On March 20, 2019 Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: ATNM), reported that preclinical data from the novel combination of its CD33 ARC or Antibody Radiation-Conjugate Actimab-A (lintzumab-Ac-225) with venetoclax has been accepted for poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper), or AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper), Annual Meeting 2019 (Press release, Actinium Pharmaceuticals, MAR 20, 2019, View Source [SID1234534505]). The data to be presented builds on research by Actinium that demonstrated a synergy between Actimab-A and venetoclax, which resulted in greater cancer cell killing. This research supported the initiation of a Phase 1/2 doublet clinical trial studying Actimab-A and venetoclax and a planned Phase 1/2 triplet combination trial of Actimab-A and venetoclax with a hypomethylating agent, both for patients with relapsed or refractory AML or Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Actinium is conducting these trials with the goal of improving outcomes for patients with the addition of Actimab-A to address patients who do not respond, have suboptimal responses, no longer respond and patients who relapse after treatment with venetoclax.

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Venetoclax is a BCL-2 or B-Cell Lymphoma 2 inhibitor jointly developed and marketed by AbbVie and Genentech. BCL-2 is one of several proteins encoded by the BCL2 gene that regulates apoptosis or programmed cell death. MCL-1 is another protein encoded by the BCL2 gene that has been found to be overexpressed in relapsed or refractory AML patients, that prevents apoptosis and promotes resistance to venetoclax which does not bind to MCL-1. It has been observed that MCL-1 levels can be depleted with radiation, but only external radiation was used in these studies. Actinium believes that the targeted internalized radiation from Actimab-A can more effectively deplete MCL-1 levels thereby removing the AML cells’ resistance mechanism and rendering them more susceptible to venetoclax. Actinium has filed a patent on the combination of a targeted alpha-emitting therapeutic such as Actimab-A together with a BCL-2 inhibitor, which includes venetoclax, as a method to treat cancer. The details on Actinium’s poster are as follows:

Title: 225Ac-CD33 Radioimmunotherapy potently increases the sensitivity of resistant acute myeloid leukemia lines to the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax by mediating a reduction in cellular Mcl-1 levels

Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Drug Resistance 5
Session Date and Time: Tuesday Apr 2, 2019 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Georgia World Congress Center, Exhibit Hall B, Poster Section 10
Poster Board Number: 13
Abstract Number: 3808

Dr. Dale Ludwig, Actinium’s Chief Scientific Officer said, "We are excited to present new data from this Actimab-A ARC and venetoclax combination to further support our recently initiated clinical study and prior work. We have high confidence in the mechanistic rationale of the Actimab-A and venetoclax combination and are encouraged by the results we have seen thus far. With radiation being used in the treatment of up to 60% of cancer patients and a growing body of literature supporting the synergies of radiation therapy with other modalities, we are motivated to capitalize on numerous opportunities that can leverage our AWE or Antibody Warhead Enabling technology platform to exploit radiation’s synergistic effects. Indeed, our AWE technology platform is a tool for innovation that has the potential to expand our pipeline and facilitate collaborations and partnerships."

Actimab-A delivers the potent alpha-particle emitting radioisotope Ac-225 or Actinium-225 to cells with the CD33 antigen, which is expressed in the vast majority of patients with AML, MDS or Myelodysplastic Syndrome, and 25-35% of patients with Multiple Myeloma, or MM. Venetoclax is a BCL-2 or B-Cell Lymphoma 2 inhibitor that is jointly developed and marketed by AbbVie and Genentech that is approved for patients with AML, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, and Small Lymphocytic Leukemia. Actinium has initiated a Phase 1/2 trial that is studying Actimab-A in combination with venetoclax for patients with relapsed or refractory AML and is planning a Phase 1/2 trial that is expected to study Actimab-A and venetoclax with a hypomethylating agent also for patients with relapsed or refractory AML.

Dr. Mark Berger, Actinium’s Chief Medical Officer said, "Our Actimab-A venetoclax combination trials are a strategic priority within our CD33 program that demonstrate our ability to rapidly translate research from our AWE technology platform to our clinical pipeline. Our preclinical data demonstrating a synergy between targeted radiation from Actimab-A and venetoclax, together with Actimab-A’s single agent activity and minimal extramedullary toxicities was well received by investigators, allowing us to develop two distinct clinical trials with this novel combination. As a result, we have created multiple opportunities to advance the treatment of patients with unmet needs with our ARC approach."

