Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

On April 2, 2025, Akoya Biosciences, Inc. ("Akoya") entered into a securities purchase agreement (the "Securities Purchase Agreement") with Quanterix Corporation ("Quanterix"), pursuant to which Akoya will issue and sell to Quanterix from time to time, in a private placement, one or more convertible promissory notes having an aggregate principal amount of up to $30,000,000 (the "Convertible Notes") (Filing, Akoya Biosciences, APR 2, 2025, View Source [SID1234651803]). Akoya may draw on the Convertible Notes between May 15, 2025 and the earlier of (a) the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of January 9, 2025, as it may be amended from time to time, by and among Quanterix, Akoya and Wellfleet Merger Sub, Inc. (the "Merger Agreement") and (b) July 9, 2025 if the Merger Agreement is lawfully terminated pursuant to its terms on or prior to such date; provided, however, that if the closing of the transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement occurs on or prior to May 15, 2025, Akoya may not draw the Convertible Notes. Additionally, if the initial termination date of July 9, 2025 is extended to January 9, 2026 in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, Akoya may draw on the Convertible Notes until January 9, 2026.

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Any Convertible Notes issued under the Securities Purchase Agreement will mature on the earliest to occur of (i) the 91st day following the earlier of (a) November 1, 2027 and (b) the date that Akoya’s indebtedness under the Credit and Security Agreement, dated October 27, 2020, by and among Akoya, Midcap Financial Trust, as a lender and as agent ("MidCap"), and the other lenders named therein (the "Akoya Existing Loan Agreement") is repaid in full and all commitments under such documents have been terminated and (ii) subject to the terms of the Subordination Agreement (as defined below), any acceleration of the Convertible Notes. Any Convertible Note issued under the Securities Purchase Agreement will bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the SOFR interest rate plus an applicable margin specified in the Convertible Note to, but excluding, the date of repayment or conversion of the Convertible Note. Interest on the Convertible Notes will be paid in arrears on the first day of each month and on the maturity date of the Convertible Notes. Subject to the terms of the Subordination Agreement, any interest payments will be made exclusively to Quanterix in cash.

If drawn, the Convertible Notes will be convertible at the election of Quanterix during the period beginning on the date, if any, that the Merger Agreement is terminated and ending on the maturity date of the Convertible Notes into shares of common stock, par value $0.00001, of Akoya ("Akoya Common Stock"), at a conversion price equal to the product of (i) the exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement, as it may be adjusted pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, and (ii) the VWAP of Quanterix’s common stock for the 10 consecutive trading days ending on the trading day prior to the entry into the Merger Agreement, subject to adjustment.

The Convertible Notes prohibit conversion if it would result in the issuance of more than 19.99% of Akoya Common Stock in the aggregate prior to obtaining stockholder approval. The Convertible Notes will also contain customary anti-dilution provisions to adjust the conversion price from time to time based upon certain issuances of securities by Akoya. The Securities Purchase Agreement contains customary representations and warranties and events of default as well as certain operating covenants applicable to Akoya until the closing of the transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

Registration Rights Agreement

At such time as Akoya draws any funds and thereby issues any Convertible Notes, Akoya and Quanterix will enter into a registration rights agreement (the "Registration Rights Agreement"), pursuant to which, among other things, Akoya must prepare and file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") no later than August 13, 2025 a registration statement with respect to the resale of shares of Akoya Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Convertible Notes.

Subordination Agreement

At such time as Akoya draws any funds and thereby issues any Convertible Notes, Quanterix, Akoya and MidCap will enter into a subordination agreement (the "Subordination Agreement"), pursuant to which Quanterix and Akoya will agree, among other things, that the Convertible Notes will be subordinate to any debt outstanding and obligations owing under the Akoya Existing Loan Agreement.

Huonslab Announces Significantly Enhanced Bioavailability of SC Infliximab Co-formulated with HyDIFFUZE™ in Sprague-Dawley Rats; Abstract Selected for Presentation at AACR 2025

On April 2, 2025 Huonslab Co., Ltd. ("Huonslab"), a subsidiary of Huons Global (KOSDAQ: 084110), reported that its abstract titled "The Role of HyDIFFUZE in Co-formulation with Subcutaneous Infliximab" has been selected for poster presentation at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, taking place on April 28, 2025 (Press release, Huons Global, APR 2, 2025, View Source [SID1234651773]).

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The study demonstrated that HyDIFFUZE (rHuPH20) significantly improves the relative bioavailability of co-formulated infliximab compared to infliximab without rHuPH20 when administered subcutaneously.

These findings suggest that co-formulation with HyDIFFUZETM (rHuPH20) may reduce the required dose of infliximab while maintaining equivalent therapeutic efficacy and potentially extending dosing interval in the maintenance regimen.

Huonslab previously validated the role of HyDIFFUZE (rHuPH20) as a locally acting, transient permeation enhancer for subcutaneous delivery of high-dose, high-volume biotherapeutics, supported by dye dispersion studies in nude mice and in vivo comparative pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in Sprague-Dawley rats.

In parallel, Huonslab is currently conducting a pivotal Phase 1 clinical trial in South Korea for Hydizyme, a stand-alone recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20) drug product, with the goal of obtaining product approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) by 2026.

