On February 22, 2022 RenovoRx, Inc. ("RenovoRx" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: RNXT), a biopharmaceutical company and innovator in targeted cancer therapy, reported enrollment of its first patient at one of its newest clinical sites, Columbia University New York-Presbyterian Hospital Irving Medical Center ("Columbia University"), in its ongoing TIGeR-PaC Phase 3 clinical trial (Press release, Renovorx, FEB 22, 2022, View Source [SID1234608834]). The study is evaluating the Company’s therapy platform RenovoTAMP (RenovoRx Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion), as a potential treatment option for locally advanced pancreatic cancer ("LAPC") that may extend life while improving quality of life by reducing the often debilitating side-effects associated with systemic chemotherapy delivered intra-venously.

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Columbia University is the most recent trial site to join the Phase 3 study which continues enrolling patients at participating clinical sites across the U.S.

"Cancer of the pancreas is aggressive and difficult to detect and treat," said Principal Investigator Susan Bates, M.D., Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Dr. Bates added, "Treatment options have been limited to systemic chemotherapy for most patients. Local perfusion allows us to deliver much higher concentrations of an effective agent to the tumor. In the TIGeR-PaC trial, the tumor is temporarily isolated and saturated with gemcitabine, a well validated chemotherapeutic agent. In comparison to systemic chemotherapy treatment, RenovoRx has shown in its Phase 1/2 clinical trials that its therapy platform delivers a higher concentration of chemotherapy directly to the tumor with reduced patient side effects. This trial will offer a proof-of-principle that could establish direct delivery of chemotherapy as a strategy for treating pancreatic cancer in various settings."

Dr. Ramtin Agah, RenovoRx’s Founder and Chief Medical Officer, commented, "Dr. Bates and her Columbia University team share our deep commitment to helping pancreatic cancer patients. Enrolling our first patient at this renowned institution is an important milestone for the TIGeR-PaC clinical trial. This also gives more LAPC patients in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut an opportunity to participate in this study."

To learn more about RenovoRx’s ongoing clinical trials, please visit the Clinical Trials page of our website.

About the Phase 3 TIGeR-PaC Clinical Trial

The TIGeR-PaC clinical trial is a randomized multi-center study using the RenovoTAMP platform to evaluate RenovoRx’s first product candidate, RenovoGem to treat unresectable LAPC through the intra-arterial delivery of gemcitabine. TIGeR-PaC is currently enrolling locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer patients. To learn more about the study and the participating clinical trial sites, visit View Source

On February 22, 2022 LUMICKS, a leading life science tools company advancing science and improving human health by unlocking the measurement of forces and interactions in biology, reported that it is introducing a new innovative C-Trap to its portfolio at the 66th Annual Biophysical Society Meeting in San Francisco, California (Press release, LUMICKS, FEB 22, 2022, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lumicks-unveils-new-c-trap-product [SID1234608855]).

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The technological advances embodied in LUMICKS’ C-Trap technology have been lauded by researchers worldwide for their transformational role in advancing scientific discoveries and led to approximately 100 peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific journals over the past 5 years. The C-Trap portfolio is now complemented by the new C‑Trap ‘Edge’, which is dedicated to support important surface related applications, such as cytoskeletal structure & transport and mechanobiology where current tools are not sufficient to manipulate, observe and measure the mechanism of action in real-time.

Jos Maas, General Manager of LUMICKS’ Dynamic Single Molecule (DSM) business unit, states "We are delighted to expand our portfolio with the introduction of the C-Trap ‘Edge’. Its new functionality will help us address the growing needs of our academic research customers around the world. It brings our powerful optical tweezers and microfluidics technology ‘to the surface’ with TIRF imaging, label-free IRM and a dedicated workflow for force measurements and manipulation at the surface. For even more flexibility, the C-Trap ‘Edge’ can be equipped with a widefield imaging mode to unlock solution assays, which makes it a versatile multi-user tool."

LUMICKS also announced that it will rebrand its existing flagship C-Trap product line into C‑Trap ‘Dymo’. The C-Trap ‘Dymo’ combines state-of-the-art optical tweezers with microfluidics and confocal or STED microscopy. The C-Trap ‘Dymo’ is a proven solution for impactful science in important application areas such as DNA-binding proteins, protein folding, and biomolecular condensates.

