On October 10, 2025 Oncolytics biotech presented its corporate presentation (Presentation, Oncolytics Biotech, OCT 10, 2025, View Source [SID1234656555]).

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On October 10, 2025 Xenetic Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:XBIO) ("Xenetic" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing innovative immuno-oncology technologies addressing difficult to treat cancers, reported the pricing of an underwritten offering of 735,000 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $6.12 per share, for gross proceeds of approximately $4.5 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses (Press release, Xenetic Biosciences, OCT 10, 2025, View Source [SID1234656556]). All shares of common stock are being offered by Xenetic. The offering is expected to close on or about October 14, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

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Canaccord Genuity is acting as the sole bookrunner for the offering.

Xenetic intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

The offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-282756) that was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on November 1, 2024. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering has been filed with the SEC and a final prospectus supplement with the final terms of the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available for free on the SEC’s website, located at www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, from Canaccord Genuity LLC, Attention: Syndication Department, One Post Office Square, Suite 3000, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, or by telephone at (617) 371-3900, or by email at [email protected].

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that state or jurisdiction.

On October 9, 2025 ESSA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: EPIX) ("ESSA" or the "Company") reported the completion of XenoTherapeutics’ ("Xeno") previously announced acquisition of ESSA (the "Acquisition") (Press release, ESSA, OCT 9, 2025, View Source [SID1234656546]).

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Xeno Acquisition Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Xeno, has acquired all of the outstanding common shares of ESSA (the "Common Shares") for approximately US$0.1242 per Common Share, plus one contingent value right ("CVR") per Common Share, which CVR represents the right to receive up to approximately US$0.14 per CVR and payable within specified periods following the close of the Acquisition. The potential CVR payment of US$0.14 per Common Share represents up to US$6.7 million in the aggregate that may be distributed to CVR holders depending on the outcome and related expenses of certain contingent liabilities.

On October 7, 2025, the Company obtained a final order from the Supreme Court of British Columbia approving the Arrangement. ESSA has requested that the Nasdaq Capital Market ("Nasdaq") file a delisting application on Form 25 to report the delisting of the Common Shares from Nasdaq. ESSA expects to terminate the registration of the Common Shares under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, approximately 10 days after the closing of the Acquisition.

An early warning report will be filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca under the Company’s profile.

Advisors and Counsel

Leerink Partners LLC served as ESSA’s exclusive financial advisor in connection with the Acquisition. Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as ESSA’s Canadian legal counsel and U.S. legal counsel, respectively.

On October 9, 2025 Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIR) reported that the first patient has been dosed in Part 3 of the Company’s Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating VIR-5500 in combination with androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs). VIR-5500 is an investigational PRO-XTEN dual-masked T-cell engager (TCE) targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and will be evaluated in participants in first-line pre-taxane metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) (Press release, Vir Biotechnology, OCT 9, 2025, View Source [SID1234656547]). VIR-5500 is the only dual-masked PSMA-targeting TCE currently in clinical trials.

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"We are excited to advance our VIR-5500 Phase 1 trial with the addition of early line metastatic prostate cancer cohorts exploring combination therapy," said Marianne De Backer, M.Sc., Ph.D., MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Vir Biotechnology. "Opening Part 3 of the Phase 1 trial brings the potential benefits of the universal PRO-XTEN approach to patients earlier in their cancer journey, when treatment intervention may have the greatest impact on their long-term outcomes."

The Phase 1 clinical trial is an open-label, non-randomized study designed to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-tumor activity of VIR-5500 in combination with ARPIs in participants with metastatic prostate cancer. VIR-5500 is currently being evaluated in the same Phase 1 clinical trial as a monotherapy and has demonstrated promising early anti-tumor activity and a favorable safety profile in heavily pre-treated patients with mCRPC. VIR-5500 incorporates the universal PRO-XTEN masking technology, which is designed to enable the selective activation of the TCEs in the tumor microenvironment, mitigating damage to healthy cells and reducing toxicity.

"VIR-5500 has demonstrated potential as a monotherapy with PSA reductions in heavily pre-treated patients early in dose escalation," said Mark Eisner, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, Vir Biotechnology. "Building on our understanding of VIR-5500 as a monotherapy, we look forward to evaluating the potential benefit of combining the complementary mechanisms of action of VIR-5500 and ARPIs with the goal to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients."

Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in men.1 Metastatic prostate cancer encompasses disease that has spread beyond the prostate, including both hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant forms. The disease progresses quickly and is a significant burden with limited treatment options. Despite advancements, there is still a significant unmet need for efficacious, well-tolerated treatments that can extend survival and improve quality of life.

References:

1 Leslie SW, Soon-Sutton TL, Skelton WP. Prostate Cancer, available from: View Source, accessed September 2025.

About VIR-5500

T-cell engagers (TCEs) are powerful anti-tumor agents that can direct the immune system, specifically T-cells, to destroy cancer cells. VIR-5500 is an investigational PRO-XTEN masked TCE currently being evaluated in an open-label, non-randomized Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT05997615) designed to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of VIR-5500 in participants with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

VIR-5500 combines a bispecific PSMA and CD3 binding TCE with the PRO-XTEN masking technology. The universal PRO-XTEN masking technology is designed to keep the TCEs inactive (or masked) until they reach the tumor microenvironment, where tumor-specific proteases cleave off the mask and activate the TCEs, leading to killing of cancer cells by T-cells. By confining the activity exclusively to the tumor microenvironment, we aim to circumvent the traditionally high toxicity associated with unmasked TCEs and increase their efficacy and tolerability. Additionally, the mask is designed to help drug candidates stay in the bloodstream longer in their inactive form, allowing them to better reach the site of action and potentially allowing less frequent dosing regimens.

On October 9, 2025 Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM) (ISIN: FR001400CM63; Mnemonic: ALOPM), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in precision medicine for the treatment of resistant and metastatic cancers, reported that its half-yearly financial report as of June 30, 2025 has been filed with the Financial Markets Authority (Press release, Oncodesign Precision Medicine, OCT 9, 2025, View Source [SID1234656548]).

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The report includes:

The statement by the responsible person;
The management report;
The consolidated financial statements;
The various reports by the statutory auditors.
It also includes the company’s cash position. As of June 30, 2025, OPM had cash of €2.45 million. This amount does not include the €1.10 million research tax credit refund received in July 2025, nor the €0.22 million in repayable advances granted for the OncoSNIPE project.

This cash position does not take into account future revenues relating to potential future revenues, milestones and up-fronts for its products developed in existing or future partnerships, nor the amounts of public funding still to be received. Without any funding inflows in the coming weeks, OPM’s cash horizon is December 2025. However, several discussions are underway with potential partners, particularly regarding OPM-201.

The report is available (French only) on the OPM website, www.oncodesign.com, under the Investors / Regulated Information section.