UroGen Announces New Data from the OLYMPUS Trial that Shows Median Durability of Response of 28.9 Months for JELMYTO®, the Only Non-Surgical, Chemoablative Treatment for Adults with Low-Grade Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer

On December 1, 2022 UroGen Pharma Ltd. (Nasdaq: URGN), a biotech company dedicated to creating novel solutions that treat urothelial and specialty cancers, reported new data from the OLYMPUS registration trial designed to obtain long-term follow-up data on JELMYTO (mitomycin) for pyelocalyceal solution that shows median durability of response (DOR) of 28.9 months (Press release, UroGen Pharma, DEC 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234624705]). The study (Abstract #158) was presented at SUO on December 1.

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"The clinical benefit of JELMYTO was demonstrated in the Phase 3 OLYMPUS study and data presented today highlighted the long-term durability of that benefit," said Dr. Phillip Pierorazio, M.D., Chief, Section of Urology at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. "JELMYTO provides an effective and durable kidney-sparing treatment option and should be considered as primary therapy for adult patients with LG-UTUC."

Patients who completed OLYMPUS were eligible to participate in this rollover study. Outcomes of interest include DOR in patients who remain in complete response (CR) at the end of OLYMPUS, events of disease recurrence and progression, post-study treatments and death.

At the time of data cut off (February 25, 2022), data were available for 16 of 23 patients who had remained in CR at the end of the OLYMPUS study. The median DOR among the 16 patients was 28.9 months (14.6 to 47.6 months). Thirteen patients remained in CR, two patients had recurrence of low-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma (LG-UTUC) on the same side as treated in OLYMPUS, and one patient underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) due to ureteral stricture without evidence of UTUC at the time of surgery. No patient had progressed to high-grade disease.

"JELMYTO is an important addition to the urologist’s tool kit for treating LG-UTUC," said Mark Schoenberg, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, UroGen. "These data are the first to show the potential for long-term recurrence free survival in patients treated with JELMYTO. We look forward to additional independent validation of this important observation."

About the Pivotal OLYMPUS Study

OLYMPUS (Optimized DeLiverY of Mitomycin for Primary UTUC Study) was an open-label, single-arm Phase 3 clinical study of UGN-101 JELMYTO (mitomycin) for pyelocalyceal solution, to evaluate the safety, tolerability and tumor ablative effect of JELMYTO in patients with LG-UTUC. Seventy-one patients were treated at clinical sites across the United States and Israel. Study participants were treated with six weekly instillations of JELMYTO administered via a standard catheter. Four to six weeks following the last instillation, patients underwent a Primary Disease Evaluation (PDE) to determine CR, the primary endpoint of the study. PDE involved a ureteroscopy and wash cytology, a standard microscopic test of cells obtained from the urine to detect cancer and for cause biopsy. Patients who achieved a CR at the PDE timepoint were eligible for the maintenance phase of the trial, during which they could receive monthly maintenance instillations for up to 12 months and were assessed quarterly to determine the durability of response with JELMYTO.

In the OLYMPUS study, data was generated for the retrograde administration of JELMYTO. In that study population ureteric stenosis was reported in 58% (n=41) of patients receiving JELMYTO, with only 17% (n=12) of patients experiencing a Grade 3 event.

About LG-UTUC

LG-UTUC is a rare disease managed by endoscopic methods and radical nephroureterectomy. Endoscopic resection and laser ablation attempt to preserve the kidney, though there is a high risk of recurrence that may eventually necessitate removal of the kidney. Although kidney removal is the current standard for treatment of high-grade UTUC, it may be over-treatment in LG-UTUC, as kidney removal offers similar five-year survival as kidney-sparing procedures but is associated with significant morbidity.

G1 Therapeutics Announces Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

On December 1, 2022 G1 Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTHX), a commercial-stage oncology company, reported the grant of inducement stock options exercisable for 14,400 shares of G1’s common stock and 9,400 restricted stock units (RSUs) to five hired employees under the Amended and Restated G1 Therapeutics, Inc. 2021 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the "Amended and Restated 2021 Plan") (Press release, G1 Therapeutics, DEC 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234624674]). These equity awards were granted as an inducement material to the new employee’s becoming an employee of G1 in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

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The Amended and Restated 2021 Plan is used exclusively for the grant of equity awards to individuals who were not previously employees of G1 (or following a bona fide period of non-employment), as an inducement material to such individual’s entering into employment with G1, pursuant to Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

The stock options are exercisable at a price of $5.85 per share, the closing price of G1’s common stock on December 1, 2022, the grant date. The stock options have up to a ten-year term and vest over four years, with 25% of the award vesting on the first anniversary of the employee’s employment, and as to an additional 1/48th of the shares monthly thereafter, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting dates (subject to the terms and conditions of the stock option agreement covering the grant). The RSUs have a four-year term, with 25% of the award vesting on the first anniversary of the grant date, and the remainder vesting 12.5% semi-annually over the remaining three years, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting dates (subject to the terms and conditions of the RSU agreement covering the grant). The stock options and RSUs are subject to the terms and conditions of the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan.

