Corporate presentation

On April 1, 2019 MaxCyte presented the corporate presentation (Press release, MaxCyte, APR 1, 2019, View Source [SID1234537621]).

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Fate Therapeutics Presents Late-Breaking Preclinical Data Highlighting Unique Advantages of Clonal Master Engineered iPSC Lines for Off-the-Shelf CAR T-cell Therapy at 2019 AACR Annual Meeting

On April 1, 2019 Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of programmed cellular immunotherapies for cancer and immune disorders, reported late-breaking preclinical data highlighting the Company’s unmatched ability to mass produce uniformly engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells for off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia (LB-073/18: Generation of Novel Single Cell-derived Engineered Master Pluripotent Cell Line as a Renewable Source for Off-the-shelf TCR-less CAR T Cells in support of First-of-kind Clinical Trial) (Press release, Fate Therapeutics, APR 1, 2019, View Source [SID1234534823]).

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The Company’s proprietary approach to CAR T-cell therapy utilizes a one-time genetic modification event followed by high-throughput selection of a single gene-edited induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC). In contrast to repeatedly engineering large populations of patient- or donor-derived T cells which results in batch-to-batch and cell-to-cell variability, the Company has shown that a single gene-edited iPSC can be maintained as a clonal master engineered iPSC line which can be repeatedly used for production of uniformly engineered CAR T cells.

"The efficiency, accuracy, and uniformity of genetic modifications have the potential to impact the safety and efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy. We know that, when engineering a population of T cells, current gene-editing technologies create genomic heterogeneity and result in undesired byproducts, such as DNA mutagenesis and translocations. The selection of a single gene-edited cell for the derivation of a clonal master engineered iPSC line ensures that the effects of gene editing can be fully characterized and that only engineered T cells meeting rigorous quality standards are administered to patients," said Scott Wolchko, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fate Therapeutics.

New preclinical data presented today at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) for FT819, the Company’s universal, off-the-shelf CAR19 T-cell product candidate being developed under a collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) led by Michel Sadelain, M.D., Ph.D., demonstrate the production of clonal master engineered iPSC lines having complete elimination of T-cell receptor (TCR) expression and insertion of a novel 1XX CAR signaling domain into the T-cell receptor alpha (TRAC) locus. These synthetic features are intended to mitigate the risk of graft-versus-host disease, a severe life-threatening condition that occurs when donor T cells attack a patient’s healthy tissue, and to regulate CAR expression to enhance the therapeutic profile of CAR T cells.

Scientists from the Company and MSK are using clonal master engineered iPSC lines under the collaboration to overcome the complexity, heterogeneity, and substantial costs associated with engineering T cells from a patient or a donor. As proof-of-principle for the therapeutic advantages arising from selecting a single gene-edited cell for the production of CAR T-cell therapy, the scientists engineered a population of 545 cells using CRISPR-directed gene editing and found that only about 5% of cells contained both bi-allelic disruption of the TCR and insertion of the CAR into the TRAC locus. Upon further characterization for off-target genomic modifications and functional performance, only about 2% of the cell population were determined to meet the Company’s standards for genomic integrity and overall quality.

Previously published work by Dr. Sadelain in the journal Nature has shown that directing a CD19-specific CAR to the TRAC locus enhances T-cell potency, and that TRAC-targeted CAR T cells vastly outperform conventionally-generated CAR T cells in a mouse model of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (View Source). Additionally, Dr. Sadelain has shown in published work described in the journal Nature Medicine that the third-generation 1XX CAR signaling domain balances T-cell effector and memory programs, resulting in CAR T cells with potent activity and longer durability (View Source).

Fate Therapeutics has exclusively licensed from MSK foundational intellectual property covering the production and composition of iPSC-derived T cells for human therapeutic use. Additionally, in May 2018, the Company expanded its existing license agreement with MSK to include certain patents and patent applications relating to a novel 1XX CAR construct and off-the-shelf CAR T cells, including the use of CRISPR and other innovative technologies for their production. In addition, Fate Therapeutics owns an extensive intellectual property portfolio that broadly covers compositions and methods for the genome editing of iPSCs using CRISPR and other nucleases, including the use of CRISPR to insert a CAR in the TRAC locus for endogenous transcriptional control.

