On April 19, 2022 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported that it was awarded more than $10 million in grants to support collaborative research teams working to advance novel interception and treatment strategies that will improve outcomes for several cancer types with the greatest unmet need, including pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer and glioblastoma (GBM) (Press release, Break Through Cancer, APR 19, 2022, View Source,need%2C%20including%20pancreatic%20cancer%2C%20ovarian [SID1234613224]).

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Funded by Break Through Cancer, this work is part of $50 million in grants being made to teams across five cancer research centers: MD Anderson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT.

This new model for collaboration enables researchers to boldly tackle some of the biggest challenges in cancer. Break Through Cancer’s innovative approach will help overcome conventional barriers to multi-institution teamwork by using streamlined processes and systems for more effective data collaborations.

Giulio Draetta, M.D., Ph.D., MD Anderson’s chief scientific officer, and David Jaffray, Ph.D., MD Anderson’s chief technology and digital officer, serve as members of the Break Through Cancer Board of Directors.

"Collaborative team science is the cornerstone of our work at MD Anderson, with the goal of advancing breakthroughs that can improve patients’ lives. We also know that, to make real progress, our research cannot stand alone," Draetta said. "Break Through Cancer’s unique approach unites some of the greatest minds in cancer research to better understand disease mechanisms underlying currently intractable cancers. Through this work, we hope to drive real impact and innovation."

All projects funded by Break Through Cancer will use a model that allows researchers and physicians from each institution to work collaboratively in real time. Additionally, new technology and systems will make data collaborations frictionless. Reducing the day-to-day barriers to cross-institutional collaboration, such as contract negotiations, data access, intellectual property management and authorship rights, will pave the way for faster discoveries.

Together with Jaffray, Caroline Chung, M.D., MD Anderson’s chief data officer, has worked closely with Break Through Cancer to coordinate our approach to data. In partnership with Break Through Cancer’s growing multi-institutional data science team, Chung has shaped the interface between data governance and data science to enable seamless collaborations across institutions and domains — basic science, clinical research and data science — to make transformative advances in cancer.

"New models and infrastructure are essential to enable the seamless collaboration required for an effort of this significance," Jaffray said. "Our work will allow researchers across the country to collaborate as if they are standing shoulder to shoulder, transforming the team science process so we can accelerate meaningful progress."

Projects have been funded based on their unique cohort of researchers and potentially transformational science. The projects and faculty researchers include:

Intercepting Ovarian Cancer – Barrett Lawson, M.D., Karen Lu, M.D., Larissa Meyer, M.D., and Linghua Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Targeting Minimal Residual Disease in Ovarian Cancer – Tyler Hillman, M.D., Ph.D., Amir Jazaeri, M.D., Karen Lu, M.D., Linghua Wang, M.D., Ph.D. and Shannon Westin, M.D.
Conquering KRAS in Pancreatic Cancer (in partnership with the Lustgarten Foundation) – Ronald DePinho, M.D., Timothy Heffernan, Ph.D., Raghu Kalluri, M.D., Ph.D., Anirban Maitra, M.B.B.S., Shubham Pant, M.D., and Linghua Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Revolutionizing GBM Drug Development Through Serial Biopsies – Kadir Akdemir, Ph.D., Sangeeta Goswami, M.D., Ph.D., Jian Hu, Ph.D., Jason Huse, M.D., Ph.D., Wen Jiang, M.D., Ph.D., Betty Kim, M.D., Ph.D., Frederick Lang, M.D., Vinay Puduvalli, M.D., Padmanee Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., Shiao-Pei Weathers, M.D., and Ying Yuan, Ph.D.
"We are honored to be part of this united effort that aligns so well with our mission to end cancer," said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. "This tremendous support from Break Through Cancer will stimulate compelling projects being led by many of the top minds across the country, and we look forward to seeing impactful results."

On April 19, 2022 The University of Camerino (UniCam) reported that has extended its strategic business partnership with CureLab Oncology Inc., a clinical-stage biotech company, to develop anti-cancer immunotherapy for humans, and has signed a similar agreement with CureLab Veterinary Inc. to reapply this medicine for treatment of companion animals (Press release, CureLab Oncology, APR 19, 2022, View Source [SID1234612855]).

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In 2012, the university signed a strategic partnership agreement with CureLab Oncology for researching the DNA plasmid coding p62/SQSTM1 gene (p62) that resulted in patents being granted in more than 20 countries. Subsequently, initial p62 plasmid clinical trials have shown great promise in treating the deadliest forms of ovarian and breast cancer. Given this success, CureLab Oncology and UniCam have agreed to extend their partnership./p>

As a first result of the prolonged partnership agreement, scientists from UniCam and CureLab just published a paper in the journal General and Comparative Endocrinology, one of the top scientific journals focused on animal science and zoology. The choice of a journal was based on a concomitant agreement that UniCam signed with CureLab Veterinary, which licensed the p62 IP for application in cats, dogs, and horses. Earlier, this scientific team successfully treated 10 out of 11 dogs with breast cancer.

