Chemomab Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Dale Pfost as Chief Executive Officer

On September 2, 2021 Chemomab Therapeutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: CMMB), a clinical-stage biotech company focused on the discovery and development of innovative therapeutics for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases with high unmet need, reported it has appointed Dale R. Pfost, PhD, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Press release, Chemomab, SEP 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234587212]). Dr. Adi Mor, Company co-founder and current CEO, will continue in her role as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and remain as a member of the Board of Directors. The addition of Dr. Pfost, who brings more than 30 years of diverse experience as a life science senior executive, entrepreneur and venture investor, reflects a planned strategic expansion of the Chemomab senior management team. Dr. Pfost is expected to join the Company’s Board of Directors and subsequently become the company’s Chairman in 2022.

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"The Board and I welcome Dale and thank Adi for her tremendous contributions as founding chief executive of Chemomab," said Stephen Squinto, PhD, Chairman of the Board at Chemomab and an Executive Partner at OrbiMed. "Adi built both the scientific and business platforms for Chemomab and she will continue to be instrumental in developing our first-in-class therapeutic addressing a novel target for multiple inflammatory and fibrotic diseases and helping position the company for future success. We look forward to her continued contributions as we evolve and grow."

Dr. Pfost has served as CEO of six biotechnology companies, three of which became publicly traded with valuations exceeding two billion dollars. He has successfully completed dozens of financings, overseen numerous M&A transactions and served as a director at multiple public and private life science firms.

Dr. Squinto continued, "We are delighted that Dale is coming on board as CEO. He is a seasoned biotechnology industry veteran with deep relationships and a history of successfully building innovative companies through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. With two Phase 2 studies underway and a third poised to kick off in the coming months, Chemomab is making excellent progress on realizing its potential as a premier company addressing diseases with large unmet medical needs. We look forward to Dale’s astute leadership during the next stage of growth."

Dr. Pfost said, "Adi and the Chemomab team have built an impressive company based on a unique asset with multiple high value applications. They have demonstrated exceptional skill in undertaking translational work and establishing clinical programs, and we look forward to extending the company’s already strong network of scientific and clinical collaborators in the U.S. This is an exciting time to join, as the company is well-positioned for both continued progress with its current programs and for leveraging strategic growth opportunities."

Dr. Mor said, "We advanced our novel anti-CCL24 antibody from the lab to the clinic and executed a successful merger earlier in the year. Now is the right time to add to our leadership team as we expand our strategic scope and our geographic presence in the U.S. Dale has a terrific track record of successfully growing biotech companies and I welcome the opportunity to work with him to build on the strong foundation we have achieved to date."

Until it was acquired in May of this year, Dr. Pfost was Chairman and CEO of innovative drug discovery firm Lodo Therapeutics. Previously, he was the U.S.-based General Partner at London-based venture capital firm Advent Life Sciences and served as Executive Chairman of portfolio companies CN Creative and Vestagen Protective Technologies. He co-founded and was acting CEO of MicroBiome Therapeutics in the year leading up to its acquisition. Dr. Pfost also was founding CEO of Acuity Pharmaceuticals, which merged to form OPKO Health. He was the founding CEO of Oxford GlycoSciences and genomics pioneer Orchid BioSciences. Dr. Pfost was also CEO at anti-cancer company Receptor BioLogix, where he led its successful acquisition. His first company, which he started in graduate school, was acquired by SmithKline Beckman and produced the Biomek, still a leading laboratory automation system today. Dr. Pfost is the co-author of 10 scientific papers and an inventor on 10 patents. He earned a BS degree from the University of California Santa Barbara and a PhD in physics from Brown University.

Dr. Pfost’s appointment as CEO and member of the Board will become effective upon the approval of Chemomab shareholders, as is required for public companies based in Israel. A shareholder vote is expected in the fourth quarter of 2021. His expected appointment as Chairman in 2022 will also require shareholder approval.

KAHR Announces FDA Clearance of IND Application for Phase 1b Trial of its Lead Anti-CD47 Candidate in Blood Cancers

On September 2, 2021 KAHR, a cancer immunotherapy company developing novel multifunctional immuno-recruitment proteins, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its investigational new drug (IND) application for KAHR’s Phase 1b clinical trial of DSP107, a first-in-class CD47x41BB targeting fusion protein, in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (Press release, KAHR Medical, SEP 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234587211]).

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Under this IND, the Company intends to initiate a Phase 1b open label, dose escalation study to evaluate the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of DSP107 as monotherapy and in combination with azacytidine or with azacytidine plus venetoclax in patients with AML and MDS. The trial, expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2021, will be conducted at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with the previously announced investment by the Cancer Focus Fund, LP, an investment fund established in collaboration with MD Anderson to provide funding and clinical expertise to advance promising cancer therapies.

