On July 24, 2025 Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) reported the completion of a global, ex-China, licensing agreement with 3SBio, Inc. (01530.HK) granting Pfizer exclusive rights for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of 3SBio’s SSGJ-707, a bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and VEGF developed using 3SBio’s proprietary CLF2 platform (Press release, Pfizer, JUL 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234654518]). This agreement solidifies Pfizer at the forefront of innovative cancer research and further enhances the company’s robust oncology pipeline.

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"We are excited to contribute our significant expertise and resources to advance rapidly the development of the SSGJ-707 program including novel combination strategies across a number of our major tumor areas of focus," said Chris Boshoff, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and President, Research & Development, Pfizer. "This is an important candidate that combines two key targets in a promising class of medicines, complementing our antibody-drug conjugate portfolio and further demonstrates our commitment to advancing pioneering science to deliver transformative cancer medicines and new hope to people living with cancer."

SSGJ-707 is currently undergoing several clinical trials in China for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), metastatic colorectal cancer, and gynecological tumors. Positive interim Phase 2 results evaluating the safety and efficacy of SSGJ-707 as monotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC were recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. Pfizer plans to manufacture drug substance for SSGJ-707 in Sanford, North Carolina, and drug product in McPherson, Kansas. The clinical development plan for SSGJ-707 moving forward will include trial sites across the U.S. and rest of world with priority to the Phase 3 global development plan for NSCLC and other solid tumors. The first Phase 3 global studies will initiate enrollment in the U.S.

Under the terms of the agreement, 3SBio will receive a payment of $1.25 billion. Pfizer will also make a $100 million equity investment in 3SBio. Additionally, the agreement provides Pfizer the option to extend the license to include exclusive development and commercialization rights to SSGJ-707 in China. In exchange for the exclusive rights in China, Pfizer will pay 3SBio up to $150 million in option payments.

On July 24, 2025 Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, reported results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025 and raised full-year guidance (Press release, LabCorp, JUL 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234654503]).

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"Labcorp had a very strong second quarter, delivering double-digit topline growth, while expanding margins across both segments," said Adam Schechter, chairman and CEO of Labcorp. "We brought innovative tests to market, and applied our leadership in science and technology to drive growth, enhance the customer experience and improve our operations.  We remain committed to delivering sustained value to our customers, employees and shareholders as we execute on our long-term strategy. Based upon our performance in the first half and our momentum going into the second half of the year, we’re raising our guidance."

In the second quarter, Labcorp advanced its position as a partner of choice for hospitals, health systems and regional/local laboratories:

Announced an agreement to acquire select assets of Incyte Diagnostics’ clinical and anatomic pathology testing businesses in the Pacific Northwest.
Continued to progress the acquisition of select oncology and clinical testing assets from BioReference Health.
Subsequent to quarter end, Labcorp announced an agreement to acquire select assets of the outreach business from Community Health Systems across 13 states.
Labcorp also continued to incorporate the power of science, innovation and technology across the organization during or subsequent to the quarter:

Expanded its oncology portfolio with key launches including Labcorp Plasma Detect, a liquid biopsy test that assesses colon cancer recurrence risk and PGDx elio plasma focus Dx, the first-and-only FDA-authorized pan-solid tumor liquid biopsy test for targeted treatment guidance.
Continued to advance its leading position in Alzheimer’s disease, and plans in the coming weeks to offer Fujirebio FDA-cleared biomarker test that aids in diagnosing the disease.
Expanded its consumer offerings by launching several consumer-initiated tests through Labcorp OnDemand, including tests that measure an individual’s cortisol and leptin levels, and introducing a new and improved Ovia app, providing women with a single platform to support their health journey.
Introduced Labcorp Whole Health Solutions for functional medicine, integrative medicine and primary care practices. The solution offers specialized test panels and a test menu of more than 1,000 scientifically backed biomarkers.
Added digital pathology capabilities in Central Labs, including advanced image scanning to preserve critical sample data and AI-powered solutions to provide analysis on large datasets instantly.
On July 10, 2025, the company announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.72 per share of common stock, payable on September 11, 2025, to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 28, 2025. In the quarter, Labcorp repurchased $200 million of common stock.

Additionally, Labcorp raised 2025 guidance for enterprise revenue, adjusted EPS and free cash flow primarily driven by currency, as well as the underlying strength of its businesses.

On July 24, 2025 Revolution Medicines, Inc. (Nasdaq: RVMD), a late-stage clinical oncology company developing targeted therapies for patients with RAS-addicted cancers, reported the publication of a peer-reviewed research paper in Science (Press release, Revolution Medicines, JUL 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234654504]). The scientific paper details the discovery and development of zoldonrasib (RMC-9805), a RAS(ON) G12D-selective covalent inhibitor.

