Magenta Therapeutics Focuses R&D and Operational Spending, Reduces Workforce and Extends Cash Runway

On April 14, 2022 Magenta Therapeutics (Nasdaq: MGTA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel medicines designed to bring the curative power of stem cell transplant to more patients, reported progress and encouraging early data in its MGTA-117 Phase 1/2 targeted conditioning clinical trial and a prioritization of its operating plan to more narrowly focus its capital allocation on the MGTA-117 targeted conditioning program, the CD45-ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) IND-enabling activities and the MGTA-145 stem cell mobilization efforts in sickle cell disease (Press release, Magenta Therapeutics, APR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234612226]).

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The Company’s most significant near-term clinical milestone is its anticipated data from the MGTA-117 Phase 1/2 clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplasia-excess blasts. Multiple patients have been dosed in Cohort 1 of the ongoing clinical trial. Based on a preliminary review of the data from the trial to date, Magenta believes that the data suggest early signals of positive pharmacodynamic activity and that MGTA-117 has been well-tolerated, with no reports of unexpected or significant drug-related adverse events. Magenta looks forward to translating data from this clinical trial for use in transplant-eligible patients in the future. In its Q1 2022 earnings release scheduled for early May 2022, Magenta plans to disclose a summary of clinical observations from these initial patients with respect to CD117 target binding, drug clearance, cell depletion and tolerability.

Due to both its early positive experience with the MGTA-117 clinical trial and in response to the uncertain capital market environment for biotechnology companies, Magenta recognizes the need for an increased focus on MGTA-117 while also de-prioritizing other portfolio investments. The revised operating plan includes reductions in spending related to general and administrative expenses and research platform-related investments in new disease targets, as well as pausing certain MGTA-145 investments, including the program’s planned MGTA-145 dosing and administration optimization clinical trial in healthy subjects.

Magenta’s revised operating plan also reduces the Company’s workforce by 14% and allows Magenta to extend its cash runway into Q2 2024.

"We are encouraged by our progress in the MGTA-117 clinical trial and want to proactively address our resource allocation to ensure focus on creating value for patients and all of our stakeholders," said Jason Gardner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Magenta Therapeutics. "We have the utmost respect and appreciation for our departing employees and their contribution to advancing our programs."

Kintara Announces Closing of $8.6 Million Registered Direct Offering Priced At-The-Market Under Nasdaq Rules

On April 14, 2022 Kintara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTRA) ("Kintara" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new solid tumor cancer therapies reported that it has closed its previously announced registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules with institutional investors for the purchase and sale of 16,226,416 shares of the Company’s common stock (the "Shares") and warrants to purchase 16,226,416 shares of the Company’s common stock (the "Warrants"), at a combined purchase price of $0.53 per Share and related Warrant, for gross proceeds of approximately $8.6 million, before deducting fees and other offering expenses (Press release, Kintara Therapeutics, APR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234612225]). The Warrants have an exercise price of $0.41 per share, are exercisable immediately and expire five years from the date of issuance.

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A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as sole placement agent for the offering.

The Company currently intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for funding its clinical studies, working capital and other general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, funding acquisitions or investments in businesses, products or technologies that are complementary to the Company’s businesses, products and technologies.

The securities described above were offered by the Company pursuant to a "shelf" registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-254662) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 24, 2021 and declared effective on April 1, 2021. The offering of the securities described herein was made only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to relating to the offering were filed with the SEC on April 13, 2022 and are available on the SEC’s website located at View Source Electronic copies of the prospectus supplement may be obtained from A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, 590 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at (212) 624-2060, or by email at [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

IPA Completes Acquisition of Belgian Technology Companies BioStrand, BioKey, and BioClue – Adding Artificial Intelligence-Driven Analytics to its Antibody Discovery Capabilities and Offerings

On April 14, 2022 IPA (IMMUNOPRECISE ANTIBODIES LTD.) (the "Company" or "IPA") (NASDAQ: IPA) (TSXV: IPA) reported that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of control over BioStrand BV, BioKey BV, and BioClue BV (hereinafter collectively referred to as "BioStrand"), a group of Belgian biotech entities and pioneers in the field of bioinformatics and biotechnology, through its wholly owned subsidiary ImmunoPrecise Netherlands BV (Press release, ImmunoPrecise Antibodies, APR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234612224]).

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"Uniting BioStrand and IPA reflects the Company’s commitment to acquiring truly transformative technologies that leapfrog traditional competencies driving the development of safe and effective antibody therapies. For several years IPA’s team has scrutinized artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies, in search of capabilities that don’t simply give a nod to an opaque use of computationally-driven analyses, nor incremental and limited additions to currently existing research tools, but instead change the trajectory of personalized medicines and the philosophy behind what is truly meaningful for the future of AI in the life sciences," commented Dr. Jennifer Bath, CEO of IPA.

"With BioStrand joining the IPA family, we rewrite the future of biotherapeutic discovery, providing access to unique and rapid in silico technologies that unequivocally improve the specificity and design of biotherapeutics," Dr. Bath continued. "This is achieved, in part, using patent-pending technologies that identify, define, and code finite and unique fingerprints representing structures and functions present in all omic data. Together, we share a common vision and unique strengths using the power of rapidly analyzed genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data, combined with natural language processing, to understand the structural and functional basis of diseases, and to develop life-saving precision medicines. Our combined capabilities move us closer to more precise and powerful individualized therapies with an aim of changing the way therapies are designed, approved, and prescribed."

