On October 1, 2026 mAbxience reported that Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA has acquired the remaining 45% of mAbxience from Insud Pharma, building on the successful partnership established between the two companies in 2022 and marking the beginning of a new phase of growth for the company.

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!

Fresenius acquired a 55% majority stake in mAbxience in August 2022 and has consolidated the business since then. Full ownership completes that structure: mAbxience biosimilars platform is now wholly owned within Fresenius Kabi’s Biopharma business, which covers the full value chain from development and manufacturing through to commercialization.

The acquisition builds on a successful partnership that has already delivered important development, manufacturing, technology-transfer and regulatory milestones. This collaboration has contributed to the expansion of manufacturing capabilities, the advancement of technology transfer programs and the strengthening of mAbxience’s position as a global biopharmaceutical company. Bringing the organizations together under full ownership creates a stronger platform to enhance quality and supply resilience, while supporting future innovation and broader patient access to high-quality biosimilars at a time when a large wave of biologics is losing exclusivity.

Michael Sen, Chief Executive Officer of Fresenius, said: "Completing the acquisition of mAbxience marks the next milestone in building a leading, vertically integrated biopharma business at scale. When we first invested in mAbxience four years ago, the market opportunity was promising but still evolving. Our initial majority stake gave us access to a highly competitive platform while managing risk. Since then, the market has developed strongly, mAbxience has delivered, and Fresenius now has the financial strength to take this next step. Full ownership gives us complete control over cost, capacity and launch timing, and full economic benefit, as the next wave of biologics loses exclusivity. For patients, that means dependable access to high-quality biosimilars; for shareholders, it is a disciplined investment in a business we know well."

Jurgen van Broeck, Chief Executive Officer of mAbxience, said: "mAbxience was founded to serve patients, while proving that world-class biologics could be developed and manufactured at a cost the world could afford. Since 2022, our partnership with Fresenius has demonstrated the strength of combining our people, expertise and capabilities. I would also like to recognize and thank Insud Pharma for its support and commitment over the past decade. The success of mAbxience today is built on the vision, dedication and hard work of many people who have contributed to this journey from the very beginning. Full ownership is the natural next step and creates an even stronger platform for innovation, growth and long-term impact for patients, customers, and partners. As we begin this next chapter together, we will continue to build on the entrepreneurial spirit, scientific expertise and commitment to patients that have driven mAbxience’s success."

mAbxience will continue to support its existing customers and partners, and the company remains fully committed to maintaining quality, reliable supply and the delivery of its ongoing commitments worldwide.

Jurgen Van Broeck, Chief Executive Officer of mAbxience, will continue to lead the business, reporting to Dr. Sang-Jin Pak, President Biopharma at Fresenius.

(Press release, Fresenius, OCT 1, 2026, View Source [SID1234671213])

On October 1, 2026 Defence Therapeutics Inc. ("Defence" or the "Company"), (CSE: DTC, OTCQB: DTCFF, FSE: DTC), a publicly traded biotechnology company developing next-generation precision oncology therapeutics using its proprietary Accum platform, reported its participation in the 17th World ADC San Diego, taking place October 12–15, 2026, in San Diego, California.

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!

World ADC San Diego is a leading global forum dedicated to antibody-drug conjugates ("ADCs"), bringing together leaders from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, emerging innovators, academia and the clinical community to exchange scientific insights, foster collaboration and advance the development of next-generation ADCs.

Defence to Lead Discussion on the Next Frontier in ADC Development:

As part of the conference program, Dr. Amie Phinney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Defence Therapeutics, will take the stage on Wednesday, October 14, at 12:30 p.m. for a presentation and fireside discussion entitled "Beyond Antibody, Linker & Payload – Is Intracellular Delivery the Next Frontier for ADCs?"

The discussion will explore how intracellular trafficking and processing can influence ADC activity; whether improving intracellular delivery could enhance the performance of existing ADCs or create opportunities for ADCs in development; and how emerging technologies may help address these challenges.

The session provides an opportunity for Defence to introduce the scientific rationale underlying its proprietary Accum intracellular delivery platform within the broader evolution of ADC technology and to engage with industry leaders on potential applications and collaborations.

"The ADC field has made remarkable advances in antibody engineering, linker chemistry and payload development, but intracellular delivery represents another important dimension of ADC performance," said Dr. Amie Phinney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Defence Therapeutics. "World ADC provides an ideal forum to bring together different perspectives on where the field goes next. We look forward to contributing to that discussion while exploring how Accum may complement existing and emerging ADC technologies."

