On March 23, 2022 Manhattan BioSolutions, Inc, an emerging biotechnology company developing a new class of targeted immunotherapies for the treatment of advanced and metastatic cancers, reported that it has been awarded a grant from the University at Buffalo Center for Advanced Technology in Big Data and Health Sciences (UB CAT program) (Press release, Manhattan BioSolutions, MAR 23, 2022, View Source [SID1234610713]). The UB CAT grant will enable early-stage preclinical characterization of novel monoclonal antibody-based therapies targeting immunomodulatory receptors highly expressed in hematological malignancies. This collaborative research will be conducted in partnership with the laboratory of Dr Dhaval Shah, Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, whose cutting-edge research in protein therapeutics and pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling has significantly impacted drug development field around the globe.

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The new monoclonal antibody (mAb) being developed by Manhattan BioSolutions binds to a highly conserved lymphocyte surface receptor that senses the presence of various components from fungi, viruses, and bacteria. This protein functions to regulate T-cell activation and plays an important role in the development and progression of hematological cancers. The proposed project focuses on experimental validation of the new mAb, enabling generation of safe and highly efficacious antibody-drug conjugates directed against selected tumor antigen.

Dr Borys Shor, Chief Executive Officer, Manhattan BioSolutions, commented, "This new program will expand Manhattan BioSolutions’ current discovery pipeline focused on the unique biologic therapies at the intersection of innate, adaptive immunity and cancer. Our industry expertise in antibody- and antibody-drug conjugate development complements world-class research conducted by Dr Shah’ laboratory and thus strengthen our commitment to discover innovative medicines for patients in need."

Dr Dhaval Shah added, "The primary benefit of this collaboration is the strong synergy between our teams based on the unique expertise in antibody discovery, translational pharmacology and pharmacokinetic modeling of novel biologics. Together, we will be in a strong position to fully validate the selected antibodies in preclinical experiments."

On March 23, 2022 Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: APDN), a leader in cell-free, enzymatic DNA production, reported that CEO Dr. James A. Hayward is invited to present at the 2022 Virtual Growth Conference presented by Maxim Group LLC and hosted by M-Vest, on March 28th – 30th from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EDT (Press release, Applied DNA Sciences, MAR 23, 2022, View Source [SID1234610708]). Dr. Hayward’s presentation will be available on-demand for the duration of the conference via the sign-up link: Sign up here to access the presentation

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During the virtual conference, investors will hear from executives from a wide range of sectors, including Biotech, Clean Energy, Electric Vehicles, Financial Services, Fintech & REITS, Gaming & Entertainment, Healthcare, Healthcare IT, Infrastructure, Shipping and Technology/ Media/Telecom. The conference will feature company presentations, fireside chats, roundtable discussions, and live Q&A with CEOs moderated by Maxim Research Analysts.

This conference will be live on M-Vest. To attend, sign up to become an M-Vest member: Click Here to Reserve your seat

On March 23, 2022 Ichnos Sciences Inc., a global biotechnology company developing novel multispecific antibodies for the treatment of cancer using the proprietary BEAT platform1, reported that preclinical data for ISB 1442, a first-in-class 2+1 biparatopic bispecific antibody that targets both CD38 and CD47, will be presented at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, to be held in New Orleans from April 8-13, 2022 (Press release, Ichnos Sciences, MAR 23, 2022, View Source [SID1234610703]). ISB 1442 is being investigated as a treatment for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia.

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"The data being presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) highlight the potential for ISB 1442, our first-in-class biparatopic CD38 x CD47 bispecific antibody, in multiple myeloma," said Stefano Sammicheli, Ph.D., Director of Innate Cell Engagers, at Ichnos Sciences. "This compound has shown higher potency and greater inhibition of tumor growth relative to daratumumab in both in vitro and in vivo models, suggesting that ISB 1442 may overcome common mechanisms of resistance to other CD38 targeted therapies, which is coupled with low potential for on-target off-tumor effects seen with other CD47 directed treatments."

"We are excited to have the opportunity to present at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper), and to share ISB 1442 data that support our plan to move this drug into a Phase 1 study in the middle of this year," said Cyril Konto, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Ichnos Sciences. "Advancing ISB 1442 is particularly important to Ichnos because it is built using BEAT 2.0, which is among the most advanced antibody engineering platforms and the basis of our discovery efforts for novel multispecifics to treat hematologic malignancies and solid tumors."

Ichnos Sciences continues to advance its pipeline of agents based on the proprietary BEAT technology platform. Using this platform, Ichnos Sciences is exploring the full design space for treating cancer and engineering multispecific antibodies capable of simultaneously engaging tumor and immune cells.

