Celgene Announces Acquisition of Juno Therapeutics

On January 22, 2018 Celgene reported Acquisition of Juno Therapeutics (Press release, Juno, JAN 22, 2018, View Source [SID1234524085]).

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Harbour BioMed Completes Series A+ Round Financing to Accelerate the Development of Clinical Programs and Company Growth

On January 22, 2018 Harbour BioMed reported that it has completed a Series A+ round financing to accelerate its growth, especially the development of multiple clinical programs (Press release, Harbour BioMed, JAN 22, 2018, View Source [SID1234523461]). The A+ round is financed by CDH Investments, a top PE firm in China, with A round investor Advantech Capital participating. Financial details were not disclosed.

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"Within the first year of operation, Harbour BioMed has successfully acquired and integrated the antibody platform company Harbour Antibodies BV, and transformed into a biopharmaceutical company with multifaceted core business. We are building a top-notch antibody discovery and technology team specialized in Immuno-Oncology and Immunology, developing a robust internal pipeline targeting global market, in licensing innovative assets to address high unmet needs for the China market, and forging new partnerships based on internal technology platforms. This progress has been highly recognized by investors and the market," said Dr. Jingsong Wang, CEO of Harbour BioMed. "We are very pleased to collaborate with leading investors such as CDH Investments to accelerate the development of our clinical stage biologic assets, and to strengthen our partnering capabilities."

Dr. Wang noted that in September 2017, Harbour BioMed licensed in two innovative clinical stage biologics, and has assembled an experienced clinical development and regulatory science team. In 2018, Harbour BioMed plans to submit at least two IND targeting multiple indications in areas of high unmet medical needs for Chinese patients.

Harbour BioMed was established in 2016 with $50 million A round financing, and acquired Harbour Antibodies BV and its subsidiaries, one of the few companies that owns technologies for generating fully human monoclonal antibodies, of both conventional as well as heavy chain only form. Current investors of Harbour BioMed include Atlas Venture, Advantech Capital, Legend Capital, CDH Investments and founding team. Harbour BioMed is headquartered with R&D Centers in China. It also has a Business Operation and Innovation Center in Boston, and an Antibody Technology Innovation Center located in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Nymox Reports 5-Year Results From Prospective Randomized Controlled Prostate Cancer Study of Fexapotide Triflutate in 146 U.S. Men

On January 22, 2018 Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation (NASDAQ:NYMX) reported today top-line 5-year results from Nymox’s U.S. Study NX03-0040. Study NX03-0040 was undertaken starting in 2012 at 44 investigational sites across the U.S. comprising a highly representative sample of 146 men with the biopsy confirmed diagnosis of T1c prostate cancer, which is the most common type of low grade localized prostate cancer (Press release, Nymox, JAN 22, 2018, View Source [SID1234523418]). After 5 years, the study has now shown that high dose Fexapotide 15mg single dosage treatment resulted in 80% less surgery or radiotherapy associated with Gleason grade progression (p=.0003), and that both doses of Fexapotide (15mg and 2.5mg) were consistently effective (p=.0003). There were 4.4% patients in the entire Fexapotide group who showed increase in their Gleason primary pattern grade in the 5-year study, compared to controls where the incidence of grade 4 or higher primary pattern was 23.5%, a reduction of 81.3% (p=.0061).

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Paul Averback MD, CEO of Nymox, said, "These major new results show the beneficial long-term effect of a single injection of Fexapotide Triflutate. The results are expected to be even better with regimens of additional or multiple treatment administrations if required."

In the studies Fexapotide triflutate was administered by a single painless injection directly into the prostate requiring several minutes or less in an office procedure guided by routine ultrasound. The drug was injected into the area of the prostate where the cancer was previously detected prior to enrollment in NX03-0040; and repeated biopsies every 18 months, serial PSA measurements and long-term follow-up were performed on all consenting treated patients and controls. After 5 years of study, high dose Fexapotide 15mg single treatment resulted in 80% less surgery or radiotherapy associated with Gleason grade progression (p=.0003), and both doses of Fexapotide (15mg and 2.5mg) were consistently effective (p=.0003). There were 4.4% patients in the entire Fexapotide group who showed increase in their Gleason primary pattern grade in the 5-year study, compared to controls where the incidence of grade 4 or higher primary pattern was 23.5%, a reduction of 81.3% (p=.0061). The new study results also indicated that after 5 years of study, all recorded instances of surgery or radiotherapy, including elective cases without Gleason upgrades, were decreased by 69.8% (p=.0002) in Fexapotide 15mg treated patients compared to the randomized control group.

Dr. Averback added, "Eight years of other related U.S. long-term Phase 3 BPH studies of Fexapotide have shown reduction in new prostate cancer incidence to 1.2%, compared to previous large BPH studies of earlier drugs where the incidence of prostate cancer is in the 10-20% range. There are therefore 2 different long-term Fexapotide programs which have now each independently shown that Fexapotide has a significant and highly beneficial effect for men with prostate cancer."

