On June 21, 2022 Ashvattha Therapeutics ("Ashvattha"), a clinical-stage company developing novel hydroxyl dendrimer therapeutics, reported a poster presentation of preclinical data demonstrating the potential of hydroxyl dendrimer therapeutics (HDTs) to reduce toxicity in the targeted treatment of plexiform neurofibroma, a slow-growing tumor associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), at the 2022 Neurofibromatosis (NF) Conference hosted by the Children’s Tumor Foundation and taking place at Loews Philadelphia Hotel in Philadelphia, PA, June 18–21, 2022 (Press release, Ashvattha Therapeutics, JUN 21, 2022, View Source [SID1234616126]).

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The data was presented by Emma C. Mazurek, a scientific collaborator at Indiana University School of Medicine, in a poster titled, "Hydroxyl Dendrimer Therapeutics Reduce Toxicity in Targeted Delivery to Plexiform Neurofibroma."

The study investigated the uptake of HDs varying in size. The data showed selective uptake of HDs only by tumor associated macrophages and microglia, but not adjacent neurons, in an NF1-associated PNF mouse model. Notably, the smaller HD (~14 kDa) showed greater uptake in tumor associated macrophages and microglia, than the larger HD (~56 kDa). In vivo evaluation of HD therapeutics is currently underway in an NF1 mouse model of PNF to assess efficacy as measured by a reduction in tumor burden. These results lay the groundwork for future HD therapies towards treatment of NF1-associated PNF.

"Systemic toxicity remains a challenge in treating PNF, limiting the use of pharmacologic agents. These results suggest that by conjugating drugs to HDs there’s potential to improve safety and reduce toxicity associated with current treatments for NF. HDs allow for the uptake of highly toxic drugs specifically in immune cells within the PNF microenvironment impairing tumor growth," said Jeffrey Cleland, Ph.D., Chairman, CEO and President of Ashvattha Therapeutics. "Studies are currently underway to evaluate novel HDTs in this mouse model of disease to further demonstrate the potential of HDTs in NF1-associated PNF."

Chronic activation of macrophages and microglia plays a critical role in the progression of many neurological diseases, including NF1. Due to the high inoperability of neurofibromas, pharmacological therapeutics are the main strategy in treatment. Current therapies cause systemic toxicity that is not tolerated by patients leading to discontinuation of treatment. For patients with NF1, there is a need for safer treatments to achieve greater efficacy and durability. Previous data suggests that the combined targeting of tumorigenic pathways and immunosuppressive cells within the PNF tumor microenvironment (TME) may be an effective strategy to overcome these challenges. HDs can be conjugated to more than one drug, enabling one HDT to affect multiple pathways.

About Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)
NF1 is the most common cancer predisposition syndrome. It is characterized by changes in skin coloring (pigmentation) and the growth of tumors along nerves in the skin, brain, and other parts of the body known as plexiform neurofibromas (PNF). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, NF1 is one of the most common inherited disorders affecting 1 in every 3000 individuals. The signs and symptoms of this condition vary widely among affected people. Current treatments are limited and somewhat effective in reducing tumor gral trials. HDTs provide a novel approach to treating tumors in their specificity to tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), further differentiating Ashvattha’s precision medicine approach.

On June 21, 2022 G42 Healthcare, an Abu Dhabi-based leading health tech company and subsidiary of G42, an artificial intelligence and cloud computing company located in Abu Dhabi reported that it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with global biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, in presence of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the emirate of Abu Dhabi aiming to expand their collaboration into the domains of diagnostics and clinical research, providing access to innovative solutions and treatments for patients in the United Arab Emirates and beyond (Press release, AstraZeneca, JUN 21, 2022, View Source [SID1234616142]).

