On May 9, 2022 Elpiscience Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Elpiscience"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing next-generation immunotherapies to benefit cancer patients worldwide, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Elpiscience’s ES014 Investigational New Drug (IND) Application to initiate a Phase 1 clinical study for patients with advanced solid tumors (Press release, Elpiscience, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234613964]). ES014 is a first-in-class anti-CD39xTGF-β bispecific antibody (bsAb) that simultaneously targets the CD39-adenosine and TGF-β pathways, two major immunosuppressive mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment (TME).

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"We are delighted that our IND for ES014 was cleared by FDA," said Steve Chin, Chief Medical Officer of Elpiscience. "ES014 is a first-in-class anti-CD39xTGF-β bispecific antibody. In preclinical studies, ES014 demonstrated significant anti-tumor activity in a PD-1 resistant in vivo efficacy model. We look forward to starting the Phase 1 study soon."

Solid tumors frequently express TGF-β, which suppresses T cell activation and induces CD39 expression, the rate-limiting enzyme in the ATP-adenosine pathway​. The anti-CD39 target is designed to selectively direct ES014 to the TME where the anti-TGF-β activity promotes effector T cell function and immune activation, while avoiding or minimizing systemic immunotoxicity. ES014’s anti-CD39 activity further aims to reverse TME immunosuppression by reducing suppressive adenosine, while maintaining high levels of immune-stimulatory extracellular ATP. The combined removal of immune suppression and immune stimulating effects of ES014 were recently demonstrated in a PD-1 antibody non-responsive in vivo animal model where tumor growth was significantly inhibited after treatment.

On May 9, 2022 Caribou Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRBU), a leading clinical-stage CRISPR genome-editing biopharmaceutical company, reported financial results for the first quarter of 2022 and provided business updates (Press release, Caribou Biosciences, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234614000]).

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"Building on the momentum and significant achievements of 2021, we focused on execution and the advancement of our pipeline of genome-edited allogeneic CAR-T and CAR-NK cell therapies in the first quarter of 2022," said Rachel Haurwitz, Ph.D., Caribou’s president and chief executive officer. "We continue to enroll patients in our ANTLER Phase 1 clinical trial of CB-010 and we are slated to share initial data from patients with relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r B-NHL) at EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper) next month. This year, we plan to submit an IND application for CB-011 to rapidly advance our second CAR-T program into the clinic, and we expect to share target selection for CB-020, the first solid tumor-targeted program from our CAR-NK platform."

Recent Business Highlights

Pipeline

CB-010: In April 2022, an abstract with initial clinical data from the ANTLER Phase 1 trial of CB-010 in adults with relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r B-NHL) was accepted at EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper), being held in Vienna, Austria, June 9-17, 2022.
Caribou’s lead product candidate, CB-010, is an allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy engineered using Cas9 CRISPR hybrid RNA-DNA (chRDNA) technology to insert a CD19-specific CAR into the TRAC gene and knock out PD-1 to boost the persistence of antitumor activity. More information can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04637763).
Caribou continues to enroll patients in ANTLER.
CB-011: Caribou is conducting IND-enabling studies to support an IND application submission in H2 2022 in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (r/r MM).
In April 2022, promising preclinical data supporting the development of CB-011 were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.
CB-011 is an allogeneic anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapy engineered using Cas12a chRDNA technology to insert a BCMA-specific CAR into the TRAC gene and armor the cells with an immune cloaking strategy that includes a knockout of the endogenous B2M gene and site-specific insertion of a B2M–HLA-E fusion transgene into the B2M gene. This immune cloaking strategy is designed to blunt both T- and NK-mediated immune cell rejection, enabling more durable antitumor activity.
Corporate

