On July 7, 2026 Bayer, a global life sciences company, reported a new strategic alliance focused on clinical trials collaboration with the University of Colorado Anschutz, UCHealth and Children’s Hospital Colorado, establishing Bayer’s first alliance of its kind with an academic medical center. The initiative reflects a shared commitment to accelerating clinical research through stronger collaboration between industry and academic medicine.

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The alliance is intended to improve clinical trial efficiency, expand patient access to investigational therapies, and advance new medical discoveries. Initial focus areas for the alliance will include research studies in oncology, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, neurodegenerative disease, cell and gene therapy, women’s health, and ophthalmology.

The alliance is designed to:

Expand clinical trial infrastructure to execute more studies faster.

Facilitate earlier and broader patient access to investigational therapies.

Foster collaboration between industry, academic researchers, clinicians and health systems.
Advancing Clinical Trials Through Collaboration

The alliance will support innovative approaches to clinical trial design and implementation, enhanced patient enrollment, and expanded research operations. By combining Bayer’s drug development expertise with the extensive academic and clinical strengths of the University of Colorado Anschutz (CU Anschutz), UCHealth and Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado), the collaboration aims to expedite clinical research and bring lifesaving experimental therapies to more patients.

"Bayer is committed to bringing first-in-class or best-in-class therapies to market for the people who need them," said Christoph Koenen, Head, Clinical Development & Operations for Bayer. "Our alliance with this renowned academic medical center brings together several leading organizations to deliver new, innovative ways to advance clinical research for the benefit of patients."

The alliance will also support clinical trial infrastructure while facilitating scientific collaboration to advance new therapies and medical innovations. Examples include:

Access to clinical, scientific and operational experts to support trial design, planning and clinical implementation after drug approval.

Expanded administrative and data science infrastructure to speed up clinical trial launch time.

Access to clinical data to support trial enrollment, including identifying the patient populations most likely to benefit from treatment.
"We are honored to be selected as Bayer’s first academic medical center partner for clinical trials," said Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, senior associate dean for clinical research and professor of emergency medicine at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine. "This strategic alliance combines our deep experience in clinical trials, expert patient care, and renowned health system partners with Bayer’s extensive drug development infrastructure to speed the approval time of effective treatments for local, national and global implementation."

The alliance also supports one of the nation’s leading pediatric research programs, creating new opportunities to bring innovative therapies and clinical trials to a diverse patient population that travels from across the country to Children’s Colorado for specialized care.

"Over the past decade, we have intentionally built the expertise, infrastructure and research capabilities needed to bring innovative investigational therapies and cell therapies to children," said Jenae Neiman, vice president of research operations for Children’s Colorado. "As a recognized leader in pediatric medicine serving patients from across the region, we have established a mature clinical and research environment that makes us an ideal partner for advancing new treatment options. This alliance will help accelerate access to promising therapies and deliver them to our patients more efficiently."

Expanding Access to Innovative Therapies

One early example of the alliance’s impact is the selection of UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital as a Phase III clinical trial site for an investigational cellular therapy for advanced Parkinson’s disease. The study will leverage the expertise of CU Anschutz neurologists and neurosurgeons experienced in caring for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease and delivering the one-time cell-based treatment. Additional pediatric trial opportunities are also being explored with physician-scientists at Children’s Colorado.

The effort highlights how industry-academic partnerships can help expedite clinical trials with the goal of expanding patient access to innovative therapies, ultimately improving outcomes for patients with complex conditions without effective solutions today.

"Clinical trials and advanced therapies are the future of medicine, and they also provide patients the very best outcomes and survival rates today," said Dr. Jean Kutner, UCHealth chief academic officer and distinguished professor, CU Anschutz School of Medicine. "UCHealth’s goal is to offer innovations like this through our academic partners in locations across Colorado."

The alliance was formally introduced during a recent launch event at CU Anschutz.

"This alliance with Bayer demonstrates what is possible when academic medicine and industry work together in a shared commitment to improving human health," said Don Elliman, Chancellor of CU Anschutz. "Academic medical campuses like CU Anschutz play a vital role in turning scientific discoveries into next-generation treatments and bringing promising new therapies closer to patients and families. We are proud to partner with Bayer in advancing that work."

(Press release, Bayer, JUL 7, 2026, View Source [SID1234669093])

On July 7, 2026 LTZ Therapeutics, a clinical-stage, immunotherapy-focused biotechnology company, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its Investigational New Drug (IND) application to evaluate LTZ-232 to treat patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and other solid tumors.

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LTZ-232 is the second asset in the company’s platform to enter clinical trials, leveraging its Universal Myeloid Cell Engager (U-MCETM) Platform to treat pan solid tumor indications that are epithelial cell adhesion molecule positive (EpCAM+). Building on the clinical progress of LTZ-301, already in clinical development for hematologic malignancies, the advancement of LTZ-232 reflects the company’s strategic expansion into broad solid tumors. LTZ expects to initiate its Phase 1, open-label, multicenter study for LTZ-232 in Q4 2026.

