On March 19, 2025 Sona Nanotech Inc. (CSE: SONA) (OTCQB: SNANF) (the "Company", "Sona") reported updated data confirming efficacy of its Targeted Hyperthermia Therapy ("THT") cancer treatment in an immunotherapy resistant cancer (Press release, Sona Nanotech, MAR 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234652834]). In this follow-up data to the previously released preliminary study (see press release dated December 11, 2024), again using an industry-standard, immunotherapy resistant, CT-26 colon cancer model, Sona’s THT cancer treatment was 100% effective in activating a strong, effective immune system response. In these experiments, animals treated with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor, a standard of care immunotherapy, experienced no benefit with tumors growing similarly to tumors in the control group of untreated animals. However, in a new, second cohort of eight animals first treated with Sona’s THT and then treated with a PD-1 inhibitor, 100% of animals responded demonstrating near complete arrest in tumor growth in the majority of animals as highlighted by the dashed green line in Figure 1, below.

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Sona Nanotech CMO, Dr. Carman Giacomantonio, commented, "In this study, Sona’s THT cancer treatment is clearly the difference maker in inhibiting the growth of this notoriously difficult-to-treat cancer. THT’s ability to cause the expression of new antigens causes the immune system to engage, which we show permits immunotherapies to work better, making THT a powerful potential immunotherapy in its own right."

Sona Nanotech CEO, David Regan, commented, "While still an early preclinical study, we are nonetheless very excited to see the repeatability of our earlier successful preclinical colorectal study results. This data gives us additional confidence as to THT’s ability to enhance the response rates of immunotherapies used in humans, which we expect to be able to assess shortly in our first-in-human early feasibility study."

Further data from this experiment can be found in the Company’s updated corporate presentation, which can be accessed in the Investor Section of its website.

Sona’s THT cancer treatment uses the Company’s patented, biocompatible gold nanorods ("GNRs") to treat certain solid cancer tumors, shrinking them and stimulating the immune system, which has been shown in preclinical studies to enhance the response rates of two different immunotherapy drugs, IL-2 and PD-1.

On March 19, 2025 Niagen Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq: NAGE) (formerly ChromaDex Corp.), the global authority on NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) with a focus on the science of healthy aging, reported it has changed its corporate name to Niagen Bioscience, Inc. ("Niagen Bioscience" or the "Company") and the Company’s common stock will begin trading under the new Nasdaq symbol "NAGE" at stock market open today, Wednesday, March 19, 2025 (Press release, ChromaDex, MAR 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234651885]). The CUSIP number for the Company’s common stock will remain the same.

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ChromaDex Evolves into Niagen Bioscience, Marking a New Era of Uncovering the Potential of NAD+ with Precision Science

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With a legacy spanning over 25 years, this strategic evolution underscores the Company’s true identity as the pioneer of NAD+ research and innovator behind transformative NAD-boosting healthy-aging solutions. At the forefront is Niagen Bioscience’s clinically proven, patented flagship nicotinamide riboside (NR) ingredient, Niagen – the most well-researched, efficient, and high-quality, and legal NAD+ booster available.

"This is more than a name change; this is a turning point in our story," said Rob Fried, CEO of Niagen Bioscience. "We have achieved several scientific, financial, and strategic milestones. As Niagen Bioscience, the global leader in NAD+ science and commerce, we have the opportunity to help every living being around the world age better."

Building on a 25+ year legacy, Niagen Bioscience’s renewed mission is simple yet powerful: "There’s a better way to age." The Company remains dedicated to addressing one of life’s most complex challenges—aging. Embodying precision science, Niagen Bioscience is distinguished by state-of-the-art laboratories, rigorous scientific and quality protocols, and independent research collaborations with renowned investigators and institutions worldwide.

Niagen Bioscience’s clinically proven product portfolio, Tru Niagen and Niagen Plus, is the pinnacle of NAD+ supplementation. Tru Niagen, the Company’s consumer supplement featuring clinically proven food-grade Niagen (patented NR), is the number one NAD+ boosting oral supplement in the United States†. Niagen Plus features pharmaceutical-grade Niagen (NR), compounded by U.S. FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facilities. It is available by prescription as intravenous (IV) and injectable Niagen. Niagen Bioscience is the first company in the U.S. to offer a novel branded ingredient (Niagen) both as a direct-to-consumer dietary supplement (Tru Niagen) and as an intravenous and injectable pharmaceutical-grade product (Niagen IV).

"Our new identity creates a stronger foundation for expanding scientific discoveries and opens doors for potential future strategic partnerships across the bioscience and healthcare sectors," added Mr. Fried. "With this name change, we are celebrating that Niagen is a household name synonymous with healthy aging."

Niagen Bioscience recently reported its fourth quarter and full-year 2024 financial results, with strong full-year net sales at $99.6 million, up 19% from the prior year, and $44.7 million in cash and no debt position. Niagen Bioscience continues to lead the NAD+ space and is reinforced by strong financial results, Tru Niagen’s position as the number one NAD+ boosting supplement in the United States†, the onboarding of Niagen IV at 475 clinics nationwide, and the Company’s distinctive external research program, which has generated over 35 human clinical studies on Niagen.

