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CEO Jeffery Bacha Discusses DelMar’s VOL-083 Clinical Trials and the Major Milestones Ahead

On September 26, 2017 Jeffery Bacha, CEO of DelMar Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:DMPI) interviews on the Uptick Network Stock Day Podcast with host Everett Jolly. Mr. Bacha discusses DelMar’s VOL-083 phase 3 clinical trial chemotherapy that has recently launched and how this trial has progressed since its launch (Press release, DelMar Pharmaceuticals, SEP 26, 2017, View Source [SID1234520651]). Delmar recently completed a financing, and Mr. Bacha explains how this financing benefits the company and supports DelMar’s clinical trials. Furthermore, Mr. Bacha discusses the major milestones for the future of DelMar and what the company is looking to accomplish with its research and clinical trials.

In closing, CEO Jeffery Bacha states, “There is a wonderful story about a fellow who is a glioblastoma patient and he was treated the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the weekend that he and his wife joined us on what’s called The Ride to Concur Cancer. He rode over 250 kilometers from Vancouver British Columbia to Seattle and he’s on our drug and he’s tolerating it very well,” Mr. Bacha continues, “It is amazing to be a part of that with him. Just knowing that this is someone that we are hopefully going to be able to help and being a part of that puts this into perspective of how important this is and we are looking to do that for many more patients.”

To listen to the full interview please click here or the following link: View Source

Autolus Secures US$80 million Series C Funding

On September 26, 2017 UCL Business spinout company, Autolus Limited, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of next-generation engineered T-cell therapies, reported that it closed on a US$80 million (£59 million) Series C financing (Press release, UCLB, SEP 26, 2017, View Source [SID1234520650]).

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New investors Cormorant Asset Management, Nextech Invest and others joined founding investor Syncona Ltd, Woodford Investment Management and Arix Bioscience in this Series C round.

The funds will enable Autolus to establish clinical proof of concept for three programs: AUTO2 in multiple myeloma, AUTO3 in diffuse large B cell lymphoma and paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and AUTO4 in T-cell lymphoma. In addition, building on its advanced cell programming technologies Autolus plans to advance its pre-clinical pipeline products for solid tumour indications, and will set up the infrastructure required for bringing a CAR-T cell therapy rapidly and successfully to market.

Dr Christian Itin, Chairman and CEO of Autolus, commented:
"We welcome our new shareholders and the continued support of our existing investors, and are looking forward to delivering on the exciting promise of our growing pipeline of engineered T cell product candidates. Since our inception three years ago, Autolus has made substantial progress with two dual targeting programs in three clinical studies, a novel program for T-cell lymphoma’s clinic ready and a unique suite of cell programming technologies established for use in haematological and solid cancers. With the new financing we are well on our way to building a premier fully integrated Oncology Company that harnesses the unique power of T cells to combat cancer."

Bihua Chen, CEO Cormorant Asset Management, commented:
"The upcoming commercial launches of the first generation of CAR-T products herald an important advance in the treatment of cancer. We are excited to be part of a company that is poised to be at the forefront of the next revolution in this field. We are impressed by Autolus’ advanced cell programming and manufacturing capabilities, and a team which we believe has the ability to deliver the full potential of these potentially life-changing therapies in both haematological and solid cancers."

Dr. Martin Murphy, CEO Syncona Ltd., commented:
"Autolus is delivering on world class science with a mission to build a leading oncology business. As a founding shareholder of Autolus we are excited about the remarkable potential of T-cell therapies for the treatment of patients with cancer. Unlocking that potential requires deep innovation in all areas, from cell programming to manufacturing and supply chain, in order to deliver these potentially transformative treatments to patients. Success in this space requires building a new type of biopharma business, which we are excited to be part of."

Joe Anderson, CEO of Arix Bioscience, commented:
"CAR-T is a proven new approach and represents a substantial advance in the treatment of cancer. Autolus has the science and the team to develop the next generation of CAR-T therapies, with a differentiated technology and approach that has the potential to transform patients’ lives. Arix is privileged to be part of this and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Autolus Board and our co-investors to help achieve these goals."

The Series C follows the £70 million Series A and B financings.

OncoSec to Present at the Cantor Fitzgerald Global Healthcare Conference

On September 26, 2017 OncoSec Medical Incorporated (“OncoSec”) (NASDAQ:ONCS), a company developing DNA-based intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, reported that Punit Dhillon, CEO and President of OncoSec, will present at the Cantor Fitzgerald Global Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 4:35 PM ET / 1:35 PM PT (Press release, OncoSec Medical, SEP 26, 2017, View Source [SID1234520649]). The conference will take place at the Intercontinental New York Barclay Hotel.

Amgen And Simcere Announce Strategic Collaboration To Co-Develop And Commercialize Biosimilars In China

On September 26, 2017 Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) and Simcere Pharmaceutical Group reported the execution of an exclusive agreement to co-develop and commercialize four biosimilars in China (Press release, Amgen, SEP 26, 2017, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2302973 [SID1234520648]). The collaboration includes undisclosed biosimilars in the areas of inflammation and oncology.

