Personalis to Participate in European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) 2020 Virtual Congress

On June 18, 2020 Personalis, Inc., (Nasdaq: PSNL) a leader in advanced genomics for cancer, reported the company’s participation in the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) 2020 Virtual Congress, which will be held online, June 18-19, 2020 (Press release, Personalis, JUN 18, 2020, View Source [SID1234561234]).

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Personalis will present "Enabling Composite Biomarker Discovery for Precision Cancer Therapy with an Enhanced Exome and Transcriptome Platform" in an industry-sponsored symposium, featuring the Personalis universal cancer immunogenomics platform, ImmunoID NeXT. Erin Newburn, MS, PhD, will present for Personalis.

Dr. Newburn will provide an overview of how the platform can be used to explore critical immunotherapy-related resistance mechanisms and novel composite biomarkers of response utilizing analytics including human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing and HLA loss of heterozygosity (LOH), neoantigen prediction and load, immune repertoire characterization, and oncoviral detection, as well as the evaluation of tumor mutational burden (TMB) and microsatellite instability (MSI) status. In addition, Dr. Newburn will present a recent case study from a cohort of metastatic melanoma patients who were treated with an immune checkpoint blockade, where we integrated several different molecular features from the ImmunoID NeXT Platform to help better define the responder and non-responder patients.

Sermonix to Present Poster on Lasofoxifene, CDK 4/6 Inhibitor Combination for AACR Virtual Annual Meeting

On June 18, 2020 Sermonix Pharmaceuticals Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of female-focused oncology products in the precision medicine metastatic breast cancer arena, reported that it will share a poster and audio presentation on its lead investigational drug, lasofoxifene, for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Virtual Annual Meeting II (Press release, Sermonix Pharmaceuticals, JUN 18, 2020, View Source [SID1234561218]).

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The abstract compares the efficacy of lasofoxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), and CDK 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib combinations to that of fulvestrant, a selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD), and palbociclib combinations in NSG mice with breast tumors carrying Y537S ESR1 mutations.

Presentation Details:
Title: "Lasofoxifene Alone or in Combination With Palbociclib as an Effective Treatment for Therapy-Resistant ER+ Metastatic Breast Cancer"
Session: PO.EN02.01 – Molecular, Preclinical, and Clinical Endocrinology 2
Abstract ID: 4370/ 13
Date + Time: June 22 from 9 a.m. EDT to 6 p.m.

Following the virtual presentation, the poster will be available in the Medical Meetings section of the Sermonix Pharmaceuticals website.

"The results demonstrate a positive, synergistic efficacy of lasofoxifene with a CDK 4/6 inhibitor, supporting this type of combination therapy approach in clinical studies," said David Portman, Sermonix founder and chief executive officer. "We look forward to detailing these new results during this important AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) online gathering of the oncology community and initiating a Phase 2 combination study in the near future."

The study was conducted by the University of Chicago’s Ben May Department for Cancer Research.

"This work marks an important step in continuing to build the foundation of our ongoing, robust ELAINE clinical development program," said Beth Attias, Sermonix chief strategy and development officer. "We are grateful for the collaboration with the University of Chicago and this groundbreaking work of Dr. Geoffrey Greene."

About Lasofoxifene
Lasofoxifene is an investigational, nonsteroidal selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), which Sermonix licensed from Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: LGND) and has been studied in previous comprehensive Phase 1-3 non-oncology clinical trials in more than 15,000 postmenopausal women worldwide. Lasofoxifene’s bioavailability and activity in mutations of the estrogen receptor could potentially hold promise for patients who have acquired endocrine resistance due to ESR1 mutations, a common finding in the metastatic setting and an area of high unmet medical need. Lasofoxifene’s novel activity in ESR1 mutations was discovered at Duke University and Sermonix has exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the product in this area. Lasofoxifene, a potent, oral SERM could, if approved, play a critical role in the targeted precision medicine treatment of advanced ER+ breast cancer.

Amgen To Present At The BMO Capital Markets 2020 Prescriptions for Success Healthcare Conference

On June 18, 2020 Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) reported that it will present at the BMO Capital Markets 2020 Prescriptions for Success Healthcare Conference at 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 23, 2020 (Press release, Amgen, JUN 18, 2020, View Source [SID1234561235]). Elliott Levy, senior vice president of R&D Strategy and Operations at Amgen, will present at the conference. Live audio of the presentation can be accessed from the Events Calendar on Amgen’s website, www.amgen.com, under Investors. A replay of the webcast will also be available on Amgen’s website for 90 days following the event.

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STORM Therapeutics announces publication in Nature Reviews Cancer on the role of RNA Modifications in Cancer by Founder Professor Tony Kouzarides

On June 17, 2020 STORM Therapeutics, the biotechnology company focused on the discovery of small molecule therapies modulating RNA epigenetics, reported that it has published a scientific paper in the peer reviewed journal Nature Reviews Cancer (Press release, STORM Therapeutics, APR 17, 2020, View Source [SID1234561037]).

