On March 13, 2023 Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc (OTCQB:OTLC) ("Oncotelic", the "Company" or "We"), a developer of treatments for rare and orphan indications, including Parkinson’s Disease, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas ("DIPG"), and COVID-19, reported the publication of High Intra-Tumor Transforming Growth Factor β2 Level as a Predictor of Poor Treatment Outcomes in Pediatric Cancer of the brainstem (Press release, Mateon Therapeutics, MAR 13, 2023, View Source [SID1234628615]). Links to the publication can be found below

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Uckun, F.M.; Qazi, S.; Trieu,V. High Intra-Tumor Transforming Growth Factor Beta 2 Level as a Predictor of Poor Treatment Outcomes in Pediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. Cancers 2023, 15, 1676. View Source

Pediatric cancer of the brainstem, including DIPGs, is one of the most aggressive and deadliest childhood brain tumors. In spite of numerous clinical trials of chemotherapeutic agents, immune-oncology drugs, and specific targeted therapies aimed at improving the survival outcome of these patients, little progress has been achieved and the prognosis remains dismal, with a median survival time of approximately 10 months and a two-year survival rate of less than 10 percent

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of amplified expression levels of transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGFβ2) in the tumor tissue specimens from these patients. Our findings provide the first evidence that high level TGFβ2 expression is associated with a poor treatment outcome. The reported results also support the notion that further evaluation of the clinical potential of new strategies targeting TGFβ2 in pediatric cancer of the brainstem is warranted

OT-101 is the only TGFβ2 inhibitor that is in late clinical development. As TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 are not prognostic, we believe that previous clinical failures, including bintrafusp alfa, could be rectified by targeting TGFβ2 instead" stated Dr. Vuong Trieu, CEO and Chairman of Oncotelic

A clinical study protocol looking at treatment of pediatric cancer of brainstem with OT-101 has been accepted onto the National Institute for Health and Care Research ("NIHR") portfolio. NIHR is the British government’s major funder of clinical, public health, social care and translational research.

On March 13, 2023 Novo Nordisk reported a share repurchase programme in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council of 16 April 2014 (MAR) and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (the "Safe Harbour Rules") (Press release, Novo Nordisk, MAR 13, 2023, View Source [SID1234628614]). This programme is part of the overall share repurchase programme of up to DKK 28 billion to be executed during a 12-month period beginning 1 February 2023.

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Under the programme initiated 1 February 2023, Novo Nordisk will repurchase B shares for an amount up to DKK 5.6 billion in the period from 1 February 2023 to 2 May 2023.

Since the announcement 6 March, the following transactions have been made:

Number of

B shares

Average

purchase price

Transaction

value, DKK

Accumulated, last announcement 2,122,371 2,074,597,798
6 March 2023 90,000 1,019.39 91,744,912
7 March 2023 89,000 1,016.66 90,482,346
8 March 2023 90,800 998.30 90,645,427
9 March 2023 89,000 1,004.82 89,428,949
10 March 2023 89,000 1,004.20 89,373,727
Accumulated under the programme 2,570,171 2,526,273,159

The details for each transaction made under the share repurchase programme are published on novonordisk.com.

With the transactions stated above, Novo Nordisk owns a total of 29,716,497 B shares of DKK 0.20 as treasury shares, corresponding to 1.3% of the share capital. The total amount of A and B shares in the company is 2,280,000,000 including treasury shares

Novo Nordisk expects to repurchase B shares for an amount up to DKK 28 billion during a 12- month period beginning 1 February 2023. As of 10 March 2023, Novo Nordisk has since 1 February 2023 repurchased a total of 2,570,171 B shares at an average share price of DKK 982.92 per B share equal to a transaction value of DKK 2,526,273,159

Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases such as obesity and rare blood and endocrine disorders. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 54,400 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. Novo Nordisk’s B shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Novo-B). Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NVO). For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

On March 13, 2023 Evergreen Theragnostics, a clinical stage contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) developing radiopharmaceuticals for cancer therapy, reported the completion of a $15M Series B capital raise. The round was primarily subscribed by existing shareholders exercising their rights of first refusal (Press release, Evergreen Theragnostics, MAR 13, 2023, View Source [SID1234628611]).