On February 22, 2022 AstraZeneca and Honeywell reported that it will partner to develop next-generation respiratory inhalers using the propellant HFO-1234ze, which has up to 99.9% less Global Warming Potential (GWP) than propellants currently used in respiratory medicines (Press release, AstraZeneca, FEB 22, 2022, View Source [SID1234608365]).1

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Today’s announcement coincides with the publication of the Company’s annual Sustainability Report and demonstrates progress on its flagship sustainability programme, Ambition Zero Carbon. The Report also shows that the entirety of AstraZeneca’s imported electricity now comes from renewable sources and that the Company has achieved a 59% reduction in its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 2015, including the integration of Alexion’s GHG footprint.

Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca, said: "We are making great progress on our ambition to be zero carbon across our global operations by the end of 2025 and carbon negative across our entire value chain by 2030. Our collaboration with Honeywell demonstrates AstraZeneca’s commitment to advancing sustainable healthcare innovation, with the aim of improving outcomes for patients while reducing our environmental footprint."

Darius Adamczyk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Honeywell, said: "The work we are doing with AstraZeneca developing a respiratory inhaler, with a new near-zero Global Warming Potential propellant, is tremendously important for both the environment and patients with respiratory issues. Our goal is to reduce respiratory healthcare carbon emissions without restricting patient choice or risking improvement in health outcomes."

Next-generation respiratory inhalers
Most patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) need inhaled medicines2 and many make use of pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs)2 which contain small quantities of a type of GHG which acts as the propellant to deliver the medicine into the lungs.3

Recent results from the first in-human Phase I trial of the near-zero GWP propellant HFO-1234ze in a pMDI containing budesonide, glycopyrronium, formoterol fumarate in healthy adults were positive, demonstrating similar safety, tolerability and systemic exposure of the active ingredients when compared to Breztri Aerosphere (budesonide/glycopyrronium/ formoterol fumarate). AstraZeneca expects Breztri to be the first medicine to transition to this new pMDI platform, subject to regulatory approval. In addition to offering next-generation pMDIs, AstraZeneca will continue offering dry powder inhaled medicines.

Respiratory diseases affect hundreds of millions of people around the world and there is a significant clinical need for pMDIs which are important device options for patients.4-9 Familiarity with device, limited lung function, and young or advanced age are all important considerations when choosing the type of inhaler that best suits the patient.5-9

Supply chain science-based climate targets
AstraZeneca is one of the first seven companies globally to have its net zero targets verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in line with their Corporate Net Zero Standard. To support its decarbonisation goals, AstraZeneca aims for 95% of its key suppliers and partners to have science-based targets by the end of 2025.

The Company is committed to sharing lessons learned from its own decarbonisation pathway, and is a founding member of the Energize programme launched at COP26 which focuses on increasing access to renewable energy for pharmaceutical supply chains, as well as the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) Health Systems Taskforce which aims to accelerate the delivery of net zero healthcare.

Read more about the delivery of AstraZeneca’s sustainability commitments in the 2021 Sustainability Report and Sustainability Data Summary published today.

Energize
AstraZeneca is a founding partner of the ‘Energize’ programme to increase access to renewable electricity for pharmaceutical supply chains. The first-of-its-kind collaboration among ten of the largest pharmaceutical companies seeks to encourage and support suppliers to buy renewable electricity at scale. Energize will enable AstraZeneca’s suppliers to cut their Scope 2 emissions and in turn the Company’s Scope 3 emissions. The programme will reduce GHG emissions within the healthcare supply chain and contribute to reaching Ambition Zero Carbon goals.

Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) Health Systems Taskforce
AstraZeneca’s commitment to partnering with healthcare systems and partners on sustainable healthcare was evidenced at the launch of the SMI Health Systems Taskforce at COP26, in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales. The Taskforce, led by Pascal Soriot, is comprised of global health leaders from the private and public sectors, and aims to accelerate the delivery of net zero, patient-centric healthcare with a focus on digital healthcare; supply chains and patient care pathways.

AstraZeneca in Respiratory & Immunology
Respiratory & Immunology, part of BioPharmaceuticals, is one of AstraZeneca’s main disease areas and is a key growth driver for the Company.

