On June 17, 2020 Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, reported priced a $4.5 billion public offering of four series of senior unsecured notes (collectively, the "Notes") (Press release, Merck & Co, JUN 17, 2020, View Source [SID1234561167]). The Notes include:

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$1.0 billion of 0.750% notes due 2026
$1.25 billion of 1.450% notes due 2030
$1.0 billion of 2.350% notes due 2040
$1.25 billion of 2.450% notes due 2050

Merck intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including without limitation the repayment of outstanding commercial paper borrowings and other indebtedness with upcoming maturities. The offering is expected to close on June 24, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions. BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. are acting as the active joint book-running managers for the offering.

The offering of the Notes is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement (including a base prospectus) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The offering may be made only by means of a prospectus and related prospectus supplement, copies of which may be obtained by calling BNP Paribas Securities Corp. toll-free at 1-800-854-5674, BofA Securities, Inc. collect at 1-800-294-1322, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. toll-free at 1-800-831-9146 or Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. toll-free at 1-800-503-4611. An electronic copy of the registration statement and prospectus supplement, together with the base prospectus, is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

On June 17, 2020 Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN), an immuno-oncology (I-O) company with a pipeline of immune checkpoint antibodies, adoptive cell therapies and cancer vaccines, reported that Dr. Walter Flamenbaum, CEO of AgenTus Therapeutics, and Dr. Marc Van Dijk, Chief Technology Officer of Agenus and AgenTus Therapeutics, will participate in a panel discussion on Cell Therapy at the Raymond James Virtual Human Health Innovation Conference on June 17, 2020.

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Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Time: 12:00 PM – 12:50 PM ET

Title: Cell Therapy: Promise of the Next Generation – Cell Therapy has become a fast-changing field after becoming a powerful clinical therapy for late line cancer patients with the approval of the first generation CD19+ CAR T cell treatments (Yescarta and Kymriah). Participants in the panel include AgenTus Therapeutics, a biotech company and subsidiary of Agenus Inc. developing new cancer treatments, including AGENT-797, an early unmodified allogeneic iNKTcell therapy, Magenta Therapeutics, a cell therapy company developing novel cell therapies including MGTA-456, a stem -cell production therapy, and SQZ Biotechnologies Company, a biotech company developing oncology drugs including APC HPV, an autologous based therapy for several types of cancer.

On June 17, 2020 Kangpu Biopharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage company focused on the discovery and development of next-generation of immunomodulatory small molecules for the treatments of solid tumors, hematological malignancies, auto-immune diseases as well as inflammatory disorders, reported that two posters highlighting preclinical data of the company’s lead drug candidates, KPG-121 and KPG-818, will be presented at the 2020 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Virtual Annual Meeting II to be held from June 22-24, 2020 (Press release, Kangpu Biopharmaceuticals, JUN 17, 2020, View Source [SID1234561199]).

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Details of the e-poster presentations on June 22-24 are as follows:

Abstract Title: KPG-121, A Novel Cereblon Modulator, Potently Inhibits Growth of Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer in Combination with Androgen Receptor Inhibitors Both In Vitro and In Vivo
Abstract Number: 5300
Poster Number: 5327
Poster Session: Novel Antitumor Agents 2

KPG-121 is a novel modulator of the Cerebron (CRBN) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex CRL4CRBN targeting rapid ubiquitination and degradation of casein kinase 1A1 (CK1α) and transcription factors Aiolos and Ikaros. KPG-121 promotes anti-proliferation and anti-angiogenesis activities and enhances immunomodulatory properties. KPG-121 significantly improves anti-tumor efficacies when combined with androgen-receptor antagonists including Enzalutamide, Abiraterone Acetate, Apalutamide, or Darolutamide in xenograft models when compared to the androgen-receptor antagonist therapy alone. KPG-121 is currently being evaluated in a Phase I study in the US for the treatment of patients with metastatic and non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in combination with Enzalutamide, Abiraterone Acetate, or Apalutamide (NCT03569280 at www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Abstract Title: KPG-818, A Novel Cereblon Modulator, Inhibits Hematological Malignancies in Preclinical Models
Abstract Number: 5671
Poster Number: 6367
Poster Session: Novel Antitumor Agents 3

KPG-818 represents a novel generation of small molecule modulators of the CRBN E3 ubiquitin ligase complex CRL4CRBN and potently induces the ubiquitination and degradation of Aiolos (IKZF3) and Ikaros (IKZF1), two members of the Ikaros family of zinc-finger transcription factors critical in B-cell development. In preclinical studies, KPG-818 demonstrates outstanding in vitro anti-inflammatory properties and broad spectrum of anti-proliferative activities as well as remarkable in vivo efficacy in animal models of multiple blood cancers. KPG-818 is currently being developed in a Phase I study for the treatment of patients with hematological malignancies in the US (NCT04283097 at www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Abstracts and full session details can be found at www.aacr.org.