In January 2022, Caribou appointed Syed Rizvi, M.D., as chief medical officer. Dr. Rizvi has more than two decades of experience in all stages of drug development, from clinical strategy and execution through regulatory submissions to support approval and commercialization of several cancer treatments, including three approved autologous CAR-T cell therapies ABECMA, BREYANZI, and CARVYKTI. Prior to joining Caribou, Dr. Rizvi served as chief medical officer of Chimeric Therapeutics and worked for Legend Biotech, Celgene Corporation (now Bristol Myers Squibb), Novartis, Merck, and Genta, Inc.
In January 2022, Zili An, M.D., joined Caribou as vice president of pharmacology. He brings over 20 years of drug development experience in multiple cancer therapeutic modalities, including CAR-T cell therapies.
Anticipated Milestones for 2022 and Beyond

CB-010: Caribou is scheduled to share initial data from its ongoing ANTLER Phase 1 trial for CB-010, an anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy for r/r B- NHL, at EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper) in June 2022.
CB-011: Caribou expects to submit an IND application for CB-011, an anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapy for r/r MM, in H2 2022.
CB-020: Caribou expects to announce target selection for CB-020, an iPSC-derived CAR-NK cell therapy for solid tumors, in Q4 2022. Additionally, Caribou expects to disclose multiple armoring strategies under development for its CAR-NK platform in Q4 2022.
CB-012: Caribou expects to submit an IND application for CB-012, an anti-CD371 CAR-T cell therapy for r/r AML, in 2023.
Upcoming Meetings

May 16-19, 2022: 25th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper). A poster with data highlighting the mechanism underlying the superior specificity of its CRISPR hybrid RNA-DNA (chRDNA) guides for genome editing of primary human T cells will be presented on Monday, May 16, 2022, 5:30 – 6:30 pm ET
June 9-17: European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) 2022 Hybrid Congress. Initial ANTLER Phase 1 clinical data for CB-010 is scheduled to be presented
June 23-24: SingHealth Duke-NUS Cell Therapy Centre (SDCT) and Regenerative Medicine Institute of Singapore (REMEDIS) Annual Conference. An encore presentation of initial ANTLER data will be presented
July 18-22: Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference 2022. An encore presentation of initial ANTLER data will be presented
First Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities: Caribou had $390.8 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of March 31, 2022 compared to $413.5 million as of December 31, 2021.

Licensing and collaboration revenue: Revenue from Caribou’s licensing and collaboration agreements was $2.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to $1.6 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily due to an increase in revenue recognized pursuant to the AbbVie collaboration and license agreement.

R&D expenses: Research and development expenses were $13.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to $10.2 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily due to personnel-related expenses attributable to increased headcount, costs associated with clinical trial and preclinical study activities, and facilities expenses, partially offset by a decrease in expenses related to licensing, sublicensing revenue, and milestones.

G&A expenses: General and administrative expenses were $9.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to $4.6 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily due to personnel-related expenses attributable to increased headcount, legal and accounting services, insurance, other expenses associated with operating as a public company, and facilities and other expenses.

Other income (expense): The Company recorded other income of $1.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to less than $0.1 million for the same period in 2021. This increase was primarily due to the non-cash change in fair value of the success payments liability under the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) exclusive license agreement.

Net loss: For the three months ended March 31, 2022, net loss was $19.1 million compared to $13.2 million for the same period in 2021.

About Caribou’s Novel Next-Generation CRISPR Platform
CRISPR genome editing uses easily designed, modular biological tools to make DNA changes in living cells. There are two basic components of Class 2 CRISPR systems: the nuclease protein that cuts DNA and the RNA molecule(s) that guide the nuclease to generate a site-specific, double-stranded break, leading to an edit at the targeted genomic site. CRISPR systems are capable of editing unintended genomic sites, known as off-target editing, which may lead to harmful effects on cellular function and phenotype. In response to this challenge, Caribou has developed CRISPR hybrid RNA-DNA guides (chRDNAs; pronounced "chardonnays") that direct substantially more precise genome editing compared to all-RNA guides. Caribou is deploying the power of its Cas12a chRDNA technology to carry out high efficiency multiple edits, including multiplex gene insertions, to develop CRISPR-edited therapies.

