On September 6, 2022 The Cancer Research Institute (CRI), a nonprofit organization spearheading transformative research to harness the immune system’s power to control and potentially cure all cancers, reported that it will offer its second annual CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit in Spanish on September 22, 2022, 2-5 p.m. ET (Press release, Cancer Research Institute, SEP 6, 2022, View Source [SID1234619134]). This free virtual event, moderated by TV Host and Entrepreneur Ana Patricia Gámez, and presented completely in Spanish, will connect Hispanic cancer patients and caregivers with groundbreaking research updates from leading immunotherapy experts driving scientific breakthroughs and advancements that impact patient care.

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According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanic people, with current cancer research and statistics indicating a higher incidence of liver cancer, stomach cancer, and cervical cancers in the Hispanic population. With harrowing statistics like, 1 in 3 Hispanic men and women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in 5 men and 1 in 7 women will die from the disease, CRI continues its commitment to empower the U.S. Hispanic cancer community and help create a world immune to cancer.

Cancer immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to control and eliminate cancer. CRI is bringing the promise of immunotherapy to the underserved Spanish-speaking U.S. Hispanic community with in-language research, information, and direct access to clinical trials, to ultimately improve treatment outcomes for this patient group. CRI offers free clinical trial consultations where a professional will walk patients and their families through their immunotherapy clinical trial options. In addition, CRI will be developing content and news bites in Spanish from leading members of the CRI scientist community, sharing Hispanic-relevant information and patient stories.

"Understanding a cancer diagnosis and treatment options are a vital part of a patient success story, said Dr. Kurt Schalper, associate professor of pathology and medicine (medical oncology), Yale School of Medicine, director of the Translational Immuno-Oncology Laboratory, Yale Cancer Center, and CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit keynote speaker. "There is an undeniable need to make information available in-language for Spanish-speaking cancer patients and caregivers. Knowledge and access to data are key components for patients to advocate for themselves and make informed choices. I am honored to be a part of CRI’s second annual Cancer Immunotherapy Summit to help benefit the U.S. Hispanic cancer community."

An early diagnosis can make the difference between life and death, and overall Hispanic men and women are generally less likely to be diagnosed at an early stage, when treatment is usually less intensive and more successful. Over the past two years, the Cancer Research Institute has launched several initiatives to engage Spanish-speaking Hispanic patient and caregiver communities including the development of an immunotherapy patient information hub in Spanish we well as the first all-Spanish language CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit, which included an informative session devoted to overcoming racial and ethnic inequalities in access to health information and care.

"Here at the Cancer Research Institute, we continue to work to address barriers that hinder scientific progress and access to Spanish-language health information and care by creating a platform for scientists and patients to share their firsthand experiences at the forefront of cancer immunotherapy research and connect with clinical trials," said Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, Ph.D., CEO and director of scientific affairs at CRI. "We hope to reach and positively impact the U.S. Hispanic cancer community via our in-language CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit, and with the integral participation of our media sponsor TelevisaUnivision and host Ana Patricia Gámez.

"I am so very honored to be asked back to moderate the second annual CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit in Spanish," said Ana Patricia Gámez, TV host and entrepreneur. "It is a privilege to support Hispanic cancer patients and caregivers in their healthcare journey once again, connecting the community with potentially lifesaving information and access to clinical trials. I do this in loving memory of my father, and I know he would be proud to be a part of such an important program."

"As a journalist, it is my duty to serve my community, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to moderate a panel and be a part of the CRI mission to better serve U.S. Hispanic cancer patients and caregivers," said Teresa Rodríguez, host of Univisionarios (Univision News).

"There is a need to engage and help our community overcome barriers to better care and treatments."

