On April 16, 2026 Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l. ("NMS"), a global oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company, reported its participation in the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, taking place in San Diego, USA from April 17 to 22, 2026. At the meeting, NMS will present two scientific posters highlighting its latest research and advancements in oncology. In addition, research from NMS scientists will be featured in a poster to be presented by Italfarmaco S.p.A., a private pharmaceutical company with a strong research focus.

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At this year’s AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual meeting, NMS will present the following posters:

-NMS Poster 1

Title: "Atamparib: first-in-class PARP7 inhibitor for treatment of NSCLC adenocarcinoma in monotherapy and in combination with standards of care" (Poster #3049)

Presenter: Genny Degani, Biology Lead Scientist at NMS

Location: Poster Section 15; Poster Board Number: 10

Date & Time: April 20, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT

This study presents a novel mechanism of action linking PARP7 to MAP-kinase pathway through the oncogene FRA1, which supports atamparib activity in MAPK-dependent cancers, demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo data generated in monotherapy or in combination with multiple KRAS inhibitors.

Link to full poster abstract View Source!/21436/presentation/8884

-NMS Poster 2

Title: "Itareparib: a potent, selective and non-trapper PARP1 inhibitor for combination therapy with DNA damaging agents in solid tumors" (Poster #2933)

Presenter: Alessia Montagnoli, CSO at NMS

Location: Poster Section 11; Poster Board Number: 10

Date & Time: April 20, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT

Itareparib is a third-generation PARP1 selective inhibitor with a unique non-trapping mechanism designed to expand the application of PARP1i through chemotherapy or ADC combinations, addressing the unmet need of patients with both HR-deficient and HR-proficient tumors. In this presentation we will show itareparib is highly synergic with chemotherapy agents such as temozolomide, topoisomerase I inhibitors and with Topo1-ADC in multiple tumor types with low hematological effects compared to trapper PARP1 inhibitors, irrespectively from PARP1 selectivity. These data strongly support the ongoing Phase I/II clinical trials of itareparib in combination with DNA-damaging agents in brain (NCT04910022), lung (NCT06931626) and ovarian cancer (NCT06930755)

Link to full poster abstract View Source!/21436/presentation/3439

-Italfarmaco (ITF) – Poster featuring NMS out-licensed duocarmycin payload

Title: "Targeted DNA damage through SSTR2: Preclinical development of a novel peptide-drug conjugate for neuroendocrine tumors" (Poster #1758)

Presenter: Gianluca Fossati, Head of Biochemistry at Italfarmaco

Location: Poster Section 15; Poster Board Number: 1758

Date & Time: April 20, 2026, 9:00 AM -12:00 PM PDT

NMS and ITF announce the presentation of new preclinical data for ITF3912, a novel peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) developed under their licensing agreement, leveraging NMS’s proprietary linker-payload technology. ITF3912 targets somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2), which is expressed in neuroendocrine tumors and a subset of small cell lung cancers, and combines a modified octreotide analog with NMS’s duocarmycin payload via a cathepsin-B cleavable linker.

As detailed in the abstract, ITF3912 demonstrates high affinity and selectivity for SSTR2, efficient receptor-mediated internalization, and targeted intracellular release of its payload, resulting in DNA damage and tumor cell death. Antitumor activity, observed in vitro and in vivo, and correlated with SSTR2 expression levels, including in SCLC xenograft models. These findings support the continued development of ITF3912 as a potential therapeutic option for patients with SSTR2-positive tumors. The compound is currently advancing through IND-enabling studies.

Link to full poster abstract View Source!/21436/presentation/4315

We look forward to engaging with the scientific community at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 and sharing insights from our work.

(Press release, Nerviano Medical Sciences, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664435])

On April 16, 2026 Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB:OTLC) ("Oncotelic", the "Company" or "We"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing drugs for the treatment of orphan oncology indications, as well as antisense and small molecule injectable drugs for the treatment of cancer, reported its financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 ("FY 2025"), as compared to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 ("FY 2024"). The financial results are based on the 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Form 10-K") as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on April 15, 2026. The Company recorded net income after tax of approximately $249.0 million, compared to a net loss of approximately $4.8 million in the prior year. The net income was primarily driven by a non-cash increase in the estimated fair value of the Company’s investment in GMP Biotechnology Limited ("GMP Bio"), its joint venture ("JV"), of approximately $365.4 million, as determined by an independent third-party ASC-compliant valuation, partially offset by a deferred income tax provision of approximately $111.6 million.