On May 9, 2022 Singapore-based SCG Cell Therapy Pte Ltd ("SCG"), a leading biotechnology company, reported that Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has cleared the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for clinical trials for SCG101 – an autologous T-cell receptor (TCR) T-cell therapy (Press release, SCG Cell Therapy, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234614172]). SCG101 is being developed to treat hepatitis B virus (HBV) related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) – the most common form of liver cancer.

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The treatment has recently secured IND approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), making it the first TCR-T cell therapy product approved by the NMPA for the treatment of HCC and the first multi-regional IND approval in the field of cell therapy across Singapore and China.

"The multi-country IND approval for SCG101 is a key milestone for SCG’s cell therapy pipeline, proving our capability to fulfil regulatory requirements in the target markets", said Frank Wang, Chief Executive Officer of SCG Cell Therapy. "Globally, liver cancer has the second-highest cancer-mortality rate accounting for over 700,000 deaths each year. Four in five new HCC cases are diagnosed in the Asia Pacific. Singapore is known as a medical centre of excellence in Southeast Asia and is one of the world’s top medical tourism destinations. This milestone pushes forward our mission to advance cell therapy to patients in need and strengthens our position as a key global player", Frank added.

"In Singapore, liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related death. There are significant challenges with the available treatment options in meeting patient needs. SCG101 offers a novel treatment option for patients," said Dr Yong Wei Peng, Principal Investigator of the study and Senior Consultant at the Department of Haematology-Oncology at the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore.

"Cell therapy is one of the most promising and rapidly advancing treatments for chronic and life-threatening diseases such as cancer. SCG101, an individualised cancer treatment which is manufactured locally at Cell Therapy Facility of Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA-CTF), offers potential new hope to such cancer patients in Singapore," said Dr Toh Han Chong, Principal Investigator at National Cancer Centre Singapore.

According to Grand View Research, the global T-cell therapy market is expected to reach USD 20.3 billion by 2028, expanding at a CAGR of 20.2% from 2021 to 2028.

With SCG101, the function of T-cells is activated by recognising peptide fragments – short chains of amino acids – of pathogen-derived proteins in the form of complexes of peptides and MHC molecules (major histocompatibility complex) on the cell surface via the TCR. SCG101 specifically recognises the epitope of the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg), which redirects T-cells specificity against the HBV antigens. With the specific HLA typing, SCG101 can recognise both HBsAg membrane antigen and HBsAg intracellular antigen. Therefore, SCG101 eliminates HBsAg-positive HCC cells and also eradicates HBV cccDNA (covalently closed circular DNA).

T-cells are important white blood cells of the immune system and play a central role in the adaptive immune response. TCRs are molecules on the surface of T-cells that allow the immune system to distinguish the body’s own healthy cells from diseased pathogen-infected or tumour cells.

In November 2021, SCG Cell Therapy announced a collaboration with the Cell Therapy Facility of Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA-CTF) for the evaluation and validation of SCG’s proprietary cell therapy manufacturing process for the development of new treatment options for patients with HBV related HCC.

The validation process of SCG101 was performed in the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-certified facility at HSA-CTF and is fully compliant with current GMP (cGMP) requirements.

On May 9, 2022 (the "Closing Date"), OPKO Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), reported that entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") with Orca Acquisition Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company ("Merger Sub"), ModeX Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("ModeX"), and Gary J. Nabel, solely in his capacity as sellers’ representative (Filing, 8-K, Opko Health, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234614516]).

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Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, on the Closing Date, Merger Sub merged with and into ModeX (the "Merger"), with ModeX surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. On the Closing Date, the Company paid consideration for ModeX of $300.0 million, subject to a customary purchase price adjustment mechanism, including that ModeX be free of debt, as well as deduction for certain equity awards issued on the Closing Date, as described below. The Company paid the entirety of the purchase price pursuant to the issuance of an aggregate of 89,907,310 shares (the "Consideration Shares") of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Common Stock"), to the former stockholders of ModeX (the "Selling Stockholders"), of which 10% of such shares were deposited in a twelve-month escrow for purposes of satisfying the potential indemnity obligations of the Selling Stockholders under the Merger Agreement. Additionally, the Company issued equity awards to ModeX employees in an aggregate amount equal to $12.4 million, which was deducted from the consideration payable on the Closing Date. If any of such awards are forfeited or otherwise remain unvested on the four-year anniversary of the Closing Date, up to $2.6 million of shares of Common Stock (valued at the same price used for determining the number of Consideration Shares issuable upon consummation of the Merger) may be distributed pro rata to ModeX’s former stockholders in respect of such forfeited or unvested awards. Shares of Common Stock with respect to such potential distribution have been escrowed and will remain escrowed for such four-year period.

