On November 19, 2024 AIM ImmunoTech Inc. (NYSE American: AIM) ("AIM" or the "Company") reported that data were published on Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Phase 1 study evaluating AIM ImmunoTech’s drug Ampligen (also known as rintatolimod) as a component of a chemokine-modulating (CKM) regimen in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (Press release, AIM ImmunoTech, NOV 19, 2024, View Source [SID1234648494]). Results of the study were reported in The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"We are very excited with these promising results from our study of a new treatment combination for patients with this most highly aggressive form of breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer," said study principal investigator Shipra Gandhi, MD, Associate Professor of Oncology and staff physician in the Department of Medicine at Roswell Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Because this initial study was in a small number of patients, it will be important to validate these findings in a larger study."

For more information on the data reported, please visit Roswell Park’s website to read its press release titled, "Roswell Park Clinical Trial Points Toward Promising New Therapy for Most Aggressive Type of Breast Cancer."

AIM CEO Thomas K. Equels stated: "The results of this pilot study suggest that the Ampligen-containing chemokine modulation regimen is capable of modifying the tumor microenvironment and releasing cytokines that attract killer T-cells into the early-stage triple-negative breast cancer tumor. These data are similar to those we have seen with Ampligen previously in late-stage TNBC, advanced recurrent ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer. We look forward to collaborating with Roswell Park as this study advances to Phase 2. We believe in the power of Ampligen to work in conjunction with a variety of chemotherapy regimens and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors."

For more information about the study, please visit ClinicalTrials.com: NCT04081389.

About Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

From the world’s first chemotherapy research to the PSA prostate cancer biomarker, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center generates innovations that shape how cancer is detected, treated and prevented worldwide. Driven to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity, the Roswell Park team of 4,000 makes compassionate, patient-centered cancer care and services accessible across New York State and beyond. Founded in 1898, Roswell Park was among the first three cancer centers nationwide to become a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and is the only one to hold this designation in Upstate New York. To learn more about Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Roswell Park Care Network, visit www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email [email protected].

On November 19, 2024 Alligator Bioscience (Nasdaq Stockholm: ATORX) reported that the Company has entered into an agreement under which Orion Corporation has settled all future contractual milestones, royalty and any other commitments towards Alligator in relation to two preclinical bispecific antibodies resulting from the discovery collaboration between the companies (Press release, Alligator Bioscience, NOV 19, 2024, View Source [SID1234648495]). No further development activities will be conducted under the collaboration agreement.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"I am pleased that our successful collaboration has grown to this logical outcome. This divestiture sharpens our focus on our lead candidate mitazalimab, and this non-dilutive income constitutes an important element in advancing mitazalimab towards Phase 3" says Søren Bregenholt, CEO of Alligator Bioscience. "Following the unprecedented 18-month survival data announced earlier this year we expect several value inflection points on mitazalimab in the coming months. Notably among them, 24-months follow-up, as well as key progress in Phase 3 preparations in pancreatic cancer, which we are expected to further facilitate partnership discussions."

Van Lanschot Kempen acted as financial adviser to Alligator on the transaction.

On November 19, 2024 Alpha Tau Medical Ltd. ("Alpha Tau", or the "Company") (NASDAQ: DRTS, DRTSW), the developer of the innovative alpha-radiation cancer therapy Alpha DaRT, reported third quarter 2024 financial results and provided a corporate update (Press release, Alpha Tau Medical, NOV 19, 2024, View Source [SID1234648496]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"Alpha Tau has continued to make great progress during 2024, with a number of important trials moving ahead and continued generation of data across superficial tumors and cancers of internal organs," said Alpha Tau Chief Executive Officer Uzi Sofer. "Our decision to use the ReSTART pivotal trial to explore our implementation of the Alpha DaRT treatment with community clinicians such as Mohs surgeons continues to bear fruit. We look forward to releasing important data in internal organ cancers in the coming months and giving our stakeholders a deeper look at the future we envision for the Alpha DaRT," stated Alpha Tau CEO Uzi Sofer.

