On May 24, 2018 Clinical Genomics, a leading provider of colorectal cancer (CRC) testing and solutions, reported that data demonstrating the utility of COLVERA for detection of methylated ctDNA following surgery and prediction of risk for residual and recurrent disease will be presented at 2018 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting taking place in Chicago, IL, June 1-5 (Press release, Clinical Genomics, MAY 24, 2018, View Source [SID1234526881]).

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COLVERA is a new blood-based test for detection of circulating tumor DNA methylated in the two genes, BCAT1 and IKZF1. The study was performed in collaboration with Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer (Adelaide, Australia).
"The observation that the COLVERA blood test, when positive, indicates increased risk of residual disease and subsequently for recurrence has implications for adjuvant therapy and monitoring," stated Dr. Susanne Pedersen, Chief Scientific Officer of Clinical Genomics.

"The results of this study suggest serious consideration for the use of the COLVERA blood test after curative intent surgery and during the post-treatment surveillance period for all Stage II and Stage III CRC patients," added Tadd S. Lazarus, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Clinical Genomics.

The study selected for poster presentation at this year’s meeting is:

A prospective cohort study in colorectal cancer assessing the relationship between post-surgery detection of methylated BCAT1 or IKZF1 ctDNA and risk for residual disease and survival.
Presenter: David Murray, Senior Scientist, Clinical Genomics
Abstract Number: 3596
Poster Board Number: 89

Data will be presented in Hall A of McCormick Place during Poster Session: Gastrointestinal (Colorectal) Cancer on June 3, 8:00 AM-11:30 AM.

On May 24, 2018 Glactone Pharma reported that in strong competition and after external examination, the company in collaboration with researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Lund University has been awarded a SEK 1,000,000 (approx. USD 115,000) grant from Swelife and Medtech4health, two Swedish national life-science innovation programs funded by Vinnova, Sweden’s Innovation Agency (Press release, Glactone Pharma, MAY 24, 2018, View Source [SID1234526882]). Glactone Pharma’s funded project, STAT3 inhibition as immunotherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer, aims to investigate the mechanism behind the combination effect of STAT3 inhibition and immunotherapy. Unravelling the mechanism is an important step in the development towards an effective immunotherapy for prostate cancer. The call for applications was aimed towards projects that have a strong innovation potential and that address unmet medical needs and demands from patients, caregivers and healthcare systems.

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Glactone Pharma is a Swedish biotech company developing novel drugs that can inhibit the transcription factor STAT3, a highly relevant drug target in cancer. The project is a collaboration with Dr Andreas Lundqvist, Associate Professor, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Oncology-Pathology and Professor Anders Bjartell, Department of Translational Medicine, Medical Faculty, Lund University. Glactone Pharma will provide expertise in drug development as well as access to the company’s candidate drug. The groups of Dr Lundqvist and Professor Bjartell will provide expertise in the areas of tumor immunology and prostate cancer respectively.

The objective for this project is to investigate the mechanism that links STAT3 inhibition to increased efficacy of checkpoint inhibition immunotherapy in prostate cancer. Using advanced models of prostate cancer, the interactions between immune cells and prostate cancer cells following STAT3 inhibition will be studied. Having this information is very important in order to predict which patients might respond and to guide the optimal treatment, thereby increasing the chances of success in future clinical trials.

Martin Johansson, CEO of Glactone Pharma, says: "Immunotherapy is one of the most exciting and promising areas of drug development today. However, many limitations exist. With the funding for this project, we can address a great unmet medical need and potentially bring forward an innovative and effective treatment for prostate cancer patients. We are very grateful to be recognized in this way and we look forward to collaborating with two leading Swedish academic institutions."

About immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a treatment modality that activates and utilizes the body’s own immune system to recognize and attack tumors and is today the fastest growing and most promising area of cancer research. With the great potential that immunotherapies offer for cancer patients, a large interest in novel immunotherapies has arisen.

About STAT3
STAT3 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3) is a transcription factor/signaling protein that is frequently activated in many forms of cancer.