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Under the terms of the agreement, Amgen will remain responsible for the co-development, marketing approval applications and manufacturing of the biosimilars. Simcere will be responsible for distribution and commercialization in China, while Amgen will have a limited right to co-promote the products. The biosimilars included in the agreement are a part of Amgen’s existing biosimilars portfolio.

"We are pleased to enter this strategic collaboration with Simcere as we continue to enhance patient access through broader adoption of more competitive therapeutic options worldwide," said Scott Foraker, vice president and general manager of Biosimilars at Amgen. "This agreement brings together Amgen’s long-standing development and biologics manufacturing expertise with Simcere’s local development experience and strong commercial presence in China in the areas of inflammation and oncology."

"This agreement furthers Amgen’s efforts to reach more patients in Asia by bringing high quality biosimilars medicines to patients suffering from debilitating and potentially life-threatening conditions," said Penny Wan, regional vice president and general manager of Amgen’s Japan and Asia-Pacific Region. "We look forward to working with Simcere on these four biosimilar programs where we can build on their network and experience in China to make a big difference for patients."

"This strategic partnership between a world-renowned biotechnology company and a leading Chinese pharma will help to accelerate development and launch of United States and European approved biosimilars in China. By leveraging our sales network, it will also help to improve the accessibility of high quality therapeutic antibodies for Chinese patients," said Honggang Feng, president of Simcere. "This collaboration will allow both companies to further penetrate inflammation and oncology markets in China."

Dr. Hua Mu, chief scientific officer of Simcere said, "Recently, China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) has formally joined the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and implemented major reforms on drug evaluation and approval systems, encouraging and supporting research and development of innovative, high quality medicines. This strategic alliance combines Amgen’s leading global research and development capabilities in biosimilars and Simcere’s domestic drug development and registration experience. It aims to bring more high quality and effective medicines to Chinese patients to meet the pressing unmet medical needs. It is also another important milestone in our international collaboration strategy to enrich Simcere’s biologics pipeline."

Specific financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Selexis SA and OSE Immunotherapeutics Expand Strategic Alliance to Further Advance OSE’s OSE-172 and OSE-703 Cancer Immunotherapy Programs

On September 26, 2017 Selexis SA and OSE Immunotherapeutics SA (ISIN: FR0012127173; Mnémo: OSE) reported the signing of two commercial license agreements (CLAs) that provide OSE with access to high-performance research cell banks (RCBs) developed using the Selexis SUREtechnology Platform (Press release, Selexis, SEP 26, 2017, View Source [SID1234520640]). The agreements are designed to support the advancement of the clinical development of OSE-172 (Effi-DEM), OSE’s new generation immune myeloid checkpoint inhibitor, as well as OSE-703 (Effi-3), OSE’s cancer immunotherapy, which is a cytotoxic monoclonal antibody targeting the IL-7 receptor.

“This is our third signed CLA with OSE this year, and we believe the rapid expansion of our relationship is a direct result of the utility and flexibility of our cell-line expression technology across protein therapeutics and development stages,” said Marco Bocci, PhD, DPharm, Selexis vice president, licensing and business development. “One of the most fulfilling aspects of our work at Selexis is that we are able to play a role in our partners’ success, which means the possibility of new therapeutic options for patients with many life-threatening diseases. Selexis’ technology can scale with OSE’s developmental needs, and provide the company with a fast, stable and reliable method of protein expression. This is critical for the development of recombinant, protein-based medicines like OSE-172 and OSE-703.”
“Our work with Selexis has been instrumental in advancing our investigational therapeutic candidates toward clinical development,” said Alexis Peyroles, chief operating officer of OSE Immunotherapeutics. “OSE and Selexis are focused on quickly advancing delivery of treatment options to patients facing life-threatening diseases. It’s exciting to watch the evolution of our relationship with Selexis, knowing the impact their technology is having on our research and development activities.”
Selexis’ proprietary SUREtechnology Platform facilitates the rapid, stable, and cost-effective production of virtually any recombinant protein and provides seamless integration of the biologics development continuum, spanning discovery to commercialization.

A new generation immune checkpoint inhibitor, OSE-172 (Effi-DEM) is a monoclonal antibody targeting SIRP-α, expressed on suppressive myeloid cells involved in the tumor microenvironment. As selective antagonist of SIRP-α, OSE-172 transforms the tumour microenvironment by blocking suppressor cells and activating anti-tumour effector cells. OSE-172 is planned to enter Phase 1/2 clinical phase in 2018.

OSE-703 (Effi-3) is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the extracellular domain of the alpha-chain of the receptor for interleukin-7, cytotoxic for human cells expressing CD127. Under a research collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the cancer immunotherapy is in preclinical studies for solid tumors with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as the primary cancer model.