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Left to right – Ghaleb Al Ahdab Government Affairs, Associate Director Gulf at AstraZeneca, Hicham Mirghani, Corporate Affairs Director GCC at AstraZeneca, Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director, Research and Innovation Centre at DoH, Dr. Fahed Al Marzooqi, Chief Operating Officer at G42 Healthcare, Francesco Redivo Senior Director at G42 Healthcare
Left to right – Ghaleb Al Ahdab Government Affairs, Associate Director Gulf at AstraZeneca, Hicham Mirghani, Corporate Affairs Director GCC at AstraZeneca, Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director, Research and Innovation Centre at DoH, Dr. Fahed Al Marzooqi, Chief Operating Officer at G42 Healthcare, Francesco Redivo Senior Director at G42 Healthcare
Witnessed by Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director, Research and Innovation Centre at DoH, Hicham Mirghani, Corporate Affairs Director GCC at AstraZeneca and Dr. Fahed Al Marzooqi, Chief Operating Officer at G42 Healthcare, the agreement was signed by Ghaleb Al Ahdab Government Affairs, Associate Director Gulf at AstraZeneca, and Francesco Redivo Senior Director at G42 Healthcare during the BIO International Convention held in San Diego, California.

G42 Healthcare and AstraZeneca initially signed a Declaration of Collaboration in December 2021. This agreement further expands on their partnership to build local research capabilities, conduct RWE / clinical trials in UAE and localize Oncology biomarkers testing in UAE.

Ashish Koshy, CEO of G42 Healthcare, said, "We value collaboration and believe the strategic partnership with AstraZeneca will yield incredible growth for the healthcare ecosystem. We are proud to align ourselves with these organizations to generate new treatments and technologies to solidify the UAE’s place as a global hub for life sciences, medical tourism and innovation."

Hicham Mirghani, Corporate Affairs Director GCC, AstraZeneca said, "We are excited about expanding our existing partnership with G42 Healthcare to further advance the healthcare sector in the country and region. There is no doubt that innovation is key to healthcare advancements, and we are eagerly looking forward to collaboratively exploring greater possibilities in clinical research and diagnostics, enabling us to together create a more patient-centric healthcare offering in the UAE."

On June 21, 2022 xCures, Inc., reported their partnership with Novocure with the intent to develop the first comprehensive, longitudinal Quality of Life (QoL) dataset for glioblastoma (GBM) patients (Press release, xCures, JUN 21, 2022, View Source [SID1234616127]). The alliance between both oncology companies will leverage xCures’ novel, patient-centric platform and deep connections to GBM patient and provider communities through direct engagement with GBM patients, unique partnerships with advocacy groups such as the Musella Foundation, and the offering of valuable services such as cancer history structuring and treatment options research.

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"We are delighted to team up with Novocure and see our extensive real-world data from GBM patients applied towards developing a time series analysis of QOL in GBM," said Mika Newton, CEO of xCures. "As a patient-centric company, we look forward to the outputs of this partnership and to seeing how they improve Quality of Life for those with this devastating cancer."

Participants enrolled in xINFORM are invited weekly to complete the EuroQol 5-Dimension (EQ-5D-5L) QoL survey. The survey results provided by patients will allow for time series analysis of QoL in GBM. Over the coming year, Novocure and xCures will generate QoL data for 250 patients and integrate it with regulatory-compliant longitudinal outcomes data.

On June 21, 2022 Verismo Therapeutics, a recent University of Pennsylvania spin-out company behind the novel KIR-CAR platform technology for CAR T-cells, reported that Penn and Verismo entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA) (Press release, Verismo Therapeutics, JUN 21, 2022, View Source [SID1234616143]). Under the SRA, Verismo is funding additional KIR-CAR T-cell focused preclinical research programs at Penn to advance new potential treatment options for solid tumor indications. The research funded under the SRA is expected to be conducted over four years, from 2021 to 2025, in the Penn laboratories of Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Donald L. Siegel, MD, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

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Dr. Milone, with Dr. Carl June, is the co-inventor of the CTL019 CAR T product that became the first FDA-approved CAR T cell therapy, and he is the lead inventor of the KIR-CAR technology. Under the SRA, Dr. Milone and his lab are working to advance the KIR-CAR platform engineering and are performing key preclinical research for the purpose of enabling an IND for future clinical studies involving the KIR-CAR platform.