To mark this milestone today, the Niagen Bioscience executive team will participate in the Nasdaq Closing Bell Ceremony on March 19, 2025, the same day as the official announcement. A live-stream of the Nasdaq Closing Bell Ceremony will take place at www.nasdaq.com at 3:50 pm ET / 12:50 pm PT. This event symbolizes the Company’s next chapter as the pioneer of NAD+ and healthy-aging science.

To learn more about Niagen Bioscience’s bold new chapter, visit www.niagenbioscience.com. Follow the Company’s news, research milestones, and announcements on social media here View Source

On March 19, 2025 Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. ("Akebia") (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease, reported the pricing of its underwritten public offering (the "Offering") of 25,000,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $2.00 per share (Press release, Akebia, MAR 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234651306]). All shares are being offered by Akebia. The gross proceeds to Akebia from the Offering, before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other offering expenses, are expected to be $50.0 million. In addition, Akebia has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 3,750,000 additional shares of its common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Offering is expected to close on March 21, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

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Leerink Partners and Piper Sandler & Co. are acting as joint bookrunning managers for the Offering. BTIG, LLC is acting as lead manager and H.C. Wainwright & Co. is acting as co-manager for the Offering.

The shares are being offered by Akebia pursuant to a shelf registration statement that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on September 3, 2024 and declared effective by the SEC on September 12, 2024.

The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus and prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement. A preliminary prospectus supplement relating to and describing the terms of the Offering has been filed with the SEC and may be obtained for free by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. A final prospectus supplement relating to the Offering will be filed with the SEC. When available, copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may also be obtained by contacting: Leerink Partners LLC, Attention: Syndicate Department, 53 State Street, 40th Floor, Boston, MA 02109, by telephone at (800)-808-7525, ext. 6105, or by email at [email protected]; or Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, MN 55402, or by telephone at (800)-747-3924, or by email at [email protected].

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

On March 19, 2025 TwoStep Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing innovative, first-in-class, multispecific targeted peptide conjugate therapies for solid tumors, reported its debut public scientific presentation on March 27, 2025, at the 4th Novel Conjugates Summit taking place in Boston, Massachusetts (Press release, TwoStep Therapeutics, MAR 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234651276]). This presentation will highlight the outstanding preclinical efficacy and safety of its lead tumor-targeted drug conjugate program, along with a first look at their new radiopharmaceutical program.

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Oral Presentation:
Title: Overcoming Tumor Heterogeneity via Multispecific Targeting
Date and Time: Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. ET
Invited Speaker: Caitlyn Miller, PhD, Co-Founder & CEO of TwoStep Therapeutics

TwoStep Therapeutics is a Stanford University spin-out launched in 2024, co-founded by Nobel Prize winner Carolyn Bertozzi, Jennifer Cochran, Ron Levy, and Caitlyn Miller, with seed investment of $8.7M to date.

"The company has made tremendous progress since our launch, and we’re excited to share our advancements at this summit," said Caitlyn Miller, CEO of TwoStep Therapeutics. "This event provides an excellent opportunity to highlight our innovative research and explore potential partnerships to further our mission of developing effective cancer therapies."

On March 19, 2025 Mindpeak reported collaboration that aims to assess the transformative potential of AI in digital pathology, with a specific focus on accelerating primary breast cancer diagnosis (Press release, AstraZeneca, MAR 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234651275]). Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide.

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Early and accurate diagnosis is essential for significantly improving clinical outcomes and patient survival rates. However, this process is often hindered by a limited pathology workforce and time-consuming case prioritization. To address these challenges and improve primary breast cancer diagnosis, Mindpeak and AstraZeneca have launched an observational study aimed at understanding the potential of Mindpeak Breast H&E solution.

Mindpeak’s Breast H&E solution, utilized in the study, is an AI-powered software designed to analyze H&E-stained images of breast cancer patient samples. It evaluates the presence of invasive breast cancer as well as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

A multi-site validation study of Mindpeak’s Breast H&E solution involves a cohort of 900 H&E slides from suspected breast cancer cases.

Key Objectives of the Study:

Assessing Current Practices: Gaining insights into existing breast cancer pathology workflows in different regions and identifying areas for improvement.
Evaluating AI-Powered Tools: Studying the benefits of integrating AI solutions into pathology workflows to streamline primary breast cancer diagnosis, improve efficiency, and facilitate early treatment interventions.
Analyzing Diagnostic Accuracy: Validating the performance of computational pathology algorithms to support pathologists in primary cancer diagnosis.
"The collaboration with Mindpeak underscores our commitment to transforming care by improving diagnosis speed and accuracy," said Susan McCutcheon, International Medical Head of Oncology of AstraZeneca. "Innovative technologies like this have the potential to address critical global health challenges by optimizing diagnostic workflows for breast cancer patients and, ultimately, improving patient care and outcomes."

"We are thrilled to partner with AstraZeneca to further validate this groundbreaking technology," said Felix Faber, CEO of Mindpeak. "Integrating Mindpeak’s H&E solution into pathology workflows as a screening and diagnostic-support tool could make treatment decisions faster and more precise, holding the potential to improve primary breast cancer patient outcomes worldwide."

The companies hope that the study findings will help bridge diagnostic gaps and improve healthcare outcomes in areas with limited resources worldwide.