On August 22, 2022 Tessa Therapeutics Ltd. (Tessa), a clinical-stage cell therapy company developing next-generation cancer treatments for hematological malignancies and solid tumors, reported the appointment of Thomas Willemsen as its President and Chief Executive Officer effective October 1, 2022 (Press release, Tessa Therapeutics, AUG 22, 2022, View Source [SID1234623200]). Mr. Willemsen has also been named as a member of Tessa’s Board of Directors.

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Mr. Willemsen brings more than 25 years of experience to Tessa with extensive international management and leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He joins Tessa from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he served as Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, leading the transformation of Takeda across 10 markets and enhancing its focus on rare and genetic diseases, oncology, and vaccines.

As President and CEO, Mr. Willemsen will lead Tessa’s corporate, business and development strategy focused on maximizing the value potential of the company’s proprietary autologous and allogeneic CAR-T platforms, including ongoing clinical programs involving its autologous CD30-CAR-T therapy (TT11) and allogeneic CD30.CAR EBVST therapy (TT11X). Mr. Willemsen will lead Tessa from its global headquarters in Singapore. John Ng, who had served as Tessa’s acting CEO since November 2021, will continue as the company’s Chief Technical Officer.

"Tessa is extremely pleased to add an executive of Thomas’ caliber as our new President and CEO, coming at a time of significant optimism at the company as we pursue a multi-tier development strategy built around our proprietary CAR-T technologies and fueled by the recently completed US$126 million financing," stated Göran Ando, M.D., Chairman of the Board of Tessa Therapeutics. "Thomas’ career is highlighted by senior leadership positions at several global pharmaceutical companies, including Takeda, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck KGaA. His combination of executive experience at global pharma companies and deep understanding of commercialization and oncology makes Thomas an ideal executive to lead Tessa’s next stage of growth."

Prior to Takeda, Mr. Willemsen held the position of Vice President, Oncology, at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for its Intercontinental & Emerging Markets business, where he was assigned to develop the business’ strategy for Asia & Emerging Markets, including Access Strategy and Commercial Structure design. Prior to that, Mr. Willemsen served as Chairman and General Manager for GSK in China, and as General Manager of GSK Taiwan. He also spent 12 years with Merck KGaA in various commercial and regional roles in the Asia Pacific region, and as the Head of its German Oncology business unit.

Mr. Willemsen graduated with an MBA from Trier University, Germany, and attained a Chinese Language Degree from Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. He speaks German, English, and Mandarin.

"Tessa is at the forefront of developing the next generation of CAR-T therapies, including our allogeneic ‘off-the-shelf’ EBVST technology, which has demonstrated very encouraging safety and efficacy data in the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial in CD30 positive lymphomas," said Mr. Willemsen. "I look forward to working with the entire Tessa team and continuing the positive progress with our CAR-T programs as we strive to ultimately bring these important therapies to patients with high unmet medical needs."

Dr. Ando concluded, "On behalf of Tessa, I would like to commend John Ng for serving as our acting CEO during the past several months. Under John’s leadership, Tessa achieved numerous clinical and business successes, including the close of the Series A financing and the recent initiation of a clinical trial of TT11 in combination with nivolumab, which has the potential to introduce TT11 as a second-line therapy for relapsed and refractory CD30+ classical Hodgkin lymphoma patients."

On August 22, 2022 The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) reported its continued support of Canadian glycomics research with an investment of $10.68 million to GlycoNet Integrated Services (GIS) through its Major Science Initiatives Fund (Press release, GlycoNet, AUG 22, 2022, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=glyconet-integrated-services-awarded-10-million-investment-from-the-canadian-foundation-for-innovation [SID1234623186]).

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GIS is the world’s largest and most advanced comprehensive suite of specialized glycomics tools and services. This glycomics "toolbox" uniquely equips academic and industrial researchers with the synthetic and analytical screening technologies needed to undertake world-class glycomics research and technology development.