"The FDA clearance to commence our Phase 1b clinical trial for DSP107 in hematological cancers is a significant milestone for KAHR as we advance into the clinic with our second clinical study for our lead program with the backing and support of the Cancer Focus Fund," said Yaron Pereg, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of KAHR. "In parallel, we are making excellent progress with DSP107’s dose-escalation and expansion study as a monotherapy and in combination with atezolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors. We look forward to the topline results from the dose-escalation monotherapy part of the solid tumors study in addition to the initiation of the Phase 1b clinical trial in blood cancers, both expected in the fourth quarter of this year."

"KAHR’s multi-functional immuno-recruitment fusion proteins exemplify the innovative approach to cancer we seek to support," said Ross Barrett, a founder and Managing Partner of Cancer Focus Fund. "Achieving FDA clearance for the commencement of the Phase 1b clinical trial showcases KAHR’s ability to execute its regulatory strategy, and we look forward to the launch of the trial."

KAHR develops smart immune-recruitment cancer drug candidates that are designed to activate a targeted immune response by converting cancer camouflage into beacons for the immune system to attack. The Company’s lead product candidate, DSP107, is a first-in-class CD47x41BB targeting compound that simultaneously binds cancer cells and immune cells, linking them together for maximal activation of the immune system against the tumor. DSP107 is designed to weaken the tumor’s defenses on one hand, and activate an effective, local response of both innate and adaptive immunity on the other hand. Specifically, DSP107 binds to and inhibits CD47, an immune checkpoint protein overexpressed in many cancer types that enables the tumor to evade immune recognition and attack. Simultaneously, DSP107 binds 41BB on T-cells, stimulating their activation. These activities lead to targeted immune activation through both macrophage and T-cell mediated tumor destruction.

Ionis to present at upcoming virtual investor conferences

On September 2, 2021 Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) reported that management will present a company overview at the following virtual investor conferences (Press release, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, SEP 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234587210]):

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2021 Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference on Friday, September 10, 2021
Morgan Stanley 19th Annual Global Healthcare Conference on Monday, September 13, 2021
Bank of America Global Healthcare Conference 2021 on Wednesday, September 15, 2021
The above listed dates are subject to change. Details on presentation times or changes to presentation dates can be found on the Company’s website. Please check www.ionispharma.com for the latest information.

A live webcast of the presentations will be available on the Investors & Media section of the Ionis website. The replays will be available within 48 hours and will be archived for a limited time.

MEI Pharma to Present at Two Healthcare Conferences

On September 2, 2021 MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEIP), a late-stage pharmaceutical company focused on advancing new therapies for cancer, reported that it will present a company overview and business update at two upcoming investor conferences (Press release, MEI Pharma, SEP 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234587209]):

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2021 Virtual Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference on Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 1:20 p.m. Eastern Time
H.C. Wainwright 23rd Annual Global Investment Conference: the company presentation will be available for on-demand listening starting Monday, September 13, 2021 at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time
The presentations can be accessed via the Events & Presentations page of the Investors section of MEI Pharma’s website at View Source An archived replay of the webcasts will be available on MEI Pharma’s website for at least 30 days after the live event concludes.

I-Mab Added to FTSE Russell Global Equity Index Series

On September 2, 2021 I-Mab (the "Company") (Nasdaq: IMAB), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel biologics, reported that I-Mab will be added to the following FTSE Global Equity Index Series ("GEIS"), following FTSE’s most recent semi-annual review (Press release, I-Mab Biopharma, SEP 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234587208]). These inclusions will become effective after the market close on Friday, September 17, 2021:

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FTSE Russell is a global index leader that provides innovative benchmarking, analytics and data solutions for investors worldwide. FTSE Russell calculates thousands of indexes that measure and benchmark markets and asset classes in more than 70 countries, covering 98% of the investable market globally. FTSE Russell index expertise and products are used extensively by institutional and retail investors globally. FTSE GEIS provides a robust global equity index framework. The series includes over 16,000 large, mid, small, and micro cap securities across 49 developed and emerging markets globally, with a wide range of modular indexes available to target specific markets and market segments. For more information, please refer to the Index page on FTSE’s website at View Source

"The FTSE indices are one of the most visible and well-tracked index families in the world. Being included in this marquee equity index series is a tremendous honor and validation of the inspiring journey I-Mab has travelled since its IPO in January 2020," commented Mr. Jielun Zhu, Director and Chief Financial Officer of I-Mab. "This significant capital market milestone marks the third flagship equity index series I-Mab has been added to, following its inclusion in the NASDAQ Biotech Index in December 2020 and the MSCI China All Shares Index in May 2021. Our recent interim corporate updates have demonstrated that we are not only making rapid progress advancing our deep and highly innovative pipeline globally, but are also well on our way to grow into a fully integrated biopharma company in the next few years. We are extremely excited to share the fruits of our future success with our shareholders."