Geron to Announce Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results on August 16, 2021

On August 5, 2021 Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN) reported that it will release its second quarter and year to date 2021 financial results after the market closes on Monday, August 16, 2021 via press release, which will be available on the Company’s website at www.geron.com/investors (Press release, Geron, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585889]). Geron will host a conference call to discuss the financial results as well as recent events at 4:30 p.m. ET the same day.

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A live, listen-only webcast will be available on the Company’s website at www.geron.com/investors/events. An archive of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website for 30 days.

Participants may access the conference call live via telephone by pre-registering online using the following link, View Source Upon registration, a phone number, Direct Event Passcode and unique Registrant ID will be sent via email. This information will be needed in order to enter the conference call. Participants are advised to pre-register at least 10 minutes prior to joining the call.

VBL Therapeutics to Report Second Quarter Financial Results on August 16

On August 5, 2021 VBL Therapeutics (Nasdaq: VBLT) reported that it will release its second quarter financial results for the period ended June 30, 2021 on Monday, August 16 before market open (Press release, VBL Therapeutics, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585904]). Professor Dror Harats, M.D, Chief Executive Officer and Amos Ron, Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call at 8:30am EDT the same day to discuss the results and provide a corporate update.

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Kite and Appia Bio Announce Collaboration to Research and Develop Allogeneic Cell Therapies for Cancer

On August 5, 2021 Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), and Appia Bio, Inc., an early stage biotechnology company developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cancer patients, reported a collaboration and license agreement to research and develop HSC-derived cell therapies directed toward hematological malignancies (Press release, Kite Pharma, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585937]). Under the partnership, Kite and Appia Bio will develop chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-iNKT) cells using Appia Bio’s ACUA technology platform for allogeneic cell therapy.

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Founded in 2020, Appia Bio recently announced the completion of its Series A financing to support the advancement of the company’s pipeline of allogeneic CAR-iNKT cell therapy candidates into the clinic. With its ACUA technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development to generate CAR-iNKT cells from HSCs. The ACUA platform offers the potential for improved efficacy and safety, streamlined manufacturing, and off-the-shelf accessibility of HSC-derived CAR iNKT-cell therapies.

"We are thrilled to partner with a leader in cell therapy such as Kite, who shares our vision for the potential of iNKT cells in off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapy," said JJ Kang, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Appia Bio. "Our partnership with Kite is an important step toward establishing the broad pipeline potential of our ACUA platform and bringing new treatment options to patients."

"As a pioneer in cell therapy, Kite is deeply commited to developing the next-generation of cell therapies to treat and potentially cure cancer patients," said Mert Aktar, Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Kite. "Through our collaboration with Appia Bio, we’re excited to harness unique biological properties of invariant natural killer T cells to research and develop allogeneic cell therapies for cancer."

Under the terms of the agreement, Appia Bio will be responsible for preclinical and early clinical research of two HSC-derived CAR-iNKT product candidates engineered with CARs provided by Kite. Appia Bio will receive an upfront payment, an equity investment, and additional milestone payments for a total value of up to $875 million as well as tiered royalties. Kite will be responsible for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the product candidates identified through the collaboration.

Athersys and HEALIOS K.K. Announce Advancement of Their MultiStem Commercial Partnership

On August 5, 2021 Athersys, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHX) and HEALIOS K.K. (Healios) (TSE Mothers: 4593) jointly reported expansion and deepening of their partnership to optimize and better align the collaboration structure to drive therapeutic reach and commercial success in Japan for the MultiStem (invimestrocel) product following potential regulatory approval (Press release, Athersys, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585953]). The changes and new agreements reflect improved clarity regarding Japanese regulatory, manufacturing, and commercial requirements gained in recent years and better enable the optimal investments and efforts in manufacturing and commercialization. The agreements will facilitate the regulatory approval process for MultiStem in Japan, prepare the companies for commercial manufacturing and supply and expand the overall scope of collaboration between the companies.

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"We are happy to have reached this Comprehensive agreement with Healios which strengthens the alignment, commitment, and motivation of both companies and improves the potential for MultiStem commercial success in Japan," stated Mr. William (B.J.) Lehmann, Jr., President, and Interim CEO of Athersys. "This is an important step for us as it brings us closer to achieving our first regulatory approval and providing supply for commercialization in a key market and meeting our goal of bringing life-saving therapies to patients worldwide."