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The paper entitled ‘Role of RNA modifications in cancer’ is an authoritative and comprehensive review of the emerging and highly promising field of RNA epigenetics, highlighting pathways implicated in cancer to-date, describing their biological functions and their connections to the disease. The paper, written by Tony Kouzarides and Isaia Barbieri from The Gurdon Institute, The University of Cambridge describes insights into seven different internal RNA modifications, their mechanisms of actions (where known) and the evidence linking them to cancers. See link to paper: View Source

Professor Tony Kouzarides, Founder of STORM Therapeutics and Deputy Director of Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, said: "This paper describes the importance of understanding key RNA epitranscriptomic pathways and their implications for a wide range of cancers. It highlights that an increasing number of RNA modifications and the enzymes responsible for their deposition, removal and detection (or writers, erasers and readers) play context-specific roles in a rapidly expanding catalogue of cancers. They are expected to be tractable for development of targeted small molecule therapies for a wide range of those cancers and could additionally enhance the efficacies of current cancer treatments by affecting primary and acquired drug resistance."

Keith Blundy, CEO of STORM Therapeutics, said: "I am delighted to see the publication by our Company Founder of this paper in a world leading journal. The diversity of RNA modifications and the molecular pathways in which they are involved demonstrates this is only the beginning of the era of RNA epigenetics in cancer therapy and treatment of a wide range of other diseases. STORM Therapeutics is the leading company currently tackling disease through modulating RNA modifying enzymes and is developing a unique platform to address these enzyme classes, including RNA methyltransferases. We expect our lead drug candidate, METTL3, to be the first RNA epigenetic drug to enter human clinical trials in 2021."

TG Therapeutics Completes Rolling Submission of New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Umbralisib as a Treatment for Patients with Previously Treated Marginal Zone Lymphoma or Follicular Lymphoma

On June 7, 2020 TG Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: TGTX), a biopharmaceutical company developing medicines for patients with B-cell mediated diseases, reported the completion of the rolling submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting accelerated approval of umbralisib, the Company’s investigational once-daily, oral, dual inhibitor of PI3K-delta and CK1-epsilon, as a treatment for patients with previously treated marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) and follicular lymphoma (FL) (Press release, TG Therapeutics, JUN 17, 2020, View Source [SID1234561170]). The FDA previously granted umbralisib breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) for MZL and orphan drug designation (ODD) for MZL and FL.

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Michael S. Weiss, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TG Therapeutics stated, "The completion of this NDA submission marks an important milestone in bringing us one step closer to providing umbralisib as a potential treatment option for patients with relapsed/refractory MZL and FL. As a company this is a very exciting moment for us, as it marks our very first NDA submission, and I commend our team for all their efforts to get to this point." Mr. Weiss continued, "Importantly, I also want to thank the patients, their families and the research teams who participated in these trials. This has been an incredibly impactful year for TG thus far, with several important milestones yet to come, including topline data from the ULTIMATE trials of ublitximab in multiple sclerosis, presentation of full data from the UNITY-NHL FL/MZL cohorts and from the UNITY-CLL Phase 3 trial of umbralisib plus ublituximab (U2), and a BLA/NDA submission for U2 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia targeted by the end of the year."

ABOUT THE UNITY-NHL PHASE 2b STUDY—MZL & FL COHORTS
The UNITY- NHL trial is a multicenter, open-label Phase 2b trial.

The MZL cohort was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of single agent umbralisib, in patients with MZL who have received at least one prior anti-CD20 regimen. In February of 2019, the Company announced that the primary endpoint of overall response rate (ORR) as determined by Independent Review Committee (IRC) was met for all treated MZL patients (n=69). The results met the Company’s target guidance of 40-50% ORR. Interim safety and efficacy data from the MZL cohort were presented in oral presentations in 2019 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) annual meeting, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) annual meeting and the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML).

The FL cohort was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of single agent umbralisib in patients with FL who have received at least two prior lines of therapy, including an anti-CD20 regimen and an alkylating agent. In October of 2019, the Company announced that the primary endpoint of ORR as determined by IRC was met for all treated FL patients (n=118). The results met the Company’s prespecified response target of 40-50% ORR.

ABOUT MARGINAL ZONE LYMPHOMA
Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) comprises a group of indolent (slow growing) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) that begin forming in the marginal zone of lymphoid tissue. With an annual incidence of approximately 7,500 newly diagnosed patients in the United States1, MZL is the third most common B-cell NHL, accounting for approximately eight percent of all NHL cases. MZL consists of three different subtypes: extranodal MZL of the mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), nodal marginal zone lymphoma (NMZL), and splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL)2.

ABOUT FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is typically a slow-growing or indolent form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that arises from B-lymphocytes, making it a B-cell lymphoma. Follicular lymphoma is generally not curable and is a chronic disease. Patients can live for many years with this form of lymphoma. With an annual incidence in the United States of approximately 15,000 newly diagnosed patients3, FL is the most common indolent lymphoma accounting for approximately 20 percent of all NHL cases4.