD tests were only able to detect a limited number of mutations that have an established therapeutic indication. AML-MRD-SEQ offers a more expansive panel covering 68 regions across 20 genes, including established MRD markers such as NPM1, and demonstrating significant potential for use as an investigational tool for other markers with prognostic values that are not yet well-established. The new highly sensitive AML-MRD-SEQ test with broader genomic coverage offers the opportunity for early intervention and clinical trial enrollment.

"Sysmex Inostics’ mission is to develop new innovative tools and expand partnerships with top-tier global biopharmaceutical companies to further advance drug development and treatments for the benefit of oncology patients worldwide," Sato concluded.

AML-MRD-SEQ offers reliable detection of molecular MRD with 50 to 100 times greater sensitivity versus other currently available NGS pan-heme tests.1,2 Such ultra-sensitive detection of low-level mutant molecules allows clinical trial sponsors to execute on clinical development timelines more efficiently.

AML is one of the deadliest blood cancers, resulting in more than 10,000 lives lost in the U.S. each year.3 Because AML relapses usually result in a poor prognosis, it is necessary to test patients for MRD after initial treatment as a prognostic indicator of therapeutic effectiveness and relapse risk. Applying Sysmex Inostics’ ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy NGS technology, Plasma-Safe-SeqS, to the detection of gene mutations associated with AML MRD enables accelerated clinical development timelines, cost savings, and improved outcomes throughout the clinical trial process.

A recent market research report states that the liquid biopsy market is estimated to achieve an annual growth rate of more than 35% over the next few years, reaching $4 billion by 2024.4 The analysis notes that an increasing focus on personalized medicine for cancer care is driving the tremendous growth.

On October 20, 2021 Semmelweis University reported that it has improved its position from the 70th rank since last year and is now ranked 33rd among higher education institutes, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) Emerging Economies Rankings (Press release, Semmelweis University, OCT 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234591597]).

The Times Higher Education Emerging University Ranking use 13 calibrated performance indicators to reflect the characteristics of the emerging economy universities. Semmelweis University has once again climbed the ranking and became the best educational institute in Hungary, moving from 70th to the 33th place of the world’s top universities.

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!

Among the other Hungarian universities on the list, Eötvös Loránd University was ranked 150th, University of Debrecen 191th. As for other universities it looks as follows: University of Pécs and University of Szeged (201-250th). Óbuda University, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences were ranked 401-500th. University of Miskolc finished 501+ on the list.

China continues to dominate the Emerging Economies rankings occupying the top three positions (Beijing University, Tsinghua University and Zhejiang University) of the table.

On October 20, 2021 Selecta Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: SELB), a biotechnology company leveraging its clinically validated ImmTOR platform to develop tolerogenic therapies that selectively mitigate unwanted immune responses, reported that Company’s Management will provide a corporate update and participate in one-on-one investor meetings at the Jefferies Virtual Gene Therapy/Editing Summit to be held October 27-28, 2021 (Press release, Selecta Biosciences, OCT 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234591595]).

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!

Details on the conference can be found below.

Jefferies Virtual Gene Therapy/Editing Summit
Format: Presentation and one-on-one investor meetings
Date: Wednesday October 27, 2021
Presentation Time: 11:00 a.m. EST
Webcast: Click Here

An archived webcast will also be accessible in the Investors & Media section of the company’s website at www.selectabio.com.