On Janaury 28, 2022 Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, reported that it has received a score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality (Press release, Quest Diagnostics, JAN 28, 2022, View Source [SID1234607481]).

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"We are honored to earn a 100% score on the Corporate Equality Index for the sixth consecutive year," said Cecilia McKenney, Quest’s Chief Human Resources Officer and Pride Employee Business Network (EBN) co-sponsor. "Quest is committed to providing our employees with a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where employees feel safe to bring their authentic selves to work. Our diverse workforce empowers the valuable insights and inclusive care we are able to deliver to our patients and communities."

Quest has 10 EBNs, including the Pride EBN, an all-inclusive resource group for LGBTQ employees, straight/cis allies, parents and family members of LGBTQ individuals. For over 20 years, the Pride EBN has engaged colleagues and senior leaders to promote awareness, education, and advocacy of social justice for the LGBTQ+ community.

Inclusion and Diversity is an integral part of Quest. By consistently inviting new perspectives and exploring new experiences, the company strives to create an inclusive, respectful and empathetic workplace where everyone feels they belong. An example of the company’s commitment to equity is the Quest Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) Council, which advises senior leaders as I&D goals and priorities are established, acts as a visible I&D leader and represents the needs and perspectives of diverse demographics across the company and communities.

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria under four central pillars: non-discrimination policies across business entities; equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families; supporting an inclusive culture; and corporate social responsibility.

Read more about Quest’s award-winning culture on the company’s ESG Resources page. Find the full Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) here.

On January I-Mab (the "Company") (Nasdaq: IMAB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel biologics (Press release, I-Mab Biopharma, JAN 28, 2022, View Source [SID1234607480]). The Company has noted the recent unusual fluctuations in the price and trading volume of the American depositary shares (the "ADSs") of the Company and emphasizes that its business and pipeline developments are all well on track and have no adverse changes . The Company has strong confidence in its global competitive pipeline and is accelerating ongoing transformation towards an integrated global biopharma as planned.

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Latest Development of Lemzoparlimab and Uliledlimab:

Lemzoparlimab: multiple clinical studies are ongoing in both the U.S. and China, including lemzoparlimab in combination with azacytidine in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), in combination with rituximab in non-Hodgekin’s lymphoma (NHL), and in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda ) or toripalimab (TUOYI ) in advanced solid tumors. Based on data from multiple on-going clinical trials so far, approximately 180 patients, including 120 patients with hemetological maglinancies, have been treated with lemzoparlimab without the need for priming dosing, and showed anti-tumor activity and a favorable safety profile and lack of a unwanted "sink effect". Data readout from MDS, NHL and solid tumor clinical trials is expected in 2022.

Uliledlimab in combination with toripalimab (TUOYI) : The China phase 2 cohort expansion study in patients with advanced or metastatic cancers who are refractory to or intolerant of all available therapies is ongoing. The company expects to submit the preliminary data to ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2022.

In 2022, the Company expects to deliver a series of significant clinical milestones. As a result, the pipeline will be advanced to include 3—4 registrational clinical trials (lemzoparlimab, estansomatropin, felzartamab), 11 Phase 2 clinical trials (including 8 new trials) and 3 Phase 1 clinical trials by end of 2022.

Financial Position:

The company has strong cash position with approximately $700 million, as of 31 December, 2021.

Between 2022 to 2023, the company expects to receive over $100 million cash from the existing out-licensing deals. The current cash on hand is sufficient to fund the Company’s operations for three years.

The Company’s fundamentals remain very strong. In 2021, I-Mab has successfully delivered planned important clinical and corporate milestones and will continue building on the strong momentum to deliver critical new milestones, including reporting multiple key clinical data readouts, initiating new registrational trials and accelerating dual listing on The Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, continually creating value for patients and shareholders.

On January 28, 2022 Roche reported that it will publish its Full Year Results for 2021 prior to the opening of the Swiss Stock Exchange on Thursday, 3 February 2022 (Press release, Hoffmann-La Roche, JAN 28, 2022, View Source [SID1234607476]).

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On January 28, 2022 Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) reported that plans to invest over $1 billion to create a new manufacturing site, along with nearly 600 new jobs in Concord, North Carolina (Press release, Eli Lilly, JAN 28, 2022, View Source [SID1234607475]). The brand-new facility will utilize the latest technology to manufacture parenteral (injectable) products and devices and increase the company’s manufacturing capacity.

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"Lilly is entering an exciting period of growth and we are committed to delivering innovative medicines to patients around the world," said Edgardo Hernandez, senior vice president and president, Lilly Manufacturing Operations. "Expanding our manufacturing footprint in North Carolina enables us to continue to produce today’s medicines while providing additional capacity to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. We are pleased to again partner with North Carolina to bring jobs to American workers and provide more medicines that patients need to address health challenges."

