On March 22, 2023 Marengo Therapeutics, Inc., a company pioneering novel immuno-therapeutics targeting the T cell receptor (TCR) Vβ repertoire to fight cancer and other diseases, reported that the company will present a late-breaking abstract at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, held April 14-19 in Orlando, Florida (Press release, Marengo Therapeutics, MAR 22, 2023, View Source [SID1234629191]). Building on recent scientific insights into Marengo’s lead asset, STAR0602, which selectively activates and expands Vβ6 T cells, Marengo will present new data revealing the broad utility of targeting different T cell subsets expressing distinct Vβ TCRs utilizing its STAR (Selective T Cell Activation Repertoire) platform to remodel the adaptive immune response to refractory solid tumors.

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"As we continue to explore the hidden reactivities of the germline TCR repertoire using our proprietary libraries of anti-TCR antibodies, we are uncovering exciting immunology with potential broad therapeutic application across a range of cancers and other immune-related diseases," said Andrew Bayliffe, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Marengo Therapeutics. "Importantly, we also find that Marengo’s anti-TCR antibody constructs transform Vβ T cells towards a novel phenotype that drives potent anti-tumor activity in vivo via a mechanism of action that is both unique and distinct from anti-PD1 immunotherapy."

Details of the presentation are as follows:

Title: A novel class of T cell-activators targeting germline encoded TCR β chains promotes antitumor activity in PD1-refractory models through expansion of a clonally diverse effector memory T cell subset
Authors: Jacques Moisan, Madan Katragadda, Jonathan Hsu, Jessica Lowry, Wei Huang, Jian Tang, Roya Servattalab, Gurkan Guntas, Raj Chopra, Zhen Su, and Andrew Bayliffe
Session Title: Late-Breaking Research: Immunology 3
Session Date and Time: Wednesday Apr 19, 2023, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Poster Section: 3
Poster Number: 6
Abstract Presentation Number: LB338

On March 22, 2023 XNK Therapeutics AB reported its extensive participation at the 8th Annual Innate Killer Summit in La Jolla, San Diego, CA, March 28-30 (Press release, XNK Therapeutics, MAR 22, 2023, View Source [SID1234629189]).

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The Annual Innate Killer Summit is the largest and leading technical, industry-focused, end-to-end innate immune cell therapy meeting to explore frontiers in immunobiology, genetic modification, clinical translation, scalable manufacturing, cryopreservation, and CMC. Over 200 experts from both pharmaceutical industry and academia participate to advance the clinical and phase development of NK, macrophage, γδT and NKT cell therapies for liquid and solid tumors.

On March 29, XNK’s CMO Peter Hovstadius, M.D., Ph.D. will discuss the potential risks and benefits of repeat dosing in NK cell therapy.

On March 29, XNK’s Head of Manufacturing and Engineering Paul Do, will discuss how a tailor-made in-house GMP facility can provide a fast track to ensure efficient process development and robust manufacturing capability.

On March 30, there is a panel discussion with the title ‘What does the future of innate therapies look like? Is it out-patient care?’. Johan Liwing, CEO of XNK, will discuss this important topic with Daniel Teper CEO at Cytovia Therapeutics and Peter Flynn, COO at Artiva Bio.

"We are very excited to have been invited to participate at this prestigious conference. Discussing key topics like clinical development aspects, manufacturing processes as well as the future landscape of NK-cell therapies shows that XNK is at the forefront of NK cell therapy today," said Johan Liwing, CEO.

On March 22, 2023 Jacobio Pharma (1167.HK) reported it has entered into a clinical collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA to evaluate the combination of Jacobio’s CD73 monoclonal antibody JAB-BX102 in combination with Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA’s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) (Press release, Jacobio Pharmaceuticals, MAR 22, 2023, View Source [SID1234629188]).

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The clinical study will evaluate the clinical effect of JAB-BX102 in combination with KEYTRUDA for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. Under the terms of the agreement, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA will provide KEYTRUDA.

"The CD73 monoclonal antibody is Jacobio’s first large molecule project to enter the clinic. CD73 is an important target in the tumor immune pathway. We believe the combination of CD73 and anti-PD-1, an inhibitor on the same tumor immune pathway, can potentially relieve immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment, stimulate the proliferation and activation of killer immune cells, enhance tumor immunity," said Dr. WANG Yinxiang, Chairman and CEO at Jacobio. "We look forward to exploring the potential benefit of CD73 in combination with an anti-PD-1 in tumor immunotherapy through this collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and potentially giving patients new treatment options."

