On December 2, 2021 Bolt Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BOLT), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new class of immuno-oncology agents that combine the targeting precision of antibodies with the power of both the innate and adaptive immune systems, reported that the company will be presenting interim clinical data in a virtual poster on BDC-1001, starting on December 6, 2021 in conjunction with the European Society for Medical Oncology Immuno-Oncology (ESMO I-O) Congress 2021 taking place on December 8 – 11, 2021 (Press release, Bolt Biotherapeutics, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234618692]). BDC-1001 is an immune-stimulating antibody conjugate (ISAC) comprising a HER2-targeting biosimilar of trastuzumab conjugated to a TLR7/8 agonist with a non-cleavable linker.

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"The data we will be presenting at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) I-O includes more than 50 patients at increasing exposures and builds upon the data presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2021. We will be presenting additional insights into BDC-1001’s safety and tolerability profile, pharmacokinetics, tumor and serum biomarkers, and early signs of clinical activity. These interim results support continued investigation towards an optimal dosing regimen, as well as the initiation of a combination dose-escalation study with Opdivo by year-end," said Edith A. Perez, M.D, Chief Medical Officer of Bolt Biotherapeutics.

The poster will be available in the e-Posters section of the conference virtual platform as of December 6 at 12 p.m. CET:

Abstract Title: Preliminary results from a phase 1/2 study of BDC-1001, a novel HER2 targeting TLR7/8 immune-stimulating antibody conjugate (ISAC), in patients (pts) with advanced HER2-expressing solid tumors
Presenter: Manish R. Sharma, M.D., Associate Director of Clinical Research, START Midwest
Presentation Number: 164P
Timing: On-Demand Access

Bolt Biotherapeutics management will host a conference call for the investment community, in conjunction with the now virtual ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Immuno-Oncology Congress 2021, to discuss emerging clinical data and insights from the ongoing Phase 1/2 study at 8:00 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT on Monday, December 6, 2021.

A live webcast, including slides, will be available on the Events & Presentations page of Bolt Biotherapeutic’s website at www.boltbio.com. An archived replay can be accessed for 30 days following the webcast.

Opdivo is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.

On December 2, 2021 Plus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTV) (the "Company"), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing innovative, targeted radiotherapeutics for rare and difficult-to-treat cancers, reported that Marc H. Hedrick M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Plus Therapeutics, will present a company overview during the MedInvest Oncology Investor Conference on Tuesday, December 7th at 12:00 p.m. ET (Press release, Cytori Therapeutics, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234596403]).

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A webcast of the Company’s pre-recorded presentation, along with a live Q&A session, will be available under the ‘Events’ tab of the Investor Relations section of the Plus Therapeutics website at www.plustherapeutics.com or at https://bit.ly/3l2jsfW.

On December 2, 2021 Tavros Therapeutics, a privately held biotechnology company discovering first-in-class cancer therapies, and OpenBench, an emerging leader in AI-enabled small molecule discovery, reported a collaboration in which OpenBench will identify novel, potent antagonists against an undisclosed cancer target that was identified by Tavros’s proprietary functional genomics platform (Press release, Tavros Therapeutics, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234596421]).

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Under the terms of the agreement, OpenBench will receive payment for the identification and experimental confirmation of novel chemotypes that meet Tavros’s potency and developability criteria. In exchange, Tavros gains exclusive access to OpenBench’s proprietary screening technology with respect to the promising cancer target. Financial terms were not disclosed.

"Tavros is eager to identify quality hit molecules against this high-impact, first-in-class target, and we think OpenBench’s virtual screening platform is perfectly suited to accelerate our drug development timelines. We hope to continue this partnership and take on other promising drug targets identified by Tavros’s proprietary functional genomics discovery platform," said Tavros CEO Eoin McDonnell.

"We are excited to enrich Tavros’s efforts to make a breakthrough therapeutic discovery addressing a serious clinical need," said OpenBench CTO James Yoder. "We feel confident that the partnership will bear fruit and the OpenBench virtual screening platform will identify promising novel chemical material that maximizes the likelihood of Tavros’s success in lead optimization, translation, and clinical development campaigns."

OpenBench adds Tavros to a growing list of partners that includes HemoShear Therapeutics and two other undisclosed U.S.-based biotechnology companies.

On 2 December 2021 Oncology One Pty Ltd, reported a partnership with WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) to develop new drugs for the treatment of cancer, in collaboration with Curtin University (Press release, Oncology One, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234629324]).

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The collaboration centres on the development of novel small molecule drugs to treat solid tumours, initially focusing on breast cancer.