"UniCam has a well-established School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine," said Prof. Guido Favia, director of the school. "This new partnership with CureLab Veterinary, based on both scientific and clinical strength, brings attractive development opportunities for the entire school."

"We are very pleased to continue our partnership with CureLab Oncology," said Prof. Maria Giovanna Sabbieti of the School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine at UniCam. "The new clinical data released by CureLab Oncology paves the road to even more new discoveries in our laboratory, while at the same time, our lab data helps CureLab target new applications for its p62 product."

"Our partnership with CureLab Veterinary opens up new opportunities for the research on bone and inflammatory-based diseases of domestic and farm animals," said Dr. Dimitrios Agas of the School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine at UniCam.

"CureLab Veterinary is very pleased to be working with the University of Camerino to explore translational studies in the areas of osteoarthritis, cancer, aging and age-associated diseases to improve and extend the lives of our four-legged family members," said Robert Devlin, DVM, MBA, of CureLab Veterinary.

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On April 19, 2022 Provectus (OTCQB: PVCT) reported that, in conjunction with the filing of the Company’s preliminary 2022 proxy statement (Pre-14A), Provectus’ Board of Directors (Board) seeks approvals at the Company’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on June 22nd for the authority to (Press release, Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, APR 19, 2022, View Source [SID1234612589]):

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Reverse stock split proposal: Amend the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (as amended by the Series D and D-1 Certificates of Designation) to effect a reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock at a ratio of between 1-for-10 and 1-for-50, and to make corresponding amendments to the Series D and D-1 Certificates of Designation to provide for the proportional adjustment of certain terms upon a reverse stock split, and

Authorized share reduction proposal: If and only if the reverse stock split proposal is approved, amend the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (as amended by the Series D and D-1 Certificates of Designation) to decrease the number of authorized shares of Provectus’ common and preferred stocks by the same reverse stock split ratio determined by the Board.

At the 2022 Annual Meeting, stockholders will also vote on proposals for the election of directors, approval of the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, and ratification of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. Subject to review by and/or comments from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the Pre-14A, the Company will file its definitive 2022 proxy statement thereafter.

On April 19, 2022 ImmVira reported that, company has reached a cooperation agreement with Roche to establish clinical research partnership recently, to conduct clinical studies in the U.S. on the combination therapy of ImmVira’s MVR-T3011 IT and Roche’s MEK inhibitor cobimetinib, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this combo strategy (Press release, Immvira, APR 19, 2022, View Source [SID1234612577]).

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MVR-T3011, ImmVira’s proprietary 3-in-1oncolytic herpes simplex virus ("oHSV"), is a novel genetically engineered oHSV which aims to achieve the most favorable profile of attenuated HSV-1 with replication potency in tumor cells. The incorporation of two latest and well-validated exogenous genes, PD-1 antibody and IL-12, further enhances immune responses in the tumor microenvironment. MVR-T3011 IT clinical trials started in 2020 and are currently in Phase II in both the U.S. and China. Single agent treatment has demonstrated good safety profile and preliminary efficacy results.

In 2021, ImmVira research group published a scientific paper, "Enhancing Therapeutic Efficacy of Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus with MEK Inhibitor Trametinib in Some BRAF or KRAS-Mutated Colorectal or Lung Carcinoma Models". In vitro and in vivo anti-tumor studies showed that, treatment with MEKi augmented oHSV oncolytic activity in BRAF V600E-mutated tumor cells and the combination treatment enhanced virus replication mediated by down-regulation of STAT1 and PKR expression or phosphorylation in BRAF V600E-mutated tumor cells as well as BRAF wt/KRAS-mutated tumor cells. Furthermore, a significant synergistic therapeutic efficacy was shown in vivo for BRAF wt/KRAS-mutated tumor models, when a combination of MEK inhibition and oHSV expressing PD-1 blockade antibody and IL-12.

"This combo clinical study further demonstrates the potential ability of MVR-T3011 to further extend clinical benefit to a wide range of approved treatment programs. This is also the first combination therapy other than checkpoint inhibitor of our core oncolytic products, and the first application of from scientific exploration to clinical studies. We are particularly pleased to collaborate with Roche with their leadership in the industry, global footprint and a deep pocket of established as well as novel programs driven by the inspiring purpose of doing now what patients need next," said Dr. Grace Zhou, CEO of ImmVira.

"Based on OvPENS new drug R&D platform, ImmVira will continue to push forward the envelope of vector-based oncology solutions. Leveraging a unique approach to modify the tumor environment, our pipeline of single agent and combo programs aims to become a new generation of safer and more effective therapies to address the increasingly complex cancer patients’ needs worldwide."