On August 17, 2026 Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs targeting oncological and inflammatory diseases, reported new preclinical findings demonstrating that namodenoson enhances the anti-cancer effect of gemcitabine chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer. The findings provide mechanistic support for the design of Can-Fite’s planned Phase IIb study evaluating namodenoson in combination with gemcitabine and additional standard-of-care therapy in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

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In pre-clinical studies the combination of namodenoson and gemcitabine increased the level of a protein, cleaved caspase-3, a central mediator of cell death (apoptosis). These findings indicate that namodenoson weakens the survival mechanisms of pancreatic cancer cells, thereby increasing their susceptibility to chemotherapy and enabling a stronger tumor cell-death response.

The new findings directly support the scientific rationale underlying Can-Fite’s planned randomized Phase IIb study in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The proposed study will evaluate namodenoson in combination with gemcitabine and additional standard-of-care therapy, Nab-paclitaxel, building upon the favorable safety profile and encouraging clinical activity observed with namodenoson monotherapy in the Company’s Phase 2a pancreatic cancer study.

"These findings provide an important mechanistic explanation for the enhanced anti-cancer effect observed when namodenoson is combined with chemotherapy," stated Pnina Fishman, Ph.D., Can-Fite’s Chief Scientific Officer and Chairperson. "Namodenoson suppressed key survival pathways in pancreatic cancer cells and increased caspase-3-mediated apoptosis, thereby enhancing the activity of gemcitabine. These results strongly support the combination approach incorporated into the design of our planned Phase IIb study."

Clinical results from Can-Fite’s Phase 2a study of namodenoson in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma have been accepted for presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2026.

About Namodenoson

Namodenoson is a small orally bioavailable drug that binds with high affinity and selectivity to the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR). Namodenoson is currently being evaluated in a pivotal Phase 3 trial for advanced liver cancer, concluded successfully a Phase 2a study in pancreatic cancer and is enrolling patients in a Phase 2b trial for the treatment of Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatohepatitis (MASH). A3AR is highly expressed in diseased cells whereas low expression is found in normal cells. This differential expression may be one of the important factors that accounts for the excellent safety profile of the drug.

(Press release, Can-Fite BioPharma, AUG 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234670175])

On August 17, 2026 AB Science S.A. (the "Company" or "AB Science," Euronext – FR0010557264 – AB) reported the successful settlement and delivery of the securities issued as part of its capital increases subscribed to by a limited number of investors and announced on August 10, 2026 (the "Private Placement").

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As announced on August 10, 2026, the Private Placement, totaling EUR 14.2 million (including the issuance premium and excluding the potential exercise of BSA-1 and BSA-2 warrants), was carried out through the issuance, without preemptive subscription rights and without a priority period, of:

(i) 3,606,560 new common shares of the Company (the "New Shares") issued at a price of EUR 0.61 per share, each accompanied by a stock subscription warrant (a "BSA-1") – five BSA-1s entitle their holder to subscribe for three new common shares of the Company at a price of EUR 1.00 per common share; and

(ii) 19,672,132 New Shares issued at a price of EUR 0.61 per share, each accompanied by a stock subscription warrant (a "BSA-2") – four BSA-2s entitle their holder to subscribe for seven new common shares of the Company at a price of EUR 1.00 per common share.

If all BSA-1s and BSA-2s are exercised, a total of 36,590,166 additional common shares of the Company will be issued, representing total additional proceeds of approximately EUR 36.6 million. Thus, taking into account the issuance of the New Shares and the potential future exercise of the BSA-1 and BSA-2 warrants, the total amount of the Private Placement will amount, if applicable, to approximately EUR 50.8 million.

On this basis, the ownership interest of a shareholder holding 1.00% of the Company’s share capital prior to the completion of the Private Placement and who did not subscribe to it is now 0.7747% on an undiluted basis and 0.6072% on a diluted basis prior to the exercise of the BSA-1 and BSA-2 warrants, and 0.5721% on a non-diluted basis and 0.5332% on a diluted basis after the exercise of BSA-1 and BSA-2 warrants.

Finally, it is confirmed that Stéphane Ledermann, the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, participated in the Private Placement in the amount of EUR 150,000.

