On March 12, 2024 Pearl Bio (a synthetic biology company backed by Khosla Ventures) reported that it has entered a license, collaboration and option agreement with Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, to discover biologic therapies comprising non-standard amino acids (Press release, Pearl Bio, MAR 12, 2024, View Source [SID1234641089]). Bolstering this collaboration is the deep expertise and patent portfolio licensed from the labs of scientific co-founders, Farren Isaacs (Yale) and Michael Jewett (Stanford) for using Genomically Recoded Organisms (GROs) to encode synthetic chemistries, paving the road for entirely new classes of multi-functionalized biologics with tunable properties.

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The Pearl team is excited to leverage our blocking IP on genome recoding and translation engineering to advance novel biologics with synthetic amino acids in partnership with Merck.

The collaboration will initially focus on discovery and development of biologic therapies for the treatment of cancer leveraging Pearl’s exclusive GRO technology, unique ability to work in both cell-based and cell-free systems and proprietary tethered ribosomes to encode synthetic monomers and target previously inaccessible epitopes.

"We are excited to demonstrate the power of Pearl’s technology in our partnership with Merck to create multi-functionalized therapeutic candidates with tunable properties solving for some of the key shortcomings confronting biologics," explained Co-Founder and President, Amy Cayne Schwartz.

Under the agreement, Pearl is eligible to receive payments totaling up to $1B across upfront, option and milestone payments in addition to potential royalties on sales of approved products derived from the collaboration.

"Merck is excited to collaborate with Pearl, a pioneer in developing recoded organisms, to produce novel biologics enabled by synthetic chemistries," shared Juan Alvarez, Vice President of Discovery Biologics at Merck Research Laboratories.

On March 12, 2024 Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a global leader in cell-free DNA testing, reported new data being presented on its personalized and tumor-informed molecular residual disease (MRD) test, Signatera, and hereditary cancer test, Empower, at the 2024 Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer taking place March 16-18, 2024 (Press release, Natera, MAR 12, 2024, View Source [SID1234641088]).

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A total of seven abstracts will be presented, including two oral presentations and five poster presentations. The presentations will feature new data highlighting Signatera’s predictive and prognostic utility in ovarian cancer and other gynecologic malignancies.

"On the heels of receiving Medicare coverage for Signatera in ovarian cancer and for breast cancer in the neoadjuvant setting, we are thrilled to share new Signatera and Empower data with the gynecologic oncology community," said Adam ElNaggar, MD, medical director of oncology at Natera. "We believe this momentum is indicative of the growing clinical value our tests provide for patients across the continuum of gynecologic cancer care, and demonstrate our continued leadership in MRD."

Below is the full list of Signatera and Empower data presentations at the SGO Annual Meeting.

Oral Presentations:

Focused Plenary I: The Science to Drive Purpose | March 16, 2:15 – 3:30 PM | Presenter: Anne Knisely, MD | Ovarian Cancer
Prognostic implications of minimal residual disease detection by second look laparoscopy and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with ovarian cancer after frontline therapy
Focused Plenary IV: ctDNA: Molecular Mirrors & Markers | March 17, 1:45 – 2:45 PM | Presenter: Mike Shalamov | Gynecologic Cancers
Utility of ctDNA as an early predictive biomarker of response to radiation in gynecologic malignancies
Poster Presentations:

Poster #1241 | Session 1 | March 17, 1:15 – 2:45 PM | Presenter: Michael Toboni, MD | Ovarian Cancer
PARPi response monitoring using personalized ctDNA testing in patients with ovarian cancer
Poster #1242 | Session 1 | March 17, 1:15 – 2:45 PM | Presenter: Peter W. Ketch, MD | Uterine Cancer
Treatment Monitoring Utilizing ctDNA-based MRD Detection in Early Stage Uterine Cancer
Poster #1243 | Session 1 | March 17, 1:15 – 2:45 PM | Presenter: Michael Toboni, MD | Uterine Cancer
Personalized ctDNA analysis used for ctDNA detection and response monitoring in patients with advanced or recurrent uterine cancer
Poster #1274 | Session 1 | March 17, 1:15 – 2:45 PM | Presenter: Floortje Backes, MD | Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer
Utility of ctDNA in assessment of treatment response in patients with Recurrent/Metastatic Endometrial Cancer and Recurrent/Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
Poster #1181 | Session 1 | March 17, 1:15 – 2:45 PM | Presenter: Sarah Lee, MD | Pan-cancer
Diagnostic yield and characteristics of germline-positive genetic testing ordered by obstetricians and gynecologists in female patients with a personal history of cancer
About Signatera

Signatera is a personalized, tumor-informed, molecular residual disease test for patients previously diagnosed with cancer. Custom-built for each individual, Signatera uses circulating tumor DNA to detect and quantify cancer left in the body, identify recurrence earlier than standard of care tools, and help optimize treatment decisions. The test is available for clinical and research use and is covered by Medicare for patients with colorectal cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and muscle invasive bladder cancer, as well as for immunotherapy monitoring of any solid tumor. Signatera has been clinically validated across multiple cancer types and indications, with published evidence in more than 50 peer-reviewed papers.

