On June 5, 2018 IONTAS Limited (IONTAS), a leader in the discovery and optimisation of fully human antibodies, reported it has signed a collaboration agreement with Korean-based LG Chem, Ltd. for the discovery of therapeutic antibodies targeting undisclosed targets for use in the treatment of cancers (Press release, Iontas, JUN 5, 2018, View Source [SID1234527189]). Under the agreement IONTAS will use its proprietary antibody discovery platforms to deliver antibodies against biological targets selected by LG Chem, Ltd. and to further prove the biological activity of the antibodies.

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Dr Neil Butt, CBO of IONTAS, said: "This new agreement marks IONTAS’ expansion into the Asian market, and we are delighted to have been selected by LG Chem, Ltd., after a rigorous diligence process. The application of our proprietary technologies will assist LG Chem, Ltd. in expanding its current therapeutic pipeline by generating leads against pre-defined specifications agreed at the project outset."

Dr Myung Jin Kim, Executive Vice President / R&D Leader, Life Sciences R&D of LG Chem, Ltd., said: "IONTAS was selected because of its robust track record and technical know-how. We feel confident this collaboration will result in a strong panel of therapeutic leads which will help develop our oncology pipeline."

Dr Neil Butt and Dr Mike Dyson, CTO of IONTAS, will attend the 2018 BIO International Convention (Boston, MA) from June 4 – 7 and Dr John McCafferty, CEO and Founder of IONTAS, will be at Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics Europe (Amsterdam, NL) from 5 – 7 June.

On June 5, 2018 VBL Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VBLT) reported data on its novel MOSPD2 program in oncology and inflammation at the 2018 BIO International Convention in Boston, Massachusetts (Press release, VBL Therapeutics, JUN 5, 2018, View Source [SID1234527188]).

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"Our research has shown that MOSPD2 plays a key role in the regulation of cell motility," said Dror Harats, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of VBL Therapeutics. "We have generated data indicating that MOSPD2 is required for directional movement, or chemotaxis, of tumor cells and certain immune cells, and therefore appears to play a central role in both oncology and inflammation. We continue to advance our exciting VB-600 series of antibodies as drug candidates for oncology and inflammatory indications."

MOSPD2 can be found in many types of solid tumors, and is highly expressed on tumor cells when they start invading tissues or creating metastatic lesions. VBL’s data indicate that knock-out of MOSPD2 in tumor cells may reduce metastasis by up to 95%. At the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) conference in April this year, VBL presented a late-breaking proof-of-concept study demonstrating antibody-mediated killing of MOSPD2-expressing cancer cells.

VBL research has also shown that knocking-out the MOSPD2 gene in mice could protect the animals from developing some inflammatory diseases. The Company has generated antibodies that block immune cell migration and show efficacy in a model of multiple sclerosis.

VBL is developing the VB-600 platform of biologic drug candidates for oncology and inflammatory indications. The Company plans to file an IND in this program by year-end 2019. For a webcast of VBL’s presentation at BIO see: LINK

On June 5, 2018 TESARO, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSRO), an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company, reported that it has entered into a clinical collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to evaluate the combination of the PD-L1 antibody atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ), the MEK inhibitor cobimetinib (COTELLIC) and TESARO’s PARP inhibitor ZEJULA (niraparib) in patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer (Press release, TESARO, JUN 5, 2018, View Source [SID1234527187]).

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"This partnership enables us to further expand the clinical assessment of niraparib-based combinations as we work to advance therapies for women living with ovarian cancer," said Mary Lynne Hedley, Ph.D., President and COO of TESARO. "Preclinical data has demonstrated potential synergy between MEK and PARP inhibitors, and there is emerging evidence to support an immunomodulatory role for PARP inhibitors. Data suggest the addition of atezolizumab may potentially further enhance the anti-cancer immune response. We look forward to evaluating the potential for this combination to further prolong responses to chemotherapy."

TESARO and Genentech are also working together to evaluate the combination of ZEJULA and atezolizumab in patients with metastatic bladder cancer as a part of MORPHEUS, Roche’s novel cancer immunotherapy development platform. MORPHEUS is a Phase 1b/2 adaptive platform to develop combinations of cancer immunotherapies more rapidly and efficiently. The planned trial will be conducted by Genentech and is expected to begin by the end of 2018.