About masitinib

Masitinib is a novel oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is being developed to target mast cells and macrophages, key immune cells, through inhibition of a limited number of kinases. Through its activity on mast cells and microglial cells and therefore its inhibitory effect on the activation of the inflammatory process, masitinib may have an effect on the course of central nervous system diseases.

About AB8939

AB8939 is a new synthetic microtubule-destabilizing drug candidate. Preclinical data suggests that AB8939 has broad anticancer activity, with a notable advantage over standard chemotherapies that target microtubules of being able to overcome P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) mediated drug resistance. Development of drug resistance often restricts the clinical efficacy of microtubule-targeting chemotherapy drugs (for example, taxanes and vinca alkaloids); thus, AB8939 has the potential to be developed in numerous oncology indications.

(Press release, AB Science, AUG 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234670174])

On August 17, 2026 Sandoz (SIX:SDZ/OTCQX:SDZNY), the global leader in affordable medicines, reported a major development, manufacturing and commercialisation collaboration agreement with Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. (Henlius, HKEX:02696), marking another significant step to broaden patient access to high-quality biosimilar medicines worldwide.

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The agreement paves the way for the two companies to collaborate on up to 10 biosimilars, with an initial bundle of assets already agreed. Under its terms, Sandoz will have global commercialisation rights for agreed biosimilar assets outside China, while Henlius will be responsible for development and manufacturing. The collaboration agreement is milestones-based for a total consideration of up to USD 322 million, with near-term payments associated with the initial assets that could reach up to USD 100.5 million.

Richard Saynor, Chief Executive Officer, Sandoz, says: "Expanding access to life-enhancing medicines for patients around the world lies at the heart of everything we do. By strengthening our collaboration with Henlius through this strategic agreement, one of our largest ever in biosimilars, we are not only underlining our commitment to patients but also taking another step towards capturing a significant share of the unprecedented biosimilar market opportunity that lies ahead."

One of the initial assets under the agreement will be a proposed cetuximab biosimilar, which is in clinical development. The reference medicine, Erbitux* (cetuximab), is an epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted oncology therapy used to treat selected patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck2, 3. Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide4. According to the latest estimates, close to one million new cases of head and neck cancer are reported annually5.

In addition, the collaboration also covers a proposed evolocumab biosimilar used in patients with hypercholesterolaemia and for reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults at increased cardiovascular risk6, and a proposed belimumab biosimilar intended for the treatment of active systemic lupus erythematosus in adults and children and active lupus nephritis in eligible patients, in addition to standard therapy7.Finally, there is an option for a recombinant human hyaluronidase to be used in the development of a subcutaneously administered biosimilar, which increases the dispersion and absorption of other injected medicines. The proposed evolocumab biosimilar and recombinant human hyaluronidase are in technical development, while belimumab is in early development.

Overall, the collaboration expands the industry-leading Sandoz biosimilar pipeline to 39 assets1, with the potential to increase to up to 46, and represents another milestone in the Company’s strategy to capitalise on a significant share of the unprecedented global biosimilar loss-of-exclusivity market over the next decade. It also builds on the existing collaboration between the two companies, first established in April 2025 through a global collaboration agreement for oncology therapy ipilimumab.

Sandoz continues to expand its industry-leading pipeline of biosimilar medicines, building on its experience as the pioneer and global leader with a portfolio of 13 molecules available in nearly 100 countries.

*Erbitux is a registered trademark of ImClone LLC.

(Press release, Sandoz, AUG 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234670161])

On August 17, 2026 AbelZeta Pharma, Inc. ("AbelZeta" or the "Company"), a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative and proprietary cell-based therapeutic products, reported that the Company received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of IND application for C-CAR039, also known as Prizloncabtagene Autoleucel (Prizlon-cel), an anti-CD20/CD19 bispecific CAR-T, for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (r/r) Large B-cell Lymphoma (LBCL).

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In July 2026, AbelZeta regained all development, regulatory, manufacturing, commercialization, out-licensing and other collaboration rights relating to C-CAR039. The Company is currently working with the FDA to finalize the protocols for clinical development in third- or later-line LBCL patients previously treated with CAR-T therapies and second-line LBCL patients that are CAR-T therapy treatment naïve.

