Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Receives Acceptance Letter from NYSE American

On April 12, 2022 Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: NAVB) ("Navidea" or the "Company"), a company focused on the development of precision immunodiagnostic agents and immunotherapeutics, reported that received a notification from the NYSE American stating that the Company was not in compliance with the $6.0 million stockholders’ equity requirement of Section 1003(a)(iii) of the NYSE American Company Guide (Press release, Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, APR 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234612061]). As required by the NYSE American, the Company submitted a plan to the NYSE American by February 28, 2022 advising of actions it has taken or will take to regain compliance with the continued listing standards by July 28, 2023.

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On April 8, 2022, the Company received notification (the "Acceptance Letter") from the NYSE American that the Company’s plan to regain compliance was accepted. The Acceptance Letter also stated that the Company is also not in compliance with Sections 1003(a)(i) and 1003(a)(ii) of the NYSE American Company Guide, which require an issuer to have stockholders’ equity of (i) $2.0 million or more if it has reported losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in two out of its three most recent fiscal years, and (ii) $4.0 million or more if it has reported losses from continuing operations in three out of its four most recent fiscal years. The Acceptance Letter noted that the Company had stockholders’ equity of $624,743 as of December 31, 2021 and has reported net losses from continuing operations in its five most recent fiscal years ended December 31, 2021.

The NYSE American has granted the Company a plan period through July 28, 2023 to regain compliance with Sections 1003(a)(i), (ii) and (iii). If the Company is not in compliance with all continued listing standards by that date or if the Company does not make progress consistent with the plan during the plan period, the NYSE American may commence delisting procedures.

Navidea’s common stock will continue to be listed on the NYSE American while it attempts to regain compliance with the listing standards noted, subject to Navidea’s compliance with other continued listing requirements. The common stock will continue to trade under the symbol "NAVB," but will have an added designation of ".BC" to indicate that Navidea is not in compliance with the NYSE American’s listing standards. The NYSE American notification does not affect Navidea’s business operations or its SEC reporting requirements and does not conflict with or cause an event of default under any of Navidea’s material agreements.

Nascent Biotech and BioTools Partner in the Fight Against Cancer Using ROA to Define the Higher Order Structure of PTB, a Unique Monoclonal Antibody

On April 12, 2022 Nascent Biotech, developer of Pritumumab (PTB), a monoclonal antibody showing promise in the treatment of brain cancer, reported that it has partnered with BioTools, Inc to clearly define PTB’s higher order molecular structure (HOS) (Press release, Nascent Biotech, APR 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234612059]).

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Nascent is exploring the potential of modifying the antibody to enhance its effectiveness and to broaden its therapeutic application. BioTool’s groundbreaking ROA laser-based technology provides detailed and complete structural characterization at all stages of development including formulation and stability. ROA spectrum generates a structural snapshot and unique signature for each product and each modification.

PTB is a natural human IgG1 antibody isolated from a patient with cervical carcinoma. It is a protein molecule comprised of multiple amino acid units linked together into a chain which can then fold into various configurations. Both the folding ("secondary structure") and the more extensive, 3-dimensional results ("tertiary structure") have dramatic impact on the molecule’s pharmaceutical effectiveness.

"BioTools is known worldwide for their knowledge and expertise in the field of Raman, ROA, and biologic FTIR. We are very pleased to have had an opportunity to work with their scientists to deliver this refined capability for our monoclonal antibody (mAb) development platform."-Sean Carrick, CEO, Nascent Biotech Inc.

"Nascent’s mAb PTB is an ideal match for our instrumentation as well as for our vision of expanding Raman/ROA+FTIR to more widespread, routine use in BioPharma research labs. This suite of techniques, coupled with the accompanying BioTools’ databases and software, have powerful application to the characterization of higher order structures for many therapeutics."-BioTools, President & Co-Founder, Dr. Rina Dukor

NanoString Technologies Announces Preliminary Revenue for First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2022

On April 12, 2022 NanoString Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:NSTG), a leading provider of life science tools for discovery and translational research, reported preliminary total product and service revenue of approximately $31 million for the first quarter (Press release, NanoString Technologies, APR 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234612058]). This unaudited estimate, based on management’s preliminary financial analysis, is lower than the company’s previous guidance for product and service revenue of $34 million to $38 million for the first quarter of 2022.

