NuCana to Present at the Oppenheimer 34th Annual Healthcare Life Sciences Conference

On February 6, 2024 NuCana plc (Nasdaq: NCNA) reported that Hugh Griffith, Chief Executive Officer, and Don Munoz, Chief Financial Officer, will present and host one-on-one meetings at the Oppenheimer 34th Annual Healthcare Life Sciences Conference (Press release, Nucana BioPharmaceuticals, FEB 6, 2024, View Source [SID1234639880]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Event: Oppenheimer 34th Annual Healthcare Life Sciences Conference
Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Time: 8:00 AM EST
Location: Virtual

The presentation will be webcast live and available for replay under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.nucana.com.

NightHawk Biosciences Completes Name Change to Scorpius Holdings; Trading to Commence Under “SCPX” Effective at the Market Open Today

On February 6, 2024 NightHawk Biosciences / Scorpius Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: NHWK; SCPX), an integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), reported that it had completed its name change from NightHawk Biosciences, Inc. to Scorpius Holdings, Inc., to better reflect the Company’s successful shift into a pure-play, large molecule biomanufacturing CDMO (Press release, NightHawk Biosciences, FEB 6, 2024, View Source [SID1234639879]). In connection with the name change, the Company’s ticker will change to "SCPX" effective today, February 6, 2024. The name and symbol changes do not affect the Company’s share structure or the rights of the Company’s shareholders, and no further action will be required by existing shareholders.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Jeff Wolf, CEO of Scorpius, stated, "Changing our name to Scorpius Holdings reflects our evolution into a revenue-generating biomanufacturing company and expansion of our CDMO services. The biopharmaceutical sector is currently grappling with a severe shortage of clinical-scale biologic manufacturing capacity, a situation exacerbated by the rising demand for large molecule CDMO services. Our cutting-edge San Antonio, Texas facility is strategically positioned to fill this critical void. The feedback from our key biotech and pharmaceutical customers has been overwhelmingly positive, as reflected in our enhanced sales pipeline. We are eager to advance these initiatives under the Scorpius banner."

Nascent Biotech and Manhattan BioSolutions Collaborate to Explore Pritumumab Antibody-Drug Conjugates

On February 6, 2024 Nascent Biotech, Inc. (OTCQB:NBIO) ("Nascent Biotech", "Nascent"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of various cancers and viral infections, reported that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with Manhattan BioSolutions, Inc. (Manhattan Bio), an emerging biotech company focused on precision biologics, to explore antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) using Nascent’s lead clinical candidate pritumumab (PTB) as the tumor-targeting antibody element (Press release, Nascent Biotech, FEB 6, 2024, View Source [SID1234639878]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Pritumumab (PTB) is a natural human antibody. This monoclonal antibody targets extracellular form of vimentin, a protein that has been linked to cancer growth and metastasis and is overexpressed in both brain and pancreatic cancers as well as other hard tumor cancers. PTB is a targeted immunotherapy that binds to vimentin in tumors and recruits the immune system to eliminate cancer cells. PTB has demonstrated a promising safety profile and preliminary efficacy in completed Phase I study in glioblastoma patients. Nascent has been recently cleared by the FDA to begin Phase II clinical trials for brain cancer.

In preclinical experiments, PTB antibody has shown the capacity to cross the blood-brain barrier with the additional potential to transport conjugated drugs into brain tissues, and Nascent holds a patent covering this specialized delivery mechanism. Under the terms of the agreement, Manhattan Bio will perform PTB conjugations to industry standard linker-payloads and will evaluate the resulting ADCs in the in vitro cell assays. The most promising candidates will be prioritized for further development for the treatment of vimentin-positive and potential secondary targets in advanced or metastatic tumors.

Nascent CEO, Sean Carrick, commented: "We are thrilled to unlock the full disruptive potential of pritumumab against cancer by collaborating with Manhattan Bio’s world-leading scientists. This collaboration serves as an exciting first step in uncovering the possibilities of better targeted cancer therapies."

"Pritumumab offers unexplored potential as an ADC vector, and we are excited to test that promise leveraging our expertise in ADC discovery and development. This could pave the way for applying our newest linker-payload innovations to pritumumab in the future" said Dr. Borys Shor, CEO of Manhattan Bio.

Lineage Cell Therapeutics Announces $14.0 Million Registered Direct Offering

On February 6, 2024 Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American and TASE: LCTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic cell therapies for unmet medical needs, reported that it has entered into a definitive agreement with certain investors for the purchase and sale of 13,461,540 of the company’s common shares in a registered direct offering at an offering price of $1.04 per common share (Press release, Lineage Cell Therapeutics, FEB 6, 2024, View Source [SID1234639877]). The price per share was the closing price of the company’s common shares on NYSE American on February 5, 2024. The parties entered into the definitive agreement before markets opened on February 6, 2024. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about February 8, 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Broadwood Partners, L.P., which is affiliated with Neal Bradsher, a member of the Company’s board of directors, agreed to purchase 6,730,770 common shares in the offering, and Don M. Bailey, a member of the Company’s board of directors, agreed to purchase approximately 100,000 common shares in the offering.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The aggregate gross proceeds to Lineage from the offering at the closing are expected to be $14.0 million before deducting estimated offering expenses payable by Lineage. Lineage intends to use the proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include clinical trials, research and development activities, general and administrative costs, and to meet working capital needs.

The securities described above are being offered and sold by Lineage pursuant to a "shelf" registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-254167), including a base prospectus, previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, on March 11, 2021, and declared effective by the SEC on March 19, 2021. Such securities may be offered only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. A final prospectus supplement and an accompanying base prospectus relating to the securities will be filed with the SEC. Electronic copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus may be obtained, when available, by visiting the SEC’s website at View Source

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

Aprea Therapeutics Announces Submission of IND Application for APR-1051, a Next Generation WEE1 Kinase Inhibitor

On February 6, 2024 Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: APRE) ("Aprea", or the "Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on precision oncology through synthetic lethality, reported that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate clinical trials of APR-1051 (Press release, Aprea, FEB 6, 2024, View Source [SID1234639876]). APR-1051 is an oral inhibitor of WEE1 kinase, which plays important role in cell cycle regulation and DNA damage repair.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Based on preclinical studies, we believe APR-1051 is potentially differentiated from other WEE1 inhibitors in its: 1) molecular structure; 2) selectivity for WEE1 versus off-target inhibition of the polo-like kinase, or PLK, family of kinases; and 3) potentially superior pharmacokinetic properties.* Aprea has conducted extensive pre-clinical studies with APR-1051, which have demonstrated that the molecule may have highly potent anti-tumor activity, with a potentially favorable pharmacokinetic (PK) profile.

"Submission of an IND represents an important milestone for our APR-1051 development program," said Dr. Oren Gilad, President and CEO of Aprea. "APR-1051 is a next generation inhibitor of WEE1 kinase and, based on its unique characteristics, we believe it will be best in class. Pending clearance of the IND by FDA, we plan to commence clinical testing in the first half of 2024."

Clearance of the IND application will allow Aprea to initiate a Phase 1/2a dose escalation trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of APR-1051 as a monotherapy in patients with a defined genetic and/or molecular signatures. Further details on the design of this study will be provided at a later date.

* No head-to-head studies have been conducted with APR-1051