Details of the Transaction

ImmunoPrecise Netherlands BV acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Idea Family BV, a private limited liability company holding 75.01% of the issued and outstanding shares of BioStrand, as well as the remaining 24.99% of the issued and outstanding shares of BioStrand.

At closing, the Company paid a consideration of approximately € 20 million to the vendors, namely CHARMQUARK EEN, a partnership (maatschap) controlled by Dirk Van Hyfte, CHARMQUARK TWEE, a partnership (maatschap) controlled by Ingrid Brands, and K&E BV, a private limited liability company (besloten vennootschap) controlled by Koen Quaghebeur and Els Paesmans. The consideration consisted of an aggregate of 4,077,774 common shares of IPA, representing approximately € 16,265,500 based on the thirty-day volume-weighted average price of the common shares ending on the trading day immediately prior to the closing; and a cash payment of approximately € 3,734,500

The consideration also includes a contingent earnout payment based on the profitability of BioStrand over a 7-year period, which shall not exceed in total €12 million.

An investment consideration will also be provided by IPA to BioStrand in an aggregate amount of € 6 million over a period of 3 years, for operation expenses, development of BioStrand’s platform, and correction of deficiencies.

The common shares issued are subject to a statutory resale restriction pursuant to Canadian securities laws, as well as a contractual escrow agreement entered into on closing between the vendors, IPA, and an escrow agent, providing for the gradual release of the common shares over a 3-year period.

Each of BioStrand and its securityholders are arm’s length parties to the Company.

ITI to Participate at World Vaccine Congress Washington 2022

On April 14, 2022 Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc., ("ITI"), a privately-held clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the study of LAMP-mediated nucleic acid-based immunotherapy reported that the company will be presenting at the World Vaccine Congress in Washington, DC being held April 18-21, 2022 (Press release, Immunomic Therapeutics, APR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234612223]). CEO and Founder Bill Hearl, Ph.D., will present a talk titled, "Clinical Updates on Autologous Dendritic Cell Vaccines for Solid Tumors," at 10:10AM EDT on April 21, 2022. Dr. Hearl’s presentation preempts emerging data from a Phase 2 clinical trial (ATTAC-II) for ITI-1000, an investigational dendritic cell vaccine therapy treatment for patients with Glioblastoma, a rare but aggressive form of brain cancer.

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Dr. Bill Hearl Presentation:
Title: Clinical Updates on Autologous Dendritic Cell Vaccines for Solid Tumors
Track: Cancer Immunotherapy
Date and Time: Thursday, April 21, 2022, 10:10AM EDT

About ITI-1000 and the Phase 2 (ATTAC-II) Study

ITI-1000 is an investigational dendritic cell vaccine therapy currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial (ATTAC-II) for the treatment of GBM. ITI-1000 was developed using Immunomic’s proprietary investigational lysosomal targeting technology, UNITE, in the context of cell therapy. In May 2017, Immunomic exclusively licensed a patent portfolio from Annias Immunotherapeutics for use in combination with UNITE and ITI-1000, allowing Immunomic to combine UNITE with a patented and proprietary CMV immunotherapy platform. The ATTAC-II study (NCT02465268) is a Phase II randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolling patients with newly diagnosed GBM that will explore whether dendritic cell (DC) vaccines, including ITI-1000, targeting the CMV antigen pp65 improves survival. This study is enrolling up to 120 subjects at 3 clinical sites in the United States. For more information on the ATTAC-II study, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About UNITE

ITI’s investigational UNITE platform, UNiversal Intracellular Targeted Expression, leverages the ability to engineer chimeric proteins, directing antigen presenting cells to present antigens to the immune system through a targeted pathway and driving a robust immune response. UNITE vaccines are distinct in that they combine two components: nucleic acid constructs that encode a specific antigen and an endogenous Lysosomal Associated Membrane Protein (LAMP-1) sequence. The UNITE platform harnesses LAMP-1 as a means of presenting the vaccine target to the immune system, resulting in antibody production, inflammatory cytokine release, and establishing critical immunological memory, something that other vaccine approaches commonly lack. This approach could put UNITE technology at the crossroads of immunotherapies in multiple indications, including cancer, human allergy, animal health, and infectious disease. Preclinical data is currently being developed to explore whether LAMP-1 nucleic acid constructs may amplify and activate the immune response in highly immunogenic tumor types and used to create immune responses in tumor types that otherwise do not provoke an immune response.

Heat Biologics’ Announces Planned Investor and Media Livestream Event to Discuss Latest Developments

On April 14, 2022 Heat Biologics, Inc. ("Heat") (NYSE American: HTBX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing first-in-class therapies to modulate the immune system and novel biodefense assets, reported it plans to host an investor and media livestream event on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 10:30 AM Eastern Time to discuss the latest developments (Press release, Heat Biologics, APR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234612222]). The event will be broadcast at: View Source

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