On April 8, 2026 Portrai, Inc. reported it will present 11 posters highlighting its artificial intelligence and spatial transcriptomics capabilities at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026. The presentations will detail Portrai’s latest computational frameworks and biological findings, designed to decode the tumor microenvironment (TME) and accelerate oncology drug development.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The research presented demonstrates the company’s scalable approach to analyzing spatial transcriptomics, addressing the computationally intensive challenges of integrating massive sample collections and overcoming batch effects. Portrai’s new technologies include a transcript-only framework for high-resolution pseudocell boundary inference, and CELLama-Perturb, a virtual cell modeling approach for mapping drug sensitivity across spatial tumor heterogeneity. Additionally, the company will showcase an ontology-guided hierarchical cell typing system powered by large language models.

A central highlight of the presentations is PortrAIgent, a novel co-scientist AI agent built for end-to-end spatial transcriptomics discovery. The AI system autonomously manages complex analysis workflows—from missing data imputation and preprocessing to pathway activity scoring and report generation—without requiring manual intervention. Testing confirms that PortrAIgent reliably lowers the expertise barrier needed to translate high-resolution data into testable biological hypotheses.

Portrai will also share translational clinical findings, including a study revealing the core resistance niches that distinguish non-major pathological response (non-MPR) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients following neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy. The spatial data maps intrinsic repair mechanisms to specific TME regions, providing a rationale for emerging combination strategies such as TROP2-directed antibody-drug conjugate(ADC) therapies.

"These 11 presentations reflect our commitment to bridging the gap between high-resolution spatial data and actionable clinical insights," said Hongyoon Choi, MD, PhD, co-founder and CTO at Portrai. "By automating complex spatial analyses and building robust foundation models, we are providing the tools necessary to understand tumor resistance and accelerate the discovery of novel precision targets."

Portrai’s abstracts and poster presentations will be available for viewing throughout the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 conference.

(Press release, Portrai, APR 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234664248])

On April 8, 2026 The Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR) and Purdue Pharma L.P. (Purdue) reported the activation of investigational tinostamustine in GBM AGILE (Glioblastoma Adaptive Global Innovative Learning Environment – NCT03970447), a pioneering, international adaptive platform trial designed to accelerate the identification of effective treatments for glioblastoma (GBM). Tinostamustine will be evaluated for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed GBM across GBM AGILE. It will also be studied in a cohort of patients with recurrent GBM at select GBM AGILE sites.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

GBM is the most common and aggressive form of primary brain cancer. Treatment options remain limited and patient outcomes have seen minimal improvement over the past several decades.

GBM AGILE is a seamless phase 2/3 study conducted under a master protocol enabling multiple therapies or combinations of therapies from different pharmaceutical companies to be evaluated simultaneously against a shared control arm. With its innovative design and efficient operational infrastructure, data from GBM AGILE can potentially be used as the foundation for a new drug application (NDA) and registrations to the U.S. FDA and other health authorities. Since its launch in 2019, GBM AGILE has evaluated multiple investigational therapies and has screened over 2,600 patients at approximately 60 trial locations in six countries.

Dr. John de Groot, Neuro-Oncology Division Chief, Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, San Francisco and Dr. Shiao-Pei Weathers, Brain Tumor Section Chief, Department of Neuro-Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, are serving as the Principal Investigators for tinostamustine’s evaluation in GBM AGILE. Dr. Timothy Cloughesy, Director, Neuro-Oncology Program and Distinguished Professor of Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles, is the Global Principal Investigator for the overall study.

"Glioblastoma remains one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers we encounter in clinical practice," said Dr. John de Groot. "There is a pressing need to explore novel mechanisms of action in well-designed studies. GBM AGILE’s adaptive platform design allows us to rigorously evaluate promising therapies like tinostamustine while generating high-quality data efficiently. The addition of tinostamustine strengthens our ability to investigate new approaches that may improve outcomes for patients with GBM."

"Despite advances in oncology, outcomes for patients with glioblastoma remain poor," said Dr. Shiao-Pei Weathers. "Participating in a global study like GBM AGILE gives patients access to innovative investigational therapies that would otherwise not be available outside of a clinical trial. The inclusion of tinostamustine offers hope and reflects the ongoing commitment to expanding meaningful treatment opportunities for this devastating disease."

Tinostamustine is a first-in-class, new chemical entity that combines two potentially synergistic mechanisms of action: bifunctional DNA alkylating activity, which triggers apoptosis, and pan histone deacetylase inhibition (or HDAC inhibition), which in addition to improving alkylating agent access to DNA, has been shown to disrupt oncogenic signaling pathways and enhance immune recognition of tumor cells. This dual mechanism may be particularly relevant in aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers like GBM, where both genomic instability and epigenetic dysregulation drive disease progression. Tinostamustine has the potential to be a first-line treatment and is being investigated in patients with newly diagnosed GBM as an adjuvant therapy following standard treatment with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, as well as in a limited cohort for patients in whom the disease has recurred following initial treatment.

