On October 5, 2026 ORIC Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ORIC), a clinical stage oncology company focused on developing and commercializing treatments that address mechanisms of therapeutic resistance, reported an agreement with Cancer Research UK, one of the world’s largest funders of cancer research, to advance a potential first-in-class CIP2A-targeted therapy into clinical development.

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Under the agreement, Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development (CDD) will fully fund, sponsor, design, and execute CTA-enabling studies and early clinical development of ORIC-259 for patients with cancer. ORIC retains an option to reacquire rights to ORIC-259 following Phase 1/2 data, with Cancer Research UK eligible to receive downstream milestone payments and royalties.

Cancerous Inhibitor of PP2A (CIP2A) is a protein that contributes to the development and progression of many cancer types due to its role in protein phosphorylation, mitosis, and DNA damage response. ORIC-259 is a potent, selective, orally bioavailable small molecule degrader of CIP2A mRNA. This potential first-in-class mRNA degrader is designed to modify mRNA splicing to incorporate a premature stop codon, leading to mRNA degradation and loss of CIP2A protein, which is critical for cell proliferation and survival of cancers with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). Promising preclinical data highlight robust antitumor activity in PARP inhibitor sensitive and resistant settings, indicating broad potential for patients with HRD cancers, and supports the path to clinical development for ORIC-259.

"We are excited to partner with Cancer Research UK to advance ORIC-259, a potential first-in-class CIP2A-targeted therapy, into the clinic," said Lori Friedman, PhD, chief scientific officer. "Cancer Research UK’s proven expertise and capabilities in developing innovative cancer therapies make it an ideal partner for the program, while this structure allows us to remain disciplined in allocating our internal resources to our late-stage clinical pipeline."

"ORIC-259 represents an innovative approach to targeting CIP2A, a protein with significant potential in cancer but one that has proven difficult to drug," said Lars Erwig, Director of the CDD. "We share ORIC’s mission to overcome treatment resistance in cancer, and we look forward to applying our expertise to explore new treatment options for patients."

(Press release, ORIC Pharmaceuticals, OCT 5, 2026, View Source [SID1234673189])

On October 5, 2026 Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: APRE) ("Aprea", or the "Company"), a clinical-stage precision medicine oncology company focused on the discovery and development of targeted therapies for patients with biomarker-defined cancers, reported that Oren Gilad PhD, President and CEO, will participate in the 2026 Maxim Growth Summit, to take place October 12-14 in New York City and the Regional Biotechnology Conference, to take place October 15 in Doylestown, PA.

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Maxim Growth Summit

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 14, 9am ET
Format: Fireside Chat
Location: Hard Rock Hotel, New York City

A webcast of the fireside chat will be available on demand to registered conference attendees. For more information and a complete agenda, please refer to View Source

If you would like to arrange a 1on1 meeting with Aprea management during the conference, please contact your Maxim representative.

Regional Biotechnology Conference 2026

Date and Time: Thursday, October 15, 9am – 12noon ET
Format: Panel Discussions
Location: Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center
3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA 18902

For more information and a complete agenda, please refer to View Source

(Press release, Aprea, OCT 5, 2026, View Source [SID1234673188])

On October 5, 2026 Revolution Medicines, Inc. (Nasdaq: RVMD), a global, commercial-stage oncology company dedicated to discovering, developing and delivering innovative medicines for patients with RAS-addicted cancers, reported that it has begun treating patients in RASolute 309, a global, randomized Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the combination of RASONQUE (daraxonrasib), a RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor, and zoldonrasib, an investigational RAS(ON) G12D-selective inhibitor, as a first-line treatment in adult patients with metastatic RAS G12D pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

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"RAS G12D is the most common RAS variant in PDAC," said Alan Sandler, M.D., chief development officer of Revolution Medicines. "In preclinical studies, the combination of RAS(ON) multi-selective and G12D-selective inhibitors achieved deeper and more sustained suppression of RAS signaling than either agent alone, accompanied by greater tumor control. Likewise, initial clinical data showed that RASONQUE plus zoldonrasib delivered compelling antitumor activity in patients with previously treated metastatic PDAC, with a manageable safety and tolerability profile. In the context of the unmet need in this patient population, these findings informed the design of the first-line RASolute 309 trial in patients with PDAC. RASolute 309 is the first Phase 3 study evaluating a RAS(ON) inhibitor doublet approach and it marks an important milestone in our efforts to advance a range of potential treatment options for patients with RAS-driven cancers across tumor types and treatment settings."

RASolute 309 (NCT07805954) is a global, randomized, open-label Phase 3 trial evaluating RASONQUE plus zoldonrasib compared with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (GnP) as a first-line treatment in adult patients with metastatic RAS G12D PDAC. The dual primary endpoints are progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival. Key secondary endpoints include PFS, objective response rate, duration of response, safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and patient-reported outcomes.

About Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, or PDAC, is the most common form of pancreatic cancer and among the most challenging malignancies. Approximately 55,000 people are diagnosed with PDAC in the U.S. each year, and more than 50,000 die from the disease.1,2 Because early-stage pancreatic cancer often causes few or no symptoms, approximately 80% of patients are diagnosed after the disease has spread, when treatment options are more limited. For patients with metastatic PDAC, the five-year relative survival rate is approximately 3% in the U.S.3,4 RAS G12D is the most prevalent RAS mutation subtype in PDAC, occurring in 40% of patients.5

About Zoldonrasib

Zoldonrasib is an investigational, oral, RAS(ON) G12D-selective, covalent tri-complex inhibitor that binds to cyclophilin A, creating a binary complex that binds to and inhibits the active, oncogenic RAS(ON) G12D mutation. RAS G12D is the most prevalent RAS mutation, accounting for 29% of all RAS-driven cancers.5 Across tumor types, approximately 61,000 new patients with RAS G12D cancers are estimated each year in the U.S., and no targeted therapy is currently approved for these patients.6 Zoldonrasib is currently being evaluated as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies, including with RASONQUE, Revolution Medicines’ RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor, as well as standard of care regimens in lung and gastrointestinal cancers.

