On March 20, 2023 Tiziana Life Sciences Ltd. (Nasdaq: TLSA) ("Tiziana" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company enabling breakthrough immunotherapies via novel routes of drug delivery, reported that it has been notified that Gabriele Cerrone, its Chairman and Acting Chief Executive Officer, purchased 45,000 common shares at $0.66 per share, bringing his total holding to 38,685,737 common shares (Press release, Tiziana Life Sciences, MAR 20, 2023, View Source [SID1234629050]).

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About Foralumab

Activated T cells play an important role in the inflammatory process. Foralumab, the only fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb), binds to the T cell receptor, dampens inflammation by modulating T cell function, thereby suppressing effector features in multiple immune cell subsets, an effect demonstrated in patients with COVID and with multiple sclerosis, as well as in healthy normal subjects. Intranasal foralumab Phase 2 trials are expected to start in Q3 2023 in patients with non-active SPMS. Immunomodulation by nasal anti-CD3 mAb represents a novel avenue for treatment of inflammatory human diseases.

On March 20, 2023 Novo Nordisk reported that it has initiated 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 20, 2023, View Source [SID1234629047]). 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 13 March, the following transactions have been made:

Number of

B shares

Average

purchase price

Transaction

value, DKK

Accumulated, last announcement 2,570,171 2,526,273,159
13 March 2023 91,000 988.62 89,964,590
14 March 2023 90,000 985.20 88,667,601
15 March 2023 90,000 993.39 89,404,678
16 March 2023 92,000 980.18 90,176,584
17 March 2023 92,000 986.22 90,732,484
Accumulated under the programme 3,025,171 2,975,219,097

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 30,171,497 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 17 March 2023, Novo Nordisk has since 1 February 2023 repurchased a total of 3,025,171 B shares at an average share price of DKK 983.49 per B share equal to a transaction value of DKK 2,975,219,097.

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 20, 2023 Link Cell Therapies, a biotechnology company expanding the universe of solid and hematologic cancer antigens that can be safely and effectively targeted with T cell therapies, reported a milestone publication in the journal Nature (Press release, Link Cell Therapies, MAR 20, 2023, View Source [SID1234629046]). The paper, titled "Co-opting signaling molecules enables logic-gated control of CAR T cells,"details the company’s LINK CAR technology, a logic-gated system engineered to bypass traditional T cell signaling machinery to optimize and customize CAR T cell responses, killing solid tumors without on-target, off-tumor toxicity.

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Link Cell Therapies was launched in May of 2022 with $12M in seed funding by Samsara BioCapital and Sheatree Capital. The company is also developing two additional platform technologies beyond LINK, including ZAP and BOOST, to overcome some of the most significant hurdles facing CAR T therapies. ZAP is geared to reduce T cell exhaustion by engaging the ZAP-70 signaling pathway. BOOST amplifies CAR and TCR signaling to avoid T cell evasion associated with low target antigen expression.

"While CAR-T cells have revolutionized the treatment of hematologic cancers, they have not achieved the same success in solid tumor cancers. One reason is that in solid tumors, it is difficult to find targets that are expressed on cancer cells and not also found on healthy cells," said Robbie Majzner, MD,co-founder of Link Cell Therapies and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in Hematology/Oncology at Stanford University. "Drawing insights from native T cell signaling networks, we have successfully engineered a logic-gating system that requires two antigens expressed on the same tumor cell to selectively control CAR T cell activity."

Pre-clinical findings published in the March 15th issue of Nature show that the downstream signaling molecules LAT and SLP-76 can be repurposed into surface receptors that enhance the function and specificity of CARs through Boolean logic AND-gating. When paired together, LAT and SLP-76 enabled AND-gating and further mediated robust CAR activity in mouse models of cancer.

"Logic-gates are an increasingly important focus in oncology drug discovery," said Crystal Mackall, MD, co-founder of Link Cell Therapies and Founding Director of the Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy. "Link Cell Therapies’ LINK CAR is the first true and reversible Boolean logic AND-gate system in which recognition of two antigens expressed on the same cell is required to achieve killing of tumor cells while sparing normal cells."

Conventional logic CAR systems have shortcomings in either specificity or efficacy in vivo. Using an in vitro toxicity model, the study authors confirmed that competing logic-gate systems mediated unwanted bystander killing of single antigen positive cells, whereas LINK CAR T cells eradicated double-positive tumor cells and avoided single-antigen-positive cells. When tested in an in vivo setting, only LINK CARs showed tumor regression without any signs of on-target, off-tumor toxicity.

Link Cell Therapies plans to investigate its LINK CAR platform further using patient samples and single-cell technologies to identify and validate safe and effective targets.

"Samsara prides itself on partnering with founders to launch companies that are advancing truly innovative technologies in difficult therapeutic areas where treatment options for patients are limited," said Abe Bassan, Interim President of Link Cell Therapies and Principal at Samsara BioCapital. "These advances could have a broad impact, not only in the field of cancer immunotherapy but also as researchers demonstrate the impact of CAR T cells in additional therapeutic areas."

On March 20, 2023 Genmab reported the initiation of a share buy-back program to honor our commitments under our Restricted Stock Units program (Press release, Genmab, MAR 20, 2023, View Source [SID1234629045]).

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The share buy-back program is expected to be completed no later than March 31, 2023 and comprises up to 220,000 shares.

The following transactions were executed under the program from March 13, 2023, to March 17, 2023:

No. of shares Average price (DKK) Total value (DKK)
Accumulated through last announcement 133,000 342,851,540
March 13, 2023 8,000 2,447.52 19,580,160
March 14, 2023 8,000 2,507.62 20,060,960
March 15,2023 6,000 2,511.67 15,070,020
March 16, 2023 6,000 2,494.93 14,969,580
March 17, 2023 6,000 2,516.56 15,099,360

Total 34,000 84,780,080
Accumulated under the program 167,000 427,631,620
Details of each transaction are included as an appendix to this announcement.

Following these transactions, Genmab holds 710,416 shares as treasury shares, corresponding to 1.08% of the total share capital and voting rights.

The share buy-back program is undertaken in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 (‘MAR’) and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052, also referred to as the "Safe Harbour Regulation." Further details on the terms of the share buy-back program can be found in our company announcement no. 06 dated February 22, 2023.

On March 20, 2023 Exelixis, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXEL) reported that the company’s Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $550 million of the company’s common stock before the end of 2023 (Press release, Exelixis, MAR 20, 2023, View Source [SID1234629044]).

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The timing and amount of any share repurchases under the share repurchase program will be based on a variety of factors, including ongoing assessments of the capital needs of the business, alternative investment opportunities, the market price of Exelixis’ common stock and general market conditions. Share repurchases under the program may be made from time to time through a variety of methods, which may include open market purchases, in block trades, accelerated share repurchase transactions, exchange transactions, or any combination of such methods. The program does not obligate Exelixis to acquire any particular amount of its common stock, and the share repurchase program may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time without prior notice.