PRA Health Sciences to Report Fourth Quarter 2018 Earnings

On February 4, 2019 PRA Health Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRAH) reported that it will release its fourth quarter and year end 2018 results after the market closes on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 (Press release, PRA Health Sciences, FEB 4, 2019, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2385970 [SID1234533080]). The Company will also host a conference call on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss the results with members of the investment community.

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To participate via telephone, investors and analysts should dial (877) 930-8062 within the United States or (253) 336-7647 outside the United States approximately 10 minutes prior to the call start time. The conference ID for the call is 8697447. An audio replay of the call will be available for one week following the call and can be accessed by dialing (855) 859-2056 within the United States or (404) 537-3406 outside the United States. The replay ID is 8697447.

A live audio broadcast will be available on the investor relations section of the PRA Health Sciences website. Following the teleconference, an audio playback of the call will be available at the same website.

Exact Sciences schedules fourth-quarter, full-year 2018 earnings call

On February 4, 2019 Exact Sciences Corp. (Nasdaq: EXAS) reported that the company plans to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 financial results after the close of the U.S. financial markets on Feb. 21, 2019 (Press release, Exact Sciences, FEB 4, 2019, View Source [SID1234533028]). Following the release, company management will host a webcast and conference call at 5 p.m. ET to discuss financial results and business progress.

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Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2018 Webcast & Conference Call Details

Date:

Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019

Time:

5 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. CT

Webcast:

The live webcast can be accessed at www.exactsciences.com

Telephone:

Domestic callers, dial 877-201-0168

International callers, dial +1 647-788-4901

Access code for both domestic and international callers: 7363029

An archive of the webcast will be available at www.exactsciences.com. A replay of the conference call will be available by calling 800-585-8367 domestically or 416-621-4642 internationally. The access code for the replay of the call is 7363029. The webcast, conference call and replay are open to all interested parties.

ENB Therapeutics Announces Clinical Trial Collaboration with Merck to Evaluate ENB-003 in combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) for Advanced Solid Tumors

On February 4th, 2019 ENB Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company developing innovative, endothelin-based oncologics, reported that it has entered into a clinical collaboration agreement with Merck (known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada) to evaluate the combination of ENB-003, a first-in class endothelin B receptor ("ETBR") inhibitor and Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), in a Phase 1/2 trial in patients with advanced solid tumors (Press release, ENB Therapeutics, FEB 4, 2019, View Source [SID1234626430]). The open-label, dose-escalation and expansion Phase 1/2 study will enroll patients with anti-PD-1 resistant malignant melanoma, platinum-resistant ovarian or pancreatic cancer with previous treatment failure. The dose escalation phase of the trial will evaluate the safety and tolerability of various doses of ENB-003 as a monotherapy and in combination with KEYTRUDA. The dose expansion will evaluate preliminary efficacy, safety and tolerability of the selected dose of ENB-003 combined with KEYTRUDA as well as changes in immunohistochemistry and pharmacodynamic biomarkers after administration of ENB-003.

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"We are thrilled to collaborate with Merck, an established leader in the field of cancer immunotherapy," said Sumayah Jamal, M.D., Ph.D., President and CSO of ENB Therapeutics. "ENB-003 has both antitumor and immune-modulatory effects and augments the efficacy of anti-PD-1 inhibition in animal models. We are optimistic about exploring the combination of ENB-003 and KEYTRUDA ."

Under the terms of the agreement, ENB Therapeutics will sponsor the ENB-003 and KEYTRUDA clinical study.

Keytruda is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.

Syntrix Wins $3.4M NIH Grant to Conduct Phase 1/2 Trial of SX-682 in Myelodysplastic Syndrome

On February 4, 2019 Syntrix Pharmaceuticals reported that it has been awarded a three-year grant worth $3.4 million from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to assess its investigational CXCR1/2 inhibitor SX-682 in patients with low- and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who had progression or were intolerant to prior therapy (Press release, Syntrix, FEB 4, 2019, View Source [SID1234553882]). The phase 1/2 clinical trial will be carried out in collaboration with researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center led by Dr. Rami Kamrokji.

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"Patients with low-risk MDS have an expected median survival measured in years, but suffer from hematologic deficits and related symptoms that lead to transfusion dependence," said Syntrix’s President John Zebala. "Patients with high-risk MDS have debilitating cytopenias and borderline leukemia, and can have expected survival measured in months."

