On June 24, 2025 Corner Therapeutics, an immunotherapy company pioneering novel approaches to cancer and infection, reported that its Distinguished Scientist, Scientific Co-founder and Board Member, Professor Jonathan Kagan, Ph.D., will deliver an invited oral presentation at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCiS 2025), taking place from June 24 to 27 in Boston, MA (Press release, Corner Therapeutics, JUN 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234654099]).

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On June 24, as part of the Member Society Symposia: Innate Immunotherapy in Cancer: Bridging Fundamental Mechanisms and Clinical Trials, Professor Kagan will present new preclinical and human data demonstrating the ability of Corner’s novel mRNA-encoded immunotherapies to drive durable tissue-resident T cell responses through STING pathway agonism. The presentation will focus on applications in cancer vaccines.

Presentation Details
Title: mRNA-encoded Adjuvant Enzymes Unlock Anti-tumor T-cell Immunity
Date/Time: June 24, 4:30-5pm ET
Location: Boston Marriott Copley Place, Arlington meeting room, Boston, MA

Professor Kagan co-founded Corner Therapeutics in 2019 with the goal of developing immunotherapies through the exquisite control of the innate immune system. Based on Professor Kagan’s research, Corner’s mRNA-based and dendritic cell hyperactivating platforms instruct the innate immune system to engineer its own long-lived, disease-fighting T cells.

Last year, Corner launched its $54 million Series A investment round. The company now partners with leading biopharma companies and nonprofits including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fully realize the protective promise of both therapeutic and preventative vaccines.

On June 24, 2025 Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. ("Cidara") (Nasdaq: CDTX), a biotechnology company using its proprietary Cloudbreak platform to develop drug-Fc conjugate (DFC) therapeutics, reported the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 7,954,546 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $44.00 per share. All of the shares are to be sold by Cidara (Press release, Cidara Therapeutics, JUN 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234654084]).

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The gross proceeds to Cidara from the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses, are expected to be $350.0 million. In addition, Cidara has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,193,181 shares of its common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The offering is expected to close on June 26, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Guggenheim Securities and Cantor are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

The offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 that was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 8, 2025, and declared effective by the SEC on May 15, 2025. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the proposed offering were filed with the SEC and are available for free on the SEC’s website located at View Source A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the proposed offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available for free on the SEC’s website located at View Source Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, from: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Attention: Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at (866) 803-9204, or by email at [email protected]; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014, or by email at [email protected]; Guggenheim Securities, LLC Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 330 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017 or by telephone at (212) 518-9544, or by email at [email protected]; or Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. by mail at Attention: Capital Markets, 110 East 59th Street, New York 10022 or by email at [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, 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 any such state or jurisdiction.

On June 24, 2025 Xcell Biosciences (Xcellbio), a San Francisco-based instrumentation company focused on cell and gene therapy applications, reported a strategic collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, to advance research in regulatory T cells (Tregs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) (Press release, Xcell Biosciences, JUN 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234654100]). While significant progress has been made in the cell therapy space leveraging Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR T) cells, this collaboration aims to advance Treg and TIL cell therapies that specialize in combating autoimmune and solid tumor diseases. With solid tumors representing approximately 90 percent of adult cancers and instances of autoimmune diseases on the rise worldwide, this collaboration looks to target a crucial area for improving global health.

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Leveraging the strengths of both companies, the joint research will focus on developing new methodologies to enhance the efficacy of Tregs and TILs in therapeutic applications. The collaboration also seeks to streamline workflows while improving scalability and reproducibility in cell therapy manufacturing to help make these critical treatments more accessible to patients.

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Thermo Fisher Scientific on groundbreaking research opportunities. By leveraging our AVATAR cell therapy manufacturing platform, we aim to push the boundaries of what is possible in cell and gene therapy. This partnership will enable us to develop more effective treatments for patients in need," said Shannon Eaker, chief technology officer at Xcell Biosciences.

Thermo Fisher has supported the majority of the approved cell therapies in the market by providing critical tools and materials as well as helping to automate and accelerate manufacturing.

"Xcellbio’s interest in utilizing our Gibco CTS Detachable Dynabeads platform within Thermo Fisher Scientific’s modular, closed and automated cell therapy manufacturing workflow is a testament to the strength of our technologies," said Andy Campbell, senior director of research and development at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "In combination with our full portfolio, including the Gibco CTS DynaCellect Magnetic Separation System and the Gibco CTS Rotea Counterflow Centrifugation System, we are confident that this collaboration will significantly shorten and enhance the manufacturing workflow for cell therapies in this space, ultimately helping our customers make the world a healthier place."