On March 20, 2019 RhoVac AB (publ) ("RhoVac") reported that FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) has accepted RhoVac’s application for a pre-IND meeting, which is focused on the clinical development program with the drug candidate RV001 (Press release, RhoVac, MAR 20, 2019, View Source [SID1234534503]).

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RhoVac’s next step in the clinical development of the drug candidate RV001 is expected to start in mid-2019. Clinical development is going to be run primarily in Europe, but part of the company’s strategy is to run some of the clinical development in the US.

Therefore, RhoVac has submitted an application for a pre-IND meeting with the FDA to get answers and recommendations on specific issues related to the continued clinical development. A pre-IND meeting with the FDA is very similar to EMA’s Scientific Advice procedure, which was conducted by RhoVac in spring of 2018.

FDA has now confirmed RhoVac’s application following which the company has submitted the required Briefing Package. The evaluation of the FDA will be based on this package. RhoVac is expected to receive FDA’s comments on RV001 project by end of April 2019.

CEO Anders Ljungqvist comments
-It is very exciting that we now have the opportunity to receive FDA’s feedback and comments on RV001 project. The company’s drug candidate, RV001, is aimed at treating metastatic cancer in an earlier phase of prostate cancer development than existing treatments currently do. Therefore, it is important that both FDA and RhoVac have a common understanding of the concept of the treatment under development.

For more information, please contact:
Anders Ljungqvist – CEO, RhoVac AB
Phone: +45 4083 2365
E-mail: [email protected]

On March 20, 2019 Diffusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: DFFN), a cutting-edge biotechnology company developing new treatments for life-threatening medical conditions by improving the body’s ability to bring oxygen to the areas where it is needed most, reported financial results for the year ended December 31, 2018 and provided a business update (Press release, Diffusion Pharmaceuticals, MAR 20, 2019, View Source [SID1234534500]).

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2018 was marked by significant developments related to the Company’s lead drug candidate, trans sodium crocetinate (TSC), for the treatment of stroke and cancer. During the third quarter Diffusion received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enroll patients in an ambulance-based Phase 2 clinical trial testing TSC for the treatment of acute stroke, while the in-ambulance trial design was presented at several important medical conferences. The trial, named PHAST-TSC (Pre-Hospital Administration of Stroke Therapy-TSC), will involve 23 hospitals across urban, suburban and rural areas in Los Angeles County and Central Virginia, working closely with approximately 150 emergency medical transport groups. PHAST-TSC will be led by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Virginia (UVA). Diffusion is working to engage local ambulance companies and expects the first patients to be treated in the coming months. Results for the trial will potentially be available in just under two years, subject to Diffusion receiving the necessary funding.

The Company continues to screen and enroll patients in its Phase 3 INTACT (INvestigation of TSC Against Cancerous Tumors) program, using TSC to treat inoperable glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain cancer. In Phase 2 testing TSC demonstrated a nearly four-fold improvement in overall survival at two years for the subset of inoperable GBM patients compared with the control group of GBM patients.

Commenting on 2018 and plans for 2019, David Kalergis, chairman and chief executive officer of Diffusion, said, "In the coming weeks we expect to complete enrollment in the initial dose-escalation cohort of the INTACT trial. In addition, we expect to begin enrollment in PHAST-TSC during the second quarter of 2019. We continue to be excited about the potential for TSC to bring new hope to patients with life-threatening unmet medical needs and making TSC a commercial success.

Several patents were allowed and issued during the course of 2018, strengthening the Company’s intellectual property portfolio around broad uses of TSC in hypoxic conditions such as stroke, and as a treatment for solid cancerous tumors in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy. Of note, a U.S. patent was issued for TSC in conjunction with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for the treatment of stroke. tPA is the only FDA-approved therapeutic for this indication. At the end of 2018, the company had 56 issued patents in the U.S. and abroad.

2018 Financial Results

Diffusion had cash and cash equivalents of $8.0 million as of December 31, 2018. The Company believes its cash and cash equivalents are sufficient to fund operations into July 2019.

Diffusion recognized $5.8 million in research and development expenses during 2018, compared with $5.1 million during 2017. This increase was primarily attributable to a $1.7 million increase in Phase 3 GBM trial expenses and to a $0.2 million increase in salary and wages expenses, partially offset by a $1.2 million decrease in manufacturing and other costs.

General and administrative expenses were $6.2 million during 2018, which were flat compared with 2017. Salaries and wages expense increased by $0.6 million, which was offset by a $0.6 million decrease in professional fees.