Optieum Biotechnologies and National Cancer Center Japan Signed Joint Research Agreement on Solid Tumor Targeting CAR-T Cell Programs

On December 1, 2022 Optieum Biotechnologies reported that the company has entered into a research collaboration agreement with the National Cancer Center Japan("NCC") to initiate multiple projects to discover and develop innovative CAR-T cell therapy assets targeting solid tumors (Press release, Optieum Biotechnologies, DEC 1, 2022, View Source [SID1234639141]).

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Optieum has a platform technology to elicit functional and improved scFvs that can lead to superior antitumor reactivity of CAR-T cells. NCC, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center (NCC-EPOC) has expertise in clinical research and development of cancer immunotherapy, and is capable of accelerating translational research by integrating its clinical resources into this collaboration.

With the completion of signing, Optieum and Division of Cancer Immunotherapy (Chief, Dr. Tetsuya Nakatsura) of NCC-EPOC, will begin joint research to develop CAR-T cell therapies for patients with solid tumors.

AFFIMED TO HOST INVESTOR EVENT HIGHLIGHTING AFM13 CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT AT 2022 ASH ANNUAL MEETING

On December 1, 2022 Affimed N.V. (Nasdaq: AFMD) ("Affimed", or the "Company"), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company committed to giving patients back their innate ability to fight cancer, reported that it will host an investor event on December 10 during the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA (Press release, Affimed, DEC 1, 2022, View Source [SID1234624722]).

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Investor event information
Date and Time: Saturday, December 10 at 4:00 p.m. CST / 5:00 p.m. EST / 23:00 CET
Location: New Orleans, LA and virtual
Affimed will host an investor event to review AFM13 clinical data and development plans in CD30 expressing malignancies. The investor event will take place in-person and virtually and a webcast of the event will be available in the "Webcasts" section on the "Investors" page of Affimed’s website at View Source
To access the event via phone, please dial +1 (929) 205-6099 for U.S. callers, or +44 (203) 481-5240 for international callers, and reference meeting ID 847 4106 6227 approximately 15 minutes prior to the call.
To reserve your place in the live event, please contact Alex Fudukidis via e-mail at [email protected].
A replay of the webcast/call will be archived on Affimed’s website for 30 days after the call.

About AFM13
AFM13 is a CD30/CD16A bispecific Innate Cell Engager (ICE) that is investigated in Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) and T cell lymphoma (TCL). AFM13 has shown single agent efficacy in HL and TCL and is currently being evaluated as monotherapy in a single arm registration-directed trial in peripheral TCL (REDIRECT). In addition, AFM13 showed high response rates in combination with the anti-PD-1 antibody Keytruda (ORR: 88%, CR: 46%) and in combination with allogeneic cord blood-derived NK cells (ORR: 100%, CR: 71%). Affimed recently entered into a partnership with Artiva to develop AFM13 in combination with Artiva’s allogeneic, cryopreserved, NK cell product AB-101 in HL and TCL.

OREGA enters into a License Agreement with Genmab

On December 6, 2022 OREGA Biotech reported an exclusive license agreement under which OREGA Biotech grants Genmab full, worldwide rights to its first-in-class immuno-oncology antibody program against a novel and undisclosed target (Press release, OREGA BIOTECH, DEC 1, 2022, View Source [SID1234624745]). This license agreement results from a fruitful research collaboration between the two companies initiated in 2020.

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"We are thrilled to partner with Genmab, the renowned international biotechnology company", said Jeremy Bastid, Chief Executive Officer of OREGA Biotech. "Our team discovered the role of this novel target in impairing the response to the PD1/PDL1 immune checkpoint inhibitors and demonstrated that a neutralizing antibody could reverse this effect and improve the response to cancer immunotherapy. We have been working very closely with Genmab’s scientific team for more than 2 years and we are convinced that their scientific skills and development capabilities will be of paramount importance to further develop this asset", he added.

Gilles Alberici, President of OREGA Biotech, further commented: "This licensing agreement marks another major step forward for our company and team after the successful out-licensing of our CD39 antibody program which is now entering phase 2 clinical trial. Given the track record of Genmab in developing and delivering innovations to the patients, we believe that Genmab is very well positioned to bring this novel antibody program to the clinic", he added.

Genmab will be responsible for the research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of the antibody. The parties will aim to enter into an additional agreement for OREGA Biotech to support Genmab’s preclinical research activities related to this antibody.

"I would like to take the opportunity of this announcement to congratulate our scientists who did a fantastic work in advancing this antibody program and collaborating successfully with our Genmab’s colleagues despite the Covid-19 pandemic. I also would like to thank our partners from Inserm Transfert for their continued support during the licensing process", Jeremy Bastid concluded.

Financial Terms

OREGA Biotech will receive an upfront payment and is eligible to receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments plus royalties on commercial sales. The financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.