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Highlights for FY 2025 and thereafter:

2025 marked a transformational year for Oncotelic, highlighted by the successful completion of its first combination immunotherapy trial, the formalization of Sapu Bio and Sapu Nano, subsidiaries of GMP Bio, in which the Company has 45% equity interests. Additional achievements included dedicated development platforms, expansion of the Company’s AI-enabled research capabilities, and continued advancement of its joint venture programs.

Joint Venture Valuation and Investment

In November 2025, the Company recorded a non-cash increase in the fair value of its investment in GMP Biotechnology Limited based on an independent third-party valuation, resulting in a gain of approximately $365.4 million and a carrying value of approximately $388.0 million. This increase reflects estimated development progress and market-based assumptions and does not represent product revenue or cash received. A corresponding deferred income tax liability of approximately $111.6 million was recorded.

Sapu Bio and Sapu Nano: Dual-Platform Strategy

During 2025, GMP Bio formalized its two primary subsidiaries. Sapu Bio concentrates on OT-101 (TGFβ2 antisense) clinical development, regulatory advancement, and biomarker-driven positioning. Sapu Nano serves as the dedicated nanomedicine arm of the JV, advancing the Deciparticle platform into clinical-stage assets, partnerships, and commercialization. Together they form a diversified and scalable development platform.

Deciparticle Nanoparticle Platform

The Deciparticle platform utilizes ultra-small amphiphilic constructs (below ~20 nanometers) enabling enhanced tumor penetration and distribution. The JV is advancing six candidates: Sapu-001 (paclitaxel), Sapu-003 (everolimus), Sapu-004 (carboplatin), Sapu-005 (palbociclib), and Sapu-006 (docetaxel), in addition to OT-101. Everolimus formulation development is complete with a global clinical trial enrolling in Australia. Palbociclib and docetaxel INDs are expected in 2026. The platform is protected by more than 15 patent families.

OT-101 Clinical Program

In March 2025, we completed a Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT04862767) evaluating OT-101 in combination with IL-2 in Seoul, South Korea for advanced or metastatic solid tumors. The combination showed a tolerable safety profile with no unexpected safety signals. The JV plans to advance OT-101 plus IL-2 into further studies exploring synergies with checkpoint inhibitors such as PD-1 blockers. Separately, the JV initiated a Phase 2/3 trial for OT-101 in pancreatic cancer and is actively enrolling participants. Over ten patent families have been filed related to TGFβ2 as a prognostic indicator for cancer survival.

PDAOAI ("AI") Platform

PDAOAI, the Company’s proprietary AI-enabled knowledge platform, was significantly expanded during 2025 into a core infrastructure layer supporting research, biomarker discovery, and regulatory documentation. By late 2025, PDAOAI evolved into a large-scale knowledge platform built around a TGF-β-centric biomedical corpus of over 100,000 curated abstracts with semantic retrieval and cross-referencing capabilities. PDAOAI contributed to at least seven peer-reviewed publications during 2025 across biomarker discovery, tumor microenvironment analysis, nanoparticle drug delivery, and clinical outcome correlations — spanning ovarian, breast, pancreatic, hepatocellular, and glioblastoma tumor types. Notably, the Company identified a novel biomarker signature (High RICTOR / Low RPTOR) predictive of sensitivity to intravenous everolimus based on analysis of over 9,000 tumor samples.

GMP Manufacturing Facility

The JV’s GMP manufacturing facility in San Diego continued full-scale operations during 2025 under its Drug Manufacturing License from the State of California. The facility utilizes a streamlined "one-pot" manufacturing process for bulk drug production through to finished product, with capabilities for both nonclinical and Phase 1 clinical trial material production. In early 2025, the Company partnered with Shanghai Medicilon, Inc. to access its rapid IND development platform supporting up to 20 IND projects.

Results of Operations

Below is a presentation of our financial results comparing FY 2025 to FY 2024 and based on our results published in our Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 15, 2026.

(Press release, Oncotelic, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664434])

On April 16, 2026 Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing a first-in-class pipeline of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cellular immunotherapies to patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported that preclinical data from the Company’s next-generation, off-the-shelf CAR T-cell product candidate, FT839, will be featured at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, being held in San Diego, CA on April 17-22, 2026.

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The Company has been selected to participate in a poster presentation featuring preclinical data from FT839, its next generation, 13-point edited, off-the-shelf CAR T-cell product candidate for the broad treatment of hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases. In addition, FT839 incorporates Sword and Shield technology to evade and eliminate host allogeneic immune responses, promote functional persistence, and thereby eliminate the need for conditioning chemotherapy.