Dr. Hardy TS Kagimoto, Chairman and CEO of Healios, commented, "We have come a long way in building a stronger, mutually beneficial, win-win partnership between Athersys and Healios. With the improved relationship and clarification of the roles, responsibilities, and incentives as reflected in the new agreements, we aim to accelerate the development, regulatory approval, and delivery of life-saving treatments for patients. We are committed to achieving our mission: ‘Life Explosion!’ by delivering cures for patients with unmet medical needs."

"I would like to compliment and express my appreciation to the boards and management of both Healios and Athersys for their dedication and commitment in working through challenging issues to achieve this important milestone for the benefit of patients dealing with severe medical issues such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and stroke and for the benefit of shareholders of both Athersys and Healios," added Dr. Ismail Kola, Chairman of the Board of Athersys. "This is truly a win-win enhancement to the partnership."

Key elements of the improved collaboration include:

Providing Healios access to Athersys’s manufacturing technology to enable Healios to manufacture MultiStem products, using a qualified manufacturer, for a potential commercial launch in Japan and allow Athersys to focus resources on advanced commercial manufacturing development.
Clarifying Athersys’s role in providing support services necessary for regulatory approvals, manufacturing readiness, and commercial launch in Japan.
Sharing investment in commercial preparation and product supply through planned investment by Healios in certain manufacturing preparation activities and additional production capacity for Japan and, through deferrals and certain adjustments to financial terms of the license agreement, including milestones and royalties, during the early commercial phase.
Expanding Healios’ license in Japan to include two new additional indications under certain conditions to enable Healios to further leverage its investment in MultiStem while providing Athersys the opportunity for additional revenues from this market.
Increasing alignment between the companies and creating incentives for accelerated execution and investment, through $8 million in new milestone payments available to Athersys tied to certain Japan commercial manufacturing activities and the establishment of large scale manufacturing relevant to Japan, and through warrants issued to Healios to purchase up to a total of 10 million shares of Athersys common stock at a premium to the current market price and exercisable for 60 days following regulatory approval for ARDS and ischemic stroke, respectively.

G1 Therapeutics Granted New Technology Add-On Payment (NTAP) for COSELA™ (Trilaciclib) by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

On August 4, 2021 G1 Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTHX), a commercial-stage oncology company, reported that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has granted a new technology add-on payment (NTAP) for COSELA (trilaciclib) when administered to Medicare beneficiaries in the hospital inpatient setting (Press release, G1 Therapeutics, AUG 4, 2021, View Source [SID1234587577]). It will become effective for provider billing on October 1, 2021. An NTAP provides additional payment to hospitals above the standard Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group (MS-DRG) payment amount.

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This grant follows the receipt of a C Code for pass through hospital outpatient system use (effective July 1, 2021) and a permanent J Code for all sites of care (effective October 1, 2021).

The NTAP will provide hospitals with a payment, in addition to the standard-of-care DRG reimbursement, of up to 65 percent of the average cost of the technology if the cost of the discharge exceeds the full DRG payment. As such, beginning on October 1, 2021, CMS will provide an additional maximum payment of $5,526.30 for COSELA when used in the inpatient hospital setting for fiscal year 2022. Congress created the NTAP program to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have timely access to innovative therapies while the agency collects data about them to use in future rate-setting.

"CMS’ issuance of an NTAP for COSELA recognizes its potential to address an urgent need for proactive multilineage myeloprotection in patients living with extensive stage small cell lung cancer," said Jack Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of G1 Therapeutics. "We believe the decision to include COSELA in the NTAP program is an important step that will help increase patient access to this important drug. We applaud CMS for their decision; the need for effective tools to help clinicians reduce or prevent myelosuppressive events is critical for extensive stage small cell lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy."

About COSELA (trilaciclib) for Injection

COSELA (trilaciclib) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on February 12, 2021.

Indication
COSELA (trilaciclib) is indicated to decrease the incidence of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression in adult patients when administered prior to a platinum/etoposide-containing regimen or topotecan-containing regimen for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

Important Safety Information
COSELA is contraindicated in patients with a history of serious hypersensitivity reactions to trilaciclib.

Warnings and precautions include injection-site reactions (including phlebitis and thrombophlebitis), acute drug hypersensitivity reactions, interstitial lung disease (pneumonitis), and embryo-fetal toxicity.

The most common adverse reactions (>10%) were fatigue, hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia, aspartate aminotransferase increased, headache, and pneumonia.

This information is not comprehensive. Please click here for full Prescribing Information. View Source

To report suspected adverse reactions, contact G1 Therapeutics at 1-800-790-G1TX or call FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or visit www.fda.gov/medwatch.