The program is supported by encouraging long-term clinical data presented at European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) in March 2026. Results from 48 patients with r/r B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) enrolled in the Company’s early clinical trials in China demonstrated a favorable safety profile and deep and durable responses, with an overall response rate (ORR) of 91.5% and complete response (CR) rate of 85.1%. Median PFS was 60.1 months at a median follow-up of 53.9 months.

"We are pleased to welcome C-CAR039 back to our hematology malignancy portfolio," said Tony (Bizuo) Liu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AbelZeta. "Clinical trial results to date have demonstrated the favorable safety and encouraging efficacy of C-CAR039 in r/r LBCL patients. We believe that it has potential to help patients who have been treated and relapsed with commercially approved CAR-T therapies. This population has significant unmet medical needs and C-CAR039 represents a solution. We will also explore the potential of C-CAR039 in early lines of LBCL. We remain confident about the potential of C-CAR039 and are fully committed to accelerating the global development of C-CAR039, leveraging our extensive expertise in cell therapy."

The registrational Phase II clinical trial of C-CAR039 for r/r LBCL in CAR-T therapy naïve patients in China is still ongoing.

(Press release, AbelZeta, AUG 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234670158])

On August 16, 2026 HUTCHMED (China) Limited ("HUTCHMED") (Nasdaq/AIM:HCM; HKEX:13) reported that positive high-level results from the SAFFRON Phase III trial showed ORPATHYS (savolitinib) plus TAGRISSO (osimertinib) demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in both progression-free survival ("PFS") and overall survival ("OS") versus doublet platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated ("EGFRm") non-small cell lung cancer ("NSCLC"). Patients in the trial had tumors with high levels of MET overexpression or amplification and had progressed on prior treatment with TAGRISSO.

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Third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors ("TKIs") have significantly improved outcomes for patients with EGFRm NSCLC.1 However, one in three patients’ tumors will develop MET overexpression or amplification, one of the most common mechanisms of resistance on third-generation EGFR-TKIs.1,2 MET-driven resistance is associated with poor prognosis, and there is a significant unmet need for effective and well-tolerated treatment options in later-line settings.2

Professor Shun Lu, Director of Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine and principal investigator of the trial, said: "These exciting results from SAFFRON represent a critical advance for patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer experiencing MET-driven resistance after osimertinib, a population with poor outcomes and no biomarker-directed treatment options available that are oral and well-tolerated. MET is one of the most common drivers of progression on targeted therapy in this setting, and these data underscore the potential impact of this novel osimertinib plus savolitinib combination and the urgency of MET testing to inform treatment decisions."​

Dr Weiguo Su, Chief Executive Officer* and Chief Scientific Officer of HUTCHMED, said: "Overcoming MET-driven resistance after EGFR TKI therapy has been a long-standing challenge in clinical practice. The SAFFRON global study further reinforces the robust efficacy previously demonstrated in the SACHI Phase III trial that supported approval in China, with the results providing clear evidence to support global registrations of the TAGRISSO and ORPATHYS combination. We are grateful to everyone who supported this trial. Together with AstraZeneca, we look forward to potentially bringing this landmark treatment to patients around the world."

Dr Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology Hematology R&D, AstraZeneca, said: "These data demonstrate the clear benefit of adding ORPATHYS to backbone therapy TAGRISSO to address MET overexpression or amplification while maintaining EGFR suppression. By combining ORPATHYS and TAGRISSO, with its established efficacy, safety profile and central nervous system protection, we aim to deliver the first biomarker-directed, all-oral option in this setting to patients across the globe. This further strengthens our leadership in EGFR-mutated lung cancer, reinforcing our strategy to improve patient outcomes across stages and through lines of therapy with novel combinations."

The safety profile for ORPATHYS plus TAGRISSO was consistent with the known profiles of each medicine, and there were no new safety findings. These data will be presented at a forthcoming medical meeting and shared with global regulatory authorities.

ORPATHYS plus TAGRISSO is approved in China for patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFRm NSCLC with MET amplification after disease progression on EGFR-TKI therapy based on the SACHI Phase III trial.

ORPATHYS is being jointly developed by AstraZeneca and HUTCHMED and commercialized by AstraZeneca.