Recent Corporate Highlights:

● In October, Alpha Tau announced its acceptance into FDA’s Total Product Life Cycle Advisory Program (TAP) to accelerate market access to Alpha DaRT for patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). TAP’s primary goal is to expedite and enable patient access to innovative and highly promising medical devices which are not currently on the market by providing frequent, and strategic communications with the FDA, and by facilitating engagement with other key parties for developers of devices of public health importance, working toward reducing the time, cost and uncertainty of patient access through reimbursement and commercial adoption following FDA authorization.

● In October, the first patient with recurrent lung cancer was treated in a clinical trial at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel. The study will assess safety and feasilibity of delivering Alpha DaRT sources into the lung using an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) procedure, including the rate of successful source placement and any treatment-related adverse events. For more information, please see here: View Source

● In September, the FDA approved and Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application to initiate a multi-center study for the treatment of recurrent cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) in immunocompromised patients using the Alpha DaRT. The clinical study, which is an investigator-initiated study led by the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta, has been approved to enroll up to 28 U.S. patients at up to 8 institutions in the U.S., and will focus on patients with recurrent cSCC who have a weakened immune system due to any primary or secondary immunodeficiencies, excluding diabetes. For more information, please see here: View Source

Upcoming Milestones:

● Anticipating response from PMDA in Japan in Q1 2025 for pre-market approval for Alpha DaRT in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.

● Planned release of data from pancreatic cancer trials in Canada and Israel in Q1 2025.

● Targeting completion of patient recruitment in the ReSTART pivotal U.S. multi-center trial in recurrent cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in H1 2025. For more information, please see here: View Source

● Targeting release of data from combination trial of Alpha DaRT with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in H1 2025. For more information, please see here: View Source

● Targeting first brain cancer treatment in H1 2025.

Financial results for quarter ended September 30, 2024

R&D expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 were $19.5 million, compared to $18.9 million for the same period in 2023, due to increased employee compensation and benefits, including share-based compensation, increased costs of raw materials, reduced government grants, and increased travel expenses related to our U.S. multi-center pivotal trial, offset by lower third-party contractor expenses.

Marketing expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 were $1.7 million, compared to $1.5 million for the same period in 2023, due to increased employee compensation and benefits.

G&A expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 were $4.6 million, compared to $5.3 million for the same period in 2023, primarily due to decreased professional fees (including D&O insurance and legal expenses), offset by increased travel expenses and increased employee compensation and benefits, including share-based compensation.

Financial income, net, for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $3.5 million, compared to $4.0 million for the same period in 2023, due to changes in foreign exchange rates, a decrease in interest from bank deposits, and an increase in interest on long-term loan.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company had a net loss of $22.3 million, or $0.32 per share, compared to a net loss of $21.8 million, or $0.31 per share, in the nine months of 2023.

Balance Sheet Highlights

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, short-term deposits and restricted deposits in the amount of $68.4 million, compared to $84.9 million at December 31, 2023. The Company expects that this cash balance will be sufficient to fund anticipated operations for at least two years.

About Alpha DaRT

Alpha DaRT (Diffusing Alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy) is designed to enable highly potent and conformal alpha-irradiation of solid tumors by intratumoral delivery of radium-224 impregnated sources. When the radium decays, its short-lived daughters are released from the sources and disperse while emitting high-energy alpha particles with the goal of destroying the tumor. Since the alpha-emitting atoms diffuse only a short distance, Alpha DaRT aims to mainly affect the tumor, and to spare the healthy tissue around it.

On November 18, 2024 Alentis Therapeutics ("Alentis"), the clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for Claudin-1 positive (CLDN1+) tumors and organ fibrosis, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to ALE.P02 for the treatment of advanced or metastatic CLDN1+ squamous cancers irrespective of the organ of origin (Press release, Alentis Therapeutics, NOV 18, 2024, View Source [SID1234648462]). ALE.P02 is an investigational antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CLDN1, developed for CLDN1+ squamous cancers including but not limited to lung, head and neck, cervical and esophageal cancers.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"We are encouraged by the FDA’s recognition of ALE.P02’s potential as a treatment for CLDN1+ squamous cancers," said Roberto Iacone, Chief Executive Officer of Alentis Therapeutics. "It reflects the importance of advancing ALE.P02 through clinical development, and it brings us one step closer to providing a new treatment option for patients."