On June 24, 2025 CytoDyn Inc. (OTCQB: CYDY) ("CytoDyn" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company developing leronlimab, a CCR5 antagonist with the potential for multiple therapeutic indications, reported that the first patient has been dosed in the Company’s clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of leronlimab in patients with relapsed/refractory microsatellite stable colorectal cancer ("CRC") (Press release, CytoDyn, JUN 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234654085]).

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In partnership with Syneos Health, the Company has engaged eight clinical sites and counting, and patient enrollment and processing efforts are underway. The lead principal investigator for the trial is Dr. Ben Weinberg, MD, from Georgetown University and the MedStar Health Alliance.

According to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer ("IARC"), colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer type worldwide, and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths globally. IARC’s most recently published figures estimate that there are about 1.9 million new cases of colorectal cancer and more than 900,000 deaths due to colorectal cancer worldwide each year. The IARC also noted that the incidence rates of colorectal cancer in people younger than 50 years old have been increasing for at least 20 years, with some sources dating the increase trend back 30 years or more.

"Dosing the first patient in our Phase II CRC trial is a significant step forward in our mission to bring innovative treatment options to patients facing this challenging disease. This milestone reflects the dedication of our team and clinical partners, and we look forward to advancing this study to better understand the potential impact of our therapy across solid tumor oncology," said Dr. Jacob Lalezari, CEO of CytoDyn.

The study builds on the Company’s prior research demonstrating the potential clinical benefit of leronlimab in patients with relapsed CRC, and will also further the evaluation of the potential for the Company’s recently announced mechanism of action for leronlimab in solid tumor oncology. Given the promising survival rates observed in the Company’s prior studies in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and the Company’s ongoing clinical investigation efforts in CRC, CytoDyn views its current line of scientific evaluation as the most expeditious path to determining how broadly applicable this mechanism may prove to be across various solid tumors.

On June 24, 2025 Vector BioMed, a purpose-driven contract vector development and manufacturing organization (CVDMO) focused on advancing access to cell and gene therapies, reported a strategic partnership with Muni Seva Ashram’s Kailash Cancer Hospital and Research Center (KCHRC) in Gujarat, India (Press release, Kailash Cancer Hospital and Research Center, JUN 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234654101]). This collaboration positions Vector BioMed as the preferred and exclusive CVDMO partner for KCHRC’s cell therapy program, helping expand affordable CAR-T cancer treatment to underserved populations.

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The partnership began in June 2024 after more than a year of due diligence, site visits, and technical evaluations led by KCHRC’s leadership, including Dr. Vikram Patel. The hospital is expected to begin treating its first patients with autologous CAR-T cell therapy in Q1 2026, making it the first site in Gujarat and one of the first in India to deliver advanced treatments outside of a major metropolitan area. Vector BioMed supplies rapid CAR-T formats of prebuilt CARs and validated processes, including a cell manufacturing process ready anti-CD19 CAR-T solution and other IND-ready product options for the production of autologous CAR-T therapies. Constructed to streamline development for hospitals and researchers, this introduces speed, consistency, and a dramatic improvement to the global standard of care for cancer treatment.

Located in rural Gujarat, KCHRC serves over 70,000 outpatients annually, offering reduced (donor supported)- or no-cost care to more than 60% of its patients. The hospital is part of Muni Seva Ashram, a nonprofit institution founded to provide equitable healthcare to India’s most vulnerable communities. With 400 beds, 10 operating rooms, three linear accelerators, and growing GMP capabilities, KCHRC is quickly becoming a regional hub for cutting-edge therapeutics.

"We are pleased to collaborate with Muni Seva Ashram and be a part of bringing financially feasible treatments to patients who never imagined having access," said Dr. Boro Dropulić, CEO of Vector BioMed. "Through this partnership, we’re delivering one of the world’s most advanced cancer therapies to communities that have long been excluded from cutting-edge care. It’s a powerful step toward making world-class care truly universal."

Vector BioMed is supporting the rollout with its LENTIVERSE system, a true platform solution designed for flexibility, affordability, and scalability—especially for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The platform technology allows for the treatment of one patient per day, isn’t locked into expensive process technologies, and significantly reduces costs compared to other proprietary systems, making it ideal for nonprofit and resource-limited hospitals like KCHRC.

"This collaboration brings us closer to our goal of providing world-class cancer treatment to every patient who walks through our doors, regardless of their ability to pay," said Dr. Vikram Patel, Chair of Muni Seva Ashram. "Vector BioMed’s knowledge and excellence in vector manufacturing and clinical support has strongly impacted our cell therapy efforts – and will soon greatly impact the lives of our patients."

The partnership is being highlighted in an upcoming live global webinar hosted by the Cell & Gene community (Life Science Connect) titled "Fulfilling the Promise of Advanced Therapies and a Noble Cause," on July 24, 2025 at 11:00am ET / 8:00am PT / 8:30pm IST. The session will explore how advanced therapies can be made accessible in low-resource settings through mission-driven models.