"We are pleased to initiate the evaluation of tinostamustine in GBM AGILE, an innovative adaptive trial designed to efficiently determine whether promising therapies like tinostamustine can provide meaningful benefit to patients with glioblastoma," said Dr. Julie Ducharme, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Purdue. "Encouraging findings from prior clinical studies support continued investigation, and we look forward to advancing the development of tinostamustine for this devastating disease, where significant unmet need remains."

"Activation of the first trial sites represents the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, scientific rigor, and partnership," said Dr. Craig Landau, President and CEO, Purdue. "It underscores our determination to apply sustained scientific and clinical investment to help deliver new treatments patients urgently need."

"At GCAR, our mission is to rethink how therapies are developed for aggressive cancers like glioblastoma," said Dr. Meredith Buxton, CEO and President, GCAR. "Through master protocols and adaptive platform trials, we aim to streamline evaluation and accelerate decision-making. Our collaboration to evaluate tinostamustine represents an important step toward rapidly advancing new treatments in GBM AGILE and bringing new hope to patients."

(Press release, Purdue Pharma, APR 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234664247])

On April 8, 2026 Cue Biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: CUE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel class of therapeutic biologics to selectively engage memory T cell subsets to deplete pathogenic B cells for the potential treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, reported that it will receive a $7.5 million preclinical milestone payment under its collaboration and license agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim following Boehringer Ingelheim’s selection and approval of its first compound for lead optimization. The Company expects to receive the payment in May 2026.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"We are very pleased to have achieved this critical preclinical milestone through our strategic research collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim," said Lucinda Warren, interim president and chief executive officer of Cue Biopharma. "This is a very exciting time for the Company as we progress our lead autoimmune asset, CUE-401, toward the clinic and reach this important milestone in our collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim to further develop CUE-501, a bispecific molecule intended for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases."

Under the terms of the collaboration and license agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim, Cue Biopharma’s technology will be leveraged to further research and advance the development of the candidate molecule. The terms of the multi-year collaboration also include the ability of the parties to expand research and development into various B cell targeting bispecifics encompassing autoimmune diseases.

Pursuant to the terms of the collaboration, Cue Biopharma is also eligible to earn, in addition, up to approximately $337.5 million in additional research, development and commercial milestone-based payments as well as royalty payments on net sales.

(Press release, Cue Biopharma, APR 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234664246])

On April 8, 2026 Kyntra Bio (Nasdaq: KYNB) reported that the Company will present at the 25th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference being held April 13-16, 2026.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Thane Wettig, Chief Executive Officer of Kyntra Bio, will deliver a company presentation on Monday, April 13, 2026, at 1:30 PM EDT. A live webcast of the presentation will be available here.

Kyntra Bio’s management team will be available for one-on-one meetings during the conference. Interested investors should contact their representative at Needham. A replay of the presentation will be posted, when available, to the Kyntra Bio website on the Events & Presentations page of the Investors and Media section for 90 days.

(Press release, Kyntra Bio, APR 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234664245])

On April 8, 2026, Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. (the "Company") entered into an At The Market Offering Agreement (the "Sales Agreement") with H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC, as sales agent (the "Sales Agent"), pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time, through the Sales Agent, shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the "Shares"). The offering and sale of up to $6,360,000 of the Shares pursuant to the Sales Agreement is being registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), pursuant to the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-279557), which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on July 1, 2024, which includes a base prospectus, and an accompanying prospectus supplement filed with the SEC on April 8, 2026.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Sales Agreement, the Sales Agent will use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell the Shares from time to time, based upon the Company’s instructions. The Company provided the Sales Agent with customary indemnification rights and contribution rights, including for liabilities under the Securities Act, and the Sales Agent will be entitled to a commission of 3.0% of the gross proceeds from each sale of the Shares. In addition, the Company agreed to reimburse certain expenses incurred by the Sales Agent in connection with the Sales Agreement, including up to $75,000 for reasonable and documented fees and expenses incurred by the Sales Agent’s legal counsel in connection with entering into the transactions contemplated by the Sales Agreement, excluding periodic due diligence fees as set forth in the Sales Agreement.

Sales of the Shares, if any, under the Sales Agreement may be made in transactions that are deemed to be "at the market offerings" as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. The Company will designate the parameters for the sale of Shares, if any, including the number of Shares to be issued, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, limitations on the number of Shares that may be sold on any trading day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made. The Company has no obligation to sell any of the Shares and may at any time suspend offers under the Sales Agreement or terminate the Sales Agreement. The Sales Agent is not obligated to purchase any Shares on a principal basis pursuant to the Sales Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by the Sales Agent and the Company in a separate agreement. No assurance can be given that any Shares will be sold under the Sales Agreement, or if such sales occur, no assurance can be given as to the price or number of Shares that will be sold, or the dates on which any such sales will take place.

The Sales Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements by the Company, indemnification obligations of the Company and the Sales Agent and other obligations of the parties.

The information set forth herein shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy the Shares, nor shall there be an offer, solicitation or sale of the Shares in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state.

This description of the Sales Agreement is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Sales Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference into this Item 1.01. The legal opinion of Hogan Lovells US LLP relating to the Shares being offered pursuant to the Sales Agreement is filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

(Filing, Phio Pharmaceuticals, APR 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234664244])