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Oncogenic RAS mutations are observed in approximately 92% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), 50% of colorectal cancer, and 30% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. RAS G12D, an oncogenic variant of RAS that contains an aspartic acid in place of glycine at amino acid 12, is one of the most common RAS mutations in human solid tumors. Historically, it has been particularly challenging to target aspartic acid residues with covalent inhibitors. ​This publication details the novel mechanism of zoldonrasib, a member of the differentiated class of targeted protein binders called tri-complex inhibitors. This natural product-like compound successfully overcomes the challenge of engaging aspartic acid residues by leveraging a neomorphic protein-protein interface between the cellular chaperone cyclophilin A and activated RAS, or RAS(ON), to selectively catalyze covalent bond formation with RAS(ON) G12D proteins. Data reported in this paper demonstrate that this activity drives deep and durable tumor regressions in preclinical models of multiple tumor types with KRAS G12D mutations.

"The tri-complex inhibitor modality has proven to be a productive approach to solving the challenge of developing mutant-selective inhibitors for RAS variants beyond the G12C substitution, as demonstrated by zoldonrasib that targets the G12D variant," said Jan Smith, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Revolution Medicines. "This report demonstrates the novel features of zoldonrasib that enable it to bind to the active or RAS(ON) state, including a highly novel covalent bond formed selectively with the substituted aspartic acid in this oncogenic variant. The preclinical profile combined with recent clinical data presentations provide an encouraging picture of the therapeutic potential for zoldonrasib in cancers caused by RAS G12D and further validate the broad utility of this drug discovery approach."

The full manuscript, titled "A neomorphic protein interface catalyzes covalent inhibition of RAS G12D aspartic acid in tumors," is available online at Science.

Zoldonrasib is currently undergoing evaluation in several clinical trials, including RMC-9805-001 (NCT06040541), a multicenter, open-label, dose escalation and dose-expansion Phase 1 study designed to evaluate zoldonrasib in patients with advanced solid tumors harboring a KRAS G12D mutation. NSCLC results from this study were presented in April 2025 at the American Academy for Cancer Research annual meeting and PDAC results from this study were presented in October 2024 at the EORTC-NCI-AACR (Free EORTC-NCI-AACR Whitepaper) Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics.

On July 24, 2025 Candel Therapeutics, Inc. (Candel or the Company) (Nasdaq: CADL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing multimodal biological immunotherapies to help patients fight cancer, reported that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted Orphan Designation for CAN-2409 (aglatimagene besadenovec) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer (Press release, Candel Therapeutics, JUL 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234654505]). This designation complements CAN-2409’s existing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Orphan Drug Designation and FDA Fast Track Designation for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) awarded to CAN-2409 in April 2024 and December 2023, respectively, and underscores the significant unmet medical need in this disease beyond the U.S.

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CAN-2409 is an investigational, off-the-shelf, replication-defective adenovirus engineered to deliver the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene to tumor cells. When administered with a prodrug (valacyclovir or acyclovir), the HSV-tk enzyme converts the prodrug into DNA-incorporating nucleotide analogs, causing immunogenic cell death and the release of tumor (neo)antigens within the tumor microenvironment (TME). This mechanism has the potential to induce an individualized, systemic immune response against multiple therapy-resistant solid tumors, including prostate cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and PDAC.

The Company previously reported positive overall survival (OS) data from its randomized controlled phase 2a clinical trial of CAN-2409 plus valacyclovir in borderline resectable PDAC, demonstrating remarkable survival benefits with estimated median OS of 31.4 months in the CAN-2409 plus standard of care arm versus 12.5 months in the standard of care control arm, supported by immunological biomarker data. Notably, three of seven patients treated with CAN-2409 were still alive at the time of data cut-off (February 20, 2025) with survival of 66.0, 63.6 and 35.8 months after enrollment, respectively, suggesting a long tail of survival.

"Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging malignancies to treat, particularly in patients whose disease is unresectable," said Garrett Nichols, MD, MS, Chief Medical Officer at Candel. "We observed that CAN-2409 profoundly remodels the tumor microenvironment, transforming it from ‘cold’ (non-inflamed and immunosuppressive) to ‘hot’ (inflamed with active immune infiltration) and extends survival."

The EMA grants Orphan Designation to drugs and biologics intended for the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of rare, life-threatening or chronically debilitating diseases or conditions that affect fewer than five in 10,000 people in the European Union. Orphan Designation allows pharmaceutical companies certain benefits, including reduced regulatory fees, clinical protocol assistance, research grants and up to 10 years of market exclusivity in the European Union, if approved.

"Receiving EMA Orphan Designation for CAN-2409 represents a significant regulatory milestone for CAN-2409 in this disease," said Paul Peter Tak, MD, PhD, FMedSci, President and Chief Executive Officer of Candel. "This designation, alongside our existing FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track Designations for CAN-2409 in PDAC, underscores the promise of our novel multimodal immunotherapy approach. The notable benefits we’ve observed with CAN-2409, including evidence of a long tail of survival, highlight the transformative potential of this immunotherapy. As we advance our regulatory strategy across global markets, we remain committed to bringing CAN-2409 to patients who face limited therapeutic options. We look forward to continuing our development efforts and working with regulatory authorities across the world to make this innovative therapy available to patients in need."

