G1 Therapeutics Announces Proposed Public Offering of Common Stock

On November 17, 2022 G1 Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTHX), a commercial-stage oncology company, reported that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of its common stock (Press release, G1 Therapeutics, NOV 17, 2022, View Source [SID1234624199]). All of the shares in the offering will be sold by G1 Therapeutics . In addition, G1 Therapeutics expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the number of shares of common stock at the public offering price less the underwriting discount.

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Cowen and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. are serving as the joint book-running managers for the offering. The offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.

The shares are being offered pursuant to a "shelf" registration statement previously filed and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to and describing the terms of the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, from Cowen and Company, LLC, Attn: Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, Attn: Prospectus Department, by telephone: (833) 297-2926 or by email: [email protected]; or from Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Attention: Equity Syndicate, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716, or by telephone at (800) 248-8863, or e-mail 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 an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

Immatics Announces Third Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Business Update

On November 17, 2022 Immatics N.V. (NASDAQ: IMTX, "Immatics"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company active in the discovery and development of T cell-redirecting cancer immunotherapies, reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 (Press release, Immatics, NOV 17, 2022, View Source [SID1234624198]).

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"The initial results from our Phase 1a and Phase 1b cohort A showed a highly encouraging confirmed objective response rate of 50% for patients treated at or above target dose. Early data from cohort A alone have shown a confirmed objective response rate of 80%. With these encouraging results, we have built momentum for our multi-cohort strategy designed to leverage the full clinical potential of targeting PRAME," commented Harpreet Singh, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder of Immatics. "We look forward to sharing the next data readouts from all three Phase 1b expansion cohorts in 2023, as well as initiating the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of our TCR Bispecific candidate, TCER IMA402, targeting PRAME. With the recent addition of new capital, we have the resources to deliver on our corporate objectives for 2023 and to fund operations into 2025."

Third Quarter 2022 and Subsequent Company Progress

Adoptive Cell Therapy Programs

ACTengine IMA203 (PRAME) – In October, Immatics provided an interim update from the ongoing IMA203 TCR-T monotherapy. The update covered data from 27 patients in the completed Phase 1a dose escalation and first 5 patients in the Phase 1b dose expansion (cohort A) treated with IMA203 monotherapy.
Treatment with IMA203 continues to show manageable tolerability.
Confirmed objective response rate (cORR): 50% (6/12) at target dose or above with at least 1 billion infused TCR-T cells across Phase 1a and 1b; thereof 80% cORR (4/5) in Phase 1b patients alone with all responses ongoing at data cut-off.
Confirmed responses observed across different solid tumor types: cutaneous melanoma, ovarian cancer, head and neck cancer, uveal melanoma, and synovial sarcoma.
Immatics has introduced improvements that may influence clinical outcomes, including higher cell doses, optimizing the cell product through manufacturing enhancements and working with disease area experts to gradually reduce the patient fraction that are very heavily pre-treated with extreme tumor burden. Immatics continues to implement such improvements to the IMA203 trial.

ACTengine IMA203 is currently being evaluated in three ongoing Phase 1b dose expansion cohorts:
Cohort A – IMA203 monotherapy interim analysis demonstrated cORR in 4 of 5 patients (80%) with early signs of prolonged durability at 12 weeks of follow-up. All responses were ongoing at data cut-off. Patients are treated at provisional recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) and dose level (DL) 5.
Cohort B – The first patient in the Phase 1b expansion cohort B was treated with IMA203 in combination with the PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab in May 2022. Patients will be treated at RP2D.
Cohort C – The first patient was treated in August 2022 with IMA203CD8, Immatics’ 2nd -generation monotherapy product candidate in which IMA203 engineered T cells are co-transduced with a CD8αβ co-receptor that engages functional CD4 and CD8 T cells directed against PRAME. As IMA203CD8 is a novel product candidate under a new IND2 amendment, a staggered enrollment is being implemented with the first three patients being treated at DL3. Following the initial DL3, patients will be treated at DL4 and DL5.
Further data read-outs on all three individual cohorts are planned throughout 2023.
2) IND = Investigational New Drug

ACTengine IMA204 (COL6A3 exon 6) – Immatics and the University of Pennsylvania co-authored a research paper published in the peer-reviewed journal, Science Translational Medicine, that highlighted Immatics’ differentiated approach to develop TCR-based therapies through its proprietary discovery platforms, XPRESIDENT and XCEPTOR. With this approach, Immatics identified a novel proprietary HLA-A*02:01-presented target generated by a tumor-specific alternative splicing event in the abundantly expressed protein collagen type VI alpha-3 (COL6A3). This target is expressed at high target density across multiple solid cancer indications and specific to the tumor stroma. Targeting tumor stroma provides an innovative therapeutic opportunity to disrupt the tumor microenvironment. Immatics has engineered target-specific, affinity-enhanced proprietary TCRs, one of them being CD8-independent and thus facilitating targeting of COL6A3 exon 6 positive cells by both CD4 and CD8 T cells. The TCR-T candidate, IMA204 was able to eliminate tumor cells at physiological target levels in in vitro studies and in vivo mouse models. Due to Immatics focusing its clinical resources on the three IMA203 Phase 1b cohorts as well as accelerating the clinical development for the PRAME TCER IMA402, the company has delayed the IND submission for an ACTengine candidate directed against COL6A3 exon 6.

