On March 7, 2022 Oasmia Pharmaceutical’s CEO, Dr Francois Martelet reported that it will present at Aktiespararna’s Aktiedagen Stockholm on March 14, 2022 (Press release, Oasmia, MAR 7, 2022, View Source [SID1234609602]). The presentation starts at 11:00 CET and will be broadcast live as a webcast at: www.aktiespararna.se/tv/live.

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 presentation will be available online the following day on www.aktiespararna.se/tv/evenemang and on Oasmia Pharmaceutical’s website www.oasmia.com.

On March 7, 2022 Novo Nordisk reported that it initiated a share repurchase programme in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council of 16 April 2014 (MAR) and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (the "Safe Harbour Rules") (Press release, Novo Nordisk, MAR 7, 2022, View Source [SID1234609622]). This programme is part of the overall share repurchase programme of up to DKK 22 billion to be executed during a 12-month period beginning 2 February 2022.

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!

Under the programme initiated 2 February 2022, Novo Nordisk will repurchase B shares for an amount up to DKK 4.4 billion in the period from 2 February 2022 to 2 May 2022.

With the transactions stated above, Novo Nordisk owns a total of 34,280,319 B shares of DKK 0.20 as treasury shares, corresponding to 1.5% of the share capital. The total amount of A and B shares in the company is 2,310,000,000 including treasury shares.

Novo Nordisk expects to repurchase B shares for an amount up to DKK 22 billion during a 12- month period beginning 2 February 2022. As of 4 March 2022, Novo Nordisk has since 2 February 2022 repurchased a total of 2,494,151 B shares at an average share price of DKK 670,38 per B share equal to a transaction value of DKK 1,672,029,156.

On March 7, 2022 GlycoMantra, a University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) startup company developing therapeutics for unmet medical needs in prostate cancer, NASH liver fibrosis, and type 2 diabetes, reported that has been granted worldwide, exclusive rights to a UMB technology to advance the company’s pipeline of therapeutics for treating drug-resistant metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) (Press release, GlycoMantra, MAR 7, 2022, View Source [SID1234614714]).

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!

According to the American Society of Cancer Oncology, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the U.S., totaling about 53,000 deaths per year. Drug resistance to CRC is a primary challenge and mCRC remains a lethal disease. Although 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)—one of the current standards of care for patients with mCRC—exerts clinical benefit, all patients have acquired resistance to the drug over time.

To address drug resistance, GlycoMantra is developing a novel combination therapy, using two natural bioingredients that are expected to treat mCRC and 5-FU-resistant mCRC in multiple pathways: inhibition of the neoangiogenesis to reduce cancer stem cells (CSCs) and increasing apoptosis (cell death). Aditi Banerjee, PhD, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, is the lead inventor of the technology.

"The combination therapy we’re pursuing is anticipated to be a significant advancement in the arsenal against mCRC. By exerting multiple and prolonged attack on tumors, our goal would be to achieve longer survival of mCRC patients with use of this approach," said Hafiz Ahmed, PhD, Founder, President, and CEO of GlycoMantra. "This licensing agreement with the University of Maryland, Baltimore will allow us to advance our very important research and development."

So far, the efficacy of the combination drug has been demonstrated in a preclinical model. IND-enabling experiments such as toxicity and PK/PD are the next steps prior to beginning human clinical trials.

Phil Robilotto, DO, MBA, associate vice president of UMB’s Office of Technology Transfer and director of UM Ventures at Baltimore said, "We are thrilled to collaborate with Dr. Ahmed, an experienced scientist who has successfully implemented both short and long-term strategic R&D programs focused on cancer and metabolic disease. I’m excited to see what the future holds for his team and for patients."

On March 7, 2022 Immix Biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMMX) ("ImmixBio", "Company", "we" or "us"), a biopharmaceutical company pioneering Tissue-Specific Therapeutics (TSTx) targeting oncology and immuno-dysregulated diseases, reported the IMMX Milestone Day Event, to be held on April 5, 2022 (Press release, Immix Biopharma, MAR 7, 2022, View Source [SID1234609550]). At the Event, management plans to discuss current financial position, milestones, and new opportunities presented by current market volatility.

