On July 21, 2023, Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company"), reported to have entered into a Controlled Equity OfferingSM Sales Agreement (the "Sales Agreement") with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. as sales agent (the "Agent"), pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time through the Agent, shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the "Common Stock"), having an aggregate offering price of up to $24,000,000 (the "Shares") (Filing, 8-K, Hepion Pharmaceuticals, JUL 21, 2023, View Source [SID1234633359]).

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The offer and sale of the Shares will be made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 and the related prospectus (File No. 333-254996) (the "Registration Statement") filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on April 2, 2021, amended on November 19, 2021 and declared effective by the SEC on November 24, 2021, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

Pursuant to the Sales Agreement, the Agent may sell the Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an "at the market offering" as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act, including sales made by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions, including on The Nasdaq Capital Market, at market prices or as otherwise agreed with the Agent. The Agent will use commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell the Shares from time to time, based upon instructions from the Company, including any price or size limits or other customary parameters or conditions the Company may impose.

Under the terms of the Sales Agreement, in no event will the Company issue or sell through the Agent such number or dollar amount of shares of Common Stock that would (i) exceed the number or dollar amount of shares of Common Stock registered and available on the Registration Statement, (ii) exceed the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock, (iii) exceed the number or dollar amount of shares of Common Stock permitted to be sold under Form S-3 (including General Instruction I.B.6 thereof, if applicable), or (iv) exceed the number or dollar amount of Common Stock for which the Company has filed a prospectus supplement to the Registration Statement.

The Company is not obligated to make any sales of the Shares under the Sales Agreement. The offering pursuant to the Sales Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the issuance and sale of all shares of the Common Stock subject to the Sales Agreement, or (ii) the termination of the Sales Agreement as permitted therein.

The Company will pay the Agent a commission rate equal to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from each sale of Shares and has agreed to provide the Agent with customary indemnification and contribution rights. The Company will also reimburse the Agent for certain specified expenses in connection with entering into the Sales Agreement. The Sales Agreement contains customary representations and warranties and conditions to the sale of the Shares pursuant thereto.

The foregoing description of the Sales Agreement is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such agreement, a copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference. The opinion of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, the Company’s counsel, regarding the validity of the Shares that will be issued pursuant to the Sales Agreement, is also filed herewith as Exhibit 5.1.

This Current Report on Form 8-K shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Common Stock discussed herein, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation, or sale of Common Stock in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

On July 21, 2023 Genprex, Inc. ("Genprex" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: GNPX), a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing life-changing therapies for patients with cancer and diabetes, reported the closing of its previously announced registered direct offering to healthcare-focused institutional investors of 7,425,744 shares of the Company’s common stock and warrants to purchase up to 7,425,744 shares of common stock at a combined offering price of $1.01 per share of common stock and accompanying warrant (Press release, Genprex, JUL 21, 2023, View Source [SID1234633358]). The offering was priced at-the-market under the Nasdaq rules.

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H.C. Wainwright & Co. acted as the exclusive placement agent for the offering.

The gross proceeds to Genprex from this offering were approximately $7.5 million, before deducting the placement agent’s fees and other offering expenses. Genprex intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

A "shelf" registration statement (File Number 333-271386) relating to the offered securities was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on April 21, 2023 and was declared effective on June 9, 2023. The offering of the securities was made by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. A prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering was filed with the SEC on July 20, 2023. Electronic copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus may be obtained on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by contacting H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC at 430 Park Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10022, by phone at (212) 856-5711 or e-mail at [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

On July 21, 2023 Curium, a world leader in nuclear medicine, reported the publication of the results of its European, multicenter, prospective cross-over clinical trial which compared [18F] piflufolastat ([18F]DCFPyL) versus [18F]fuoromethylcholine PET/CT in patients with first biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer (Press release, Curium, JUL 21, 2023, View Source [SID1234633356]). The results of the PYTHON trial were published online ahead of print in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging in June 2023.

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Today’s announcement follows the May 2023 recommendation by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency to grant a marketing authorization for PYLCLARI (piflufolastat (18F)) indicated for the detection of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positive lesions with positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with prostate cancer – based on the Phase III PYTHON clinical trial conducted in Europe and the Phase III OSPREY and CONDOR clinical trials conducted in the U.S.