"This is an exciting time to be in the field of glycomics," says Dr. Warren Wakarchuk, Scientific Director of GlycoNet. "Technological advances have allowed glycomics to take a huge leap forward, and the next decade will undoubtedly see explosive growth in the biotechnology and pharma sectors. We are grateful to CFI for giving GlycoNet Integrated Services the ability to provide these tools and support Canadian glycomics research that seeks to develop solutions to health and environmental concerns."

Glycomics is an interdisciplinary science focusing on the role of glycans (sugars or carbohydrates) in biological ecosystems. In all living organisms, glycans are vital to biological processes. For example, the COVID-19 virus uses its spike protein to attack human cells through proteins and lipids that carry glycans while evading our immune systems. How we fight infection, how our bodies heal, how our immune systems protect us, and how our agricultural crops resist drought and pests are all precisely controlled by glycans.

"Over the last few years, the study of glycans has become a quickly growing and increasingly crucial field as it holds important potential for human health and biotechnology. By supporting GlycoNet Integrated Services, the Canada Foundation for Innovation is proud to invest in a critical network of infrastructure that facilitates world-class glycomics work and has made Canada an international leader in glycoscience," says Dr. Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation.

GIS supports both fundamental research and translational research that advances discoveries into applied and commercial outcomes. For example, GIS has supported the development of a glycomics-based technology for advanced disease-modifying therapies and tools to monitor the progression of Parkinson’s disease directly in living cells derived from patients.

"The ability to monitor the progression of Parkinson’s disease could lead to a major breakthrough in the treatment and management of the disease. GlycoNet’s advances in this area have attracted the interest of several pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies," says Dr. Elizabeth Nanak, Chief Executive Officer of GlycoNet.

"This is an example of a research and development program with significant socioeconomic impact that GlycoNet was able to support because of the cutting-edge glycomics tools provided by GlycoNet Integrated Services," continues Dr. Nanak. "With CFI’s investment in GIS, GlycoNet now has the critical ‘toolbox’ it needs to further support glycomics research in many of Canada’s strategic industrial sectors, including human and animal health, agriculture, and resource management."

At a glance: GlycoNet Integrated Services

World’s largest and most advanced suite of specialized glycomics tools and services enabling groundbreaking research
One-stop access to glycomics tools, specialized expertise and unique infrastructure for Canadian researchers and companies
Distributed across seven Canadian institutions and leverages $35 million in federal and provincial infrastructure investment
Coordinates five specialized types of glycomics services: Glycan–Ligand Screening and Discovery, Glycan Analyses, Carbohydrate Synthesis, Drug Discovery & High-Throughput Screening (HTS) and Molecular Glycobiology & Glycoengineering

On August 22, 2022 RS Research, a clinical-stage biotechnology start-up developing smart nanomedicines for targeted chemotherapy, reported the acceptance of a poster presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2022 Congress to be held in person on 9-13 September 2022 in Paris – France (Press release, RS Research, AUG 22, 2022, View Source [SID1234618595]).

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Poster Title: Phase Ia/Ib study of RS-0139, a novel tumor-targeted delivery of docetaxel, in patients with recurrent, locally advanced, or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Presenter: Prof. Dr. Hakan S. Orer, Medical Pharmacology, Koc University Hospital; Dr. Gülşah Nomak, Medical Director, RS Research

The poster will be published online via the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) website on 5 September 2022.

On August 22, 2022 TC Biopharm (Holdings) PLC ("TC Biopharm" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: TCBP) (NASDAQ: TCBPW), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing platform allogeneic gamma-delta T cell therapies for cancer treatment, reported that Chief Executive Officer, Bryan Kobel will present a company overview at the H.C. Wainwright 24th Annual Global Investment Conference, on Monday, September 12th at 7:00 am (Press release, TC Biopharm, AUG 22, 2022, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tc-biopharm-to-present-at-the-hc-wainwright-24th-annual-global-investment-conference-301609516.html [SID1234618555]).