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Leveraging the capital raise, Evergreen is launching a new business unit, Evergreen Discovery, which is focused on developing novel radiopharmaceuticals for cancer therapy. To support its new business unit, Evergreen has recruited Dr. Thomas Reiner as their Chief Scientific Officer. Prior to this, Dr. Reiner served as Head of Radioligand Therapy Drug Discovery on the Executive Leadership Team of AAA (Advanced Accelerator Applications, a Novartis Company). He is a former Laboratory Head, Associate Professor and Member of the Chemical Biology Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

"I am very excited for the opportunity to join Evergreen Theragnostics and to lead their new R&D business unit, Evergreen Discovery. Over the last few years, Evergreen has established itself as a leader in the radiopharmaceutical space, and joining their growing team was an easy choice to make", said Thomas Reiner. "Radioligand Therapy is a new and exciting therapeutic modality, uniquely positioned to treat some of the most devastating types of cancer. Our team will innovate the way we treat these cancers, focusing on unprecedented and first-in-class radiopharmaceuticals."

"Launching Evergreen Discovery represented the next logical step for us, and we are excited to have recruited Thomas as a leader of this new team", said James Cook, President and CEO of Evergreen Theragnostics. "With Evergreen Discovery, we will develop novel radiopharmaceuticals to address some of the most urgent unmet clinical needs."

Evergreen Discovery will be based in a new research facility near Princeton, NJ, opening in Q3’2023.

The company will also use funds from the recent capital raise to prepare for the launch of Ga-68 DOTATOC, if approved. Activities will include building our commercial capabilities and staffing, as well as inventory build. The product is planned to be available through Evergreen’s radiopharmacy partners around the country.

"Evergreen is focused on improving the available options for cancer patients through radiopharmaceuticals. We do so by ensuring product availability for clinical trials through our core CDMO business, and in new ways such as the development of Ga-68 DOTATOC and the establishment of Evergreen Discovery," said Mr. Cook. "We are glad to have secured this important funding to enable our continued pursuit of these goals."

On March 13, 2023 MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE American: MAIA) reported the Company has no exposure to Silicon Valley Bank ("SVB"). The Company is aware that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has taken control of SVB due to liquidity concerns (Press release, MAIA Biotechnology, MAR 13, 2023, View Source [SID1234628610]). The Company confirms it does not hold any deposits or investments at SVB, as well as at Silvergate Bank, or Signature Bank. MAIA’s cash is managed across a top-tier financial institution.

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On March 13, 2023 Paige, a global leader in end-to-end digital pathology solutions and clinical AI applications, and Leica Biosystems, a cancer diagnostics company and global leader in workflow solutions, reported an expanded partnership to enhance the use of digital pathology workflows at hospitals and laboratories around the world (Press release, Paige AI, MAR 13, 2023, View Source [SID1234628609]). Building upon its existing partnership, Leica Biosystems has selected Paige as the preferred provider of software-as-a-service (SaaS) digital pathology image management and viewing software along with diverse embedded AI solutions for their line of Aperio GT 450 digital pathology slide scanners.

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Leica Biosystems Aperio instrumentation is used in hospitals and laboratories around the world. Under the partnership, a co-branded version of Paige’s Platform will be introduced as the core interface between pathologists and Leica Biosystems hardware. Users of Aperio GT 450 scanners will have access to Paige’s full suite of digital pathology software, including the FullFocus viewer; the AI-powered worklist FullFolio; Paige Prostate Suite, which includes Paige Prostate Detect; Paige Breast Suite; Paige’s suite of biomarker algorithms; and all third-party AI software solutions deployed through Paige*.

"Our expanded partnership with Leica Biosystems reflects our unwavering commitment to deliver powerful AI applications to pathologists everywhere," said Andy Moye, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Paige. "With the widespread reach of Leica Biosystems scanners, we look forward to providing a seamless end-to-end solution that makes the transition to digital pathology easier for hospitals and laboratories around the world. The goal of our partnership is to help accelerate the ease of adoption of digital pathology and the efficiency with which pathologists can evaluate patient cases and to provide them with the insights needed to take decisive medical action."

With a heritage of innovation spanning more than 150 years, Leica Biosystems has offered nine generations of continually improving digital slide scanning technology, realized in compact, user-friendly image capture devices that integrate with pathology workflows and laboratory information systems. Paige’s offerings include novel AI applications together with a powerful platform to easily view and manage whole slide images, putting the power of digital pathology into the hands of pathologists.

"As two global leaders in digital pathology, we have a shared goal of advancing the practice of pathology to improve patient care through innovative hardware and AI-driven software," said Gustavo Perez, President of Leica Biosystems. "We believe that Paige’s differentiated platform and transformative portfolio of AI technologies will provide a streamlined user experience and help pathologists rapidly transition to digital workflows, enabling them to continue the fight against cancer."

*In European Union & United Kingdom, various Paige products are CE-IVD & UKCA Marked for clinical use with scanners such as Aperio GT 450, and in the United States are limited to Research Use Only and not for use in diagnostic procedures.

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