About Fate Therapeutics’ iPSC Product Platform
The Company’s proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) product platform enables mass production of off-the-shelf, engineered, homogeneous cell products that can be administered in repeat doses to mediate more effective pharmacologic activity, including in combination with cycles of other cancer treatments. Human iPSCs possess the unique dual properties of unlimited self-renewal and differentiation potential into all cell types of the body. The Company’s first-of-kind approach involves engineering human iPSCs in a one-time genetic modification event and selecting a single iPSC for maintenance as a clonal master iPSC line. Analogous to master cell lines used to manufacture biopharmaceutical drug products such as monoclonal antibodies, clonal master iPSC lines are a renewable source for manufacturing cell therapy products which are well-defined and uniform in composition, can be mass produced at significant scale in a cost-effective manner, and can be delivered off-the-shelf to treat many patients. As a result, the Company’s platform is uniquely capable of addressing the limitations associated with the production of cell therapies using patient- or donor-sourced cells, which is logistically complex and expensive and is fraught with batch-to-batch and cell-to-cell variability that can affect safety and efficacy. Fate Therapeutics’ iPSC product platform is supported by an intellectual property portfolio of over 100 issued patents and 100 pending patent applications.

SpringWorks Therapeutics Completes $125 Million Series B Financing

On April 1, 2019 SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing life-changing medicines for patients with severe rare diseases and cancer, reported the closing of a $125 million Series B preferred stock financing led by Perceptive Advisors (Press release, SpringWorks Therapeutics, APR 1, 2019, View Source [SID1234534840]). New investors participating in this financing include Boxer Capital of Tavistock Group, HBM Healthcare Investments, BVF Partners, Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company), Samsara BioCapital, ArrowMark Partners, GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK), and Laurion Capital Management, as well as several other long-term institutional investors. All of the Company’s existing investors – OrbiMed, Bain Capital, Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), via Pfizer Ventures, and LifeArc – also participated in the offering.

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Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance the Company’s two late-stage rare disease oncology programs towards potential regulatory approval and commercialization: nirogacestat, a gamma secretase inhibitor for the treatment of desmoid tumors, and PD-0325901, a MEK inhibitor for the treatment of neurofibromatosis type 1-associated plexiform neurofibromas. The proceeds will also support the continued expansion of the Company’s emerging targeted oncology programs, as well as future in-licensing opportunities and clinical collaborations in rare diseases and cancer.

"This financing from a committed, knowledgeable and distinguished investor syndicate, which includes new and existing investors as well as key industry partners, underscores the progress we’ve made to advance our late-stage clinical programs towards pivotal studies, execute on our initial business development strategy, and build upon our leading drug development operations," said Saqib Islam, Chief Executive Officer of SpringWorks Therapeutics. "We are well positioned to continue to execute on our strategy to build a leading rare disease and targeted oncology company that brings promising science to underserved patient communities."

"We are excited to partner with SpringWorks Therapeutics as they build a differentiated rare disease and targeted oncology company, and we look forward to supporting the team as they work towards achieving product approvals over the coming years," said Adam Stone, Chief Investment Officer of Perceptive Advisors, LLC.

Phase 3 ADMIRAL Trial Data Show XOSPATA® (gilteritinib) Significantly Prolongs Overall Survival in Adult Patients with FLT3 Mutation-Positive Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia Compared with Salvage Chemotherapy

On April 1, 2019 Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503) (President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D. "Astellas") reported results from the Phase 3 ADMIRAL clinical trial comparing XOSPATA (gilteritinib) to salvage chemotherapy in adult patients with relapsed or refractory (resistant to treatment) Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with a FLT3 mutation (Press release, Astellas, APR 1, 2019, View Source [SID1234534876]). The results show that patients treated with XOSPATA had significantly longer Overall Survival (OS) than those who received standard salvage chemotherapy. The data were shared today by Alexander Perl, M.D., Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, in a press conference at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. The data will also be presented during the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Clinical Trials Plenary Session (#CT184), which takes place April 2, 2019, 10:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center, Marcus Auditorium, Bldg A-GWCC.

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Results from the ADMIRAL trial show the median OS for patients who received XOSPATA was 9.3 months compared to 5.6 months for patients who received salvage chemotherapy (Hazard Ratio = 0.637 (95% CI 0.490, 0.830), P=0.007); one-year survival rates were 37% for patients who received XOSPATA compared to 17% for patients who received salvage chemotherapy.