"Advancing LTZ-232 into the clinic represents another significant milestone for LTZ as it highlights the therapeutic potential of our U-MCE Platform for broad disease areas beyond our initial program," said Robert Li, Ph.D., founder and chief executive officer of LTZ. "We are excited to initiate our second first-in-class myeloid engager immunotherapy, delivering novel therapeutic options for patients."

LTZ’s clinical development strategy for LTZ-232 initially prioritizes colorectal cancer supported by disease biology and internal data demonstrating consistent EpCAM expression alongside a myeloid-rich tumor microenvironment (TME). The program is designed with the flexibility to explore potential therapeutic activity across other tumor types.

"Advanced metastatic colorectal cancer remains a significant unmet need in oncology, particularly since it’s typically an ‘immunologically cold’ tumor microenvironment, limiting the effectiveness of many existing immunotherapies," said William Grossman, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer of LTZ. "Our differentiated and novel approach is designed to redirect myeloid cells to drive anti-tumor activity in these challenging tumor microenvironment settings. We believe LTZ-232 has the potential to expand the reach of immunotherapy into cold solid tumors, and that we can meaningfully improve patients’ lives."

About LTZ-232

LTZ-232 is a first-in-class bispecific antibody designed to activate tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to phagocytose and eliminate tumor cells in solid tumors with high EpCAM+ expression. Preclinical studies demonstrated potent pharmacology across in vitro and in vivo models, supported by a favorable safety profile. LTZ-232 transitions the company’s pipeline strategy into solid tumor indications, with an initial primary focus on advanced mCRC.

LTZ’s Scientific Approach

LTZ’s approach focuses on the fusion of reverse translational science, with a deep understanding of TME biology – especially myeloid biology. Macrophages appear to be one of the most prevalent immune cell populations in TME of various hematologic and solid tumors. Therefore, effectively engaging and activating macrophages to kill cancer cells offers significant therapeutic potential for patients. LTZ is developing its own U-MCE Platform to primarily enhance the phagocytic function of monocytes and macrophages of different polarization states to foster anti-tumor immunity and offer potential therapeutic benefit for other non-oncology diseases.

(Press release, LTZ Therapeutics, JUL 7, 2026, View Source [SID1234669094])

On July 7, 2026 Imugene Limited ("Imugene", the "Company", "ASX:IMU") , a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, reported it has received firm commitments from sophisticated, professional and institutional investors for a two-tranche placement to raise approximately $11.12 million (before costs) ( the "Placement") through the issue of approximately 117.1 million new fully paid ordinary shares ("New Shares") at an issue price of $0.095 per New Share ("Offer Price"). The Placement was strongly supported by new and existing institutional investors, including long-only global investors and a global pharmaceutical company.

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The Placement includes a placement to Directors of Imugene to raise approximately $0.12m (before costs) through the issuance of ~1.3m New Shares ("Directors Placement") subject to shareholder approval. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Leslie Chong said: "The first two evaluable patients in our concurrent BTKi combination cohort have both achieved complete responses, providing a strong early clinical signal for azer-cel in a therapeutic class worth more than US$12 billion annually. This Placement funds a series of important clinical data readouts over the next 6–12 months, including presentations at ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) and ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper), while supporting our ongoing business development activities and continued discussions with potential pharmaceutical partners. We thank our shareholders, new investors and Directors for their ongoing support as we advance azer-cel towards a registrational pathway"

About the Placement
Under the terms of the Placement, the Company has secured firm commitments for approximately $11.1 million and proposes to issue approximately 117.1 million New Shares to Placement participants at an issue price of $0.095 per New Share, representing a discount of:
• 17.7% to the 30-day VWAP of $0.115 up to and including Thursday, 2 July 2026; and
• 29.6% to the last closing price of $0.135 on Thursday, 2 July 2026. Shares under the Placement will be issued as follows:
• Tranche 1 Placement to raise A$7.0 million (before costs) through the issuance of approximately 73.7 million New Shares ("Tranche 1 Placement") pursuant to the Company’s placement capacity under Listing Rules 7.1 and 7.1A; and
• Tranche 2 Placement to certain investors, including Directors of Imugene to raise $4.1m (before costs) through the issuance of 43.4m New Shares, with any shares in excess of the company’s placement capacity under Listing Rules 7.1 and 7.1A ("Tranche 2 Placement") and the issue of shares under the Directors Placement subject to shareholder approval at the EGM

Placement participants include an international, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, which subscribed for approximately 14% of the Placement, subject to shareholder approval.

(Press release, Imugene, JUL 7, 2026, View Source [SID1234669281])

On July 7, 2026 Biocytogen (SSE: 688796; HKEX: 02315) and Whitehawk Therapeutics, Inc. ("Whitehawk," Nasdaq: WHWK) reported a global collaboration to develop bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (BsADC). Biocytogen will provide access to up to five bispecific antibodies using its proprietary RenLite platform, and Whitehawk will evaluate these in combination with its ADC linker-payload platform technologies. Whitehawk then has the option to advance any resulting BsADC candidates as part of its pipeline.