On June 17, 2020 Lantern Pharma (NASDAQ: LTRN), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on leveraging artificial intelligence ("A.I."), machine learning and genomic data to streamline the drug development process and to identify the patients that will benefit from its targeted oncology therapies, reported that it will make two presentations at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting, a meeting of global leaders in cancer research taking place from June 22-24, 2020 (Press release, Lantern Pharma, JUN 17, 2020, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lantern-pharma-announces-two-presentations-at-american-association-for-cancer-research-aacr-2020-virtual-annual-meeting [SID1234561216]). They represent the Company’s first two presentations since its IPO and subsequent listing on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ‘LTRN.’

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Each presentation will examine Lantern Pharma’s use of its A.I. platform, RADR (Response Algorithm for Drug Positioning and Rescue), in the development of LP-184, one of three cancer drugs in Lantern Pharma’s pipeline. The first abstract will focus on LP-184’s unique features, including its nanomolar potency and its activity in multi-drug resistant tumors, while the second abstract will highlight Lantern Pharma’s use of machine learning, specifically artificial neural networks, to pinpoint a genomic signature most closely correlated with predicting response to LP-184 across a range of solid tumors and central nervous system (CNS) cancers. This signature is aimed at facilitating treatments using LP-184 through genomics-guided therapy. LP-184 is a drug candidate in preclinical development, which has shown early indications of efficacy in solid tumors, as well as in glioblastoma and CNS cancers with specific genetic and biomarker profiles.

RADR is Lantern Pharma’s proprietary A.I. and machine learning platform, which leverages over 275 million data points across more than 140 drug-tumor interactions to predict the potential response patients will have to Lantern Pharma’s cancer drug candidates and to other drugs that it is reviewing and analyzing. Lantern Pharma continues expanding RADR with additional real-world data points, tumor-specific data sets, proprietary experimental data and validated drug-tumor models. The company is actively developing additional collaborations and partnerships that will help expand RADR both in terms of datasets and functionality.

The AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting highlights the work and discoveries of the world’s leading cancer experts and researchers. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s meeting will be held virtually and features speakers from leading healthcare institutions, cancer research centers, large pharmaceutical companies and hospitals.

"We know that collaboration and the exchange of ideas among the world’s most renowned oncology experts is key to combatting cancer and improving patient outcomes," said Panna Sharma, CEO of Lantern Pharma. "Each year, the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) annual meeting convenes leading voices in cancer treatment from across the globe and is instrumental in advancing cancer research and individual therapies like those Lantern seeks to develop. We very much look forward to presenting our knowledge and methodologies being used to advance LP-184, and to applying the knowledge gained from the conference toward advancing and ultimately commercializing our own pipeline of cancer drugs, realizing long-term value for our shareholders."

POSTER PRESENTATION DETAILS:

Poster One:

"LP-184, a molecule with nanomolar potency, exhibits strong activity in lung cancers with KEAP1 and KRAS mutations," presented by Aditya Kulkarni, Ph.D.
Poster Session Title: Novel Antitumor Agents 1
Abstract # 1464
Poster Number: 4185

Poster Two:

"Machine learning-derived gene signature predicts strong sensitivity of several solid tumors to the alkylating agent LP-184," presented by Umesh Kathad, M.S.
Poster Session Title: Machine Learning
Abstract # 3305
Poster Number: 2090

Full abstracts for the poster presentations can be found at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) annual meeting website, www.aacr.org. They will also be available after the presentations at the Company’s website – www.lanternpharma.com.

On June 17, 2020 The board of directors of AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) reported a quarterly cash dividend of $1.18 per share (Press release, AbbVie, JUN 17, 2020, View Source [SID1234561184]).

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The cash dividend is payable August 14, 2020 to stockholders of record at the close of business on July 15, 2020.

Since the company’s inception in 2013, AbbVie has increased its dividend by 195 percent. AbbVie is a member of the S&P Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have annually increased their dividend for at least 25 consecutive years.