Dr. Daniela E. Oprea-Lager| Assoc. Professor in Nuclear Medicine, MD PhD, Amsterdam UMC (lead author of the PYTHON Manuscript submitted to the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging) commented: "Adequate restaging of patients with biochemically relapsed prostate cancer is essential for guiding clinicians on how to choose the optimal treatment strategy with the maximum benefit for the patients. PYTHON trial demonstrates the superiority of [18F]DCFPyL above [18F]fluoromethylcholine PET/CT paving the way towards individualized therapy."

Sakir Mutevelic, MD, MSc, Chief Medical Officer at Curium commented: "[18F]fuoromethylcholine has been the current approved and established standard for PET/CT imaging of prostate cancer in Europe, and the publication of this manuscript validates our success in developing new diagnostic imaging solutions – as we continue on our journey to redefine the experience of cancer through our trusted legacy in nuclear medicine."

In the U.S., piflufolastat (18F) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2021 and is commercially available as PYLARIFY and sold by Lantheus.

The PYTHON publication in European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging can be found here.

PYTHON Study

The PYTHON Study (NCT04734184) was a Phase III, European, multicenter, prospective cross-over trial, to evaluate and compare the detection rates, impact on patient management and safety profiles of [18F]DCFPyL and [18F]fuoromethylcholine, in patients with first biochemical recurrence after initial definitive therapy with curative intent. This study successfully met the primary endpoint.

About PYLARIFY (piflufolastat F 18, also known as [18F]DCFPyL) Injection

PYLARIFY (piflufolastat F 18) injection (also known as [18F]DCFPyL or PyL) is a fluorinated small molecule PSMA-targeted PET imaging agent that enables visualization of lymph nodes, bone and soft tissue metastases to determine the presence or absence of recurrent and/or metastatic prostate cancer. For men with prostate cancer, PYLARIFY PET combines the accuracy of PET imaging, the precision of PSMA targeting and the clarity of an F 18 radioisotope for superior diagnostic performance. The recommended PYLARIFY dose is 333 MBq (9 mCi) with an acceptable range of 296 MBq to 370 MBq (8 mCi to 10 mCi), administered as a bolus intravenous injection.1-6

PYLARIFY is FDA-approved and commercialized in the U.S. by Lantheus. The European rights were licensed by Curium from Progenics, a Lantheus company, in 2019.

On July 21, 2023 Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) reported that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended approval of Opdivo (nivolumab) as a monotherapy for the adjuvant treatment of adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older with completely resected stage IIB or IIC melanoma (Press release, Bristol-Myers Squibb, JUL 21, 2023, View Source [SID1234633355]). If approved, Opdivo would become the only PD-1 inhibitor that – between two approvals* – is indicated as an adjuvant treatment for patients within stages IIB, IIC, III, as well as stage IV resected melanoma. The European Commission (EC), which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union (EU), will now review the CHMP recommendation.

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"Many patients with stage IIB or stage IIC melanoma face the difficult reality of disease recurrence within five years of surgery," said Gina Fusaro, Ph.D., vice president, global program lead, Bristol Myers Squibb. "In the data from the CheckMate -76K trial, Opdivo was shown to significantly reduce the risk of disease recurrence for these patients. The CHMP’s recommendation brings us closer to potentially providing Opdivo for use in treating additional earlier stages of melanoma in the adjuvant setting, addressing an unmet need for patients in the EU."

The positive opinion is based upon safety and efficacy results from the Phase 3 CheckMate -76K trial, in which, with a minimum follow-up of 7.8 months, Opdivo reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 58% versus placebo (hazard ratio [HR] 0.42; 95% CI 0.30-0.59; p < 0.0001).The safety profile of Opdivo was consistent with previously reported studies.

Results from CheckMate -76K were presented as late-breaking data at the 2022 Society for Melanoma Research (SMR) Annual Meeting.

CheckMate -76K is part of Bristol Myers Squibb’s development program which explores the use of Opdivo and Opdivo-based combinations in earlier stages of cancer.

Bristol Myers Squibb thanks the patients and investigators involved in the CheckMate –76K trial.

* In 2018 , based upon data from the CheckMate –238 trial, Opdivo was approved by the European Commission for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with melanoma with involvement of lymph nodes or metastatic disease who have undergone complete resection.