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Based on a common light-chain design, RenLite supports the discovery, screening, and optimization of fully human bispecific antibodies across diverse target combinations, while reducing the risk of light-chain mispairing and providing a robust molecular foundation for subsequent BsADC development. By bringing together the complementary capabilities of Biocytogen and Whitehawk, the collaboration aims to identify BsADC candidates with differentiated targeting profiles and therapeutic potential.

"Whitehawk has established strong expertise in ADC technology and oncology drug development," said Dr. Yuelei Shen, President and CEO of Biocytogen. "This collaboration further expands the application of Biocytogen’s fully human bispecific antibodies in ADC development. We look forward to supporting the efficient advancement of multiple programs by contributing high-quality antibody molecules and integrated research capabilities to identify differentiated therapeutic candidates and ultimately bringing new treatment options to patients with cancer."

"Bispecific antibodies are a promising approach to broadening our targeting strategies, and Biocytogen’s established platform provides a robust framework for exploring this modality in combination with our ADC platform," said Dave Lennon, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Whitehawk Therapeutics. "We are excited about the potential of this collaboration to expand our pipeline opportunities and support our ambition to deliver new ADC INDs in the next 12-24 months."

Under the financial terms of the agreement, Biocytogen will receive an upfront payment and is eligible for development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, as well as low single-digit royalties on net sales. Additional financial terms were not disclosed. If Whitehawk exercises its option to advance any resulting BsADC candidates, Whitehawk will hold global rights and full program control of the BsADCs.

(Press release, Biocytogen, JUL 7, 2026, View Source [SID1234669096])

On July 7, 2026 Revolution Medicines, Inc. (Nasdaq: RVMD), a late-stage clinical oncology company developing targeted therapies for patients with RAS-addicted cancers, reported that European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has started a phased review of data on daraxonrasib, the company’s investigational RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor. A phased review aims to accelerate the assessment of a medicine by evaluating the data in phases as they become available, ahead of the submission of a full marketing authorization application. Daraxonrasib was designated by the EMA as an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and has been recognized as a high priority under EMA’s Cancer Medicines Pathfinder project based on its potential to address a high unmet medical need.

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In addition, the company continues to make significant progress on its rolling submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) for daraxonrasib to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher pilot program, which is intended to accelerate the development and review of therapies aligned with U.S. national health priorities.

"As our rolling submission of an NDA to the FDA nears completion, we are encouraged by the strong engagement we’ve received from health authorities around the world," said Mark A. Goldsmith, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer and chairman of Revolution Medicines. "The EMA’s decision to include daraxonrasib in its new phased review process is an important step toward making this medicine available to patients globally as quickly as possible. We believe this milestone underscores both the significant unmet medical need in pancreatic cancer and the potential of daraxonrasib to address that need."

The company continues to engage in discussions with regulatory authorities around the world as it prepares for submissions in additional territories. The ongoing FDA review and planned regulatory submissions in other territories are supported by the positive results from the pivotal Phase 3 RASolute 302 trial, which demonstrated unprecedented improvements in overall survival and progression-free survival compared to standard of care cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with previously treated metastatic PDAC, with or without an identified tumor RAS mutation. In the trial, daraxonrasib exhibited a manageable safety profile and patients treated with daraxonrasib reported significantly delayed deterioration in cancer-related pain, overall global health status and quality of life, compared to those treated with chemotherapy.

About Daraxonrasib

Daraxonrasib is an investigational, oral RAS(ON) multi-selective, non-covalent tri-complex inhibitor. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted daraxonrasib Breakthrough Therapy Designation and Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) harboring G12 mutations. In addition, daraxonrasib was selected for the FDA Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher pilot program, which is intended to accelerate the development and review of therapies aligned with U.S. national health priorities.

Daraxonrasib is designed to target cancers driven by a broad range of common RAS mutations, including PDAC, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and colorectal cancer. Daraxonrasib is being advanced through a global Phase 3 registrational program comprising four trials, including the completed RASolute 302 trial and three additional trials in patients with PDAC and metastatic RAS mutant NSCLC.

Daraxonrasib works by suppressing RAS signaling through inhibition of the interaction between both wild-type and mutant RAS(ON) proteins and their downstream effectors.

About Pancreatic Cancer and Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies, characterized by its typically late-stage diagnosis, resistance to standard chemotherapy, and high mortality rate. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, or PDAC, is the most common form of pancreatic cancer.1

Due to the lack of early symptoms and detection methods, approximately 80% of patients are diagnosed with PDAC at an advanced or metastatic stage. PDAC is the most commonly RAS-driven malignancy of all major cancers, with more than 90% of patients having tumors that harbor RAS mutations.2 Metastatic PDAC remains one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., with a five-year survival rate of approximately 3%.

(Press release, Revolution Medicines, JUL 7, 2026, View Source [SID1234669097])