On March 12, 2024 SOTIO Biotech, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company owned by PPF Group, reported it will present new preclinical data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting taking place April 5-10, 2024, in San Diego, California (Press release, SOTIO, MAR 12, 2024, View Source [SID1234641087]).

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In a poster at the conference, SOTIO will present data from the company’s BOXR platform of enhanced T cell therapies. SOTIO leveraged the BOXR technology to design CAR T cells enhanced with transgenes encoding GOT2 (glutamine oxaloacetate transaminase) and TIGAR (TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator), both of which are believed to play a role in T cell fitness in the hostile solid tumor microenvironment. Compared to unmodified CAR T cells and CAR T cells enhanced with GOT2 solely, CAR T cells enhanced with GOT2 and TIGAR showed better tumor infiltration, lower levels of exhaustion, and superior anti-tumor activity in a mouse model of solid tumors.

SOTIO’s lead candidate from the BOXR platform, BOXR1030 — a GOT2-enhanced CAR T-cell therapy — is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 study for patients with solid tumors.

A second study to be presented at the meeting investigated the immunostimulatory effects of PARP inhibitors in models of epithelial ovarian cancer, determining their activity on molecular and cellular pathways to inform better combination therapy strategies with cancer immunotherapies.

Poster details are as follows:

Title: "Dual expression of exogenous glutamine oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT2) and TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) enhance CAR T cell activity in preclinical solid tumor models"
Presenting Author: Amy Jensen-Smith
Abstract Number: 4012
Date & Time: April 9, 2024, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT

Title: "Immunological control by PARP inhibitors for successful immunotherapy in metastatic ovarian carcinoma"
Presenting Author: Peter Holicek
Abstract Number: 5278
Date & Time: April 9, 2024, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT

Presentation materials will be available after presentations conclude here.

On March 12, 2024 Nutcracker Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to developing transformative RNA therapies through its proprietary technology platform, reported that two poster presentations highlighting the company’s RNA therapeutics pipeline will be introduced at the 2024 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting (Press release, Nutcracker Therapeutics, MAR 12, 2024, View Source [SID1234641086]).

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The first presentation entails LIGHT, an immunomodulatory cytokine that is one of the components of NTX-250, the company’s lead candidate for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The second presentation is on preclinical data for Nutcracker’s mRNA drug candidate for prostate cancer, NTX-470. This therapy is designed to target prostate cancer antigens with mRNA-encoded, multi-specific T cell engagers with a strong anti-tumor effect and low toxicity.

Poster Presentations at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2024

Title: NTX-470, a novel multispecific T cell engager expressed from mRNA targets PSMA and STEAP1 prostate cancer antigens to generate enhanced functional activity
Abstract Number: 6725
Session Title: Targeted Immune Cell Engagers
Session Date and Time: April 10, 2024, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Lead Author: Chris Rae

Title: Enhanced membrane stability of mRNA nanoparticle derived TNFSF14 results in superior T- cell and NK cell stimulation
Abstract Number: 6536
Session Title: Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Immunity
Session Date and Time: April 9, 2024, 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Lead Author: Adrienne Sallets

The 2024 AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting takes place in San Diego from April 5-10. Full abstracts are available on the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Online Program Planner. More information about the conference can be found on AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)’s website.

On March 12, 2024 RenovoRx, Inc. ("RenovoRx" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: RNXT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel precision oncology therapies based on a local drug-delivery platform, reported that Shaun Bagai, RenovoRx’s Chief Executive Officer, will present at the 36th Annual ROTH Conference to be held March 17-19, 2024 in Dana Point, CA (Press release, Renovorx, MAR 12, 2024, View Source [SID1234641085]).

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Mr. Bagai will meet with investors and participate in a fireside chat hosted by Jonathan Aschoff, Senior Research Analyst at Roth MKM on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 10:00 am PT.

Mr. Bagai will discuss recent Company milestones, including an initial positive interim analysis on the Company’s pivotal Phase III TIGeR-PaC clinical trial. The study is evaluating the Company’s lead product candidate, RenovoGem, and proprietary Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion (TAMP) therapy platform for the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

He will also discuss other significant milestones achieved and the Company’s plans for 2024 and beyond, including recent completion of a $6.1 million private placement that has extended cash runway, allowing the Company to drive towards its key goal of a second interim analysis for TIGeR-PaC that will be triggered by the 52nd event (death), which is estimated to occur in late 2024.

ROTH MKM Healthcare Opportunities Conference
Date: March 19, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM PT
Speaker: Shaun Bagai, CEO
Location: The Ritz Carlton, Dana Point, CA
Webcast: Registration Link

To schedule a one-on-one investor meeting with RenovoRx’s management team, please contact your ROTH MKM representative or KCSA Strategic Communications at [email protected].