"These strong results clearly support Management’s ongoing efforts to advance both of the Company’s 2 major projects towards marketing goals. Nymox expects to report further on its U.S. development plans for registration trials for low grade prostate cancer. There is a global unmet medical need for more effective prostate treatments without the undesirable side effects of current treatments," he said.

One of the major problems with the main current prostate treatments for localized prostate cancer (radical prostatectomy, external beam radiation, brachytherapy) is the relatively high incidence of serious sexual problems post-treatment. In 9 studies, Fexapotide treatment has been shown to have a negligible significant adverse effect post-treatment on sexual function or testosterone levels.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, other than skin cancer, and is the second leading cause of cancer death for men. Approximately 50% of prostate cancers are initially considered low risk.

Fexapotide has shown significant long-term benefit for prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH). The recent results of Phase 3 studies of Fexapotide for BPH were communicated in podium and symposium presentations to the American Urological Association at four sectional Annual Meetings in 2017 in Scottsdale (North Central AUA November 15, 2017), Havana, (New York AUA November 6, 2017), Naples (South Central AUA November 27, 2017), and Savannah (Northeastern AUA October 12, 2017). The Company has filed for approval for Fexapotide in Europe for BPH for prostate enlargement in 2017, and the filing was validated in September 2017.

For more information please contact [email protected] or 800-936-9669.

Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for EP4 antagonist AAT-007 for Oncology Filed in China

On January 22 2018 AskAt reported Ningbo NewBay Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (Headquarters in Ningbo, China, CEO: Zhenhai Shen, NewBay), a subsidiary company of Ningbo Tai Kang Medical Technology Co., Ltd ("Ningbo Tai Kang"), which licensed AskAt Inc.’s EP4 antagonist AAT-007 (generic name: grapiprant) for oncology in China, has filed an IND application with the China Food and Drug Administration (Press release, AskAt, JAN 22, 2018, View Source [SID1234535057]).

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AskAt Inc. will receive a milestone payment according to the terms of the License Agreement executed between Ningbo Tai Kang and AskAt as a result of achieving this filing.

Astellas and Vical Announce Top-Line Results for Phase 3 Trial of Cytomegalovirus Vaccine ASP0113 in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients

On January 22, 2018 Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Yoshihiko Hatanaka, "Astellas") and Vical Incorporated (NASDAQ: VICL) reported that ASP0113, an investigational DNA vaccine being developed for cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seropositive hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, did not meet its primary or secondary endpoints in the Phase 3 HELIOS clinical trial (Press release, Astellas Pharma US, JAN 22, 2018, View Source [SID1234523370]). The vaccine was generally well tolerated, with injection-site reactions being the most commonly reported adverse event.

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Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world. (PRNewsFoto/Astellas Pharma Inc.)

"We are disappointed that the results did not demonstrate a significant improvement in overall survival and reduction in CMV end-organ disease," said Bernhardt G. Zeiher, president of Development, Astellas. "We would like to thank the patients and clinicians who participated in this important trial."

The Phase 3 trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy of ASP0113 compared with placebo in CMV-seropositive recipients undergoing an allogeneic stem cell transplant. Efficacy was assessed using a primary composite endpoint of overall mortality and CMV end-organ disease through the first year following the transplant, an endpoint which was not met. Secondary endpoints of time to first protocol-defined CMV viremia and time to first use of adjudicated CMV-specific antiviral therapy also were not met.

"The Phase 3 trial outcome is disappointing," said Vijay Samant, Vical’s Chief Executive Officer. "Astellas and Vical employees, the investigators and study site personnel did an outstanding job conducting this study, but unfortunately, the vaccine was unable to provide protection against all-cause mortality in this very difficult-to-treat patient population."

The Phase 3 trial was a 1:1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that enrolled a total of 514 CMV seropositive subjects undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Randomization was stratified by donor-recipient relatedness and donor CMV serostatus. Subjects were followed for one year post-transplant. For more information about the ASP0113 clinical trial, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About Cytomegalovirus
CMV is a herpes virus that is estimated to infect more than half of all adults in the United States by age 50, and is even more widespread in developing countries. A healthy immune system typically protects an infected person against CMV disease, but does not prevent or clear latent infection. Individuals whose immune systems are not fully functional are at high risk of CMV reactivation, potentially leading to severe illness or death. Those at greatest risk include HCT and solid-organ transplant recipients, as well as infants born to mothers who first become infected during pregnancy.

About ASP0113
ASP0113 is an investigational vaccine candidate designed to prevent CMV disease and associated complications in CMV-seropositive HCT recipients. ASP0113 is a bivalent DNA vaccine encoding CMV phosphoprotein 65 and glycoprotein B antigens for induction of both cellular and humoral immune responses, formulated with a proprietary poloxamer-based delivery system. ASP0113 was initially developed by Vical which partnered with Astellas for further development and commercialization. ASP0113 received Orphan Drug Designation in the United States and Europe.