STAT3 is a highly promising target in cancer with both preclinical and clinical data supporting the important roles that STAT3 plays in cancer occurrence and progression. In particular, STAT3 is involved in mechanisms that enable tumors and cancer cells to evade the immune system and become treatment resistant.

STAT3 is an intractable drug target as it is an intracellular protein with no enzymatic activity and is activated by multiple upstream factors. Despite STAT3 not being a "classic drug target", Glactone Pharma has developed orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitors that can directly inhibit the function of STAT3.

On May 23, 2018 Onxeo S.A. (Euronext Paris, NASDAQ Copenhagen: ONXEO FR0010095596), a biotechnology company specializing in the development of innovative drugs in oncology, notably against rare or resistant forms of cancer, reported that Judith Greciet, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, will present at the 25th BIO International Convention (Press release, Onxeo, MAY 23, 2018, View Source [SID1234526866]). The conference is being held on June 4-7, 2018, in Boston, MA.

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The BIO International Convention is hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). It is attended by more than 1,100 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and from over 30 countries worldwide.

Onxeo corporate presentation:

Date: June 4th, 2018

Time: 3 pm EST / 9 pm CEST

Location: Theater 2 – Boston Convention & Exhibition Center: 415 Summer St., Boston, MA

180523_ONXEO_PR_EN_BIO

On May 23, 2018 INmune Bio, Inc., an immunotherapy company developing therapies that reprogram the patient’s innate immune system to treat cancer, reported that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of its drug candidate INB03 in patients with advanced solid tumors (Press release, INmune Bio, MAY 23, 2018, View Source [SID1234529236]). INB03 is a novel innate immune system checkpoint inhibitor that targets MDSCs, cells of the innate immune system which create an immunosuppressive shield around the tumor and inhibit the patient’s immune system from attacking the cancer. By preventing the proliferation and function of MDSC, the company believes patients will have a stronger immune response to their tumor and may respond better to other cancer treatments including immunotherapy such as checkpoint inhibitors (CPI).

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"MDSC are a high priority target for the next advance in immuno-oncology," said RJ Tesi, MD, CEO and co-founder of INmune Bio. "INB03 decreases proliferation and function of MDSC. By eliminating the immunosuppressive effects of MDSC in the tumor microenvironment, we hope to provide therapeutic options for patients who are resistant to immunotherapy because of elevated levels of MDSC. This Phase I trial is the first step to meeting our goal of improving the response to CPI in patients who fail therapy due to increased MDSC in their tumor."

"In less than three years, INmune Bio has developed two immunotherapy platforms, INKmune and INB03 from bench-to-bedside. Both programs will enter the clinic this year," said Tim Schroeder, CEO of CTI Clinical Trials and Consulting Services (CTI) and an INmune Bio board member. "The company has remained focused on reprograming the patient’s innate immune system to better attack their cancer. By targeting the oft-ignored innate immune system, INmune Bio has a chance to make a difference in patients’ lives."

CTI Clinical Trial & Consulting Services Australia Pty Ltd., a subsidiary of CTI, is the CRO managing the INB03 Phase I clinical trial.

MDSCs are myeloid cells that appear in patients with cancer and other chronic inflammatory diseases. In patients with cancer, the number of MDSC in the blood and/or tumor microenvironment predict the severity of the cancer and prognosis. The more MDSC, the worse the prognosis. MDSC are recognized as a risk factor in predicting failure to immunotherapy including CPI. By eliminating MDSC, INB03 should allow an improved response to immunotherapy as well as an increased ability of the patient’s own immune system to attack the tumor. The INB03 Phase I trial uses biomarkers to select patients who should benefit from treatment. There are currently no approved drugs that have been developed to target MDSC.

On May 23, 2018 Varian (NYSE: VAR) reported that Gary Bischoping, chief financial officer, and J. Michael Bruff, senior vice president of investor relations, will present at the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference in New York City, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on June 6, 2018 (Press release, Varian Medical Systems, MAY 23, 2018, View Source [SID1234526868]).

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Information about the webcast of the company’s presentation will be available through a link on the company website at www.varian.com/inv­estors.