TCR Bispecifics Programs

TCER IMA401 (MAGEA4/8) – IMA401 is being developed in collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb; 9 centers in Germany have been activated and are enrolling patients.

TCER IMA402 (PRAME) – In preclinical data presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress in September 2022, TCER IMA402 showed potent and selective activity against PRAME-positive tumor cell lines in vitro. In vivo studies in mice demonstrated dose-dependent anti-tumor activity confirming that sufficiently high drug doses are key to achieving the desired anti-tumor effects over a prolonged time period. Pharmacokinetic characteristics of the half-life extended IMA402 suggest the potential for a favorable dosing regimen in patients with prolonged drug exposure at therapeutic levels. Immatics has completed the manufacturing process development for IMA402, and manufacturing of the clinical batch is on track for 2H 2022 with a planned start of the Phase 1/2 trial in 2023. The submission of the CTA/IND3 application is planned for 2Q 2023.

3) Clinical Trial Application (CTA) is the equivalent of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in Europe

TCER Platform – In November, Immatics presented preclinical data of its next-generation, half-life extended TCR Bispecific format which showed higher potency in vitro than multiple other established formats, at the 37th Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper). The proprietary TCER format consists of three distinct elements designed for optimal efficacy and minimal toxicity risk in patients: 1) high affinity TCR domains targeting tumor-specific peptide HLA molecules 2) low affinity T cell recruiter against CD3/TCR, and 3) a human IgG Fc region (silenced) for half-life extension, favorable stability and manufacturability. The poster can be accessed on Immatics’ website here.

PRAME Target (IMA203, IMA402) – In November, Immatics presented comprehensive target characterization and validation data at the SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. The data support PRAME as a highly relevant target for Immatics’ TCR-based therapies, ACTengine IMA203 and TCER IMA402. These therapies have the potential to address a wide variety of cancer indications such as cutaneous melanoma, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer and uveal melanoma, among others. The poster can be accessed on Immatics’ website here.

Corporate Developments

In October 2022, Immatics successfully completed the underwritten public offering of 10,905,000 ordinary shares at a price of $10.09 per ordinary share, raising approximately $110 million before deducting underwriting discount and offering expenses. The offering included participation from investors including Armistice Capital Master Fund Ltd., Dellora Investments, EcoR1 Capital, Nantahala Capital, Perceptive Advisors, Rock Springs Capital, RTW Investments, LP, Samsara BioCapital, SilverArc Capital, Sofinnova Investments, Wellington Management, 683 Capital and other specialist biotech investors.

On October 24, 2022, GSK provided Immatics with notice of its decision to terminate their collaboration. Initially announced on February 20, 2020, the terms of the agreement included a €45 Million (~$50 Million) upfront payment to Immatics and the potential for additional milestone and royalty payments in return for access to two of Immatics’ TCR-T programs. As communicated to Immatics, GSK’s decision was made unrelated to the programs and the progress achieved in the collaboration to date. The termination will be effective on December 26, 2022.

Third Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Cash Position: Cash and cash equivalents as well as other financial assets total €309.3 million ($301.5 million1) as of September 30, 2022 compared to €324.4 million ($316.2 million1) as of June 30, 2022. The decrease is mainly due to our ongoing research and development activities. This does not include $110 million gross proceeds from our public offering in October 2022. Adding those proceeds, the Company projects a cash runway into 2025.
Revenue: Total revenue, consisting of revenue from collaboration agreements, was €15.1 million ($14.7 million1) for the three months ended September 30, 2022, compared to €6.4 million ($6.2 million1) for the three months ended September 30, 2021. The increase is mainly related to the increased recognition of revenue for the multiple ongoing collaboration agreements.
Research and Development Expenses: R&D expenses were €28.6 million ($27.9 million1) for the three months ended September 30, 2022, compared to €21.2 million ($20.7 million1) for the three months ended September 30, 2021. The increase is mainly related to increased expenses for clinical trials.
General and Administrative Expenses: G&A expenses were €8.4 million ($8.2 million1) for the three months ended September 30, 2022, compared to €8.3 million ($8.1 million1) for the three months ended September 30, 2021.

Net Income/Loss: Net loss was €20.9 million ($20.4 million1) for the three months ended September 30, 2022, compared to a net loss of €27.2 million ($26.5 million1) for the three months ended September 30, 2021. The decrease was primarily the result of the increased revenue from multiple collaboration agreements.