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Preliminary First Quarter Financial Results
•Product and service revenue of $31 million
•GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) revenue of $10 million. GeoMx DSP revenue includes:
◦Instrument revenue of $5 million, 31% year-over-year decline
◦Consumables revenue of $5 million, 78% year-over-year growth, annualized pull-through of approximately $76,000 per installed system
•nCounter revenue, inclusive of all service revenue, of $21 million. nCounter revenue includes:
◦Instrument revenue of $4 million, 11% year-over-year decline
◦Consumables revenue of $13 million, 5% year-over-year decline, annualized pull-through of approximately $48,000 per installed system
◦Service revenue of $4 million, 16% year-over-year growth
•CosMx Spatial Molecular Imager (SMI): Generated orders for more than 15 CosMx SMI systems, bringing total orders to date to more than 35 systems
"Our first quarter revenue fell short of our expectations. After reviewing the preliminary results with the benefit of hindsight, we believe our Q1 revenue was impacted primarily by two factors. First, uneven sales execution resulted in an imbalance between capturing fourth quarter revenue and developing our Q1 2022 funnel of opportunities. Second, we believe this was compounded by the impact of changes made to re-align our expanded commercial team early in the year," said Brad Gray, President and CEO of NanoString. "Customer interest in spatial biology continues to be strong, and we remain confident in our long-term prospects. We’re currently evaluating our financial outlook for the full year and plan to provide an update on our earnings call on May 10th."

Conference Call
The Company plans to host a conference call on Tuesday April 12, at 5:00pm ET to discuss these preliminary results and provide more details. Investors and other interested parties should register for the conference call in advance by visiting View Source Following registration, an email confirmation will be sent that includes dial-in details and unique conference call codes for entry. Registration is open throughout the call but to ensure connection for the full call, registration in advance is recommended. The link to the live webcast and audio replay will be made available at the Investor Relations website: www.nanostring.com.
A replay of the call will be available beginning April 12, 2022 around 7:30pm ET through midnight on April 19, 2022. To access the replay, dial (866) 813-9403 or (929) 458-6194 and reference Conference ID: 508842. The webcast will also be available on the Company’s website for one year following the completion of the call.
The Company plans to release full operating results for first quarter of 2022 after the close of trading on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Company management will host a conference call beginning at 4:30pm ET to discuss those results and provide updated financial guidance.

Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Immedica Announce Commercialization Agreement for Iomab-B (131I apamistamab) in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa

On April 12, 2022 Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN: ATNM) (Actinium or the Company) a leader in the development of targeted radiotherapies for patients with unmet needs, and Immedica Pharma AB ("Immedica") reported entering a license and supply agreement for Iomab-B, an Antibody Radiation Conjugate comprised of apamistamab, a CD45 targeting antibody, and the radioisotope iodine-131 that is being developed for targeted conditioning to facilitate bone marrow transplant (BMT) and other cell and gene therapies (Press release, Immedica Pharma, APR 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234612057]). A pivotal Phase 3 trial, Study of Iomab-B versus Conventional Care in Elderly, Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia (SIERRA), of Iomab-B completed patient enrollment in the third quarter of 2021 with topline data expected in the third quarter of 2022. BMT is the only potentially curative treatment option for patients with active, relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

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Sandesh Seth, Actinium’s Chairman and CEO, said, "Immedica has established a strong team and impressive capabilities to commercialize specialty products in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Europe and the MENA countries are key commercial markets for Iomab-B, with a large addressable AML patient population and access to a strong BMT community that is highly concentrated with select leading centers performing a majority of the BMT procedures. Despite multiple drug approvals for patients with AML in recent years, curative outcomes and access to potentially curative BMT, are severely lacking, particularly for patients with active, relapsed or refractory disease. We are excited to partner with Immedica to work to bring Iomab-B to patients with AML in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa who may benefit from a potentially curative transplant."

"We are excited about the opportunity to make Iomab-B accessible for patients in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. It is clear there is a large medical need for these AML patients, which we believe will be addressed by this new innovative treatment. We also look forward to deepening our collaboration with Actinium to bring the best possible support to AML treatment centers and health care professionals in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa", says Anders Edvell, CEO at Immedica.

