OncBioMune Announces Closing of Asset Purchase Agreement with Avant Diagnostics

On June 11, 2020 OncBioMune Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC: OBMP) ("OncBioMune") reported the successful completion of its purchase of all the assets of Avant Diagnostics, Inc. ("Avant"), a commercial-stage, molecular profiling company (Press release, Oncbiomune, JUN 11, 2020, View Source [SID1234561002]). OncBioMune is currently trading on the OTC Markets under the symbol ‘OBMP’, but intends to file the necessary applications to change the stock symbol to ‘THER’ and its name to Theralink Technologies, Inc. in the near future.

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Avant Diagnostics provides personalized medicine data through its Theralink assays, initially for breast cancer, to assist the treating physician in a data-driven process for treatment decision support and to help enable predictive biomarker-based patient therapy selection. Avant is the leading developer of phosphoproteomic technologies for measuring the activation state of therapeutic targets and signaling pathways, a key metric for biopharmas, with applications across multiple cancer types, including breast, non-small cell lung, colorectal, gynecologic and pancreatic, among others.

Theralink was developed to empower physicians with potentially actionable information to help them make time-sensitive treatment decisions for their patients. Theralink is designed to provide new predictive biomarkers for biopharmas through the direct measurement of drug target activation mapping, making Theralink instrumental in the development of molecular targeted therapies. The information gathered through the measurement of developed biomarkers has the potential to help physicians make molecularly rationalized treatment decisions that might improve treatment outcomes and may reduce side effects by foregoing ineffective therapy.

As consideration for the assets of Avant, OncBioMune issued to Avant shares of its Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock. Upon the filing of an amendment to OncBioMune’s Articles of Incorporation to increase its authorized common stock, which is expected to occur within 45 days, the shares of preferred stock issued to Avant shall automatically convert into approximately 4.4 billion shares of OncBioMune’s common stock. As a condition of the closing of the acquisition, the Company raised $1,075,000 in a private placement of its Series C-2 Convertible Preferred Stock from two institutional investors, the Cavalry Fund and Lincoln Park Capital. The Company does not have institutional debt and no longer has convertible debt or variable rate warrants.

CNS Announces the FDA has Granted Orphan Drug Designation for Brain Cancer Drug Berubicin

On June 11, 2020 CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (Nasdaq: CNSP) ("CNS" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of novel treatments for primary and metastatic cancers of the brain and central nervous system, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for its lead product Berubicin for the treatment of malignant gliomas (Press release, CNS Pharmaceuticals, JUN 11, 2020, View Source [SID1234561018]).

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"We are pleased to receive Orphan Drug Designation for Berubicin, our lead candidate. The designation provides Berubicin with a special status that can accelerate its development to treat malignant gliomas, and provides CNS with the potential for market exclusivity upon the drug’s approval," stated John Climaco, CEO of CNS Pharmaceuticals. "In the Phase 1 trial of Berubicin to treat glioblastoma, one of the world’s most aggressive cancers, under a prior developer, 44% of the patients demonstrated a significant improvement in progression free survival, and one patient experienced a complete response. We look forward to continuing to execute on our strategic plan and initiating a Phase II trial evaluating the effect of Berubicin on patients with glioblastoma later this year."

Chief Medical Officer of CNS, Dr. Sandra Silberman, stated, "We are excited to continue to drive the development of Berubicin and work towards addressing a critical unmet medical need. Glioblastoma currently has a dismal survival rate of only 14.6 months from its diagnosis. We believe Berubicin, which based on limited clinical data appears to be the first anthracycline to cross over the blood brain barrier in adults, provides a potentially novel therapy for the treatment of malignant gliomas."

The FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation status to products that treat rare diseases, providing incentives to sponsors developing drugs or biologics. The FDA defines rare diseases as those affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States at any given time. Due to small patient numbers, treatment for these rare diseases would not be considered economically feasible without government programs to support their economic viability. Orphan drug status is intended to facilitate drug development for rare diseases and may provide several benefits to drug developers, including tax credits for qualified clinical trials costs, exemptions from certain FDA application fees, and seven years of market exclusivity upon regulatory product approval.

About Berubicin

Berubicin is an anthracycline, a class of anticancer agents that are among the most powerful chemotherapy drugs and effective against more types of cancer than any other class of chemotherapeutic agents. Anthracyclines are designed to utilize natural processes to induce deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage in targeted cancer cells by interfering with the action of topoisomerase II, a critical enzyme enabling cell proliferation. Berubicin treatment of brain cancer patients appeared to demonstrate positive responses that include one durable complete response in a Phase 1 human clinical trial conducted by Reata.