Only three drugs have received regulatory approval for MDS treatment, all with suboptimal response rates (<50%) and of limited durability (1-2 years). Once these agents fail in patients, there is no second-line treatment. Prognosis after failure is dismal, with median survival estimated at <6 months for higher-risk patients, and <18 months for lower-risk patients.

The Phase 1/2 clinical trial of SX-682 builds on groundbreaking discoveries by investigators at the Moffitt Cancer Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine who showed CXCR1/2 is pivotal in MDS and that its inhibition is a therapeutic strategy against the disease.

This Phase 1/2 trial in MDS patients will test the hypothesis that targeting CXCR1/2 with SX-682 will be efficacious in the disease by eliminating the MDS stem cells and bone marrow MDSCs. The FDA approved the protocol for the study in an IND sponsored by Syntrix.

ABOUT SX-682: SX-682 is a clinical-stage oral allosteric small-molecule inhibitor of CXCR1 and CXCR2 (CXCR1/2). Inhibiting both human receptors is believed essential. CXCR1/2 are a combined "master switch" of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Clinical studies in melanoma, breast, ovarian, prostate and colon cancer have shown a direct correlation between serum levels of CXCR1/2 ligands and disease progression. SX-682 has been validated in all major solid tumor models, where it exhibits mono-agent anti-tumor activity, blocks metastasis, depletes immunosuppressive myeloid cells, activates tumor killing by effector cells, reverses chemo-resistance, and potently synergizes with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD1. SX-682 is also being evaluated in solid tumors supported by the National Cancer Institute.

FENNEC PHARMACEUTICALS ANNOUNCES $12.5 MILLION DEBT FINANCING WITH BRIDGE BANK

On February 4, 2019 Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:FENC; TSX: FRX), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of PEDMARKTM (a unique formulation of sodium thiosulfate (STS) to be administered by infusion) for the prevention of ototoxicity induced by cisplatin chemotherapy in pediatric patients with solid tumors, reported a $12.5 million senior debt facility with the Life Sciences Group at Bridge Bank.

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The U.S. operating subsidiary of Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc. entered into a Loan and Security Agreement with Bridge Bank, securing a $12.5 million debt facility with a maturity date of October 1, 2023, which will be funded upon New Drug Application (NDA) approval of PEDMARKTM in the U.S. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the loan to provide working capital for commercialization activities for PEDMARKTM upon NDA approval.

"We welcome the commitment of Bridge Bank to Fennec as this debt facility provides us with the option to access minimally dilutive capital at an attractive cost upon NDA approval. With this facility, combined with our existing cash position, we believe we have sufficient resources to launch PEDMARKTM," stated Rosty Raykov, Chief Executive Officer of Fennec.

"PEDMARK is the first agent to receive Breakthrough Therapy designation from the U.S Food and Drug Administration for prevention of cisplatin-induced hear loss in pediatric patients," said Justin McDonie, senior vice president of Bridge Bank’s Life Sciences Group. "Bridge Bank welcomes the opportunity to work alongside the Fennec Pharmaceuticals team and to provide flexible debt capital to support the launch of PEDMARK which addresses an unmet orphan condition."

About Bridge Bank

Bridge Bank, a division of Western Alliance Bank, Member FDIC, helps business clients realize their growth ambitions. Founded in 2001 in Silicon Valley, Bridge Bank offers a better way to bank for small-market and middle-market businesses across many industries, as well as emerging technology companies and the private equity community. Geared to serving both venture-backed and non-venture-backed companies, Bridge Bank delivers a broad scope of financial solutions including growth capital, equipment and working capital credit facilities, sustainable energy project finance, venture debt, treasury management, asset-based lending, SBA and commercial real estate loans, ESOP finance and a full line of international products and services. Based in San Jose, Bridge Bank has eight offices in major markets across the country along with Western Alliance Bank’s powerful array of specialized financial services. Western Alliance Bank is the primary subsidiary of Phoenix-based Western Alliance Bancorporation. One of the country’s top-performing banking companies, Western Alliance has ranked in the top 10 on the Forbes "Best Banks in America" list for four consecutive years, 2016-2019. For more information, visit bridgebank.com.