KEYTRUDA is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.

About JAB-BX102

JAB-BX102 is a humanized CD73 monoclonal antibody developed by Jacobio that was granted approvals for clinical trials in the U.S. and China in October 2021 and March 2022. Jacobio is currently initiating a Phase I/IIa, multi-center, open study of the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-tumor efficacy of JAB-BX102 alone and in combination with pablizumab to treat advanced solid tumors in China and the U.S. Current published clinical data show that CD73 in combination with PD-(L)1 significantly prolongs survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

On March 22, 2023 Flare Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company targeting transcription factors to discover precision medicines for cancer and other diseases, reported a $123 million Series B financing co-led by GordonMD Global Investments LP and Pfizer Ventures, with participation from existing investors Boxer Capital, Casdin Capital, Eventide Asset Management, Invus Financial Advisors, Nextech Invest and Third Rock Ventures and new investors Agent Capital, Eli Lilly and Company, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Novartis, Pavilion Capital and ShangBay Capital (Press release, Flare Therapeutics, MAR 22, 2023, View Source [SID1234629187]). In conjunction with the financing, Craig D. Gordon, M.D., Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GordonMD Global Investments LP, and Irena Melnikova, Ph.D., Partner at Pfizer Ventures, have joined the Flare Therapeutics Board of Directors.

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"Our investor support is testament to the rapid progress our team has made since launch in advancing the only company focused on rationally designing transcription factor targeting therapies," said Amit Rakhit, M.D., MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Flare Therapeutics. "This will be a pivotal year for Flare as we progress our first precision oncology program, FX-909, into the clinic, continue to expand our collection of druggable transcription factor targets, and build a pipeline of potentially first-in-class therapies against genetically validated transcription factor targets for cancer."

Proceeds from the financing will support a planned clinical trial in 2023 for FX-909, a small molecule inhibitor targeting the PPARG transcription factor, in patients with advanced urothelial cancer, as well as the advancement of a pipeline of novel transcription factor targets in oncology, including nomination of at least one additional development candidate from the company’s research pipeline in 2024.

"Transcription factors have long been viewed as prime therapeutic targets playing a key role in a broad range of diseases, particularly cancers, where they represent one-third of all oncogenes. While targeting transcription factors has the potential for incredible impact, their complex structure makes them notoriously difficult to drug, requiring a new approach and new thinking," said Rob Sims, Ph.D., Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Flare Therapeutics. "From the very beginning, we knew this would require a world-class, cross-disciplinary team to not only think creatively about how to design the platform, but also how to apply translational insights to ensure efficient drug development at scale."

The Flare drug discovery platform is a powerful engine driving the systematic identification of switch sites, or druggable pockets within transcription factor complexes that dictate conformation and function. This is achieved through a broad and comprehensive approach that layers chemoproteomics, functional biochemistry, covalent chemistry and genetic insights to gain a deeper understanding of the structural underpinnings driving transcription factor function, and a proprietary library of compounds designed to modulate transcription factor behavior.

"Flare has taken on one of the most formidable challenges in drug discovery – drugging transcription factors," said Craig D. Gordon, M.D., Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GordonMD Global Investments LP. "The company is making impressive strides enabled by its platform, which to date has successfully identified more than 150 switch sites across the majority of transcription factor families, providing opportunities to treat a broad range of diseases."

"We believe Flare’s differentiated and comprehensive approach to uncovering, targeting and systematically drugging switch sites on transcription factors may unlock the therapeutic potential of this class of targets, not only in oncology but in other indications as well," said Irena Melnikova, Ph.D., Partner at Pfizer Ventures. "As a member of the board, I look forward to supporting the company in their mission to bring new medicines to patients in need."

On March 22, 2023 Journey Medical Corporation ("Journey Medical" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: DERM), a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company that focuses on the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of dermatological conditions, reported the Company will release its year end 2022 financial results after the U.S. financial markets close on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 (Press release, Fortress Biotech, MAR 22, 2023, View Source [SID1234629186]). Journey Medical management will conduct a conference call and audio webcast on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. ET.

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To listen to the conference call, interested parties within the U.S. should dial 1-866-777-2509 (domestic) or 1-412-317-5413 (international). All callers should dial in approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and ask to join the Journey Medical conference call. Participants can register for the conference by navigating to View Source Please note that registered participants will receive their dial-in number upon registration.

A live audio webcast can be accessed on the News and Events page of the Investors section of Journey Medical’s website, www.journeymedicalcorp.com, and will remain available for replay for approximately 30 days after the conference call.