Under the terms of the agreement, Actinium will receive an upfront payment of $35 million and will be eligible to receive an additional $417 million in regulatory and commercial milestones as well as royalties in the mid-twenty percent range on net sales. Immedica receives commercialization rights in Europe and MENA countries. Actinium retains all rights related to Iomab-B in the United States and the rest of the world, and will be responsible for certain clinical and regulatory activities and the manufacturing of Iomab-B.

Shadow Lake Group (SLG) served as the advisor to Immedica.

About Iomab-B

Iomab-B (I-131 apamistamab), via the monoclonal antibody apamistamab, targets CD45, an antigen widely expressed on leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells, immune cells and bone marrow stem cells. Apamistamab is linked to the radioisotope iodine-131 (I-131) and once attached to its target cells emits energy that travels about 100 cell lengths, destroying a patient’s cancer cells and ablating their bone marrow. By carrying iodine-131 directly to the bone marrow in a targeted manner, Iomab-B may avoid the side effects of non-targeted chemotherapy and external radiation on most healthy tissues while effectively killing the patient’s cancer (induction) and marrow cells (myeloablation) including those in bone marrow niches due to the "crossfire" effect enabled by the I-131 radioisotope.

Iomab-B was licensed from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center where it was studied in nearly 300 patients, in multiple clinical trials in 6 blood cancer indications. Iomab-B is being studied in the pivotal Phase 3 SIERRA (Study of Iomab-B in Relapsed or Refractory AML) trial, a 150-patient, randomized controlled clinical trial in patients with active, relapsed or refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) who are age 55 and above.. If granted approval, Iomab-B is intended to prepare and condition patients for a bone marrow transplant, also referred to as a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, in a potentially more efficacious manner and with a more beneficial safety profile than the non-targeted intensive chemotherapy conditioning that is the current standard of care in bone marrow transplant conditioning. A bone marrow transplant is often considered the only potential cure for patients with certain blood-borne cancers and blood disorders. Iomab-B has been granted Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Iomab-B is covered by patents having terms extending to at least 2036/2037 in Europe and the US. In addition, Actinium received positive Scientific Advice from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the EMA indicating that the Phase 3 SIERRA trial design, primary endpoint and planned statistical analysis are acceptable as the basis for a Marketing Authorization Application.

About the SIERRA Phase 3 Trial

The SIERRA trial is a 150-patient, randomized clinical trial, studying Iomab-B compared to physician’s choice of salvage therapy in patients with active, relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (r/r AML) age 55 and above. The SIERRA trial completed enrollment in the third quarter of 2021 with the last patient receiving a BMT in the fourth quarter of 2021. Topline data from the SIERRA trial is expected in the third quarter of 2022. In SIERRA, patients receiving Iomab-B, those achieving a remission after salvage therapy or those patients not achieving remission after salvage therapy that crossed over to receive Iomab-B were offered a BMT, which is the only treatment option with curative potential for patients with active r/r AML. The SIERRA trial is the only randomized Phase 3 trial to offer BMT to this patient population. The control arm of SIERRA included over 20 single agents or combination treatment options based on physician’s choice, including salvage chemotherapy and recently approved targeted agents including Bcl-2 inhibitor (Venetoclax), FLT3 inhibitors and IDH 1/2 inhibitors as there is no standard of care for this patient population. The SIERRA trial enrolled patients at 24 leading transplant centers in the United States and Canada.

Gritstone Presentations at AACR Further Support Expertise in Neoantigen Vaccine Design and Delivery

On April 12, 2022 Gritstone bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: GRTS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next generation cancer and infectious disease immunotherapies, reported that three presentations (one oral and two posters) further supporting the potential of its novel vaccine development capabilities and delivery platforms to develop transformational therapeutic cancer vaccines at the 2022 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting (Press release, Gritstone Oncology, APR 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234612056]).