In addition to its on-stage participation, Defence will present its latest Accum-ADC research during the conference scientific poster session on Tuesday afternoon. The poster, entitled "Accum: A Plug-In Intracellular Trafficking Platform for Next-Generation ADCs," will be presented by Dr. Guillaume Lefrançois, Senior Scientist at Defence Therapeutics, and will highlight the Company’s ongoing work evaluating Accum as an intracellular trafficking platform for ADCs.

Defence’s team will be available throughout the conference to meet with researchers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies interested in learning more about the Accum platform and Defence’s ADC-enhancement profiling programs. Those interested in connecting with Defence during World ADC San Diego are encouraged to contact the Company at [email protected]

(Press release, Defence Therapeutics, OCT 1, 2026, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=defence-therapeutics-to-take-the-stage-at-world-adc-san-diego-to-discuss-the-next-frontier-in-antibody-drug-conjugates [SID1234671212])

On October 1, 2026 Akari Therapeutics, Plc (Nasdaq: AKTX), an oncology biotechnology company developing antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) with a novel RNA splicing disrupting payload, reported the filing of PCT/US2026/45955, expanding the Company’s growing intellectual property portfolio around its novel splicing-modulating payload, PH1 and PH1-based ADCs.

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!

Alternative splicing enables cells to generate different proteins from a single gene. Cancer cells can exploit this process to produce protein variants called ‘isoforms’ that support tumor growth, proliferation and survival and promote resistance to therapy. This PCT filing expands Akari’s current patent portfolio relating to its proprietary Thailanstatin payload ADCs and the payload’s ability to disrupt alternatively spliced protein isoforms that many cancers use to survive, proliferate and spread. Accordingly, Akari’s payload PH1 uses a differentiated approach compared with traditional ADC payloads that primarily rely on tubulin inhibition (i.e., vedotin) or DNA damage as (i.e., topoisomerase I Inhibitors) mechanisms of action.

The new PCT application includes claims relating to PH1’s modulation of alternative splicing involving multiple genes associated with tumor progression, including pathways involved in:

Inhibiting Angiogenesis: PH1 altered VEGF-A splicing, shifting cancer cells from a VEGF-A isoform with the ability to supply tumors with blood vessels bringing in nutrients and oxygen (pro-angiogenic) toward the VEGF-165b isoform that prevented blood vessel recruitment to tumors (anti-angiogenic). This switch may disrupt the ability of tumors to recruit the blood vessels necessary to support their growth and spread.
Facilitating programmed cell death of the tumor: Cancer cells produce soluble versions of the death receptor FAS to prevent immune cells expressing the FAS ligand from recognizing the cancer cell and killing it. PH1 altered the splicing of FAS to a version that would be anchored on cell surfaces (transmembrane isoform) making the cancer cells susceptible to immune cell-mediated cell death.
Disrupting hormone and oncogenic signaling in prostate cancer: In prostate cancer cells, PH1 demonstrated reductions in both wild-type androgen receptor (WT-AR) and the oncogenic splice variant AR-V7. WT-AR plays an important role in hormone-dependent prostate cancer, while AR-V7 is a signaling oncogene that drives tumor growth in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (after hormone ablation therapy fails).
Together, these collective findings further demonstrate the versatility of PH1’s mechanism of action and its potential to disrupt different alternative splicing pathways that different cancers rely upon for survival, growth and metastasis.

Abizer Gaslightwala, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akari Therapeutics, commented, "This PCT filing represents another important expansion of our intellectual property portfolio and further demonstrates the differentiated potential of PH1 as a novel ADC payload with unique properties vs. current ADC payloads. These claims illustrate PH1’s potential to impact multiple fundamental mechanisms that cancer tumors use to survive and spread, including angiogenesis, oncogene signaling and avoiding programmed cell death. We believe the breadth of this biology further supports the potential of PH1 as a platform payload for the development of differentiated ADCs across multiple tumor targets and cancer types. As we continue to expand our understanding of PH1, we are building an increasingly robust intellectual property foundation for our novel PH1 payload and ADC portfolio."

(Press release, Akari Therapeutics, OCT 1, 2026, View Source [SID1234671211])

On October 1, 2026 AIM ImmunoTech Inc. (NYSE American: AIM) ("AIM" or the "Company") reported recent media coverage focused on the Company’s development strategy for Ampligen (rintatolimod) in metastatic pancreatic cancer, including the scientific rationale for targeting immune resistance and the continued advancement of the Phase 2 DURIPANC clinical trial ("DURIPANC").

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!

