On December 2, 2020 AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, and Frontier Medicines, Corp., a precision medicine company drugging challenging protein targets to develop breakthrough medicines that change the course of human diseases, reported a global strategic collaboration to discover, develop and commercialize a pipeline of innovative small molecule therapeutics against high-interest, difficult-to-drug protein targets (Press release, AbbVie, DEC 2, 2020, View Source [SID1234572080]).

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Under the multi-year collaboration, AbbVie and Frontier will utilize Frontier’s proprietary chemoproteomics platform to identify small molecules for programs directed to novel E3 ligases and certain oncology and immunology targets. Whereas conventional drug discovery methodologies have been primarily successful against a relatively discrete set of target classes, chemoproteomics-based screening in relevant cellular contexts has the potential to enable targeting of a significantly broader range of proteins. By selecting certain immunology and oncology targets for the collaboration that are considered well validated but to date, inaccessible, the collaboration has the potential to develop highly differentiated and efficacious therapeutics.

Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie will pay Frontier an upfront cash payment of $55 million, and Frontier is eligible to receive additional milestone payments. In addition, AbbVie will reimburse Frontier’s R&D costs through defined stages of pre-clinical development. The companies will collaborate on the research and pre-clinical development of programs directed against E3 ligase, immunology and oncology targets. Upon successful completion of defined stages of pre-clinical development, AbbVie will assume full responsibility for global development and commercialization activities and costs for the programs. Frontier will retain an option to share development activities and expenses for certain oncology programs through the completion of Phase 2. Frontier will be eligible to receive success-based development and commercial milestone payments that could potentially exceed $1 billion, in addition to royalty payments on commercialized products. AbbVie retains the right to expand the collaboration in the future by exercising options to a defined number of additional targets. The collaboration excludes all of Frontier’s internal programs for which Frontier retains exclusive global rights.

"AbbVie is focused on making investments in promising new technologies that assist us in our mission to develop innovative medicines," said Jose-Carlos Gutiérrez-Ramos, Ph.D., vice president, Discovery, AbbVie. "One of our key strategic focus areas is targeted protein degradation and chemoproteomics, and this collaboration with Frontier Medicines will be highly synergistic and complementary to our ongoing efforts."

"AbbVie’s commitment to innovative therapies makes them an ideal partner in the development and commercialization of new medicines for cancer and immunological diseases," said Chris Varma, Ph.D., Frontier’s co-founder, chairman, and CEO. "With our powerful chemoproteomics platform, we are greatly expanding the universe of therapeutic targets that can be accessed with small molecule drugs. This partnership enables us to build a shared pipeline of novel therapeutics with AbbVie, while Frontier continues to independently advance our internal programs into the clinic."

On December 2, 2020 RenovoRx, an innovator in targeted cancer therapy, reported it has reached an important milestone with continued momentum and the enrollment of the 100th patient in its phase III TIGeR-PaC clinical trial (Press release, Renovorx, DEC 2, 2020, View Source [SID1234572101]). This trial utilizes the company’s proprietary Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion (TAMPTM) technology, a unique method for targeted delivery of chemotherapy to treat solid tumors. The trial is enrolling locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients with inoperable disease in the United States and Europe.

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"During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital for patients with cancer symptoms to work with healthcare teams for early diagnosis and treatment planning," said Pashtoon Kasi, MD, MS, oncologist at University of Iowa Health Care and Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Carver College of Medicine. "It is encouraging to see patients continue to enroll in this landmark study when meeting the criteria for the TIGeR-PaC clinical trial, especially despite the situation caused by COVID-19. Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare professionals are working extremely hard to provide safe environments for patients to initiate and keep going with treatment in a multi-disciplinary fashion."

Dr. Kasi added, "We have seen remarkable benefits for pancreatic cancer patients in previous studies with this promising therapy including better quality of life and extension of life. For patients with unresectable pancreas cancer who have limited options, it is of value to be able to provide therapy under this important clinical trial."

The TIGeR-PaC trial’s goal is to determine whether the TAMP procedure can reduce the chance of cancer spreading and extend survival while improving quality of life for pancreatic cancer patients. The study, which currently has approximately 30 active clinical sites, is ultimately expected to involve 200 participants in the US and Europe. To learn more, visit View Source

"We are pleased that we have reached this 100th patient enrollment milestone, especially during this challenging time. The progress we continue to make with this clinical trial is our primary focus as we work toward our goal of improving outcomes for cancer patients," said Shaun Bagai, Chief Executive Officer at RenovoRx. "We appreciate our physician investigators, study coordinators, nurses, clinical teams and, most importantly, our patients for their commitment and participation in this important trial."