"Huonslab is committed to converting high-dose, high-volume antibody-based biotherapeutics from intravenous (IV) infusion to subcutaneous (SC) injection using human hyaluronidase PH20," said Dr. Young Sun Lee, Chief Business Officer of Huonslab.

Lee added, "Our HyDIFFUZE (rHuPH20) drug delivery technology is redefining the landscape of SC antibody development and expanding patient access to more convenient and effective subcutaneous antibody therapies."

Nuvation Bio to Present at the Jones Healthcare and Technology Innovation Conference

On April 2, 2025 Nuvation Bio Inc. (NYSE: NUVB), a global biopharmaceutical company tackling some of the greatest unmet needs in oncology, reported that David Hung, M.D., Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Nuvation Bio, and Philippe Sauvage, Chief Financial Officer of Nuvation Bio, will participate in a fireside chat at the Jones Healthcare and Technology Innovation Conference on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET in Las Vegas, NV (Press release, Nuvation Bio, APR 2, 2025, View Source [SID1234651772]).

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An audio replay of the fireside chat will be available following the event on the Nuvation Bio website at View Source An archived recording will be available for 90 days following the event.

Landmark Bio Acquired by Artis BioSolutions to Expand Manufacturing and Commercialization of Advanced Therapies

On April 2, 2025 Landmark Bio reported it has been acquired by Artis BioSolutions ("Artis"), a newly launched company dedicated to streamlining the discovery, process development, and manufacturing of genetic medicines (Press release, Landmark Bio, APR 2, 2025, View Source [SID1234651771]). The acquisition enables Landmark Bio to continue to deliver on its mission of translating groundbreaking research into life-changing therapies, while scaling its capabilities to accelerate development and manufacturing of advanced therapies.

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"Landmark Bio was born from a bold vision shared by our founding partners – to remove barriers in the manufacturing of advanced therapies and accelerate the development of life-changing medicines. In just a few short years, we’ve built a world-class team and capabilities that have become a vital force in the life sciences innovation ecosystem. Joining Artis BioSolutions marks an exciting new chapter for Landmark Bio. Together, we will stay true to our mission as we scale our operations to bring breakthrough therapies to more patients," said Ran Zheng, chief executive officer (CEO) of Landmark Bio.

Since its founding in 2021, Landmark Bio has built a robust platform to address persistent bottlenecks in advanced therapy development, serving as a partner to academic institutions, biotechnology companies, and global biopharma firms. The organization was established by leaders from academia, industry, and Boston’s leading research hospitals. Together with Artis BioSolutions, Landmark Bio will enhance its ability to provide integrated, end-to-end solutions that span preclinical development through commercialization, with expanded capabilities in process, analytical and formulation development, GMP manufacturing and QC testing, CMC consulting and IND enabling services, and manufacturing technology development.

"This next chapter for Landmark Bio is a testament to the vision, science, and dedication of its founding partners," said John Shaw, vice provost for research at Harvard University and chair of Landmark Bio’s board of directors. "Landmark Bio plays an important role in the development of new therapies, and we are confident that this transition will strengthen its position as a cornerstone of the advanced therapy ecosystem."

"Ran and the team at Landmark Bio have established an outstanding foundation built on scientific excellence, operational precision, and a strong collaborative mission," said Brian Neel, CEO of Artis BioSolutions. "We are thrilled to join forces with such a talented team and look forward to driving transformative progress together – expanding access, accelerating innovation, and ultimately enabling our partners to deliver life-changing medicines to patients more efficiently."

As part of Artis, Landmark Bio will continue to operate as a distinct entity, providing critical services in translational research, process development, and manufacturing for clinical and commercial cell and gene therapy products. The acquisition by Artis supported by initial funding from Oak HC/FT, marks a significant step toward expanding access to high-quality development and manufacturing capabilities across the advanced therapy ecosystem. Landmark Bio will remain headquartered in Watertown, MA, and continue to operate its state-of-the-art facility and teams in place.

Lomond Therapeutics Completes Second and Third Closings and adds Two New Investors

On April 2, 2025 Lomond Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. ("Lomond Therapeutics"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to discovering and developing potentially best-in-class and first-in-class medicines for the treatment of hematological malignancies, reported the addition of two new investors, Yosemite Management and QIA Investments, coincident with a second and third closing, respectively, and the raising of an additional $20 million private placement financing (Press release, Lomond Therapeutics, APR 2, 2025, View Source [SID1234651770]).

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"We are delighted to expand the funding syndicate with the addition of these top tier investors," said Iain Dukes M.A. D.Phil., co-founder and chief executive officer at Lomond Therapeutics."

This transaction provides the additional resources necessary to advance our potentially best-in-class or first-in-class programs, lomonitinib, lonitoclax and our menin inhibitor, through clinical development. Lomonitinib is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b clinical trial in patients with mutated FLT3 relapsed refractory AML – an area of important unmet need. Lomond enrolls CLL and selected lymphoma patients in a Phase 1b clinical trial to evaluate lonitoclax, a potentially first in class oral targeted selective B-cell lymphoma-2 ("BCL-2-2") inhibitor.

The offering was exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") thereunder. The Common Stock in the offering was sold to "accredited investors," as defined in Regulation D, and was conducted on a "reasonable best efforts" basis.

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

Raymond James and Wedbush & Co. acted as the placement agents.