About CheckMate -76K

CheckMate -76K is a randomized Phase 3, double-blind study evaluating adjuvant Opdivo (nivolumab) 480 mg Q4W for up to 12 months versus placebo in patients with completely resected stage IIB or IIC melanoma.

The primary endpoint of the trial is recurrence-free survival (RFS). Secondary endpoints of the trial include overall survival (OS), distant metastases-free survival (DMFS), progression-free survival on next-line therapy (PFS2), and safety endpoints.

About Melanoma

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer characterized by the uncontrolled growth of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) located in the skin. Metastatic melanoma is the deadliest form of the disease and occurs when cancer spreads beyond the surface of the skin to other organs. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that by 2035, melanoma incidence will reach 424,102, with 94,308 related deaths. Melanomas can be mostly treatable when caught in very early stages; however, survival rates can decrease as the disease progresses.

On July 21, 2023 BeiGene (Nasdaq: BGNE; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global biotechnology company, reported that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive opinion recommending approval for tislelizumab as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior platinum-based chemotherapy (Press release, BeiGene, JUL 21, 2023, View Source [SID1234633354]).

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"Tislelizumab is the first medicine to come from BeiGene’s immuno-oncology research program and our team partnered with patients, caregivers, and clinical researchers across the world to generate the evidence supporting this CHMP recommendation," said Lai Wang, Ph.D., Global Head of R&D at BeiGene. "We continue to make progress in our mission to bring the highest quality therapies to more people around the world and look forward to working with Novartis and health authorities on regulatory filings for tislelizumab."

The Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for ESCC is based on results from BeiGene’s RATIONALE 302, a global, randomized, open-label, Phase 3 study (NCT03430843) to investigate the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab when compared with investigator’s choice chemotherapy as a second-line treatment for patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic ESCC. The study enrolled 513 patients from 132 research sites in 11 countries in Asia, Europe, and North America. The study met its primary endpoint with a statistically significant and clinically meaningful survival benefit for tislelizumab compared with chemotherapy (HR 0.70 [95%CI 0.57 – 0.85]; one-sided P=.0001; median overall survival 8.6 vs 6.3 months). The safety profile for tislelizumab was consistent with previous trials.i The MAA included safety data for 1,972 patients who received tislelizumab monotherapy in seven clinical trials.

Tislelizumab is not currently authorized for use in Europe.

About ESCCii
Globally, esophageal cancer (EC) is the sixth most common cause of cancer-related deaths and ESCC is the most common histologic subtype, accounting for more than 85% of ECs. An estimated 957,000 new EC cases are projected in 2040, an increase of nearly 60% from 2020 that underscores the need for additional effective treatments.

About Tislelizumab
Tislelizumab is a humanized IgG4 anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody specifically designed to minimize binding to Fc-gamma (Fcγ) receptors on macrophages, helping to aid the body’s immune cells to detect and fight tumors. In pre-clinical studies, binding to Fcγ receptors on macrophages has been shown to compromise the anti-tumor activity of PD-1 antibodies through activation of antibody-dependent macrophage-mediated killing of T effector cells.

In 2021, BeiGene and Novartis announced a collaboration agreement to jointly develop tislelizumab in the United States, Canada, Mexico, member countries of the European Union, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Russia, and Japan. Under the agreement Novartis is responsible for regulatory submission and has the right to commercialize in these licensed countries following regulatory approval.

The EMA is reviewing a MAA for tislelizumab as a treatment for locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after prior chemotherapy, and in combination with chemotherapy for previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC. Regulatory submissions for tislelizumab are also under review by authorities in the U.S., U.K., Australia, China, New Zealand, Brazil, Korea, Switzerland and Indonesia.

More than 12,000 patients from across the world have participated in the tislelizumab development program that encompasses 21 registration-enabling clinical trials in more than 30 countries and regions. To date, BeiGene has announced positive readouts from 10 Phase 3 pivotal studies across multiple tumor types and disease settings such as NSCLC, Small Cell Lung Cancer, Gastric Cancer, ESCC, Hepatocellular Cancer, and Nasopharyngeal Cancer. More information on the clinical trial program for tislelizumab can be found at: View Source