On June 22, 2026 Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address oncological and inflammatory diseases, reported the publication of a peer-reviewed scientific article demonstrating the broad therapeutic potential of its lead drug candidates, Piclidenoson and Namodenoson, across multiple major diseases.

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!

"The article, entitled "Adenosine A3 Receptor Agonists as Multisystemic Disease Modifiers: From Molecular Signaling to Clinical Translation" was published in the peer-reviewed Biomolecules Journal (link). The publication reviews findings from Can-Fite work and numerous independent academic and clinical research groups worldwide demonstrating that activation of the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) modulates key pathological pathways involved

The review details evidence supporting A3AR agonist activity in:

● Solid tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatic cancer
● Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and liver fibrosis
● Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases
● Osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal disorders
● Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia
● Obesity and metabolic disorders
● Rare genetic diseases, including Lowe syndrome

"This publication represents an important scientific validation of Piclidenoson and Namodenoson and the broader A3AR platform technology," stated Pnina Fishman, CSO and Chairperson of Can-Fite. "Particularly compelling is the fact that many of the findings summarized in this review originate from independent research institutions worldwide and extend well beyond our current clinical development programs. Collectively, we believe these data reinforce the potential of A3AR agonists to address multiple diseases with significant unmet medical needs."

Can-Fite’s clinical pipeline currently includes Namodenoson in Phase 3 development for hepatocellular carcinoma, Phase 2 development for pancreatic cancer, and Phase 2b development for MASH. Piclidenoson is currently being evaluated in a pivotal Phase 3 study in psoriasis. The publication further supports the Company’s strategy of leveraging A3AR agonists as a platform technology applicable to multiple therapeutic indications.

(Press release, Can-Fite BioPharma, JUN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234668852])

On June 22, 2026 ChemT Biotechnology, an AI-driven biotechnology company building the intelligence layer for biomanufacturing, reported it has closed a US$4 million seed round led by Wavemaker Ventures, the early-stage fund of Wavemaker Partners, with participation from co-investment partner SEEDS, an arm of SG Growth Capital, the investment platform of EDB and Enterprise Singapore. The round was further supported by notable investors across the United States and Asia, including Wavemaker 360 Health, Draper University Ventures, and Temasek Life Sciences Accelerator.

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!

Making biologics at scale is harder than it looks. Manufacturers face long development timelines, unpredictable yields, high costs, and processes that are difficult to scale, all of which slow the delivery of treatments to patients. At the heart of the problem is that we lack precise and tunable ways to manipulate cells – the mini factories where important biologics are made.

ChemT is taking a different approach. Unlike conventional AI drug discovery companies or lab automation tools, ChemT builds intelligence directly into the manufacturing process itself, helping companies better understand the cells behind biomanufacturing, and provides a new way to guide cell behavior for faster, more scalable, and reliable production.

At the heart of the company is CelMo, an AI-driven Virtual Cell platform trained on billions to trillions of proprietary biological sequencing reads and validated in the lab. CelMo is designed to simulate how cells respond to manufacturing conditions, genetic changes, and other stresses. By tracking which biological processes inside a cell are being activated, suppressed, or rewired, from growth and metabolism to stress response and productivity, CelMo builds a dynamic picture of how cell states shift throughout manufacturing. Built on this foundation are practical applications: identifying target cell pathways to improve manufacturing performance, designing small molecules to guide cell behavior, and supporting cell engineering using AI.

CelMo is already delivering results. In CHO cells, the cell type most commonly used to manufacture antibodies and therapeutic proteins, the platform has demonstrated a 50% increase in antibody output and a 40% reduction in production timelines.

ChemT’s flagship small molecule product, Chemplify, applies the same approach to T-cell manufacturing, a critical component of advanced cancer therapies. Chemplify has demonstrated 50% faster development, 3× scalability, 60% lower costs, and 10× higher cell expansion yield.