CAN-2409 has received regulatory designations recognizing its potential across multiple solid tumor indications. In addition to the EMA Orphan Designation announced today and the FDA Orphan Drug Designation and FDA Fast Track Designation for PDAC mentioned above, CAN-2409 has also received FDA Fast Track Designation for NSCLC and localized prostate cancer, as well as FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation (RMAT) for intermediate-to-high risk, localized prostate cancer.

About CAN-2409

CAN-2409 (aglatimagene besadenovec), Candel’s most advanced multimodal biological immunotherapy candidate, is an investigational, off-the-shelf, replication-defective adenovirus designed to deliver the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene to a patient’s tumor. After intratumoral administration, HSV-tk enzyme activity results in conversion of prodrug (valacyclovir) into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-incorporating nucleotide analogs, leading to immunogenic cell death in cells exhibiting DNA damage and proliferating cells, with subsequent release of a variety of tumor (neo)antigens in the tumor microenvironment. At the same time, the adenoviral serotype 5 capsid protein promotes inflammation through the induction of expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. Together, this regimen is designed to induce an individualized and specific CD8+ T cell-mediated response against the injected tumor and uninjected distant metastases for broad anti-tumor activity, based on in situ immunization against a variety of tumor antigens. CAN-2409 has the potential to treat a broad range of solid tumors. Encouraging monotherapy activity as well as combination activity with standard of care radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors have previously been shown in several preclinical and clinical settings. More than 1,000 patients have been dosed with CAN-2409 with a favorable tolerability profile to date, supporting the potential for combination with standard of care, when indicated.

On July 24, 2025 Verastem Oncology (Nasdaq: VSTM), a biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing new medicines for patients with RAS/MAPK pathway-driven cancers, reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track Designation (FTD) to VS-7375, an oral KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) inhibitor, for the first-line treatment of patients with KRAS G12D-mutated locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDAC) and for the treatment of patients with KRAS G12D-mutated locally advanced or metastatic PDAC who have received at least one prior line of standard systemic therapy (Press release, Verastem, JUL 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234654506]). Fast Track is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of new drugs intended to treat or prevent serious conditions and address unmet medical needs.

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"The Fast Track Designation for VS-7375 underscores the importance of our potential best-in-class KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) inhibitor. As we continue enrollment in our U.S. Phase 1/2a clinical trial, our goal is to accelerate the program’s development given the lack of FDA-approved, KRAS G12D-targeted treatments for people living with KRAS G12D cancers," said Dan Paterson, president and chief executive officer of Verastem Oncology. "Given the encouraging initial safety and efficacy results in China reported by our partner, GenFleet Therapeutics, at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) this year, we are excited to be advancing VS-7375 in the U.S. to evaluate it in advanced pancreatic cancer and non-small cell lung cancer and in combination with cetuximab in advanced solid tumors, including colorectal cancer."

VS-7375-101 is a Phase 1/2a study being conducted in the U.S., with plans to expand globally, and will evaluate the safety and efficacy of VS-7375 in patients with advanced KRAS G12D mutant solid tumors, including PDAC. The monotherapy dose escalation phase of the study started at a 400mg QD dose based on an efficacious dose identified in the Phase 1/2 study conducted in China by the Company’s partner, GenFleet Therapeutics. GenFleet announced encouraging initial safety and efficacy results from its Phase 1 dose-escalation phase of its study of VS-7375 (known as GFH375 in China) at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. Verastem plans to dose-escalate across dose levels where encouraging initial safety and efficacy were observed in patients with advanced KRAS G12D mutant solid tumor cancers in GenFleet’s study. Upon successful completion of the dose-escalation phase, the Company will select a recommended Phase 2 dose and assess the efficacy and safety of monotherapy VS-7375 in expansion cohorts of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. In parallel with the monotherapy dose escalation, Verastem will evaluate VS-7375 in combination with cetuximab in advanced solid tumors. Subject to the results of the Phase 1 dose escalation combination of VS-7375 and cetuximab, Verastem plans to initiate a combination expansion cohort in colorectal cancer.

About KRAS G12D

KRAS G12D represents 26% of all KRAS mutations, making it the most prevalent KRAS mutation in human cancers. The KRAS G12D mutation occurs most commonly in pancreatic (37%), colorectal (12.5%), endometrial (8%), and non-small cell lung (5%) cancers. Currently, no therapies are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically targeting KRAS G12D mutations in cancer.

About VS-7375, an Oral KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) Inhibitor

VS-7375 is a potential best-in-class, potent, and selective oral KRAS G12D dual ON/OFF inhibitor. VS-7375 is the lead program from the Verastem Oncology discovery and development collaboration with GenFleet Therapeutics. Verastem announced in April 2025 that the U.S. Investigational New Drug (IND) application for VS-7375 was cleared and initiated a Phase 1/2a clinical trial in June 2025. GenFleet’s IND for VS-7375 (known as GFH375 in China) was approved in China in June 2024, and the first patient was dosed in a Phase 1/2 study in July 2024.