TECENTRIQ (atezolizumab) and COTELLIC (cobimetinib) are registered trademarks of Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.

About ZEJULA (Niraparib)
ZEJULA (niraparib) is a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor indicated for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. In preclinical studies, ZEJULA concentrates in the tumor relative to plasma, delivering greater than 90% durable inhibition of PARP 1/2 and a persistent antitumor effect. Myelodysplastic Syndrome/Acute Myeloid Leukemia (MDS/AML), including some fatal cases, was reported in patients treated with ZEJULA. Discontinue ZEJULA if MDS/AML is confirmed. Hematologic adverse reactions (thrombocytopenia, anemia and neutropenia), as well as cardiovascular effects (hypertension and hypertensive crisis) have been reported in patients treated with ZEJULA. Monitor complete blood counts to detect hematologic adverse reactions, as well as to detect cardiovascular disorders, during treatment. ZEJULA can cause fetal harm and females of reproductive potential should use effective contraception. Please see full prescribing information, including additional important safety information, available at www.zejula.com.

On June 5, 2018 Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:STML), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel oncology therapeutics, reported that positive data from the SL-701 and SL-801 clinical trials were presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) annual meeting in Chicago, IL (Press release, Stemline Therapeutics, JUN 5, 2018, View Source [SID1234527186]). The presentations are available on Stemline’s website (www.stemline.com) under the Scientific Presentations tab.

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SL-701 – Clinical Highlights

The Phase 2 trial of SL-701 in previously treated GBM patients met its primary endpoint of 12-month overall survival (OS-12)

Long-term survivors: 50% OS-12 with SL-701 + bevacizumab

Major responses, including complete responses (CRs), in second-line GBM

Well-tolerated, with very manageable side effect profile

Long-term survivors were comprised largely of patients with target-specific CD8+ T-cell responses

Median OS of target-specific CD8+ T cell responders not reached

Given the major unmet medical need in GBM and promising safety and efficacy data generated to date with SL-701 + bevacizumab, Stemline is considering next steps including leveraging potential immune-related biomarker in registration-directed trial designs
SL-801 – Clinical Highlights

Manageable safety and tolerability profile, largely grade 1-2 adverse events (AEs), to date
Multiple cases of stable disease (SD) in a heavily pretreated solid tumor patient population
Pharmacokinetic (PK) analyses suggest dose-dependent increases in exposure
Ideal therapeutic dose not yet determined as dose escalation continues
Ivan Bergstein, M.D., Stemline’s CEO, commented, "Our BPDCN disease awareness campaign is kicking into high gear as we approach the end of ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper), and we believe that our key messages around BPDCN and CD123 are resonating. Our SL-401 regulatory and pre-launch activities continue to progress, and our timelines remain on track." Dr. Bergstein continued, "Additionally, our SL-701 and SL-801 clinical presentations were very well-received at the conference, and our investigators are excited and engaged. The SL-701 + bevacizumab combination has been well-tolerated and has shown activity, including the emergence of long-term survivors comprised largely of target-specific CD8+ T cell responders. Given the major unmet medical need in GBM and SL-701’s promising safety and efficacy data, we are considering next steps, including applying these immune data in registration-directed trial designs. Additionally, we are encouraged by SL-801’s tolerability profile as we continue to dose escalate in a heavily pretreated solid tumor patient population of unmet medical need. Enrollment is ongoing, and we look forward to further updates later this year."

On June 5, 2018 Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:PTLA) reported that the company will present at the following conferences in June (Press release, Portola Pharmaceuticals, JUN 5, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2353383 [SID1234527184]):

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Goldman Sachs 39th Annual Global Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at 9:20 a.m. Pacific Time in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

William Blair 38th Annual Growth Stock Conference on Wednesday, June 13, 2018, at 12:40 p.m. Central Time in Chicago, IL.
Both presentations will be webcast live and available for replay from Portola’s website at www.portola.com in the Investor Relations section.