About RASONQUE (daraxonrasib)

RASONQUE (daraxonrasib) is an oral, RAS(ON) multi-selective, noncovalent, tri-complex inhibitor, approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who have received at least one prior systemic therapy or who are not candidates for multiagent systemic therapy.7 RASONQUE is being investigated through a global Phase 3 registrational program in patients with PDAC and metastatic RAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer. Outside the U.S., RASONQUE is an investigational agent that has not been approved by any regulatory authority.

U.S. FDA APPROVED INDICATION

RASONQUE is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who have received at least one prior systemic therapy or who are not candidates for multiagent systemic therapy.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR U.S. APPROVED INDICATION

RASONQUE is associated with the following Warnings and Precautions: Dermatologic and Soft Tissue Toxicity, Stomatitis and Oral Disorders, Diarrhea, Gastrointestinal Perforation, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)/Pneumonitis, and Embryo-Fetal Toxicity.

Serious adverse reactions occurred in 30% of patients treated with RASONQUE. Serious adverse reactions occurring in ≥ 2% of patients treated with RASONQUE were diarrhea (3.7%), pyrexia (3.3%), sepsis (2.9%), fatigue (2.1%), and hemorrhage (2.1%).

The most common (≥ 20%) adverse reactions in patients treated with RASONQUE were rash, diarrhea, stomatitis, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, abdominal pain, edema, decreased appetite, and hemorrhage.

(Press release, Revolution Medicines, OCT 5, 2026, View Source [SID1234673187])

On October 5, 2026 Orion Corporation (Orion Pharma) reported that the first patient has been dosed in the BICIDES Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-tumor activity of ODM-216, an investigational bispecific antibody simultaneously targeting PVRIG and PD-L1 in patients with advanced solid tumors. ODM-216 is Orion Pharma’s first biologic candidate and first immuno-oncology treatment to enter clinical testing in humans. ODM-216 is a key component of Orion Pharma’s immuno-oncology portfolio, including several assets in the pre-clinical pipeline.

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"Treating the first patient in the ODM-216 BICIDES study is a significant achievement for Orion Pharma and an important moment in the evolution of our long-term global R&D strategy to expand our capabilities beyond small molecules and into biologics," said Professor Outi Vaarala, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Research & Development at Orion Pharma. "As both our first biologic and first immuno-oncology candidate to reach clinical stage, ODM-216 reflects our team’s commitment to discovering and advancing innovative new treatment approaches that further strengthen our foundation for a diversified future oncology pipeline. We look forward to evaluating ODM-216 in the clinic as we continue our mission for people living with difficult-to-treat cancers."

ODM-216’s advancement is fueled by Orion Pharma’s internal research & development efforts across its global R&D organization located in Finland, the UK and the US, including the company’s Biologics Research & Development Centre in Cambridge, UK, which was established in 2025 to strengthen Orion Pharma’s biologics capabilities.

The Phase 1/2 trial is known as BICIDES and more information can be found on ClinicalTrials.gov using identifier: NCT07805252.

About ODM-216
ODM-216 is an investigational anticancer medicine being developed by Orion Pharma. Designed to activate anti-tumor immune responses, ODM-216 is a bispecific antibody simultaneously targeting PVRIG and PD-L1, two immune-regulatory pathways involved in cancer growth and progression.

(Press release, Orion, OCT 5, 2026, View Source [SID1234673186])

On October 5, 2026 TuHURA Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:HURA) ("TuHURA" or the "Company"), a Phase 3 immuno-oncology company developing novel therapeutics to overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy, reported that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 12,734,168 entitled, "Delta Opioid Receptor Antagonists Reprogram Immunosuppresive Microenvironment to Boost Immunotherapy." The patent is directed to, among other things, administration of DOR antagonists to subjects having cancer associated with DOR expressing Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs). It is further directed to uses of a variety of DOR antagonist combination therapies in treating, inhibiting, reducing, ameliorating, and/or preventing cancer and/or metastasis.

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"We are the first company to identify both the presence of and central role the DOR plays in modulating the ability of MDSCs to allow cancers to survive in an immunologic sanctuary. Inhibiting the DOR on MDSCs may allow cancer immunotherapies to work better and allow them to keep on working by removing their immunosuppressive shield thereby preventing cancer fighting T cells becoming exhausted. T cell exhaustion remains a major obstacle for cancer immunotherapies," said Dr. James Bianco, President and Chief Executive Officer of TuHURA Biosciences. "Further, we are pleased the patent covers uses of our DOR technology beyond ADCs and its potential application to other important classes of cancer immunotherapies, such as adoptive cellular immunotherapies like CAR-T, T Tregs , or TIL cell therapies. Utilizing our patented DOR technology, we are excited about our progress in advancing our novel class of bi-functional, bi-specific immune modulating ADCs targeting the DOR on MDSCs toward proof-of-concept in preclinical models of blood-related cancers like AML and MDS."

The patent, issued on September 15, 2026, covers administering a DOR antagonist to cancer subjects and mediating immunosuppressive myelopoiesis. Additionally, the patent discloses applications of DOR antagonists not only with bi-specific or bi-functional ADC technology, but also in the context of autologous or allogeneic adoptive cellular immunotherapies such as CAR-T, Treg or TIL cellular therapies. The patent term runs through 2043 before any patent term extension.

(Press release, TuHURA Biosciences, OCT 5, 2026, View Source [SID1234673184])