On September 22, 2021 MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEIP), a late-stage pharmaceutical company focused on advancing new therapies for cancer, reported that it will present a company overview and business update at the 2021 Cantor Virtual Global Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (Press release, MEI Pharma, SEP 22, 2021, View Source [SID1234590162]).

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The presentation can be accessed via the Events & Presentations page of the Investors section of MEI Pharma’s website at View Source An archived replay of the webcast will be available on MEI Pharma’s website for at least 30 days after the live event concludes.

On September 22, 2021 The Coriell Institute for Medical Research and Van Andel Institute (VAI) reported that they have been awarded a prestigious Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (or SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute (award P50CA254897) (Press release, Van Andel Institute, SEP 22, 2021, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spore-award-epigenetics-cancer-research [SID1234590242]). The five-year grant valued at an estimated $12.4 million will support nearly 20 scientists as they work to improve epigenetic therapies for cancer. The project is co-led by Coriell’s President and CEO Jean-Pierre Issa, M.D., Van Andel Institute’s Chief Scientific Officer Peter A. Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hon), and Johns Hopkins University and VAI’s Stephen Baylin, M.D.

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NCI utilizes SPORE grants to empower interdisciplinary and collaborative research into specific aspects of cancer. This prestigious grant is the first of its kind at both Coriell and VAI, establishing them as premier institutions for cancer research. The award currently is the only SPORE grant awarded to an organization in New Jersey. This grant, which is also the first to support a thematic SPORE focused on epigenetics in NCI history, can be renewed indefinitely.

"SPORE grants hold a special place in translational cancer research. Through them, the NCI enables groundbreaking work and the trust it puts in the awarded scientists allows for unparalleled freedom and collaboration," said Dr. Issa. "It’s a true honor to receive this grant and it’s a sign of more exciting things to come for the Coriell Institute."

Jones, Baylin and Issa also collaborate on the Van Andel Institute (VAI)–Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Epigenetics Dream Team, which has launched more than a dozen epigenetic therapy clinical trials in recent years and will support trials from this SPORE. Jones and Baylin co-led both the first iteration of the SU2C Epigenetics Dream Team, which was established in 2009, and co-lead the current team, which was launched in 2014. Much of the SPORE project’s design was informed by SU2C’s collaborative model, which brings together experts and organizations to unite against cancer.

"Epigenetic therapies hold immense potential to shift the paradigm in cancer treatment," Dr. Jones said. "We’re thrilled to be recipients of a SPORE award, which is an exceptional mechanism for catalyzing collaboration and powering discovery."

Epigenetic therapy aims to treat cancer by correcting abnormal gene expression. In doing so, these therapies can also make other cancer therapies more effective. This SPORE seeks to improve on current epigenetic therapies by exploring new targets, investigating novel combinations of epigenetic therapies with other cancer treatments, and by designing, and running clinical trials to evaluate these promising strategies.

"Research in the last decade has reinforced the promise of epigenetic therapies both as a standalone treatment strategy and as a way to enhance existing approaches such as immunotherapy," Baylin said. "The SPORE award will allow us to investigate the underpinnings of epigenetics in cancer, with the goal of translating our findings to the clinic."
The three research projects in this SPORE include:

Project 1: A collaboration between the Coriell Institute and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine led by Dr. Issa and Hackensack Meridian’s Yi Zhang, Ph.D., a member of the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation and part of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. This group will investigate the potential of a certain group of kinases, enzymes that regulate proteins, as therapeutics targets.
Project 2: A collaboration between Baylin and VAI’s Scott Rothbart, Ph.D. This team will investigate a potentially novel therapeutic strategy for treating solid tumors by inhibiting DNMT and EZH1/2 enzymes.
Project 3: A collaboration between Indiana University’s Ken Nephew, Ph.D., and Kathy Miller, M.D., and University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Feyruz Rassool, Ph.D. This team will investigate the impact of epigenetic therapy on cancers driven by BRCAness, a major cancer-related vulnerability.
To aid these research projects, the SPORE grant also will support two shared scientific resource cores: A Genomics Core at Coriell Institute and a Pathology and Biorepository Core at VAI. Scientists working on these related research projects can utilize these resources in conducting their work.

Additionally, the SPORE will include the creation of a Career Enhancement Program and a Developmental Research Program, which provide research awards to faculty (inside and outside of the SPORE group) to support recruitment and retention of scientists with a focus of bolstering diversity in the field.

Dr. Issa is also currently an investigator on The Joe Moakley Leukemia SPORE, a program supported by a SPORE grant administered out of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. That grant is in its 18th year.

On September 22, 2021 Cyclica, the partner of choice for data-driven drug discovery, and IMPACT Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of targeted anti-cancer therapeutics with synthetic lethality approach, reported that they have entered to a collaboration agreement on IMPACT Therapeutics’ differentiated targeted anti-cancer drug development (Press release, Cyclica, SEP 22, 2021, View Source [SID1234590145]).

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IMPACT Therapeutics will apply Cyclica’s Ligand Express platform to selectively understand the targetivity profile of its novel anticancer therapeutics. The insights gained from such a collaboration will further improve and validate IMPACT Therapeutics’ competitive advantage in its clinical candidate.

Dr. Vern De Biasi, Cyclica’s Chief Partnership Officer indicates, "given IMPACT’s oncology focus, combined with Cyclica’s experience target profiling within oncology, the potential of our partnership is very promising. We’re thrilled to be teaming up with a hyper-innovative company in the oncology space with the collective goal of bringing medicines to patients in need."