AstraZeneca is an established leader in respiratory care with a 50-year heritage. The Company aims to transform the treatment of asthma and COPD by focusing on earlier biology-led treatment, eliminating preventable asthma attacks, and removing COPD as a top-three leading cause of death. The Company’s early respiratory research is focused on emerging science involving immune mechanisms, lung damage and abnormal cell-repair processes in disease and neuronal dysfunction.

With common pathways and underlying disease drivers across respiratory and immunology, AstraZeneca is following the science from chronic lung diseases to immunology-driven disease areas. The Company’s growing presence in immunology is focused on five mid- to late-stage franchises with multi-disease potential, in areas including rheumatology (including systemic lupus erythematosus), dermatology, gastroenterology, and systemic eosinophilic-driven diseases. AstraZeneca’s ambition in Respiratory & Immunology is to achieve disease modification and durable remission for millions of patients worldwide.

On February 22, 2022 Code Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Code Bio), a biotechnology company pioneering targeted non-viral delivery of genetic medicines, reported a collaboration and option agreement with Takeda to leverage Code Bio’s proprietary targeted 3DNA non-viral genetic medicine delivery platform to design and develop gene therapies for rare disease indications (Press release, Takeda, FEB 22, 2022, View Source [SID1234608801]).

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Through the agreement, Takeda and Code Bio will design and develop a targeted gene therapy leveraging Code Bio’s 3DNA platform for a liver-directed rare disease program, plus conduct additional studies for central nervous system-directed rare disease programs. Takeda has the right to exercise options for an exclusive license for four programs. Under the terms of the agreement, Code Bio will receive double-digit million dollars in upfront, near-term milestone and research funding payments. Code Bio is also eligible to receive future development and commercial milestone payments plus tiered royalties with a potential total deal value over the course of the partnership of up to $2 billion if milestones for all four programs are achieved. Takeda and Code Bio will collaborate on research activities up to candidate selection. After option exercise, Takeda will assume responsibility for further development and commercialization.

"We are proud to collaborate with Takeda, a world leader in the fields of genetic medicine and rare diseases," said Code Bio Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-Founder Brian P. McVeigh. "This collaboration will further enhance our capabilities by bringing together Takeda’s expertise in gene therapy and rare diseases with our expertise in delivering genetic medicines as we drive forward on our mission to bring meaningful treatments and cures to patients suffering from serious and life-threatening genetic diseases."

Code Bio’s targeted 3DNA non-viral genetic medicine delivery platform is designed to overcome key limitations of other genetic medicine delivery approaches and fully unlock the potential of genetic medicines. The synthetic, multivalent design of the 3DNA platform enables cell specific targeting, the delivery of large genetic payloads, and the potential for re-dosability. Extensive preclinical data have demonstrated that targeted formulations are highly specific and effective at delivering genetic cargo to targeted cells and tissues with no evidence of off-target effects or safety concerns related to the platform seen.

"We aim to provide functional cures to patients with rare genetic and hematologic diseases through next-generation gene therapy programs," said Madhu Natarajan, Head of the Rare Diseases Drug Discovery Unit at Takeda. "Code Bio’s 3DNA platform will allow us to build upon the foundation we have established through our internal capabilities and external partnerships and will hopefully enable us to develop re-dosable and durable gene therapies that will be superior to current approaches."

On February 22, 2022 Viewpoint Molecular Targeting, Inc. ("Viewpoint" or the "Company"), a precision oncology company developing alpha-particle therapies and complementary diagnostic imaging agents, reported that Thijs Spoor, Chief Executive Officer of Viewpoint, will participate in a fireside chat at the B. Riley Radiation Oncology Investor Day today, February 22, 2022 at 1:30 PM ET (Press release, Viewpoint Molecular Targeting, FEB 22, 2022, https://viewpointmt.com/viewpoint-molecular-targeting-to-present-at-the-b-riley-radiation-oncology-investor-day/ [SID1234608817]).

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The B. Riley Securities Radiation Oncology Investor Day, being held virtually on Tuesday, February 22nd, is designed to provide insights into the current state and future direction of the radiation oncology field by bringing together innovative companies and independent experts. The event features fireside chats with key public and private companies working in the space as well as an expert KOL panel discussion. Topics are expected to range from understanding and overcoming supply chain and logistical challenges unique to radiopharmaceuticals, to the potential competitive and/or complementary roles of external beam and targeted radiotherapies.

To register and for more information about the event, please visit the event website.