"This financing is a strong validation of our team, our technology, and our mission during a difficult funding environment for life sciences," said Jie Sun, co-founder and CEO of ChemT Biotechnology. "Within roughly a year and half of launch, we’ve built commercial partnerships with more than 40 pharmaceutical, biotech, and CDMO companies across the globe. The future of biomanufacturing will not be won by automation alone — it will require intelligence."

The financing will support the continued expansion of ChemT’s AI and experimental infrastructure, advancement of its AI-designed molecular products toward GMP standards and regulatory readiness, scaling of commercial partnerships, and further development of CelMo. ChemT plans to expand the platform beyond CHO cells and T cells into other cellular systems, including stem cells, NK cells (Natural Killer cells, used in next-generation cancer immunotherapies), and HEK cells (Human Embryonic Kidney cells, widely used in gene therapy and biologics production), enabling broader intelligent control across biomanufacturing workflows.

"Our customers come to us because they are stuck – development timelines stretch for years, processes break when you try to scale them," said Dr. Ling Wu, co-founder and President of ChemT Biotechnology. "CelMo is the cellular world model to understand what’s happening inside their cells and intervene intelligently. Our goal is to help make advanced medicines easier to manufacture, scale, and deliver to patients worldwide."

"Biomanufacturing has long been constrained by structural bottlenecks, rooted in the lack of computational understanding of how cellular networks behave inside bioreactors. ChemT addresses this through precision small molecules that modulate cellular behavior — giving manufacturers a new lever for faster, cheaper, and higher-yield production with consistent quality," said Paul Santos, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Wavemaker Partners. "We look forward to working with ChemT’s founding team, which brings together technical and commercial depth, scientific credibility, world-class bioprocess leadership, and capital efficiency — a rare combination that has already drawn early commercial partnerships from all over the world."

(Press release, ChemT Biotechnology, JUN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234668890])

On June 22, 2026 Genprex, Inc. ("Genprex" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: GNPX), a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing life-changing therapies for patients with cancer and diabetes, reported that The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has issued a Notice of Allowance to Genprex for a patent covering the use of Reqorsa Gene Therapy (quaratusugene ozeplasmid) in combination with either PD-1 or PD-L1 antibodies for the treatment of both non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

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!

"Securing this patent strengthens Genprex’s intellectual property portfolio, providing crucial protection for the therapeutic combinations currently being evaluated in the Acclaim-3 clinical trial," said Thomas Gallagher, Senior Vice President of Intellectual Property and Licensing at Genprex. "This achievement reinforces our competitive advantage and supports our strategy to bring innovative cancer treatments to patients worldwide."

This patent will expand on the previously granted patents for REQORSA in combination with PD-1 and PD-L1 antibodies, which have been granted in the U.S., Japan, Mexico, Russia, Chile, China, Singapore Europe, Korea, Australia and Israel.

REQORSA is initially being developed in combination with prominent, approved cancer drugs to treat lung cancer. In preclinical studies, REQORSA has been shown to be complementary with targeted drugs and immunotherapies. The Company believes REQORSA’s unique attributes position it to provide potential treatments that improve on these current therapies for patients with lung cancer and possibly other cancers.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, lung and bronchus cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers). It is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women in Canada. It is estimated that 32,900 people in Canada will be diagnosed with lung and bronchus cancer in 2026, representing 13% of all new cancer cases. It is also estimated that 19,300 people in Canada will die from lung and bronchus cancer in 2026, representing 22% of all cancer deaths.

About Acclaim-3

Acclaim-3 is a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating the combination of REQORSA and Genentech’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab) as maintenance therapy in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) who are candidates for maintenance therapy after receiving Tecentriq and chemotherapy as standard of care initial treatment. In this study, patients will be treated with REQORSA and Tecentriq until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity is experienced.

The Phase 2 expansion study follows the successful completion of the Phase 1 dose escalation portion of the study, which showed REQORSA was generally well tolerated. The Phase 2 expansion portion is expected to enroll approximately 50 patients. The primary endpoint of the Phase 2 portion is to determine the 18-week progression-free survival rate from the time of the start of maintenance therapy with REQORSA and Tecentriq in patients with ES-SCLC. Patients will also be followed for survival. Genprex’s team plans to conduct an interim analysis after the 25th patient enrolled and treated reaches 18 weeks of follow up. The Acclaim-3 clinical trial is supported by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation.