Details for the poster presentation are shared below:

Session PO.IM02.10 – Therapeutic Antibodies 2
April 12, 2022, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM

2903 / 18 – ISB 1442, a first-in-class CD38 and CD47 bispecific antibody innate cell modulator for the treatment of CD38+ malignancies

Posters will be available on-demand on the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) website at www.aacr.org beginning at the start of the poster session and the abstract is available to view here.

On March 23, 2022 LUMICKS, a next generation life science tools company, reported that a research study published in Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences from the Radboud University Medical Center, led by researchers in the team of Professor G. J. Adema, detailed a novel method to study lead compound effects on immune cell interactions by employing LUMICKS’ z-Movi Cell Avidity Analyzer (Press release, LUMICKS, MAR 23, 2022, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-study-highlights-interaction-between-dendritic-cells-and-t-cells [SID1234610701]).

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The interaction between dendritic cells (DCs) and T cells is a critical step in the activation of T cells and initiation of the immune response. The strength and duration of the bond formed between DCs and T cells plays an important role in the robustness of the immune response mounted by T cells. Therefore, modulating the functionality of DCs to increase their avidity to T cells could be a key factor in improving cancer immunotherapies.

The z-Movi Cell Avidity Analyzer provides an exciting new method to assess the avidity between immune cells, such as DCs and T cells, in response to the addition of lead compounds that can alter DC functionality and potentially further the development of novel cellular immunotherapies. In this study, the authors examined the effect of a sialic acid-blocking mimetic on DCs and DC-T-cell interactions.

Said Prof. Adema, professor of Molecular Immunology at the Radiotherapy & OncoImmunology lab in the department of Radiation Oncology at RIMLS/Radboud, "The z-Movi platform was a great help to quantify dendritic cell – T-cell interactions and allowed us to demonstrate the important role sialic acids play in both antigen-dependent and the antigen-independent interactions between these immune cells."

Added Andrea Candelli, Chief Scientific Officer of LUMICKS, "We are very pleased by this paper’s findings about the important role measuring cell avidity can play in improving our understanding of the immune system. We take great pride in collaborating with and supporting leading scientific researchers around the world who find that the power of our revolutionary technology can help them discover underlying insights that advance our ability to treat human health issues."

The z-Movi measures the avidity between immune cells and their targets, enabling researchers to identify the most potent immunotherapeutic effector cells. This new technology provides predictive, reproducible, and fast results at a single-cell resolution without compromising cell viability, and ensures sterile and safe sample handling. LUMICKS’ cell avidity solutions use acoustics to measure forces and interactions between cells, with the goal of shortening the drug development cycle for adoptive cell therapies and other immunotherapies and reducing failure rates in clinical trials. First introduced in 2020, the z-Movi has found wide appeal in academic and biopharma laboratories around the world, with a rapid uptake in sales in 2021.

On March 23, 2022 Silence Therapeutics plc (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 Mallinckrodt plc (OTCMKTS:MNKKQ), a global biopharmaceutical company, reported filing of a clinical trial application (CTA) for SLN501, an siRNA targeting the complement C3 protein, triggering a $3 million milestone payment to Silence (Press release, Silence Therapeutics, MAR 23, 2022, View Source [SID1234610679]).

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Craig Tooman, President and Chief Executive Officer at Silence, commented: "The CTA submission for SLN501 represents another key milestone in our Mallinckrodt collaboration leveraging our proprietary mRNAi GOLD platform for complement-mediated diseases. This highlights the importance of partnerships to expand our pipeline opportunities while also providing non-dilutive financing to support our development activities."

Mark Trudeau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mallinckrodt, said: "We remain excited about the potential of Silence’s mRNAi GOLD platform to address the unmet needs of patients suffering from a range of complement-mediated diseases. We look forward to entering into the clinic with our first product candidate, SLN501, in the first half of this year as well as progressing work on two other complement targets."

Under the collaboration, Silence is responsible for executing the development program for SLN501 until the end of phase I, after which Mallinckrodt will assume responsibility for clinical development and global commercialization. The phase I study is expected to start in the first half of 2022.

In July 2019, Silence and Mallinckrodt initiated a collaboration focused on leveraging Silence’s proprietary mRNAi GOLD platform to develop siRNAs for complement-mediated diseases. Under the agreement, Silence received an upfront payment of $20 million from Mallinckrodt for an exclusive worldwide license to siRNAs developed against one complement target, C3, and options to license siRNAs against up to two additional complement targets, each of which Mallinckrodt exercised in 2021 at $2 million per target. Silence is responsible for preclinical activities and for executing development of each target through phase 1, after which Mallinckrodt will assume responsibility for clinical development and global commercialization. Silence is also eligible to receive tiered double-digit royalties on net sales for each product candidate and up to $2 billion in total milestone payments across all three targets.