Full financial statements can be found in the current report on Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and published on the SEC website under www.sec.gov.

1 All amounts translated using the exchange rate published by the European Central Bank in effect as of September 30, 2022 (1 EUR = 0.9748 USD).

To see the full list of events and presentations, visit View Source

REGENERON AND CYTOMX ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC RESEARCH COLLABORATION IN THE FIELD OF CONDITIONAL BISPECIFIC THERAPEUTICS FOR THE TREATMENT OF CANCER

On November 17, 2022 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTMX) reported a collaboration and licensing agreement to create conditionally-activated investigational bispecific cancer therapies utilizing CytomX’s Probody therapeutic platform and Regeneron’s Veloci-Bi bispecific antibody development platform (Press release, Regeneron, NOV 17, 2022, View Source [SID1234624197]).

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The collaboration is strategically focused on applying CytomX’s biologic masking strategies to develop investigational Regeneron bispecifics that remain inactive until activated by proteases in the tumor microenvironment. This technology has the potential to widen the therapeutic window and help minimize off-target effects for these next-generation T-cell engaging therapies, potentially addressing tumor types that have historically been unresponsive to immunotherapy.

"At Regeneron, we’re focused on developing a paradigm-changing portfolio of oncology medicines for patients, by combining a deep understanding of cancer biology with cutting-edge technologies," said John Lin, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Immuno-oncology and Head of Bispecifics, at Regeneron. "This collaboration will enable Regeneron and CytomX to combine our collective oncology expertise with two premier platforms – Probody and Veloci-Bi – to develop novel immunotherapies and research their potential to transform patient lives."

"CytomX has pioneered the field of conditionally-activated therapeutics through high quality and differentiated science, leading to broad experience in biologic masking strategies and a deep understanding of the protease tumor microenvironment," said Sean McCarthy, D. Phil, CEO and Chairman of CytomX. "We are thrilled that our scientific expertise has attracted Regeneron as our newest collaborator, and we look forward to working closely together to further optimize T-cell engager strategies and push the boundaries of cancer immunotherapy to new levels."

Under the agreement, Regeneron and CytomX will collaborate on the discovery activities to identify and validate conditionally active bispecific antibodies. Regeneron will be responsible for funding preclinical and clinical development and commercialization activities. CytomX will receive an upfront payment of $30 million and will be eligible to receive future target nomination payments and preclinical, clinical, and commercial milestones of up to $2 billion. CytomX is also eligible to receive tiered global net sales royalties.

Biodesix Announces Pricing of $35.1 Million Upsized Public Offering of Common Stock

On November 17, 2022 Biodesix, Inc. (Nasdaq: BDSX), a leading data-driven diagnostic solutions company with a focus in lung disease, reported the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 30,500,000 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $1.15 per share, before underwriting discounts and commissions (Press release, Biodesix, NOV 17, 2022, View Source [SID1234624196]). The gross proceeds to Biodesix from the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by Biodesix, are expected to be $35.1 million. The offering is expected to close on November 21, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. Additionally, Biodesix has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 4,575,000 shares of its common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. All of the shares of common stock in the offering will be sold by Biodesix.

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William Blair is acting as sole bookrunning manager for the offering.

The shares are being offered by Biodesix pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 that was initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on November 15, 2021 and declared effective by the SEC on November 29, 2021. The offering is being made by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus that form part of the registration statement. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to, and describing the terms of, the offering has been filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to this offering can be obtained by contacting: William Blair & Company, L.L.C., Attention: Prospectus Department, 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606, by telephone at (800) 621-0687, or by email at [email protected].

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

BeiGene Receives European Commission Approval for BRUKINSA® (zanubrutinib) for the Treatment of Adults with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

On November 17, 2022 BeiGene (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global biotechnology company, reported that the European Commission (EC) has approved BRUKINSA (zanubrutinib) for the treatment of adult patients with treatment-naïve (TN) or relapsed/refractory (R/R) CLL (Press release, BeiGene, NOV 17, 2022, View Source [SID1234624194]).

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"This approval represents an important milestone for CLL patients and their physicians who now have a new chemotherapy-free treatment option, and an alternative to current BTKi treatment options," said Mehrdad Mobasher, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer, Hematology at BeiGene. "Given that BRUKINSA has demonstrated consistent benefit across patient subgroups, regardless of risk status, we believe BRUKINSA could now be the preferred treatment option for newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory CLL patients."