A link to the abstract can be found here: Fate AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Abstract Poster presentation details are as follows:

Poster Presentation

Title: FT839: A next-generation, off-the-shelf CAR T-cell uniquely engineered with a dual CAR system targeting CD19 and CD38 for the treatment of hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases without conditioning chemotherapy

Session: CAR T-Cell Functional Enhancement

Presentation Date / Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2026 / 9:00 a.m. to Noon PDT

(Press release, Fate Therapeutics, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664433])

On April 16, 2026 Crown Bioscience, a global contract research organization (CRO) and a JSR Life Sciences company, reported it will present new data at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 demonstrating how integrated, patient-derived platforms can accelerate the development of complex oncology modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and radiopharmaceuticals. Across 12 poster presentations, the company highlights scalable approaches to improve target selection, optimize payload design, and overcome resistance, addressing key challenges in translational oncology.

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Collectively, the data underscore the need for predictive, clinically relevant models that better reflect tumor biology and treatment response. By combining patient-derived xenografts (PDX), 3D tumor organoid models, multi-omics, and imaging approaches, Crown Bioscience demonstrates how integrated workflows support more informed decision-making earlier in development, particularly as the industry advances increasingly complex therapeutic modalities.

A central focus this year is advancing ADCs through improved target validation, payload selection, and resistance modeling. New findings introduce a high-throughput organoid platform to rapidly screen payloads or ADCs and support the prediction of in vivo efficacy. The results demonstrate clear differentiation across payload classes and ADC performance in a broad panel of organoid models spanning multiple solid tumor indications, enhancing translational predictability from in vitro screening to in vivo validation, and ultimately to clinical response in patients.

Complementing this work, Crown Bioscience presents ADC-resistant tumor models spanning engineered cell lines, organoids, and PDX models established from previously treated patients. These models seek to replicate clinically relevant resistance mechanisms, including efflux-driven payload resistance and antigen loss, providing insight into treatment failure and a foundation for evaluating next-generation strategies and combination approaches designed to overcome resistance.

Further strengthening the workflow, large-scale multi-omics data validate tumor-associated antigen (TAA) expression across approximately 1,000 PDX models and matched organoid systems, providing insight to support more informed target selection and translational decision-making.

In parallel, Crown Bioscience is co-presenting a poster with Medicines Discovery Catapult on an end-to-end translational workflow for radiopharmaceutical development. This work integrates radiochemistry, imaging, and patient-derived models to evaluate the theranostic pair PSMA-617, demonstrating how the combination of in vitro and in vivo systems improves predictive accuracy and enables more confident progression of radiopharmaceutical candidates.

Together, these studies reflect a shift toward integrated, platform-based approaches that address persistent industry challenges, including limited translational predictability, incomplete understanding of resistance, and inefficiencies in candidate selection. By aligning model systems with clinically relevant biology, Crown Bioscience de-risks the path from target to patient.

Attendees are encouraged to visit Booth #3236 to learn more about these studies and speak with Crown Bioscience’s scientists to gain deeper insights into the integrated platforms and services available to advance oncology programs from discovery through to clinical development.

(Press release, Crown Bioscience, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664432])

On April 16, 2026 Blacksmith Medicines, Inc. (Blacksmith), a leading biopharma dedicated to discovering and developing therapeutics targeting metalloenzymes, reported the company will present data on its oncology program targeting flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1), a structure-specific metallonuclease that cleaves 5′ DNA flaps during replication and repair, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, taking place April 17-22 at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA.

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Details of the poster presentation are as follows:

Abstract Number: 234
Title: "Proteomic profiling of FEN1 inhibition by BSM-1516 reveals chromatin-associated biomarkers for preclinical pharmacodynamic evaluation"
Session Title: DNA Damage and Repair 1
Session Date and Time: Sunday April 19, 2026 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Poster Section 11
Poster Board Number: 5

The abstract is now available on the conference website at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026.

About FEN1
Flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) is a structure-specific di-magnesium metallonuclease that cleaves 5′ DNA flaps during replication and repair. FEN1 is an attractive target for development of anticancer therapeutics because it is overexpressed in many tumor types and has a large number of synthetic lethality partners including genes in Homologous Recombination (HR) pathway.

About metalloenzymes and the Blacksmith platform
Metalloenzymes rely on metal ion cofactors within their active sites to perform critical biological functions. Historically, these targets have been challenging to drug due to limitations in small-molecule chemistry. The Blacksmith platform addresses these challenges through:

A proprietary fragment library of metal-binding pharmacophores (MBPs);
A comprehensive database mapping metalloenzyme functions, metal cofactors, and disease associations;
A unique metallo-CRISPR library of custom single guide RNAs;
An advanced computational toolkit for docking, modeling, and structure-based drug design;
A robust intellectual property portfolio spanning bioinorganic, medicinal, and computational chemistry for metalloenzyme-targeted therapeutics

(Press release, Blacksmith Medicines, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664431])