RenovoRx recently won the Fierce Innovation Awards – Life Sciences Edition 2020 award for its TAMP technology. The peer reviewed awards program from the publisher of Fierce Biotech and Fierce Pharma honors companies demonstrating innovative solutions, technologies, and services that could make the greatest impact for biotech and pharma companies.

On December 2, 2020 Redx Pharma (AIM:REDX), the drug discovery and development company focused on cancer and fibrosis, reported new options awarded under the Redx All Employee Share Option Scheme (the "Scheme"), as adopted on 1 July 2020 (Press release, Redx Pharma, DEC 2, 2020, View Source [SID1234573529]).

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The Board has authorised the conditional grant of additional options to Lisa Anson (Chief Executive Officer) and Richard Armer (Chief Scientific Officer) on 2 December 2020, both of whom are classed as PDMRs, as set out further below. The options are being granted at 56p per ordinary share, being the price of the Placing and Open Offer announced earlier today, with the grant becoming unconditional once the Placing Shares and the Open Offer Shares have been admitted to trading on AIM, which is dependent, inter alia, on the passing by Shareholders of certain resolutions at the General Meeting of the Company being convened at 11.00 a.m. on 21 December 2020.

Once the option grant becomes unconditional, any subsequent vesting will be subject to certain time and performance criteria having been met.

In addition, options over a further 1,350,000 Ordinary Shares of 1p each will be granted on 2 December 2020 to certain new staff of the company under the Scheme on an unconditional basis. These options will also be granted at 56p, and are not subject to performance conditions.

Following the grants referred to above, and assuming the associated conditions are met in relation to the conditional grant, the Company will have granted options over a total of 28,057,964 Ordinary Shares representing 10.2 per cent. of the share capital in issue following completion of the Placing and the associated issue of 32,806,159 Ordinary shares to Redmile and Sofinnova in aggregate pursuant to their conversion of £5,084,954.65 of the principal amount of the convertible loan notes issued to them

on 4 August 2020 (but ignoring any Ordinary Shares issued in the Open Offer, the take-up of which is currently uncertain). In addition, certain ex-employees continue to hold options, totalling 2,340,800 shares, representing 0.9 per cent. of the share capital that will be in issue following completion of the Placing and aforementioned conversion (but not the Open Offer). The number of options that may be awarded under the Scheme, and all prior share incentive plans, remains limited such that the aggregate number of Ordinary Shares of 1p each under option will be less than 15 per cent. of the total issued share capital of the Company.

On December 2, 2020 Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS), a biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, reported that it will host a virtual KOL event on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, at 8:00 am ET (Press release, Curis, DEC 2, 2020, View Source [SID1234572081]).

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The event will discuss progress to date for first-in-class IRAK4 kinase inhibitor, CA-4948, including data presented at the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Exposition from the Phase 1 study in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and new clinical data from the Phase 1 study in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

The event will be led by James Dentzer, President and CEO, and will include a presentation by Dr. Amit Verma, Professor of Medicine-Oncology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Director of the MDS Program at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. Dr Verma and members of Curis leadership will be available to answer questions at the end of the event.

A live webcast of the presentation will be available under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.curis.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Curis website for 90 days following the event.

On December 2, 2020 Targovax ASA (OSE: TRVX), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company developing immune activators to target hard-to-treat solid tumors, reported that it will present data from its melanoma and mesothelioma trials in an online webcast at 10:00am CET (Press release, Targovax, DEC 2, 2020, View Source [SID1234572102]).

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With reference to the press release issued 1 December 2020 (see link here), Targovax will present data from its phase 1 trial combining ONCOS-102 and the anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with advanced, unresectable melanoma who have had disease progression despite treatment with anti-PD1 CPI.

Data from the randomized phase 1/2 trial of ONCOS-102 in combination with standard-of-care (SoC) chemotherapy in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), which was released 24 November 2020 (see link here), will also be presented in the webcast.

The webcast starts at 10:00am CET and you can join the webcast here. It will be possible to ask questions during the presentation. A replay of the webcast will be available in the Investor section under "Presentations" after the event.