Fast Track designation is designed to expedite the development and review of drugs that treat serious or life-threatening conditions and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs.

"We have set out to develop ALE.P02 in the most rational way, following CLDN1 science and the clinical understanding of squamous cancers. The FDA’s support in this endeavor is certainly motivating," added Luigi Manenti, Chief Medical Officer of Alentis. "We are optimistic about the potential of ALE.P02 and look forward to the start of our first-in-human clinical trial in Q1 2025."

"Squamous cancers of various origin have been shown to overexpress CLDN1, making ALE.P02 a promising ADC to address the unmet medical needs of these patients," said Tony Mok Professor of Clinical Oncology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "CLDN1 is an exciting new target for ADCs and Alentis has been the frontrunner in developing anti-CLDN1 therapeutics."

About ALE.P02
ALE.P02 is a first-in-class ADC designed by linking a tubulin inhibitor, a potent cancer drug, to our antibody that specifically targets a unique CLDN1 epitope exposed on cancer cells. This combination could be a powerful new tool to fight the many squamous cancers that overexpress CLDN1 with less toxicity than traditional cancer drugs. The IND application for ALE.P02 to commence a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in advanced or metastatic CLDN1+ squamous solid tumors was recently cleared by the FDA.

On November 18, 2024 SK Biopharmaceuticals, a biotech company, reported that it has entered into an agreement with the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Korea’s premier research institution dedicated to the study and advancement of radiological and medical sciences, to collaborate on discovering and developing preclinical radiopharmaceutical drug candidates (Press release, SK biopharmaceuticals, NOV 18, 2024, View Source [SID1234648479]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

This marks the first collaborative research agreement in which both sides will aim to discover radiopharmaceutical compounds and investigate novel oncological treatments, using actinium-225 (225Ac), an alpha-particle emitting radioisotope that selectively kills cancer cells. The research for radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) focuses on this application that has been gaining attention for its high potential in nuclear medicine.

SK Biopharmaceuticals has already initiated its 225Ac-based research as it secured a supply of the radioisotope from TerraPower Isotopes, a subsidiary of TerraPower, a nuclear innovation company whose investors include SK Biopharmaceuticals’ parent SK Inc. and Bill Gates.

SK Biopharmaceuticals and KIRAMS will seek to submit an Investigational New Drug application by 2027, as they leverage each other’s resources to optimize their drug discovery efforts. SK Biopharmaceuticals said it could significantly reduce the time and cost of new drug development, with KIRAMS’ researchers, facilities and equipment using the radioisotope, enabling the company to further accelerate in securing and expanding its RPT pipeline and capability.

The agreement is in line with SK Biopharmaceuticals’ so-called "RPT Roadmap" recently introduced to become a global leading RPT player by 2027, as the company will fortify its RPT business by discovering new drug compounds, extending supply and production capacities, and developing a tech platform, via strengthened internal assets and strategic partnerships.

In addition to the 225Ac supply agreement aligned with its roadmap, the company has in-licensed SKL35501 (FL-091) radiopharmaceutical compound targeting neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1) solid tumors.

Jinkyung Lee, President of KIRAMS, stated, "Through this joint research agreement, we aim to take a leading role in developing innovative radiopharmaceutical therapeutics, in alignment with the Ministry of Science and ICT’s strategic initiative to drive advancements in Radiation Biology. We look forward to contributing to the growth of the domestic radiopharmaceutical industry in close collaboration with SK Biopharmaceuticals."

Donghoon Lee, CEO and President of SK Biopharmaceuticals, said "This agreement is one of key steps in enhancing SK Biopharmaceuticals’ research capabilities. We will seek to spur SK Biopharmaceuticals to become a leading global RPT player through strengthened ties."