(Press release, Genprex, JUN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234668853])

On June 22, 2026 The Ellison Medical Institute (EMI) reported it has entered into an exclusive license with UniQuest, the commercialization company of The University of Queensland (UQ), to advance QED-203, a promising new treatment for advanced and therapy-resistant prostate cancer, toward first-in-human studies.

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!

Developed from research conducted at UQ, QED-203 is a novel small molecule therapeutic designed to address significant unmet needs in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Established in 2016, EMI is a Los Angeles-based clinical and research organization advancing cancer research, translational science, and drug development to accelerate the path from scientific discovery to patient impact.

Under the agreement, EMI will lead the continued development of QED-203, applying its integrated capabilities across AI-enabled discovery, translational research, human-relevant preclinical models, and in-house clinical expertise to prepare the program for clinical evaluation. In partnership with UQ, these efforts will reduce risk and accelerate progress toward first-in-human studies in early 2027.

Based on research led by Professor Greg Monteith from UQ’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, QED-203 was developed at the Queensland Emory Drug Discovery Initiative (QEDDI), the small molecule drug discovery group of UniQuest.

The treatment is being developed for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), an advanced form of the disease where patients often have limited treatment options after standard therapies stop working.

QEDDI Head Dr. Brian Dymock said QED-203 was a potential first-in-class therapy targeting TRPV6, a calcium ion channel associated with aggressive prostate cancer.

"Patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer often face very limited options once existing therapies stop working," Dr. Dymock said. "Our goal has been to develop a novel treatment approach that could ultimately improve clinical outcomes for patients with advanced and therapy-resistant disease."

Dr. Monteith said the deal marked an important milestone and built on more than 15 years of research into the role of calcium signaling in cancer progression.

"It reflects the collaborative work behind a completely new therapeutic approach for patients with advanced disease," Dr. Monteith said.

"We are excited to advance the development of QED-203 to address urgent unmet needs in metastatic prostate cancer and meaningfully benefit patients," said Dr. David Agus, Founding CEO of the Ellison Medical Institute. "EMI is uniquely positioned to push this work forward, with deep expertise in oncology and a translational mission built for programs like this. Together, with UniQuest, we’re bringing expertise and a shared sense of purpose needed to move this work forward for the patients and families who need it most."

UniQuest CEO Dr. Dean Moss said the deal highlighted the strength of QEDDI’s model for translating world-class research at UQ into commercial opportunities with the potential to deliver impact.

"This partnership demonstrates the value of building dedicated drug discovery and translation capability around outstanding university research and pairing it with a development partner equipped to advance promising programs toward the clinic," Dr. Moss said. "QEDDI was established to help transform promising discoveries from UQ into high-quality development candidates, and this partnership with EMI is a strong example of that model in action. Together, we aim to build on this promising science and leverage EMI’s integrated research and development engine to accelerate progress towards the clinic and, in time, to patients."

QED-203 has been supported by the Biomedical Translation Bridge (an initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund delivered by MTPConnect); the Critical Path Institute’s Translational Therapeutics Accelerator; and the National Health and Medical Research Council Development Grant scheme to fund key preclinical studies, manufacturing and safety activities.

(Press release, The Ellison Medical Institute, JUN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234668894])

On June 22, 2026 Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: LGND) ("Ligand") reported its intention to offer $550.0 million aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2031 (the "notes") in a private placement (the "offering") to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), subject to market conditions and other factors. Ligand also expects to grant to the initial purchasers of the notes (the "initial purchasers") a 13-day option to purchase up to an additional $82.5 million aggregate principal amount of notes.

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!