In accordance with the Merger Agreement, Dr. Phillip Frost, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors (the "Board"), Dr. Jane Hsiao, the Company’s Chief Technical Officer and a Director, and Frost Gamma Investments Trust ("FGIT"), a trust controlled by Dr. Frost, entered into a lockup and voting agreement, together with the Company (the "Lockup and Voting Agreement"), pursuant to which: (i) FGIT has agreed that, for a period of four years immediately following the Closing Date, it will not sell or otherwise transfer its shares of Common Stock, subject to certain customary exceptions; and (ii) Drs. Frost and Hsiao agreed that, for as long either Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni or Dr. Gary J. Nabel remains an employee of the Company or ModeX, Drs. Frost and Hsiao will vote, or cause to be voted, all of their respective shares of Common Stock in favor of such person’s election to the Board.
Additionally, in accordance with the Merger Agreement, certain recipients of the Consideration Shares, holding in aggregate approximately 88.0% of the Consideration Shares, agreed not to sell or otherwise transfer their respective Consideration Shares for a period of four years immediately following the Closing Date on the same terms as contained in the Lockup and Voting Agreement.
The foregoing description of each of the Merger Agreement and the Lockup and Voting Agreement is only a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Merger Agreement and the Lockup and Voting Agreement, which are filed as Exhibit 2.1 and Exhibit 10.1, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein.
The Merger Agreement is filed with this Current Report on Form 8-K to provide securityholders with information regarding its terms. It is not intended to provide any other factual information about the Company, ModeX or any other party thereto. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Merger Agreement were made solely for purposes of such agreement and as of specific dates, are solely for the benefit of the parties to the Merger Agreement, may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties, including being qualified by confidential disclosures made for the purpose of allocating contractual risk between the parties to the Merger Agreement instead of establishing these matters as facts, and may be subject to standards of materiality applicable to the contracting parties that differ from those applicable to securityholders. Securityholders should not rely on the representations, warranties and covenants or any descriptions thereof as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of the Company, ModeX or any other party thereto. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties may change after the date of the Merger Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in the Company’s public disclosures, except to the extent required by law.

On May 09, 2022 Immix Biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMMX) ("ImmixBio", "Company", "We" or "Us"), a biopharmaceutical company pioneering Tissue-Specific Therapeutics (TSTx)TM targeting oncology and immuno-dysregulated diseases, reported that its board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program to acquire up to $1 million of the Company’s common stock (Press release, Immix Biopharma, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234613883]). The Company may purchase common stock on the open market, through privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise, in compliance with the rules of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other applicable legal requirements. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had approximately $18 million of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. The Company had approximately 13.9 million shares of common stock outstanding as of April 15, 2022.

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"We are confident that with the $24.2 million gross proceeds raised in our recent IPO, ImmixBio is sufficiently capitalized to reach what we believe will be 2 upcoming inflection points: clinical data from IMX-110 monotherapy clinical trial, as well as clinical data from the IMX-110 combined with BeiGene anti-PD-1 tislelizumab clinical trial," said Ilya Rachman, MD PhD, CEO of ImmixBio. "The current market situation allows us to capture additional value for all shareholders through this measured buyback program. Our interests have always been, and continue to be, aligned with all IMMX shareholders."

The timing, amount of shares repurchased and prices paid for the stock under this program will depend on market conditions as well as corporate and regulatory limitations, including blackout period restrictions. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of shares, and the repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time at the Company’s discretion.