Recent coverage includes:

Med World News: AIM ImmunoTech’s Ampligen Program Targets One of Pancreatic Cancer’s Hardest Barriers
Pharma Tech News: Inside AIM ImmunoTech’s Ampligen Strategy for Targeting Immune Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat, in part because of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment that can limit the effectiveness of immune-based therapies. Recent features have examined Ampligen’s potential to help address this challenge through its immune-modulating activity and the rationale for evaluating the drug in combination with checkpoint inhibition.

AIM successfully concluded a Netherlands-approved Named Patient Program ("NPP") in which 57 patients with radiologically stable pancreatic cancer after FOLFIRINOX received Ampligen as a maintenance treatment, with highly encouraging findings of Overall Survival, safety and improved Quality of Life. Ampligen is also being evaluated in combination with AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (durvalumab) in the Phase 2 DURIPANC clinical trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer, with interim reports of immune system changes that suggest a coordinated activation of innate and adaptive responses, and all while the combination therapy is reported as being well-tolerated and patients consistently report a high Quality of Life throughout treatment. The study has completed final Ampligen dosing, representing an important clinical milestone as the program advances toward topline results expected in the first quarter of 2027.

"The recent media attention around Ampligen reflects the important scientific rationale behind our pancreatic cancer strategy, supported by the meaningful clinical progress we have made with DURIPANC," said AIM Chief Executive Officer Thomas K. Equels. "With DURIPANC final Ampligen dosing complete and topline results expected in the first quarter of 2027, we are approaching an important inflection point for the program. We believe that the NPP data combined with the upcoming DURIPANC data – including exploratory biomarker analyses that may help AIM to better understand patient response – will provide important insight into Ampligen’s potential role in metastatic pancreatic cancer and help inform the design of a planned pivotal clinical trial."

(Press release, AIM ImmunoTech, OCT 1, 2026, View Source [SID1234671210])

On September 30, 2026 Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (AIM: FARN, First North: FARON), a global, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on creating innovative cancer treatments that leverage the patient’s own immune system, reported that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 1/2 BLAZE investigator-initiated trial.

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 trial evaluates Faron’s lead asset, bexmarilimab, in combination with the widely used anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab (OPDIVO) in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and melanoma who have developed resistance to and experienced disease progression on prior immunotherapy. The trial will evaluate the safety and antitumor activity of the combination in this treatment-resistant setting. For more information on the IIT: NCT07718243.

The BLAZE trial is led by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, operating in partnership with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

Anna Minchom, MD, Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Group Leader at The Institute of Cancer Research, and Principal Investigator of the trial, said, "Overcoming secondary resistance to immunotherapy is an urgent priority for advanced lung cancer and melanoma patients. Tumor-associated macrophages are increasingly recognized as key drivers of immune resistance in these tumors, and bexmarilimab offers a mechanistically distinct approach to potentially addressing this. Treating our first patient moves us into a true proof-of-concept setting that we hope will translate into a meaningful clinical advance for patients."

The enrollment marks the first patient treated in the BLAZE trial and first clinical evaluation of bexmarilimab in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor in patients with acquired resistance to immunotherapy. The BLAZE trial leverages a mechanism-driven sequential priming strategy: patients receive an initial run-in dose of bexmarilimab, aiming to reprogram the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, before transitioning to a combination of bexmarilimab and nivolumab to restore sensitivity to checkpoint inhibition. The rationale rests on emerging evidence that tumor-associated macrophages are a primary driver of secondary resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy — and that Clever-1 blockade may be uniquely positioned to reverse this resistance mechanism.

Petri Bono, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Faron, stated, "We are proud to see initiation of the BLAZE trial. Overcoming checkpoint resistance is one of the major frontiers in oncology, and clinical responses in this setting would represent proof-of-concept of resistance reversal. This is particularly meaningful given that patients have previously responded to and received at least six months of anti-PD-1 treatment before entering the trial. Given the large NSCLC and melanoma populations and the broad use of nivolumab, a positive signal here could have significant implications beyond this trial. Expanding bexmarilimab into a combination setting with a widely used PD-1 inhibitor is a core pillar of our clinical development strategy. We are pleased to support the work led by the exceptional teams at the ICR and The Royal Marsden and look forward to the data generated through the trial."

About bexmarilimab

Bexmarilimab is Faron’s wholly owned, investigational immunotherapy designed to overcome resistance to existing treatments and optimize clinical outcomes by targeting myeloid cell function. It binds to Clever-1, a receptor on immunosuppressive macrophages that helps cancer evade the immune system. By targeting Clever-1, bexmarilimab reprograms the tumor microenvironment to ignite a potent anti-tumor immune response.

(Press release, Faron Pharmaceuticals, SEP 30, 2026, View Source [SID1234671206])