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A webcast of the presentation will be available on the Investor Relations page of TC BioPharm’s website. For more information or schedule a 1X1 meeting with management, please visit; View Source

On August 22, 2022 Avenge Bio, Inc., ("Avenge" or the "Company") a biotechnology company developing the LOCOcyte immunotherapy platform for the precision administration of potent immune effector molecules to treat solid tumors, reported a publication in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Cancer Research describing the foundational, preclinical data establishing the efficacy and safety of pleural administered LOCOcyte for the treatment of pleural malignant mesothelioma (Press release, Avenge Bio, AUG 22, 2022, View Source [SID1234618554]). The manuscript, entitled "Activation of adaptive and innate immune cells via localized Interleukin-2 cytokine factories eradicates mesothelioma tumors," was published today and can be viewed on the Clinical Cancer Research website.

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Malignant mesothelioma and lung cancers which have metastasized to the pleural cavity remain particularly deadly with median survival times of less than a one year. Mesothelioma affects the organs that are lined by the mesothelium including the organs of the chest (pleura) and abdomen (peritoneum). It is a highly aggressive cancer and is essentially lethal in all cases. Despite recent advances in therapies to treat malignant mesothelioma, optimal and safe delivery remains a challenge. Current therapeutic options are of limited efficacy in both early and late-stage disease. Immunotherapies, including the use of PD-1 inhibitors, delivered systemically, have been shown to marginally extend patient survival. To overcome this challenge, a research team at Rice University led by Professor Omid Veiseh, Ph.D., has developed an innovative immunotherapy platform that enables engineered cells to produce immune-activating molecules, for a specified duration, within this fluid tumor microenvironment.

The Clinical Cancer Research manuscript details the LOCOcyte platform and its safety and efficacy in preclinical models. The human cells are engineered to produce murine immune cell signaling molecule interleukin-2 (IL2), a critical cytokine that initiates a robust localized immune response when administered into the pleural cavity of tumor-bearing mice that model advanced malignant mesothelioma. Overall, we observed a significant reduction of tumor burden in mice treated with IL2 monotherapy and complete eradication of tumor burden in mice treated with IL2 and an immune checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy.

"The continued occurrence of malignant mesothelioma necessitates the clinical assessment of new, effective treatments. Thus, the potential of the IL-2 cytokine factory for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma highlights the urgency of its evaluation in clinical trials," said Dr. Veiseh, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at Rice University and a Founder of Avenge Bio.

Dr. Bryan Burt, Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, commented, "Pleural mesothelioma is a devastating malignancy that has traditionally defeated standard therapies. Whereas immune checkpoint blockade has recently demonstrated an encouraging signal in patients with unresectable disease, most patients still do not respond to therapy and systemic immune-related adverse events remain significant. Local delivery of a therapeutic can reduce toxicity by confining the immunostimulatory effects to local tumor microenvironment, highlighting a strong rationale for developing Avenge’s LOCOcyte platform."

Avenge Bio has an exclusive license from Rice University for this technology. In July 2022, Avenge announced that Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") cleared the Investigational New Drug ("IND") application for AVB-001 for the treatment of platinum resistance ovarian cancer. The Phase 1, multi-center clinical trial is expected to be initiated in the second half of 2022.

About LOCOcyte Platform
Our LOCOcyte allogeneic cell-based immunotherapy platform enables potent localized modulation of the immune system which also precipitates a systemic immune response, allowing us to treat previously intractable cancers. The technology leverage three unique advantages:

(1)Potent immune effector molecules are generated by synthetically engineering allogeneic cells creating a ready-to-use therapy,

(2) Therapy is localized in proximity to the primary tumor site and generates innate and adaptive immune response, and

(3) The immunomodulator trains the patient’s immune system generating a robust immune response that seeks and eradicates distal metastasis without systemic toxicity.