The EC approval is based on positive results from two Phase 3 clinical trials: SEQUOIA (NCT03336333), in patients with previously untreated CLL, and ALPINE (NCT03734016), in patients with R/R CLL. In these two trials, BRUKINSA demonstrated superior efficacy versus either bendamustine plus rituximab (B+R) or ibrutinib in first-line or R/R CLL, respectively. BRUKINSA is the only BTKi to achieve superiority versus ibrutinib in R/R CLL, as assessed by independent review committee, with an overall response rate (ORR) of 80.4% vs 72.9% (p=0.0264).i Additionally, more BRUKINSA patients than ibrutinib patients had a sustained response at 1 year with rates of 90% vs 78%.i The adverse events within the two trials were consistent with the overall safety profile of BRUKINSA. Subsequent to the regulatory submission, BeiGene announced topline results of the final PFS analysis of the head-to-head ALPINE trial, in which BRUKINSA demonstrated superior PFS compared with ibrutinib in patients with R/R CLL.

Prof. Clemens Wendtner, Head of Hematology and Oncology at Munich Clinic, an academic teaching hospital of the University of Munich, Germany, commented, "BRUKINSA has demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements as a next-generation BTKi over the first generation BTKi, and is proven to be significantly more effective and tolerable. Ensuring medicines are safe and tolerable for this patient population is critical, given the long-term treatment needed for CLL. Combined with the flexible dosing options, this approval offers a practice-changing option for patients with CLL, one of the most common types of leukemia in adults."

"We’re pleased with the significant progress we’ve made to date bringing BRUKINSA to patients with hematological malignancies globally," noted Gerwin Winter, Senior Vice President, Head of Europe at BeiGene. "With this notable approval, we welcome the opportunity to expand BeiGene’s presence in Europe and provide this innovative treatment option to CLL patients across the region."

BRUKINSA is currently approved in the EU for the treatment of adult patients with WM who have received at least one prior therapy or as the first-line treatment for patients unsuitable for chemoimmunotherapy and adult patients with MZL who have received at least one prior anti-CD20-based therapy.

In Europe, BeiGene has now obtained reimbursement for BRUKINSA for the treatment of WM in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England and Wales, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, and The Netherlands, while additional EU countries are currently going through the reimbursement process.

About Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

A slow-growing, life-threatening and incurable cancer of adults, CLL is a type of mature B-cell malignancy in which abnormal leukemic B lymphocytes (a type of white blood cells) arise from the bone marrow and flood peripheral blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid tissues.ii-iv CLL is one of the most common types of leukemia, accounting for about one-quarter of new cases of leukemia.v In Europe, the estimated incidence is 4.92/100,000 persons per year.vi,vii

About BRUKINSA

BRUKINSA is a small-molecule inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) discovered by BeiGene scientists that is currently being evaluated globally in a broad clinical program as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies to treat various B-cell malignancies. BRUKINSA was specifically designed to deliver targeted and sustained inhibition of the BTK protein by optimizing bioavailability, half-life, and selectivity. With differentiated pharmacokinetics compared to other approved BTK inhibitors, BRUKINSA has been demonstrated to inhibit the proliferation of malignant B cells within a number of disease-relevant tissues.

BRUKINSA is supported by a broad clinical program which includes more than 4,700 subjects in 35 trials in more than 25 countries and regions. To date, BRUKINSA is approved in 58 markets, including the United States, China, the European Union Great Britain, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Switzerland, and additional international markets.

BeiGene Oncology

BeiGene is committed to advancing best- and first-in-class clinical candidates internally or with like-minded partners to develop impactful and affordable medicines for patients across the globe. We have a growing R&D and medical affairs team of approximately 3,500 colleagues dedicated to advancing more than 100 clinical trials that have involved more than 20,000 subjects. Our expansive portfolio is directed predominantly by our internal colleagues supporting clinical trials in more than 45 countries and regions. Hematology-oncology, and solid tumor targeted therapies, and immuno-oncology are key focus areas for the Company, with both monotherapies and combination therapies prioritized in our research and development. BeiGene currently has three approved medicines discovered and developed in our own labs: BTK inhibitor BRUKINSA in the U.S., China, the European Union, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Switzerland, and additional international markets; and the non-FC-gamma receptor binding anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab as well as the poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor pamiparib in China.

BeiGene also partners with innovative companies who share our goal of developing therapies to address global health needs. We commercialize a range of oncology medicines in China licensed from Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, EUSA Pharma, and Bio-Thera. We also plan to address greater areas of unmet need globally through our other collaborations including Mirati Therapeutics, Seagen, and Zymeworks.

In January 2021 BeiGene and Novartis announced a collaboration granting Novartis rights to co-develop, manufacture, and commercialize BeiGene’s anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab in North America, Europe, and Japan. Building upon this productive collaboration, BeiGene and Novartis announced an option, collaboration, and license agreement in December 2021 for BeiGene’s TIGIT inhibitor ociperlimab that is in Phase 3 development. Novartis and BeiGene also entered into a strategic commercial agreement through which BeiGene will promote five approved Novartis oncology products across designated regions of China.