From the comfort and safety of home, attendees of the free CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit in Spanish can expect to:

Learn the basics of cancer immunotherapy and how it may help them or their loved one.
Hear from and interact with leading physician-scientists with expertise in cancer immunotherapy.
Gain valuable insight into how clinical trials work and to understand whether they are a good option for patients to explore with their healthcare team.
Learn more about the latest research on cancers most affecting the U.S. Hispanic community.
Discover issues specific to U.S. Hispanic communities regarding overall health care and how doctors, organizations, advocates, and individuals are addressing these challenges.
Hear real patients who have undergone immunotherapy treatment tell their story.
Support for the Spanish-language 2022 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit is generously provided by the following sponsors:

Official Media Sponsor: TelevisaUnivision

The Cancer Research Institute has pledged to help close the information and research gap and better serve the Spanish-speaking U.S. Hispanic community. Visit cancerresearch.org/es to see the robust and helpful offering of information now available in Spanish. Visit cancerresearch.org/es/conferencia to register for the free Spanish-language 2022 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit.

On September 6, 2022 Immutep Limited (ASX: IMM; NASDAQ: IMMP) ("Immutep" or "the Company"), reported it has signed a Material Transfer Agreement ("Agreement") with the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw, Poland to enable an investigator-initiated open label Phase II clinical trial (Press release, Immutep, SEP 6, 2022, View Source [SID1234619129]). The trial will evaluate Immutep’s lead product candidate efti in combination with pembrolizumab and radiotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting (prior to surgery) in up to 40 patients with select soft tissue sarcoma (STS).

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Subject to the necessary approvals from the Polish State Institute for Drug Control and ethics committee, the dosing of the first patient is anticipated in the first half of calendar year 2023, with initial interim data expected in the fourth quarter of CY 2024.

Under the Agreement, the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology will primarily fund the study with an approved grant from the Polish government of €1.5M (~A$2.2M) awarded by the Polish Medical Research Agency program. Immutep will provide efti at no cost to the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology and will technically support the trial. The trial will be led by Principal Investigators, Dr. Katarzyna Kozak, M.D. PhD., and Paweł Sobczuk, M.D., medical oncologists at the Department of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology.

Immutep CEO, Marc Voigt, said: "We were delighted to be approached by Dr Paweł Sobczuk and Dr. Katarzyna Kozak to form this collaboration with the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology to explore the potential of efti in combination with pembrolizumab and radiotherapy in soft tissue sarcoma. We thank the Polish government for granting €1.5M in non-dilutive cash funding for this trial. Recurrence and lack of deep and durable responses are challenges with the limited standards of care available for this rare and difficult-to-treat disease. Efti’s novel mechanism of action offers potential to enhance anti-tumour responses for these patients. This latest expansion of the efti pipeline is further evidence of the increased interest from a variety of interested parties to investigate the broad potential of efti to improve patient outcomes in yet another cancer indication and treatment regimen."

Immutep CSO and CMO, Dr Frederic Triebel said: "Efti stimulates the immune system through a differentiated mechanism that targets LAG-3-driven activation of antigen-presenting cells. By working upstream of T cells, efti has potential to generate a broad and robust anti-tumour immune response even in the immunosuppressed tumour microenvironment of soft tissue sarcomas. Therefore, we are very pleased to be collaborating with our colleagues at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology."

Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Medical Oncology Fellow and Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Paweł Sobczuk said: "The need for new approaches in this rare and aggressive disease is evident by the still dismal responses with current standards of care including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Clinical data in other solid tumours suggest that efti can synergize with radiotherapy and pembrolizumab for robust responses across PD-L1 status, supporting the potential of this combination to mount effective immunity against aggressive malignancies like soft tissue sarcoma and replace the need for chemotherapy."

Efti’s Mechanism of Action

Efti is a first-in-class antigen presenting cell (APC) activator currently being developed by Immutep for the treatment of cancer. Efti binds to antigen presenting cells such as dendritic cells, monocytes and macrophages via MHC II molecules. This activates the APCs causing them to become professional antigen presenting cells, thereby presenting antigen to the adaptive immune system. This leads to activation and proliferation of CD4+ (helper) and CD8+ (cytotoxic) T cells. Thus, the aim of efti is to "push the gas" on the body’s innate and adaptive immune systems making it a suitable candidate to evaluate not only for the treatment of cancer, but also for the treatment of infectious diseases.