Dr. Jun Bao, President and Chief Executive Officer of IMPACT Therapeutics shares his enthusiasm for the partnership by adding, "The collaboration makes good start for IMPACT to advance small molecule research integrating AI solutions into traditional processes to make medicine more personalised. We will continue to explore collaboration opportunities to advance the development of our clinical and pre-clinical assets and enhance our capabilities in R&D, to address unmet medical needs and make an impact on cancer treatment."

On September 22, 2021 Kintara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTRA) ("Kintara" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel cancer therapies for patients who are failing, or are resistant to, current treatment regimens reported topline data results from the newly-diagnosed adjuvant arm of its open-label, Phase 2 clinical study being conducted at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) in Houston, Texas (Press release, Kintara Therapeutics, SEP 22, 2021, View Source [SID1234590163]).

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The Phase 2 trial was a two-arm, biomarker-driven study testing VAL-083 in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients who have an unmethylated promoter of the methylguanine DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) gene. The Company previously announced (July 2021) topline data results from the recurrent GBM arm of the study which provided important safety and efficacy data to support the continued evaluation of VAL-083 as a treatment option for GBM.

The newly-diagnosed adjuvant arm of the study addressed GBM patients requiring adjuvant therapy after chemoradiation with temozolomide. The trial arm enrolled 39 patients (36 efficacy evaluable) initially receiving a dose of 30 mg/m2/day on days 1, 2 and 3 of a 21-day cycle.

Summary of results:

Progression Free Survival (PFS) for the 36 efficacy evaluable patients is 10.0 months (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 8.2-10.8 months). While this is not a head-to-head trial, historical data for this patient population has demonstrated PFS of 5.3-6.9 months*.
Median overall survival (mOS) for the 36 efficacy evaluable patients is 16.5 months (CI 13.3-19.3 months). While this is not a head-to-head trial historical data for this patient subpopulation has demonstrated mOS of 12.7-16.0 months*.
Consistent with prior studies, myelosuppression was the most common adverse event. One patient experienced a serious adverse event (SAE) possibly related to VAL-083.
The dosing regimen (30 mg/m2/day) of the MD Anderson study mirrors the trial design of the newly-diagnosed adjuvant study arm of the GBM AGILE study. GBM AGILE, which is sponsored by the Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR), is a revolutionary, patient-centered, registrational, seamless Phase 2/3 adaptive platform trial evaluating multiple therapies for patients with newly-diagnosed and recurrent GBM. VAL-083 currently represents the only therapeutic agent being evaluated in all three GBM patient subtypes: methylated MGMT, newly-diagnosed unmethylated MGMT, and recurrent.

"On behalf of the entire Kintara team, I wish to extend gratitude to MD Anderson, and all of the patients who participated in both arms of the trial," said Saiid Zarrabian, Kintara’s Chief Executive Officer. "The topline results from the newly-diagnosed adjuvant arm are a particularly important milestone for the company as it further affirms the efficacy and safety data reported this past July from the recurrent arm, thus providing additional support and momentum to continue the evaluation of VAL-083 for the treatment of GBM."

Dr. Barbara O’Brien, the Principal Investigator for the Phase 2 study at MD Anderson added, "I continue to be impressed by the clinical data generated by both arms of the study and remain excited by VAL-083’s potential to be a game-changing therapeutic agent to help patients suffering from this deadly disease."

VAL-083 is independent of the MGMT resistance mechanism and has been assessed in over 40 Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials in multiple indications sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI). Published pre-clinical and clinical data indicate that VAL-083 has activity against a range of tumor types, including lung, brain, cervical, ovarian tumors and hematologic (blood) cancers. VAL-083 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation for GBM by the FDA and EMA and has also been granted Orphan Drug Designations for medulloblastoma and ovarian cancer by the FDA. In addition, the FDA has granted Fast Track Designation for VAL-083 in recurrent GBM. VAL-083 is approved as a cancer chemotherapeutic in China for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and lung cancer. VAL-083 has not been approved for any indications outside of China.

On September 22, 2021 Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCQB: CNBX), a global leader in the development of cancer related cannabinoid-based medicine, reported that the Company will present at the 4th Annual International Cannabinoid-Derived Pharmaceuticals Summit in Boston (Press release, Cannabics Pharmaceuticals, SEP 22, 2021, View Source [SID1234590540]). Our team will be participating along with others from across the cannabinoid research and drug development space, including industry and academic experts from major pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and world leading universities.

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Gabriel Yariv, company President and COO said: "The Cannabinoid Derived Pharmaceuticals Summit in Boston is the world largest conference exclusively devoted to CDP for medical conditions using FDA/EMA approval regularly pathways and with focus on clinical trials across the world and we are honored and proud to have been invited to participate at this 2021 4th Edition in Boston."

Eyal Barad, Cannabics Pharmaceuticals’ Co-founder and CEO commented: "The remarkable success of cannabinoids being approved today is just the beginning and we are excited to participate at the Cannabinoid Derived Pharmaceuticals Summit."

Read more:

Recent expansion of Cannabics Pharmaceuticals’ Board of Advisors to include: Prof. Caroline Robert (MD, Ph.D.), a Melanoma expert, and, Dr. Sigal Tavor (MD), a Hematology expert, along with Prof. Amos Toren (MD), Prof. Zamir Halpern (MD), Prof. Noam Shomron (Ph.D.), Dr. Erez Scapa (MD), Dr. Dana Ben-Ami Shor (MD), Dr. Sigalit Arieli-Portnoy (Ph.D.) and Dr. Tal Mofkadi (Ph.D.).

Recent expansion of Cannabics Pharmaceuticals’ Board of Directors to include: Dr. Inbar Maymon-Pomeranchik (Ph.D.), and Dr. Gil Feiler (Ph.D.) as Independent Directors.