Dr. Siegel is a leading innovator in phage display technology. Under the SRA, Dr. Siegel and his lab are utilizing this technology to generate novel antibodies to cancer targets, which will expand Verismo’s product pipeline and potentially enable the treatment of additional tumor indications.

"Our ongoing collaboration with Penn brings us closer to our goal to treat solid tumors. Dr. Milone and Dr. Siegel have a clear vision of what scientific advances are needed to advance our progress and pipelines. I am hopeful that the collaboration between Penn and Verismo will accelerate the development of the KIR-CAR therapy and ultimately bring a new much needed treatment option to patients with solid tumors," said Dr. Bryan Kim, CEO of Verismo.

Editor’s Note: Drs. June, Milone, Siegel, and Penn are equity holders in Verismo. Penn has licensed certain Penn-owned intellectual property to Verismo and Drs. June, Milone, and Siegel, along with Penn, may receive financial benefits under the license in the future. Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine receives sponsored research funding from Verismo to support certain research and development programs at Penn.

On June 21, 2022 Truveta reported a strategic collaboration with Pfizer to deliver new safety insights on a continuous basis, using verifiable real-world data at scale (Press release, Pfizer, JUN 21, 2022, View Source [SID1234616128]). Truveta will provide Pfizer with an unprecedented data platform for research. The data collected by Truveta are always flowing, providing the most up-to-date picture of U.S. health. Pfizer will use de-identified data from Truveta to identify, monitor, and evaluate potential signals in near-real time, informing efforts to mitigate risks and enabling further research.

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Truveta is the world’s first health system-led data platform with a vision of Saving Lives with Data. Truveta’s 20 innovative health system members provide more than 16 percent of U.S. patient care from tens of thousands of clinical care sites across 42 states and provide ongoing governance to Truveta.

"Truveta’s dataset is one of the most timely and complete datasets available in the United States, allowing Pfizer to learn directly from de-identified patient data at an unprecedented pace and scale," said Dr. Aida Habtezion, Chief Medical Officer, and Head of Worldwide Medical and Safety, Pfizer. "This enhances our best-in-class monitoring systems, through near real-time monitoring of safety signals in an expansive patient population. We hope to continue to find additional benefit from this growing data such as identifying and addressing health disparities."

"Truveta’s vision is Saving Lives with Data, and we are inspired to work with Pfizer to fight the devastating impacts of COVID-19 and other health conditions," said Terry Myerson, CEO of Truveta. "We are excited to work closely with Pfizer as we build the largest and most complete data platform for U.S. health, readily accessible through a complete analytics solution. With Truveta, researchers can be empowered with real-time data to find cures, advance patient care, and transform healthcare in the U.S. The world needs answers to medical questions faster and together, we can help."

Learning in Real Time with Real World Data

Truveta’s data platform empowers researchers to quickly monitor, query and evaluate health data from more than 50 million de-identified patient journeys, covering a broad range of diversity of the U.S. Data are updated daily and includes the full Electronic Medical Record (EMR), not just the medical bill from claims data, all fully anonymized and aggregated. This clinical data is linked across providers and with medical claims when care is provided outside Truveta’s network. Every patient record is enhanced with comprehensive socio-economic data and daily mortality data for a complete picture of each patient’s health journey.

Putting the Researcher at the Center with Trusted Data

In close partnership with its health system members, Truveta puts the researcher front and center in their efforts – creating the opportunity to access data for real-time learning. Truveta’s learning community connects life science and health systems to innovate collaboratively, ​speed time to insights, and earn trust through transparency and ​reproducibility of research.

"As the first health system to deliver the first COVID-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial from Pfizer-BioNTech in the U.S., we are thrilled to join together as we continue to fight this pandemic," said Michael Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health. "The collaboration between Pfizer and Truveta is an extraordinary partnership between life science and our nation’s health systems all working together to ensure our communities are best protected from COVID and other health conditions."