On April 27, 2021 Geneseeq Technology Inc. ("Geneseeq"), a precision oncology diagnostics company, and AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) (STO: AZN) (Nasdaq: AZN), a global biopharmaceutical company, reported their strategic collaboration to establish a Bio-Diagnostic Innovation Center in Guangzhou, China (Press release, AstraZeneca, APR 27, 2021, View Source [SID1234578591]). The center is expected to initiate an integrative and patient-centric program where disease diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation coexist. The center will combine Geneseeq’s expertise in developing clinical diagnostics tools, with AstraZeneca’s deep experience in oncology therapeutics development to produce innovative diagnostics platforms for cancer patients. The collaboration also outlines joint efforts to build a clinical diagnostics laboratory in Guangzhou International BIO-Island.

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On April 23, 2021, AstraZeneca held an opening ceremony and twelve sub-forums for its Symposium Annual Meeting in Wuxi, China. The conference emphasized several meaningful collaborations with industry, clinical, and academic research partners in major therapeutic areas such as oncology, cardiology and nephrology. AstraZeneca’s Global Executive Vice President, the President of Greater China and International Business, Lei Wang, delivered the strategic collaboration announcement between AstraZeneca and Geneseeq at the signing ceremony. He emphasized the establishment of the Bio-Diagnostics Innovation Center, and the center’s planned R&D, educational, and promotional efforts to advance precision medicine access.

"The spotlight for the future of cancer care is on the full-course management approach to bring greater benefits to patients, including perioperative monitoring for early-to-mid stage cancers, and cancer early screening and detection," added by Dr. Yang Shao, the founder and CEO of Geneseeq China. "The theme of today’s conference – multi-faceted collaboration, is another necessary step to achieve this goal."

Geneseeq has provided NGS-based genetic testing service for cancer patients for more than seven years and is well-established in molecular diagnosis for late-stage cancers. For patients with early and mid-stage cancers, Geneseeq introduced SHIELDINGTM in 2021, a perioperative full-course minimal residual disease (MRD) test for solid tumors. The company plans to leverage the MRD dynamic monitoring technologies to guide adjuvant therapy, prognosis and recurrence surveillance to significantly improve patient outcomes and their quality of life.

Strengthening early cancer screening and detection correlates with an increased proportion of patients diagnosed at earlier stages, which effectively prolongs the overall survival of patients and reduces the family and socioeconomic burdens caused by cancer treatment. In the fight against cancer, early screening and detection have become one of Geneseeq’s key focuses. The company developed a multi-omics-based, early cancer screening model, MERCURY. Collaborating with top cancer centers, the preliminary data shows promising performance in liver, colorectal and lung cancer patients with a sensitivity of 80%-95% and a specificity of 98%. To further validate the MERCURY model, a large-scale clinical study was launched in 2020 and is expected to enroll 100,000 participants with a five-year follow-up plan.

Under its collaboration with AstraZeneca, Geneseeq will build its fourth core laboratory in South China, in addition to its laboratories in Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing. The two companies hope to bring highly scalable and broadly applicable clinical diagnostic tools to cancer patients soon.

On April 27, 2021 Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNCE), a clinical-stage company focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer immunotherapies and predictive biomarkers, reported that it will report first quarter 2021 financial results and provide a corporate update before market open on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 (Press release, Jounce Therapeutics, APR 27, 2021, View Source [SID1234578540]). Jounce Therapeutics’ management team will host a live conference call and webcast at 8:00 a.m. ET.

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Conference Call and Webcast
To access the conference call, please dial (866) 916-3380 (domestic) or (210) 874-7772 (international) and refer to conference ID 1389694. The live webcast can be accessed under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors and Media section of the company’s website at www.jouncetx.com. The webcast will be archived and made available for replay on the company’s website approximately two hours after the call and will be available for 30 days thereafter.

On April 27, 2021 Perrigo Company plc (NYSE; TASE: PRGO), a leading provider of Quality, Affordable Self-Care Products, reported that it will release its fiscal first quarter financial results on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 (Press release, Perrigo Company, APR 27, 2021, View Source,-2021 [SID1234578559]). The Company will also host a conference call beginning at 8:00 a.m. (EDT).

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The conference call will be available live via webcast to interested parties in the investor relations section of the Perrigo website at View Source or by phone at 888-317-6003, International 412-317-6061, and reference ID # 5211930. A taped replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 12:00 p.m. (EDT) Tuesday, May 11, until midnight Tuesday, May 18, 2021. To listen to the replay, dial 877-344-7529, International 412-317-0088, and use access code 10155879.

On April 27, 2021 CohBar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWBR), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing mitochondria based therapeutics to treat chronic diseases and extend healthy lifespan, reported the appointment of Joseph J. Sarret, M.D., J.D. as Chief Executive Officer and Director, effective May 3, 2021 (Press release, CohBar, APR 27, 2021, View Source [SID1234578575]). The Board of Directors expresses appreciation for the contribution of Mr. Steven Engle during his tenure as CEO and Director of the company. In addition, Mr. David Greenwood, a current Director with 40 years of financial and operational experience in biotechnology and investment banking, has assumed the role of Chairman of the Board.

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"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Sarret to CohBar," stated David Greenwood, Chairman of CohBar. "We look forward to his leadership in continuing to realize our vision for CohBar’s novel platform of mitochondria based therapeutics. His expertise as a seasoned executive with a track record of success will guide CohBar in its goal to become a company with a number of pipeline products in the clinic and on the market."