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"The collective data we presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) reinforce our expertise in designing and delivering potent vaccines, and support the optimization of antigen cassette design, dose and vaccine regimen as key tools to induce differentiated immune response," said Andrew Allen, M.D., Ph.D., Co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gritstone. "Vaccines targeting neoantigens identified from common tumor driver mutations are of increasing interest, and the presentation on our ‘off-the-shelf’ candidate for KRAS-specific mutations, SLATE-KRAS, demonstrates our ability to both accurately define those targets and engineer the cassette and vaccine to optimize immune response based on those specific mutations. Early signals from our ongoing Phase 2 study presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) support the potential of SLATE-KRAS to drive stronger CD8+ T cell responses to mutant KRAS than our original candidate, SLATE v1. We look forward to further demonstrating the value of SLATE as evidence of clinical benefit builds."

Oral Presentation: Optimization of shared neoantigen vaccine design to increase vaccine potency: From bench to bedside and back
Presenter: Christine D Palmer, PhD
Key Highlights:

SLATE v1* was well-tolerated and demonstrated a favorable safety profile in all subjects dosed (n=26). Greatest activity was seen in six (6) NSCLC patients with KRASmut G12C mutations.
Gritstone subsequently developed a second, optimized product candidate (SLATE-KRAS) that exclusively includes epitopes from mutated KRAS.
SLATE-KRAS is being evaluated in the Phase 2 portion of a Phase 1/2 trial (NCT03953235), with initial data expected in the second half of 2022.
*SLATE v1 was administered in combination with Opdivo (nivolumab) and subcutaneous anti-CTLA-4 antibody Yervoy (ipilimumab). Opdivo and Yervoy are trademarks of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.

Additional presentations at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) further elucidated the correlation between patient survival and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in solid tumors (relevant to the company’s individualized vaccine program, GRANITE) and detailed a dose-response analysis, the results of which further support the dose-sparing potential of the company’s novel vector which is it utilizing in both oncology and infectious disease, self-amplifying mRNA (samRNA).

Karin Jooss, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, and Head of R&D added, "Clinical data from SLATE and GRANITE characterizing the optimal dosing regimen for our novel samRNA vector demonstrate more robust immune responses at lower doses, further supporting the overall potency and dose sparing potential of samRNA. The collective data we presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) has readthrough across our pipeline programs in both oncology and infectious disease, and further demonstrates Gritstone’s leadership in the field of neoantigen vaccines."

Poster Presentation: Comprehensive ctDNA monitoring provides early signal of clinical benefit with a novel personalized neoantigen directed immunotherapy for late-stage cancer patients
Presenter: Matthew Davis, PhD
Key Highlights:

Majority of neoantigens are retained in tumor even after patient receives treatment
ctDNA longitudinal monitoring enables real-time assessment of response/resistance
Molecular response elicited in four (4) of nine (9) treated subjects that correlated with prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival support clinical benefit of GRANITE in patients with advanced MSS-CRC
Poster Presentation: Lower doses of self-amplifying mRNA drive superior neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses in cancer patients versus high doses
Presenter: Amy Rappaport, PhD
Key Highlights:

samRNA demonstrated a favorable safety profile at all 3 dose levels, with no evidence of increasing reactogenicity with sequential doses
Lower dose samRNA (30 μg) increased T cell and humoral responses following a ChAd prime, while higher doses of samRNA (300 μg) only maintained initial response to ChAd
Dose dependent induction of IFN⍺ in cancer patients and nonhuman primates suggest inhibitory impact of early innate immune activation
To view Gritstone’s AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) presentations, visit ir.gritstonebio.com/investors/events.

About SLATE
Gritstone’s neoantigen-based immunotherapies are engineered to elicit a significant T-cell response (particularly CD8+ cytotoxic T cells) against mutation-derived tumor-specific neoantigens, or TSNA, that are identified by the company using its proprietary Gritstone EDGE artificial intelligence platform and tumor HLA peptide sequencing. SLATE, Gritstone’s "off-the-shelf" immunotherapy program, uses a priming adenoviral vector and self-amplifying mRNA vector to deliver a cassette of shared TSNA, representing mutated gene sequences that are found in multiple patients (such as KRAS mutations). SLATE is being evaluated in combination with immune checkpoint blockade in the Phase 2 portion of its clinical study (NCT03953235). Along with the candidates developed to date, SLATE represents the potential to develop a suite of "off-the-shelf" product candidates that target tumor-specific mutations across a number of patient populations and cancer types.