Lilly selected Concord because of the manufacturing technology experience of the local labor force; its proximity to universities with strong science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs; and its access to major transportation infrastructure. In 2020, Lilly announced a $470 million investment in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. In conjunction with this site, the new facility in Concord will allow the company to strengthen relationships with local governments and universities and diversify its growing presence in the state.

Lilly plans to create nearly 600 new jobs for highly skilled workers such as scientists, engineers and manufacturing personnel, who will use advanced technology to produce life-changing treatments and devices to make life better for people around the world. In addition, an estimated 500 additional positions will be required while the facility is under construction.

"Lilly’s choice brings more good jobs to North Carolina from one of our most important industries," said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. "North Carolina has become a premier hub for the world, thanks to our exceptional workforce and commitment to education."

Over the last five years, Lilly has invested over $4 billion in global manufacturing, including more than $2 billion in the U.S. The company also reported plans to invest $500 million in a new biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Limerick, Ireland. Lilly anticipates additional future investments in manufacturing to address growth expected from potential new medicines to treat diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and autoimmune conditions.

The investment in Concord is contingent upon completion of county and municipal government permitting and related approvals. Lilly partnered with several organizations throughout the project, including the Office of the Governor, the Department of Commerce, Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation, the City of Concord, Cabarrus County, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Rowan Cabarrus Community College, and the North Carolina Community College System.

On January 28, 2022 I-Mab (the "Company") (Nasdaq: IMAB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel biologics, reported the signing of a partnership agreement with the Hangzhou Qiantang New Area in China to manufacture its innovative drugs locally and accelerate its transition to commercialization (Press release, I-Mab Biopharma, JAN 28, 2022, View Source [SID1234607474]). This strategic partnership will accelerate I-Mab’s commercialization strategy with an execution plan and timeline to commercialize its innovative assets, including felzartamab (TJ202/MOR202), and meet unmet medical needs for patients in China.

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"Today’s announcement demonstrates the Company’s commitment to translating our scientific innovation into clinical and commercial value as soon as possible so that we can provide more high-quality, affordable options for patients through locally-manufactured, innovative drugs," said Yifei Zhu, Chief Commercial Officer, I-Mab. "This brings us one step closer to our new commercial model that integrates manufacturing, distribution and sales."

I-Mab Hangzhou has commenced pilot operation in phase I facility, which is equipped with process development and analytical laboratories and in parallel the construction of phase II facility with an 80,000-square-meter manufacturing floor space was completed in December 2021. The GMP operations and quality systems will be fully compliant with standards and requirements of China’s National Medical Product Administration (NMPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). It also lays the foundation for I-Mab to meet IND (investigational new drug) supply and future commercial demand.

The first planned I-Mab’s innovative assets to be locally manufactured at I-Mab Hangzhou is felzartamab (TJ202/MOR202), a differentiated antibody drug. I-Mab has completed third line Multiple Myeloma (MM) trial of felzartamab successfully, achieving primary and secondary clinical endpoints which validate the product’s differentiated clinical advantages. In addition, patient enrollment for a randomized, open-label, parallel-controlled phase 3 trial for felzartamab, in combination with lenalidomide, for second-line MM treatment was completed in the second half of 2021. I-Mab owns the exclusive rights for development and commercialization of TJ202/MOR202 in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.

About Felzartamab

Felzartamab (TJ202/MOR202) is an investigational human monoclonal antibody derived from MorphoSys’ HuCAL antibody technology. The antibody is directed against CD38 on the surface of multiple myeloma cells, which has been characterized as one of the most strongly and uniformly expressed antigens on the surface of malignant plasma cells. According to its suggested mode of action, the antibody recruits cells of the body’s immune system to kill the tumor through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP). The antibody does not involve complement dependent cytotoxicity, or CDC, an additional immune mechanism involved in tumor cell killing. Scientific research suggests that an anti-CD38 antibody may have therapeutic potential also in other cancers as well as autoimmune diseases. Based on a licensing agreement between MorphoSys and I-Mab signed in November 2017, I-Mab owns the exclusive rights for development and commercialization of TJ202/MOR202 in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.

HuCAL is a registered trademark of MorphoSys AG.

About Multiple Myeloma in China

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy in China, accounting for approximately 1 percent of all cancers and 13 percent of all blood malignancies. Being primarily a disease of the elderly, the incidence of MM in China, which was about 1.6 per 100,000 in 2020, is expected to grow exponentially with the country’s aging population.1 The prognosis of patients with relapsed or refractory MM remains poor, with a huge unmet need for expanding the progression-free survival and overall survival of MM patients.