The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) of any grade occurring in ≥10% of patients during the first 30 days of treatment with gilteritinib were anemia (33%), increased alanine aminotransferase (24%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (24%), febrile neutropenia (21%), thrombocytopenia (19%), constipation (17%), pyrexia (15%), fatigue (15%), decreased neutrophil count (14%), increased blood alkaline phosphatase (13%), nausea (13%), hypokalemia (11%), cough (11%), headache (10%), and diarrhea (10%). The most common TEAEs of any grade occurring in ≥10% of patients during the first 30 days of treatment with salvage chemotherapy were anemia (33%), febrile neutropenia (32%), nausea (30%), diarrhea (28%), hypokalemia (27%), pyrexia (26%), decreased appetite (17%), decreased white blood cell count (17%), thrombocytopenia (16%), constipation (14%), abdominal pain (14%), hyperglycemia (13%), headache (13%), stomatitis (13%), fatigue (11%), decreased neutrophil count (11%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (10%), vomiting (10%), peripheral edema (10%), and hypomagnesemia (10%).

"We are very encouraged by the findings of the ADMIRAL trial," said Alexander Perl, M.D., an associate professor of Hematology-Oncology in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. "Patients with relapsed/refractory FLT3 mutation-positive AML generally have a poor prognosis and short survival. Until just recently, they had few treatment options. These findings change the treatment paradigm for this patient population."

XOSPATA was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2018 for the treatment of adult patients who have relapsed or refractory AML with a FLT3 mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test.[1]

XOSPATA was discovered through a research collaboration with Kotobuki Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Astellas has exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize XOSPATA.

XOSPATA was approved by the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) for relapsed or refractory AML with FLT3 mutations and launched as XOSPATA 40 mg Tablets in 2018.[2] In February 2019, a marketing authorization application (MAA) for the oral once-daily therapy XOSPATA for the treatment of adult patients who have relapsed or refractory AML with a FLT3 mutation was accepted by the European Medicines Agency for regulatory review.[3]

Astellas is currently investigating gilteritinib in various FLT3 mutation-positive AML patient populations through several Phase 3 trials. Visit View Source to learn more about ongoing gilteritinib clinical trials.

About the ADMIRAL Trial[4]
The Phase 3 ADMIRAL trial (NCT02421939) was an open-label, multicenter, randomized study of gilteritinib versus salvage chemotherapy in adult patients with FLT3 mutations who are refractory to or have relapsed after first-line AML therapy. The primary endpoint of the trial was Overall Survival (OS). The study enrolled 371 patients with relapsed or refractory AML and positive for FLT3 mutations present in bone marrow or whole blood. Subjects were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive gilteritinib (120 mg)[5] or salvage chemotherapy.

About XOSPATA (gilteritinib)
XOSPATA is indicated for the treatment of adult patients who have relapsed or refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with a FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test.1

Important Safety Information

Contraindications
XOSPATA is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to gilteritinib or any of the excipients. Anaphylactic reactions have been observed in clinical trials.

Warnings and Precautions
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) There have been rare reports of PRES with symptoms including seizure and altered mental status with XOSPATA. Symptoms have resolved after discontinuation of XOSPATA. A diagnosis of PRES requires confirmation by brain imaging, preferably MRI. Discontinue XOSPATA in patients who develop PRES.

Prolonged QT Interval XOSPATA has been associated with prolonged cardiac ventricular repolarization (QT interval). Of the 292 patients treated with XOSPATA in the clinical trial, 1.4% were found to have a QTc interval greater than 500 msec and 7% of patients had an increase from baseline QTc greater than 60 msec. Perform electrocardiogram (ECG) prior to initiation of treatment with XOSPATA, on days 8 and 15 of cycle 1, and prior to the start of the next two subsequent cycles. Interrupt and reduce XOSPATA dosage in patients who have a QTcF >500 msec. Hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia may increase the QT prolongation risk. Correct hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia prior to and during XOSPATA administration.

Pancreatitis There have been rare reports of pancreatitis in patients receiving XOSPATA in clinical studies. Evaluate patients who develop signs and symptoms of pancreatitis. Interrupt and reduce the dose of XOSPATA in patients who develop pancreatitis.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on findings in animals and its mechanism of action, XOSPATA can cause embryo-fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with XOSPATA and for at least 6 months after the last dose of XOSPATA. Advise males with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with XOSPATA and for at least 4 months after the last dose of XOSPATA. Pregnant women, patients becoming pregnant while receiving XOSPATA or male patients with pregnant female partners should be apprised of the potential risk to the fetus.

Adverse Reactions
The most frequent non-hematological serious adverse reactions (≥5%) reported in patients were pneumonia (19%), sepsis (13%), fever (13%), dyspnea (7%) and renal impairment (5%).