The project will seek to identify small molecule compounds that specifically inhibit a novel target in breast cancer that drives tumour growth. If successful, further work will need to be undertaken to refine these compounds towards candidate therapies, which could enter clinical trials in due course.

Chair of Oncology One’s Scientific Advisory Board, Dr Ian Street, said: "This project represents an important next step for Oncology One in building a pipeline of drug discovery programs that are highly differentiated and address unmet clinical needs. We have made great progress in early breast cancer detection, and this has had a dramatic effect on reducing mortality. However, if early disease is missed and the cancer metastasises, then unfortunately prognosis is poor. We are very much looking forward to a productive collaboration with David and Pieter, and the drug discovery and research teams at WEHI and Curtin".

This transcontinental project originated in the research labs of Professor David Komander at WEHI and Associate Professor Pieter Eichhorn at Curtin University. The objective is to develop a new therapeutic for treating metastatic ER+ breast cancers that have escaped current treatments. The new therapeutic also has the potential to address unmet clinical needs in other cancers such as colorectal and brain.

WEHI Ubiquitin Signalling Division Head, Professor David Komander, said: "The ubiquitin system offers many opportunities for innovative cancer treatments. We are delighted to work with Oncology One on this exciting project and to translate our research to benefit cancer patients. The project was initially born in a collaboration with Curtin University, and we are excited to draw upon our strengths and to work with industry to improve treatments for a disease that continues to impact so many lives."

Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in women and accounts for over 2 million cases and over 600,000 deaths per year worldwide according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The emergence of resistance to existing therapies is a major challenge in the treatment of many people with breast cancer, and new treatment modalities are urgently required to improve patient outcomes.

Curtin University Associate, Professor Pieter Eichorn, said: "While breast cancer survival rates have improved, there are millions of patients who don’t respond to current treatments. Through this collaboration drawing on the expertise of WEHI in drug discovery and Oncology One in drug development, we can find the best way to bring our cancer treatment discoveries to patients, and make a real difference to them and to their loved ones and families."

On December 1, 2021 Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") and Dyno Therapeutics, Inc. (President and CEO: Eric Kelsic, Ph.D., "Dyno") reported an option and license agreement was signed on November 23 to develop next-generation adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for gene therapy directed to skeletal and cardiac muscle using Dyno’s CapsidMap platform (Press release, Astellas, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234596344]).

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Dyno’s CapsidMap platform represents a transformative approach applying in vivo experimental data and machine learning to create novel AAV capsids – the cell-targeting protein shells of viral vectors – designed to optimize tissue targeting and immune-evading properties, in addition to improving packaging capacity and manufacturability. Unlike traditional approaches, CapsidMap is uniquely well-suited to simultaneously optimize capsids for delivery across multiple organs, with the goal of enabling more effective whole-body treatment for many diseases.

With the establishment of the Astellas Gene Therapies Center of Excellence following the 2020 acquisition of Audentes Therapeutics Inc., Astellas is a leader in genetic medicines, working alongside its world-renowned partners to build a portfolio of potentially life-changing gene therapies. This research collaboration combines Dyno’s AI-powered AAV vector engineering capabilities with Astellas Gene Therapies global leadership in AAV-based pipeline assets.

"Through our efforts in gene therapy and the Astellas Gene Therapies Center of Excellence, Astellas strives to identify, develop and deliver transformative gene-based therapies for patients with genetic diseases who currently have few or no effective treatment options. Our principal focus is on developing adeno-associated virus delivered therapies for the treatment of well-defined serious diseases," said Naoki Okamura, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Chief Business Officer at Astellas. "We are dedicated to delivering novel approaches and utilizing new technologies that can deliver transformational value for patients."

"We are so happy to be partnering with Astellas, a world leader in developing gene therapies. Dyno and Astellas each bring unique strengths to this collaboration, together enabling more rapid creation of new therapies for patients with great unmet need," said Dyno’s CEO and co-founder Eric D. Kelsic, Ph.D. "This partnership demonstrates the flexibility of Dyno’s platform to precisely design the delivery properties of gene therapy vectors towards multi-organ and disease-specific profiles, applying the scientific insights we are rapidly learning across all our partnered and internal vector engineering programs using CapsidMap."

Under the terms of the agreement, Dyno will design novel AAV capsids with improved functional properties for gene therapy, while Astellas will be responsible for conducting preclinical, clinical and commercialization activities, including manufacturing, of gene therapy product candidates using the novel capsids. Dyno will receive an $18 million upfront payment and be eligible to receive additional payments during the research phase of the collaboration as well as clinical and sales milestone payments and royalties for any resulting products. The aggregate potential value of future milestone and royalty payments to Dyno exceeds $235 million per product and over $1.6 billion in total value.