Key Elements of the Transaction

The notes will be general unsecured, senior obligations of Ligand and will accrue interest payable semiannually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, beginning on March 15, 2027. The notes will mature on September 15, 2031, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased. Upon conversion of the notes, Ligand will pay cash up to the aggregate principal amount of the notes to be converted and pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, shares of Ligand’s common stock or a combination of cash and shares of Ligand’s common stock, at Ligand’s election, in respect of the remainder, if any, of Ligand’s conversion obligation in excess of the aggregate principal amount of the notes being converted. The interest rate, initial conversion rate, redemption or repurchase rights and other terms of the notes will be determined at the time of pricing of the offering.

Use of Proceeds

Ligand expects to use a portion of the net proceeds from the offering to pay the cost of the convertible note hedge transactions described below (after such cost is partially offset by the proceeds to Ligand from the sale of the warrants in the warrant transactions described below). In addition, Ligand expects to use up to $75 million of the net proceeds from the offering to repurchase shares of its common stock from certain purchasers of the notes in privately negotiated transactions, as described below. Ligand intends to use the remaining net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes including investing in complementary businesses, companies, products and technologies, although Ligand has no present commitments or agreements to do so beyond its previously announced agreement to acquire Xoma Royalty Corporation. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, Ligand expects to sell additional warrants to the option counterparties and use a portion of the net proceeds from the sale of the additional notes, together with the proceeds from the sale of the additional warrants, to enter into additional convertible note hedge transactions and the remaining net proceeds for general corporate purposes.

Convertible Note Hedge Transactions

In connection with the pricing of the notes, Ligand expects to enter into convertible note hedge transactions (the "convertible note hedge transactions") with one or more of the initial purchasers or their respective affiliates and/or other financial institutions (the "option counterparties"). Ligand also expects to enter into warrant transactions (the "warrant transactions") with the option counterparties, pursuant to which Ligand will issue warrants to purchase common stock (the "warrants") to such option counterparties. The convertible note hedge transactions are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to Ligand’s common stock upon any conversion of notes and/or offset any cash payments Ligand is required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted notes, as the case may be. However, the warrant transactions could separately have a dilutive effect on Ligand’s common stock to the extent that the market price per share of common stock exceeds the strike price of the warrants. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, Ligand expects to enter into additional convertible note hedge transactions and additional warrant transactions with the option counterparties.

In connection with establishing their initial hedges of the convertible note hedge transactions and the warrant transactions, Ligand expects the option counterparties or their respective affiliates to enter into various derivative transactions with respect to Ligand’s common stock and/or purchase shares of Ligand’s common stock concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes. This activity could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Ligand’s common stock or the notes at that time.

The option counterparties or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to Ligand’s common stock and/or purchasing or selling shares of Ligand’s common stock or other securities of Ligand in secondary market transactions following the pricing of the notes and prior to the maturity of the notes (and are likely to do so in connection with any conversion, redemption or repurchase of the notes). This activity could also cause or avoid an increase or a decrease in the market price of Ligand’s common stock or the notes, which could affect a holder’s ability to convert its notes and, to the extent the activity occurs during any observation period related to a conversion of notes, it could affect the number of shares of Ligand’s common stock, if any, and value of the consideration, if any, that a holder will receive upon conversion of its notes.

Share Repurchases

In addition, Ligand expects to use up to $75 million of the net proceeds from the offering to repurchase shares of its common stock from certain purchasers of the notes in privately negotiated transactions effected through one of the initial purchasers or an affiliate thereof concurrently with the pricing of the notes. The price per share of Ligand’s common stock repurchased in such transactions is expected to equal the last reported price per share of Ligand’s common stock as of the date of the pricing of the notes. These repurchases could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Ligand’s common stock prior to, concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes, and could result in a higher effective conversion price for the notes. Ligand cannot predict the magnitude of such market activity or the overall effect it will have on the market price of the notes and/or the market price of Ligand’s common stock.

The notes and the warrants will only be offered to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The notes, the warrants, the shares of common stock into which the notes are convertible and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons, absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and other applicable securities laws.

This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall it constitute an offer to sell, solicitation of an offer to buy or sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

(Press release, Ligand, JUN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234668854])