Syros to Present Virtually at JMP Securities Hematology and Oncology Forum

On June 11, 2020 Syros Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SYRS), a leader in the development of medicines that control the expression of genes, reported that its Chief Executive Officer, Nancy Simonian, M.D., will participate in a fireside chat at the JMP Hematology and Oncology Forum (Press release, Syros Pharmaceuticals, JUN 11, 2020, View Source [SID1234561003]). Details are as follows:

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JMP Securities Hematology and Oncology Forum
Date: Thursday, June 18
Presentation Time: 4:00 p.m. ET

A live webcast of the presentation will be available on the Investors & Media section of the Syros website at www.syros.com. An archived replay will be available for approximately 30 days following the fireside chat.

Rigel to Present Poster Highlighting TAVALISSE at the Virtual Edition of the 25th European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Congress

On June 11, 2020 Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL) reported that data related to TAVALISSE (fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate) tablets will be highlighted in a presentation at the Virtual Edition of the 25th EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper) Annual Congress taking place June 11-21, 2020 (Press release, Rigel, JUN 11, 2020, View Source [SID1234561019]). The presentation will be made available on the event’s website at www.ehaweb.org/congress/ on Friday, June 12 at 8:30 am CEST.

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In this previously presented post-hoc analysis, 32 patients received TAVALISSE as a second-line therapy, and 78% (25/32) achieved ≥1 platelet count of ≥50,000/µL (without rescue therapy). Adverse events were manageable and consistent with those previously reported with fostamatinib.

Fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate is an oral drug designed to inhibit spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), a key signaling component of the body’s immune process that leads to platelet destruction in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and proposed red blood cell destruction in warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA). Fostamatinib is commercially available in the U.S. under the brand name TAVALISSE (fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate) tablets and is the first and only SYK inhibitor indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in adult patients with chronic ITP who have had an insufficient response to a previous treatment. TAVALISSE is currently being investigated in a Phase 3 trial for the treatment of wAIHA, a rare, serious blood disorder for which there are no approved therapies.

Poster Presentation
Abstract #EP1625
Second-line Therapy for Immune Thrombocytopenia with the Spleen Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Fostamatinib
Presenter: Dr. Nichola Cooper
Session Topic: 32. Platelets Disorders

About ITP
In patients with ITP, the immune system attacks and destroys the body’s own blood platelets, which play an active role in blood clotting and healing. Common symptoms of ITP are excessive bruising and bleeding. People suffering with this disease may live with an increased risk of severe bleeding events that can result in serious medical complications or even death. Current therapies for ITP include steroids, blood platelet production boosters (TPO-RAs) and splenectomy. However, not all patients respond to existing therapies. As a result, there remains a significant medical need for additional treatment options for patients with ITP.

About AIHA
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare, serious blood disorder in which the immune system produces antibodies that result in the destruction of the body’s own red blood cells. AIHA affects approximately 45,000 adult patients in the U.S. and can be a severe, debilitating disease. To date, there are no disease-targeted therapies approved for AIHA, despite the unmet medical need that exists for these patients. Warm AIHA (wAIHA), the most common form of AIHA, is characterized by the presence of antibodies that react with the red blood cell surface at body temperature.

About TAVALISSE
Indication
TAVALISSE (fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate) tablets is indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who have had an insufficient response to a previous treatment.

Important Safety Information
Warnings and Precautions

Hypertension can occur with TAVALISSE treatment. Patients with pre-existing hypertension may be more susceptible to the hypertensive effects. Monitor blood pressure every 2 weeks until stable, then monthly, and adjust or initiate antihypertensive therapy for blood pressure control maintenance during therapy. If increased blood pressure persists, TAVALISSE interruption, reduction, or discontinuation may be required.
Elevated liver function tests (LFTs), mainly ALT and AST, can occur with TAVALISSE. Monitor LFTs monthly during treatment. If ALT or AST increase to >3 x upper limit of normal, manage hepatotoxicity using TAVALISSE interruption, reduction, or discontinuation.
Diarrhea occurred in 31% of patients and severe diarrhea occurred in 1% of patients treated with TAVALISSE. Monitor patients for the development of diarrhea and manage using supportive care measures early after the onset of symptoms. If diarrhea becomes severe (≥Grade 3), interrupt, reduce dose or discontinue TAVALISSE.
Neutropenia occurred in 6% of patients treated with TAVALISSE; febrile neutropenia occurred in 1% of patients. Monitor the ANC monthly and for infection during treatment. Manage toxicity with TAVALISSE interruption, reduction, or discontinuation.
TAVALISSE can cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women. Advise pregnant women the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment and for at least 1 month after the last dose. Verify pregnancy status prior to initiating TAVALISSE. It is unknown if TAVALISSE or its metabolite is present in human milk. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in a breastfed child, advise a lactating woman not to breastfeed during TAVALISSE treatment and for at least 1 month after the last dose.
Drug Interactions