About NSCLC and MET aberrations

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death globally, accounting for almost one in four (23%) cancer deaths.3 Lung cancer is broadly split into NSCLC and small cell lung cancer, with 80-85% of patients diagnosed with NSCLC.4 Approximately 75% of NSCLC patients are diagnosed with advanced disease.5 Additionally, about 10-15% of NSCLC patients in the US and Europe, and 30-40% of patients in Asia, have EGFRm NSCLC.​6,7,8

MET is a tyrosine kinase receptor that has an essential role in normal cell development.9 MET overexpression or amplification can lead to tumor growth and the metastatic progression of cancer cells.9,10 An estimated 34% of tumors will develop high levels of MET overexpression or amplification after progression on a third-generation EGFR TKI.1

About SAFFRON

SAFFRON is a randomized, open-label, multi-center, global Phase III trial studying the efficacy of ORPATHYS (300mg twice daily) added to TAGRISSO (80mg once daily) versus doublet platinum-based chemotherapy in 338 patients with EGFRm, locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with MET overexpression or amplification whose disease progressed following first- or second-line treatment with TAGRISSO. The trial enrolled patients in 230 centers across 29 countries, including in North America, Europe, South America and Asia. The primary endpoint is PFS and key secondary endpoints include OS and objective response rate (ORR).

Patients were prospectively selected for SAFFRON using the high MET level cut-offs identified in the SAVANNAH Phase II trial. ​In SAVANNAH, MET overexpression or amplification levels were determined by two tests: immunohistochemistry (IHC), which detects if cancer cells have a particular protein or marker on their surface, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), which detects a specific DNA sequence from cancer cells.

About ORPATHYS

ORPATHYS (savolitinib) is an oral, potent and highly selective MET TKI that has demonstrated clinical activity in advanced solid tumors. It blocks atypical activation of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase pathway that occurs because of mutations (such as exon 14 skipping alterations or other point mutations), gene amplification or protein overexpression.

ORPATHYS is approved in China for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with MET exon 14 skipping alteration, representing the first selective MET inhibitor approved in China. ORPATHYS also received a conditional approval in China for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction (GC/GEJ) adenocarcinoma patients with MET amplification who have failed at least two prior systemic treatments. ORPATHYS in combination with TAGRISSO is approved in China for patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR mutation-positive non-squamous NSCLC with MET amplification after disease progression on EGFR TKI therapy based on the SACHI Phase III trial. The combination was also granted a temporary authorization in Switzerland for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFRm NSCLC and high levels of MET overexpression or amplification who progressed on prior treatment with TAGRISSO. This was based on results from the global SAVANNAH Phase II trial.

About TAGRISSO

TAGRISSO (osimertinib) is a third-generation, irreversible EGFR-TKI with proven clinical activity in NSCLC, including the treatment of central nervous system metastases. TAGRISSO (40mg and 80mg QD oral tablets) has been used to treat more than one million patients across its indications worldwide and AstraZeneca continues to explore TAGRISSO as a treatment for patients across multiple stages of EGFRm NSCLC.

TAGRISSO is approved as monotherapy in more than 120 countries including the US, EU, China and Japan. Approved indications include for first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFRm NSCLC, locally advanced or metastatic EGFR T790M mutation-positive NSCLC, adjuvant treatment of early-stage EGFRm NSCLC and locally advanced, unresectable NSCLC following platinum-based chemoradiation therapy. TAGRISSO is also approved in combination with chemotherapy in more than 80 countries, including the US, EU, China and Japan, for first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFRm NSCLC.

There is an extensive body of evidence supporting the use of TAGRISSO in EGFRm NSCLC, and it is the only targeted therapy shown to improve patient outcomes across all stages of the disease.

In late-stage disease, TAGRISSO demonstrated improved outcomes as monotherapy in the FLAURA Phase III trial and in combination with chemotherapy in the FLAURA2 Phase III trial. TAGRISSO is also being investigated in this setting in combination with DATROWAY (datopotamab deruxtecan or Dato-DXd) in the TROPION-Lung14 and TROPION-Lung15 Phase III trials.

TAGRISSO also showed improved outcomes in early-stage disease in the NeoADAURA and ADAURA Phase III trials and in locally advanced stages in the LAURA Phase III trial. As part of AstraZeneca’s ongoing commitment to treating patients as early as possible in lung cancer, TAGRISSO is also being investigated in the early-stage adjuvant resectable setting in the ADAURA2 Phase III trial.

(Press release, Hutchison China MediTech, AUG 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234670162])