"I look forward to leading CohBar as we continue to advance its pipeline of novel analogs derived from natural sequences encoded in the mitochondrial genome," said Dr. Joseph Sarret. "This is an exciting time to join CohBar with many potential milestones on the horizon. I am delighted to work with the team and Board of Directors to translate this groundbreaking science into novel therapeutics and realize the value of CohBar’s pioneering platform."

Most recently, Dr. Sarret served as Chief Business Officer at Corium International, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company leading the development of new transdermal healthcare products, until its merger with Gurnet Point Capital. He previously served as Senior Vice President, Strategic Accounts at Solazyme, Inc., a company focused on developing renewable natural based products, and as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Sevident, Inc., a start-up biotechnology company developing medical diagnostics and life science research products.

Prior to joining Sevident, Dr. Sarret held multiple positions at Codexis, Inc., a publicly traded international industrial biotechnology company, including Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer, and President, Pharmaceutical Services and Enzyme Products. At Codexis, he was responsible for numerous strategic partnerships in the pharmaceutical and bioindustrial sectors, including acquisitions and licensing transactions. In addition, Dr. Sarret had P&L responsibility for the company’s global pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing business unit. Previously, he practiced corporate and transactional law at Latham & Watkins LLP. Dr. Sarret also served as Attending Physician and Acting Medical Director for the HIV Clinic at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. Dr. Sarret holds a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University, an M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and a J.D. from Stanford Law School, and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Omega Alpha and Order of the Coif honor societies.

In connection with his appointment as Chief Executive Officer, CohBar announced it has granted Dr. Sarret equity awards that were approved by the Compensation Committee of its Board of Directors, with a grant date of May 3, 2021, as a material inducement to employment. As further described below, a portion of the equity awards were approved in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

CohBar granted Dr. Sarret an option to purchase 2,600,000 shares of CohBar common stock. One-fourth of the shares underlying this option will vest on May 3, 2022 and thereafter 1/48th of the shares underlying the option will vest monthly, such that the shares underlying the option will be fully vested on May 3, 2025, subject to Dr. Sarret’s continued employment with CohBar on such vesting dates (the "Time Based Grant"). Of the shares subject to the Time Based Grant, shares with a fair market value of $100,000 based on the closing price of CohBar’s common stock on the effective date of the Time Based Grant will be issued pursuant to CohBar’s Amended and Restated 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, and the balance of the shares subject to the Time Based Grant will be granted pursuant to the inducement grant.

CohBar also granted Dr. Sarret as an additional inducement grant an option to purchase 1,300,000 shares of CohBar common stock, with a grant date of May 3, 2021, which will vest over a two-year period, subject to Dr. Sarret’s continued employment with CohBar on such vesting dates and the achievement of certain performance metrics that will be determined by the Board no later than June 30, 2021.

Each of the options will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of CohBar’s common stock on May 3, 2021.

On April 27, 2021 Compugen Ltd. (Nasdaq: CGEN), a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company and a leader in predictive target discovery, reported the publication of a peer-reviewed article titled "COM902, a Novel Therapeutic Antibody Targeting TIGIT Augments Anti-Tumor T Cell Function in Combination with PVRIG or PD-1 Pathway Blockade" in Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy (Press release, Compugen, APR 27, 2021, View Source [SID1234578592]). The preclinical data discussed in the paper highlight the potential of COM902, Compugen’s anti-TIGIT therapeutic antibody, to enhance anti-tumor immune responses.

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Article highlights include:

Development and characterization of COM902, a fully human anti-TIGIT antibody which binds specifically to TIGIT and disrupts the binding of TIGIT with PVR, the cognate ligand of TIGIT
Expression of TIGIT, a checkpoint within the DNAM-1 axis discovered in 2009 by Compugen and others, is induced on lymphocytes infiltrating the tumor microenvironment, including Tregs, effector T cells, and NK cells in diverse solid tumors
PVR is expressed in a large set of solid tumors
COM902, designed to have reduced Fc receptor engagement to avoid potential depletion of TIGIT-expressing effector T cells, does not demonstrate T cell depletion activity in-vitro or in-vivo, making it unlikely to elicit direct depletion of TIGIT-expressing effector T cells, which are important for anti-tumor activity
Blockade of TIGIT/PVR binding by COM902 enhances human T and NK cell function in vitro. This effect can be increased by dual blockade of COM902 with either an anti-PVRIG antibody, COM701, or an anti-PD-1 antibody
In vivo, in murine tumor models, COM902 combined with anti-PVRIG or anti-PD-L1 antibodies enhances anti-tumor lymphocyte responses and inhibits tumor growth
"This publication offers further validation of TIGIT as a potential novel target for cancer immunotherapies," said Anat Cohen-Dayag, Ph.D., President and CEO of Compugen. "These published data answer fundamental questions regarding TIGIT’s biology and demonstrate potential synergies with other immune checkpoints. Excitingly, we have observed the amplification of anti-tumor immune responses after dual blockade of TIGIT with either PVRIG or PD-1, which validates our clinical strategy to pursue combination approaches targeting these checkpoints. Furthermore, these data provide additional support that COM902 has the potential to improve outcomes for patients with advanced malignancies, expanding the reach of checkpoint inhibitors."

COM902 is currently being studied as monotherapy in a Phase 1 trial of patients with advanced malignancies (NCT04354246). The trial, which was initiated in 2020, is on track to report initial data in Q4 2021. In addition, the initiation of the dual combination study of COM701 with COM902 is expected as planned in H2 2021.