On April 16, 2026 QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) reported it will showcase its oncology workflow applications at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego, demonstrating how its portfolio connects sample preparation with multi-omics profiling and genomic data interpretation to support cancer research and molecular diagnostics.

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"Cancer research and molecular diagnostics are increasingly constrained by fragmented workflows, variability in sample processing and the growing complexity of multi-omics data," said Nitin Sood, Senior Vice President and Head of Product Portfolio & Innovation at QIAGEN. "At AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper), we are demonstrating how QIAGEN’s Sample to Insight portfolio helps standardize critical steps from sample preparation through data interpretation, enabling more consistent results, improved reproducibility and more confident insights from complex biological data."

At the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, QIAGEN will showcase applications across key stages of the oncology workflow, from sample preparation to genomic profiling and data interpretation:

Sample technologies: New instruments and kits highlighting Parse single-cell solutions

QIAsymphony Connect: The upcoming IVD QIAsymphony Connect will support oncology workflows in laboratories around the world. This scalable automation platform for clinical molecular testing builds on over 3,300 placements of the established QIAsymphony system to automate IVD sample extraction, improve laboratory productivity, enhance sample traceability and process safety and deliver highly concentrated nucleic acid for sensitive assays. As molecular testing expands across oncology and other applications, QIAsymphony Connect will help laboratories standardize complex workflows while reducing hands-on time and supporting reproducible, high-quality results.
QIAsprint Connect: Following its launch at the SLAS 2026 meeting in February, QIAsprint Connect for research use only is now progressing through commercialization as QIAGEN’s new high-throughput automation platform for research laboratories. The compact benchtop system enables automated purification of up to 192 DNA or RNA samples per run, supports validated and customizable workflows, and helps laboratories scale sample processing while reducing plastic use and packaging volume.

Evercode single-cell analysis: Parse Biosciences, a QIAGEN company, will highlight at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) its Evercode Whole Transcriptome portfolio, including the recently launched v4 kit with higher cell recovery, higher sensitivity and shorter workflow with lower sequencing budget. Parse will also showcase the Evercode Whole Transcriptome FFPE kit, now shipping after the successful completion of an early access program with select partners. The Evercode WT FFPE enables unbiased whole transcriptome single cell RNA sequencing of millions of nuclei from FFPE-preserved tissues using Parse’s novel split-pool combinatorial barcoding method.

Genomic profiling:New QIAseq research panels for use on next-generation sequencers (NGS)
QIAseq xHYB HRD Panel: Developed with Myriad Genetics, the QIAseq xHYB HRD Panel is designed to support research into homologous recombination deficiency as an important cancer biomarker for research applications. The assay combines QIAGEN’s hybrid capture technology with Myriad analytics to support assessment of genomic instability, and has shown high concordance with the Myriad myChoice CDx HRD assay.
QIAseq xHYB Trinity DNA/RNA Kit: This new kit enables comprehensive genomic profiling from DNA, RNA or both in a single research workflow using the AVITI platform from Element Biosciences. Designed for use with Element’s Trinity sequencing workflow, it helps streamline target enrichment through a shorter hybridization step, fewer manual cleanup steps and no post-enrichment PCR, reducing hands-on time while supporting high on-target rates and confident variant detection for research applications.

Data interpretation: New AI-grounding platform for unified drug discovery support for research purposes
QIAGEN Discovery Platform: QIAGEN Digital Insights, the bioinformatics business of QIAGEN, will introduce the QIAGEN Discovery Platform at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) as an AI-grounding solution for drug discovery. The platform is designed to bring together biological knowledge, omics data and advanced analytics to support oncology research, with future implementation of AI functions and integration with downstream AI analysis. The platform will be presented through demonstrations and spotlight sessions at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) meeting.
To learn more about QIAGEN’s Sample to Insight portfolio, visit Booth #3547 at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego from April 17–22, or go to www.qiagen.com/oncology-meeting.

(Press release, Qiagen, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664437])

On April 16, 2026 PharmaMar (MSE: PHM), a global leader in the research, development, and commercialization of marine-derived cancer therapies, reported it will once again be participating in the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper), which is taking place in San Diego, United States, from April 17th to 22nd, 2026.

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Carmen Cuevas, VP of R&D at PharmaMar, comments that "we are making progress in the research of marine-derived drugs for the development of new therapies. Our participation in a leading international oncology conference reinforces our commitment to innovation and improving treatments for patients."

On this occasion, the Company is presenting four new studies with the results of its research.

PM54 suppresses WNT/β-Catenin signaling and synergizes with chemotherapy in gastric cancer models

Compound Author Poster
PM54 Marcelo Lima Ribeiro, PhD Session Title: Multi-Axis Antineoplastic Agents
Session Start Time: 4/21/2026 2:00PM – 5:00PM
PM54, an innovative transcription inhibitor, is emerging as a promising anticancer candidate for gastric cancer by inhibiting the WNT/β-catenin pathway and inducing molecular reprogramming linked to cell cycle arrest and DNA repair. In addition, PM54 exhibits clear in vitro synergy with 5-FU and cisplatin. In mouse

models, PM54 significantly reduced tumor growth, and combination with 5-FU or cisplatin induces greater tumor growth inhibition than that achieved with either 5-FU or cisplatin alone. These results support its development in rational combinations to enhance therapeutic efficacy.

PM54 reshapes the tumor microenvironment to potentiate checkpoint blockade

Compound Author Poster
PM54 Eugenio Bustos-Morán, PhD Session Title: Immune Mechanisms Invoked by Other Therapies and Exposures
Session Start Time: 4/20/2026 2:00 PM – 5:00PM
Our studies show that PM54, an innovative drug, not only directly fights cancer but also significantly boosts the immune system’s response; this dual action is key to treating hard-to-treat tumors. The research reveals that PM54 reprograms the tumor microenvironment, making it more vulnerable. Combining PM54 with immunotherapies such as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors leads to a reduction in tumor size and robust activation of cancer-fighting immune cells. These results indicate that PM54 has the potential to transform previously resistant tumors into ones that are sensitive to immunotherapy, opening up new opportunities to develop more effective combination treatments.

PM54 targets oncogenic transcriptional networks across multiple cancer types

Compound Author Poster
PM54 Ismael Fernández-Miranda, PhD Session Title: Molecular Targets 1 Session Start Time: 4/20/2026 2:00 PM – 5:00PM
The study demonstrates that PM54 acts by rapidly suppressing the expression of key genes involved in tumor proliferation, leading to the arrest of growth and the death of tumor cells. It has been observed that tumors with a high growth rate and functional p53 protein respond better to treatment with PM54. These results may enable more appropriate patient selection to optimize clinical benefit.

PM534, a new tubulin inhibitor, exhibits antitumor activity in experimental models of soft tissue sarcoma

Compound Author Poster
PM534 Patrick Schöffski, MD PhD Agnieszka Wozniak, PhD Agathe Bouju Session Title: Multi-Axis Antineoplastic Agents Session Star Time: 4/21/2026 2:00 PM – 5:00PM
PM534 is a novel tubulin-binding agent that exhibits a very high affinity for the colchicine-binding domain and overcomes the common resistance mechanisms that limit the efficacy of other tubulin-binding agents. In this study, PM534 has demonstrated potent antitumor activity in leiomyosarcoma tumors derived from patients and implanted in animal models. Furthermore, consistent with its mechanism of action, it induced a marked increase in apoptosis in the treated tumors.

(Press release, PharmaMar, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664436])

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])