On September 6, 2022 Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN), reported a decision from the European Commission prohibiting the company’s acquisition of GRAIL (Press release, Illumina, SEP 6, 2022, View Source [SID1234619123]). The company is reviewing the Commission’s order and intends to appeal the decision. The EC decision follows last week’s ruling by US Federal Trade Commission judge in favor of Illumina’s acquisition of GRAIL.

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"We are disappointed with the European Commission’s decision prohibiting us from acquiring GRAIL back to Illumina," said Charles Dadswell, General Counsel of Illumina. "Illumina can make GRAIL’s life-saving multi-cancer early detection test more available, more affordable, and more accessible – saving lives and lowering healthcare costs. As we continue to believe, this merger is pro-competitive and will accelerate innovation. Last week the Chief Judge of the US Federal Trade Commission issued a decision supporting Illumina acquiring GRAIL."

In addition, to prepare for the anticipated divestment order from the European Commission in the coming months, the company will begin reviewing strategic alternatives for GRAIL in the event the divestiture is not stayed pending Illumina’s appeal.

The merger of Illumina and GRAIL would usher in a transformational phase in the detection and treatment of cancer by facilitating equal and affordable access to the life-saving early cancer detection Galleri test.

With a single blood test, Galleri can screen asymptomatic patients for more than 50 types of cancer, many of which have no other form of screening and are often caught too late to treat effectively. In addition, Galleri can identify the tissue in which a cancer has developed. Galleri is unique as a multicancer early detection test suitable for general population screening. There is no other test available for this purpose. Galleri is available today in the US and the UK, but not in the European Union.

Illumina would accelerate GRAIL’s commercial entry into the EU at scale by at least five years, saving tens of thousands of lives in the EU and billions of euros in healthcare costs.

A combined Illumina and GRAIL is key to helping the European Union achieve the goals outlined in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, which states: "Early detection through screening offers the best chance of beating cancer and saving lives." Today, 71% of cancer-related deaths are in cancers with no recommended screening. With limited screening, cancer is more likely to be detected in late stages but when we diagnose cancer too late, less than 20% of patients will survive more than 5 years. In contrast, if we diagnose cancer early, approximately 90% of patients are expected to survive beyond five years.1 The GRAIL merger would not only accelerate multicancer early detection in the EU but would also reduce inequity in cancer care by making early diagnosis affordable and widespread, another key priority of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

1 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program (www.seer.cancer.gov)

Illumina is separately appealing a July 2022 decision by the General Court of the European Union regarding the European Commission’s jurisdiction to challenge the GRAIL deal.

On September 6, 2022 Celularity Inc. (Nasdaq: CELU) ("Celularity"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing placental-derived allogeneic cell therapies, reported that Robert Hariri, M.D., Ph.D., Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Celularity, will participate in fireside chats at the following investor conferences (Press release, Celularity, SEP 6, 2022, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=celularity-announces-participation-in-upcoming-investor-conferences [SID1234619119]):

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C. Wainwright 24th Annual Global Investment Conference on Monday, September 12, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. ET
Morgan Stanley 20th Annual Global Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at 12:20 p.m. ET
A live webcast of the fireside chats can be accessed on the Investors section of Celularity’s website at View Source A replay of the webcasts will be archived and available following the event for approximately 30 days.

On September 6, 2022 Calithera Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CALA), a clinical-stage, precision oncology biopharmaceutical company, reported that Susan Molineaux, Ph.D., the company’s founder, president and chief executive officer, will present at the H.C. Wainwright 24th Annual Global Investment Conference, being held September 12-14 both virtually and in New York, NY (Press release, Calithera Biosciences, SEP 6, 2022, View Source [SID1234619118]).

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The presentation will be available for on-demand viewing starting Monday, September 12, 2022, at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and can be accessed through the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.calithera.com. The replay of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website for 30 days.