Overall, 22 of 292 patients (8%) discontinued XOSPATA treatment permanently due to an adverse reaction. The most common adverse reactions (>1%) leading to discontinuation were pneumonia (2%), sepsis (2%) and dyspnea (1%). The most common adverse reactions (≥20%) were myalgia/arthralgia (42%), transaminase increased (41%), fatigue/malaise (40%), fever (35%), non-infectious diarrhea (34%), dyspnea (34%), edema (34%), rash (30%), pneumonia (30%), nausea (27%), stomatitis (26%), cough (25%), headache (21%), hypotension (21%), dizziness (20%) and vomiting (20%).

Other clinically significant adverse reactions occurring in ≤10% of patients included: electrocardiogram QT prolonged (7%), cardiac failure (grouped terms) (4%), pericardial effusion (3%), pericarditis (2%), differentiation syndrome (1%), anaphylactic reaction (1%) and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (1%).

Lab Abnormalities: The most common lab abnormalities (>20%) that were Grade ≥3 that occurred ≥10% were: hypophosphatemia (12%), alanine aminotransferase increased (12%), hyponatremia (12%), aspartate aminotransferase increased (10%).

Drug Interactions
Combined P-gp and Strong CYP3A Inducers: Concomitant use of XOSPATA with a combined P-gp and strong CYP3A inducer decreases XOSPATA exposure which may decrease XOSPATA efficacy. Avoid concomitant use of XOSPATA with combined P-gp and strong CYP3A inducers.

Strong CYP3A inhibitors: Concomitant use of XOSPATA with a strong CYP3A inhibitor increases XOSPATA exposure. Consider alternative therapies that are not strong CYP3A inhibitors. If the concomitant use of these inhibitors is considered essential for the care of the patient, monitor patient more frequently for XOSPATA adverse reactions. Interrupt and reduce XOSPATA dosage in patients with serious or life-threatening toxicity.

Drugs that Target 5HT2B Receptor or Sigma Nonspecific Receptor: Concomitant use of XOSPATA may reduce the effects of drugs that target the 5HT2B receptor or the sigma nonspecific receptor (e.g., escitalopram, fluoxetine, sertraline). Avoid concomitant use of these drugs with XOSPATA unless their use is considered essential for the care of the patient.

Specific Populations
Lactation: Advise women not to breastfeed during treatment with XOSPATA and for 2 months after the last dose

Candel Therapeutics Completes $22.5 Million Series C Preferred Stock Offering

On April 1, 2019 Candel Therapeutics (a.k.a. Advantagene, Inc.) reported the closing of a $22.5 million Series C Preferred Stock financing led by Northpond Ventures. Participating syndicate members included Sands Capital Ventures, H7 Holdings and Level One Partners. Michael P. Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of Northpond Ventures, will join the company as a member of its board of directors (Press release, Candel Therapeutics, APR 1, 2019, View Source [SID1234537125]).

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"We are thrilled to join forces with the Candel team and embark on this great journey together. We have the potential to be a force for good in the world, which is what drives us," said Dr. Rubin.

"We are grateful for the financial flexibility resulting from this financing," stated Dr. Estuardo Aguilar-Cordova, Chairman and CEO of Candel Therapeutics. "The addition of Michael to our board of directors is a big win for the company and brings significant relevant expertise."

The completion of the Series C brings the total capital raised by Candel in the last year to $51.2 million. The company plans to use the proceeds to expand its operational capabilities and further accelerate its ongoing clinical development initiatives. Candel’s lead programs are based on the company’s Gene Mediated Cytotoxic Immunotherapy (GMCI) technology and include two randomized studies in prostate cancer, including a Phase 3 under an FDA approved Special Protocol Assessment. The Company also has ongoing clinical programs in glioma, lung and pancreatic cancer.

"We have the most comprehensive and promising clinical data set in the field of developing viral immunotherapies in multiple tumor indications," explained Dr. Aguilar-Cordova. "We are particularly excited about expanding our efforts for brain tumor patients as they are in desperate need of new treatment options."

Candel’s efforts in pursuit of an effective treatment for brain cancer are significant. The company has completed a Phase 2 clinical study in high grade glioma that showed promising results, including an indication of survival benefit. The launch of a combination GMCI-checkpoint inhibitor clinical study, in collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Adult Brain Tumor Consortium, was recently announced. The Company also has an ongoing study for recurrent GBM patients with rQNestin34.5, the company’s oncolytic herpes-based platform. Additionally, the Company plans to use proceeds from this financing to launch a GMCI pivotal trial for brain cancer patients.

For more information about its clinical programs, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov or click the following link: View Source;term=advantagene&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=