The Company recognized a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $6.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2018 as a result of a sustained decrease in our market capitalization during the second half of 2018. There was no such charge in 2017.

Net cash used in operating activities for 2018 was $10.8 million, compared with $12.3 million during 2017

On March 20, 2019 Abbott (NYSE: ABT) reported that it will announce its first-quarter 2019 financial results on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, before the market opens (Press release, Abbott, MAR 20, 2019, View Source [SID1234534498]).

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The announcement will be followed by a live webcast of the earnings conference call at 8 a.m. Central time (9 a.m. Eastern), and will be accessible through Abbott’s Investor Relations website at www.abbottinvestor.com. An archived edition of the call will be available later that day.

About Abbott:
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 103,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.

SOURCE Abbott

For further information: Abbott Media: Elissa Maurer, (224) 668-3309; Abbott Financial: Scott Leinenweber, (224) 668-0791
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On March 20, 2019 Bio-Path Holdings, Inc., (NASDAQ:BPTH), a biotechnology company leveraging its proprietary DNAbilize antisense RNAi nanoparticle technology to develop a portfolio of targeted nucleic acid cancer drugs, reported its financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2018 and provided an update on recent corporate developments (Press release, Bio-Path Holdings, MAR 20, 2019, View Source [SID1234534496]).

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"Throughout 2018, we made great progress in pursuit of our mission of bringing innovative new RNAi nanoparticle therapeutics to cancer patients with high unmet medical need," said Peter Nielsen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bio-Path Holdings. "This progress was highlighted by the recent updated interim analysis of our Phase 2 trial of prexigebersen in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Of the 17 evaluable patients, 65% had a response, including 29% who achieved a complete response, one of which achieved a morphologic leukemia free state. With these interim results in hand, we are even more confident as we move this program forward in combination with venetoclax and decitabine."

"Beyond prexigebersen, we continue to make headway across our development pipeline. We are on track to submit our Investigational New Drug application to begin a Phase 1 study of our second drug candidate, BP1002, which targets the Bcl-2 protein. This trial will seek to treat both Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients that have failed Venetoclax. We recently strengthened our balance sheet through a $18.5 million registered direct offering and we now have the resources to achieve a number of key milestones that should significantly enhance shareholder value. We entered 2019 on strong footing and expect to build on that momentum throughout the balance of the year as we continue to advance these important programs," continued Mr. Nielsen.

Recent Corporate Highlights

·Reported Updated Interim Analysis from Phase 2 Clinical Trial of Prexigebersen for the Treatment of AML. In March 2019, Bio-Path reported updated interim data from 17 evaluable patients showing that 11 patients (65%) had a response, including five patients (29%) who achieved CR, one of which was a morphologic leukemia free state (MLFS), and six patients achieving stable disease. Importantly, after further analysis by the principal investigators, it was observed that 68% of these patients were secondary AML patients, an extremely difficult class to treat. As a result of these updated data, Bio-Path now intends to enroll two registration-directed cohorts of the triple combination of prexigebersen + decitabine + venetoclax in untreated AML and high risk MDS patients, and refractory/relapsed AML and high risk MDS patients. In December 2018, earlier data from this program were presented in a poster at the 2018 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Exposition.

·Raised $18.5 Million in Registered Direct Offering. In March 2019, Bio-Path issued 712,910 shares of its common stock at a price of $25.95 per share, for gross proceeds of approximately $18.5 million.

Financial Results for the Full Year Ended December 31, 2018

·The Company reported a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $8.6 million, or $14.38 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $8.1 million, or $15.99 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2017.

·Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2018 decreased to $4.6 million, compared to $5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 primarily due to decreased salaries and benefits expense.

·General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2018 decreased to $3.4 million, compared to $3.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 primarily due to decreased professional and consulting fees.

·As of December 31, 2018, the Company had cash of $1.0 million, compared to $6.0 million at December 31, 2017. Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2018 was $6.1 million compared to $8.0 million for the comparable period in 2017. Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2018 was $1.2 million.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Bio-Path Holdings will host a conference call and webcast today at 8:30 a.m. ET to review these full year 2018 financial results and to provide a general update on the Company. To access the conference call please dial (844) 815-4963 (domestic) or (210) 229-8838 (international) and refer to the conference ID 1794629. A live audio webcast of the call and the archived webcast will be available in the Media section of the Company’s website at www.biopathholdings.com.