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!

"With conflict in Europe and attendant volatility in capital markets, we believe it is appropriate to discuss that ImmixBio not only continues to be on track to achieve clinical data milestones as planned with the funding we raised in our IPO, but also act on new opportunities presented," said Ilya Rachman, MD PhD, Chief Executive Officer of ImmixBio. "Each day we are advancing ImmixBio forward towards the milestones we have committed to our investors, stakeholders, and patients."

"We raised $24.2 million in total gross proceeds 3 months ago at the end of December including full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option in connection with our IPO," said Gabriel Morris, Chief Financial Officer of ImmixBio. "With Dr. Rachman’s experience as a clinical investigator for approved therapies, we believe we are ideally positioned to take advantage of market uncertainty to accomplish milestones with increasing capital efficiency."

On March 7, 2022 Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS), a biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, reported that a manuscript has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Gastroenterology, authored by Curis collaborators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, on the role of IRAK4 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and the preclinical efficacy of emavusertib (CA-4948), a novel, small molecule IRAK4 inhibitor, in combination with checkpoint immunotherapy (Press release, Curis, MAR 7, 2022, View Source [SID1234609586]).

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!

"Through our emavusertib clinical trials, we have seen the potential of targeting IRAK4 in indications like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes," said James Dentzer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Curis. "Given the early, but compelling preclinical data outlined in Gastroenterology, IRAK4 targeting may have a broader application in treating solid tumors such as pancreatic cancer. We are thrilled to continue to identify new opportunities to potentially expand the development of emavusertib into additional cancer types as we work towards our goal of delivering novel, innovative cancer therapeutics in areas with significant unmet patient need."

The manuscript titled "IRAK4 signaling drives resistance to checkpoint immunotherapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma" concluded that tumor IRAK4 drives T-cell exhaustion in PDAC and is a promising therapeutic target when combined with checkpoint immunotherapy. Specifically, the experiments demonstrated that IRAK4 controls the NF-kB pathway and production of multiple checkpoint ligands, suppressive chemokines/cytokines, as well as hyaluronan synthase 2, all of which suppress T cell immune function against cancer. The study demonstrated that in a genetic mouse model that develops highly aggressive pancreatic cancer, IRAK4 can be targeted to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and drive response to checkpoint immunotherapy and validate the study of CA-4948 as a means to improve immunotherapeutic response in pancreatic cancer. The study team further confirmed this finding by generating a genetic mouse model in which the IRAK4 gene is deleted from the pancreatic cancer, providing firm evidence that IRAK4 is a promising therapeutic target in this deadly disease.

"Historically, the tumor microenvironment’s strong defense mechanisms have made cancers such as PDAC nearly impossible to treat effectively. Checkpoint immunotherapies, which have had a groundbreaking impact on other areas of oncology, are largely ineffective in PDAC," said Dr. Kian-Huat Lim, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, and Director of the GI Oncology Program. "Given the role of IRAK4 in NF-kB activation, we sought to explore whether there could be a translational benefit to targeting IRAK4 in PDAC. The results of our preclinical study show the promising effects of targeting IRAK4 in combination with chemotherapy and checkpoint immunotherapy, highlighting the potential of emavusertib to deliver effective therapeutic options to pancreatic cancer patients, who continue to have very limited therapeutic options."

The manuscript is available online at View Source(22)00201-3/pdf.

About Emavusertib (CA-4948)

Emavusertib is an IRAK4 kinase inhibitor and IRAK4 plays an essential role in the toll-like receptor (TLR) and interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) signaling pathways, which are frequently dysregulated in patients with AML and MDS. Third parties have recently discovered that the long form of IRAK4 (IRAK4-L) is oncogenic and preferentially expressed in over half of patients with AML and MDS. The overexpression of IRAK4-L is believed to be driven by a variety of factors, including specific spliceosome mutations such as SF3B1 and U2AF1.