Concomitant use of TAVALISSE with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors increases exposure to the major active metabolite of TAVALISSE (R406), which may increase the risk of adverse reactions. Monitor for toxicities that may require a reduction in TAVALISSE dose.
It is not recommended to use TAVALISSE with strong CYP3A4 inducers, as concomitant use reduces exposure to R406.
Concomitant use of TAVALISSE may increase concentrations of some CYP3A4 substrate drugs and may require a dose reduction of the CYP3A4 substrate drug.
Concomitant use of TAVALISSE may increase concentrations of BCRP substrate drugs (eg, rosuvastatin) and P-Glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate drugs (eg, digoxin), which may require a dose reduction of the BCRP and P-gp substrate drug.
Adverse Reactions

Serious adverse drug reactions in the ITP double-blind studies were febrile neutropenia, diarrhea, pneumonia, and hypertensive crisis, which occurred in 1% of TAVALISSE patients. In addition, severe adverse reactions occurred including dyspnea and hypertension (both 2%), neutropenia, arthralgia, chest pain, diarrhea, dizziness, nephrolithiasis, pain in extremity, toothache, syncope, and hypoxia (all 1%).
Common adverse reactions (≥5% and more common than placebo) from FIT-1 and FIT-2 included: diarrhea, hypertension, nausea, dizziness, ALT and AST increased, respiratory infection, rash, abdominal pain, fatigue, chest pain, and neutropenia.

Strategic investments from two specialist US healthcare investors for continued development of ImmuPharma’s therapeutic pipeline

On June 11, 2020 ImmuPharma PLC (LSE AIM: IMM – Euronext Growth: ALIMM), the specialist drug discovery and development company, reported that it has entered into agreements with two specialist US healthcare investors for a total investment of up to $6.30 million (£4.94 million) comprising an issue of unsecured convertible securities ("Securities") and associated options ("Options") (Press release, ImmuPharma, JUN 11, 2020, View Source [SID1234560987]).

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Highlights

ImmuPharma is to issue $3 million (£2.35 million) in face value of Securities to two US specialist healthcare investors, L1 Capital Global Opportunities Master Fund and Lind Global Macro Fund LP, managed by The Lind Partners, LLC ("the Investors") with a maturity period of 18 months.
At any time, during the maturity period, the Investors may convert their Securities (in whole or in part) to 13,086,619 ordinary shares in the Company, in aggregate, at a price of 17.96p ("Conversion Price") which is equivalent to 120% of the Volume Weighted Average Price ("VWAP") of the ordinary shares for 09 June 2020.
During the maturity period, the Company may require the investors to convert their securities to ordinary shares, if the VWAP on each of at least 20 consecutive trading days shall be equal to or have exceeded 35.92p (200% of the Conversion Price).
Should any securities remain unconverted on 10 December 2021 the Company will repurchase, from the Investors, the outstanding face value of the unconverted Securities.
In addition, the Investors have been granted 15,703,942 Options in the Company, which may be exercised at any time up to 3 years, with an exercise price the same as the Conversion Price, which, if all exercised, would amount to $3.60 million (£2.82 million).
The initial net proceeds of the Securities (after subscription and expenses) received by the Company of $2.39 million (£1.87 million) and any additional funds received of up to $3.60 million (£2.82 million), following exercise of the Options, will be used primarily to fund:
– Continued expansion of the Company’s R&D programmes; and
– General working capital

Commenting, ImmuPharma’s Chairman, Tim McCarthy, said:

"We are delighted to welcome L1 Capital Global Opportunities Master Fund and Lind Global Macro Fund LP as new investors into ImmuPharma. This is the first significant investment from specialist US healthcare funds and illustrates the attention we are now receiving from knowledgeable global investors. It particularly exemplifies the strengthened investment thesis of ImmuPharma, as we continue to strengthen and progress our recently expanded development pipeline to value inflexion points, including Lupuzor and the partnership with Avion Pharmaceuticals, as we prepare for the start of a new international optimised Phase III trial, in lupus patients".