On April 9, 2021 CARISMA Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing innovative immunotherapies, reported study findings accepted for virtual presentation at The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 10 – Thursday, April 15 (Press release, Carisma Therapeutics, APR 9, 2021, View Source [SID1234577807]). The accepted data reinforces the potential of CARISMA’s proprietary chimeric antigen receptor macrophage (CAR-M) platform, as well as the importance of evaluating CAR-monocytes (CAR-Mono) as a novel and expedited immunotherapeutic pathway.

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CARISMA will share key findings from recent studies including, "Chimeric antigen receptor macrophages (CAR-M) induce anti-tumor immunity and synergize with T cell checkpoint inhibitors in pre-clinical solid tumor models," presented by Dr. Stefano Pierini, Senior Scientist at CARISMA, which established a fully immunocompetent solid tumor mouse model and evaluated the interaction of CAR-M with the tumor microenvironment and the endogenous adaptive immune system. This study marks the first time CAR-Ms have been assessed in a fully immunocompetent animal model. The findings demonstrate that CAR-M therapy showed significant tumor control, increased overall survival, remodeled the tumor microenvironment, and protected mice from antigen negative tumor recurrence. Additionally, the studies demonstrate that CAR-M synergize with T cell checkpoint inhibitors against PD1 resistant solid tumors. The data build on findings from CARISMA’s foundational CAR-M platform that were published in Nature Biotechnology in March 2020.

Also accepted for AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) presentation is the clinical trial design and foundational details regarding CARISMA’s lead candidate, CT-0508, a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) targeted CAR-M, "A phase 1, first in human (FIH) study of adenovirally transduced autologous macrophages engineered to contain an anti-HER2 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) in subjects with HER2 overexpressing solid tumors," presented by Joshua Bauml, MD, an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the division of Hematology-Oncology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). This first-of-its kind Phase 1 clinical trial is actively enrolling patients at two sites, Penn and the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill. Dr. Bauml is the principal investigator for the trial at Penn.

In "Anti-HER2 CAR monocytes demonstrate targeted anti-tumor activity and enable a single day cell manufacturing process," presented by CARISMA Scientist Dr. Linara Gabitova, new data shows the successful development of CAR-Mono with direct anti-tumor activity and capacity to differentiate into M1-polarized CAR-M. In addition, CARISMA established an ultra-rapid, same-day CAR-Mono manufacturing process for this study, which has the potential to significantly reduce the future cost of goods and manufacturing turn-around-time associated with the autologous cell therapy.

"The data presented at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting build upon the broad engineered monocyte and macrophage platform established by CARISMA Therapeutics," shared Michael Klichinsky, PharmD, PhD, Scientific Co-founder, and Senior Vice President of Research at CARISMA Therapeutics. "These critical pre-clinical data demonstrate that CAR-M not only directly shrink tumors but instill long-term anti-tumor immunity via antigen presentation to T cells, protecting from relapse in the future."

The following presentation and posters will be published on the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting website and available for registered attendees during the dates/times indicated below:

Saturday, April 10 at 8:30 am ET:
A phase 1, first in human (FIH) study of adenovirally transduced autologous macrophages engineered to contain an anti-HER2 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) in subjects with HER2 overexpressing solid tumors
Anti-HER2 CAR monocytes demonstrate targeted anti-tumor activity and enable a single day cell manufacturing process
Monday, April 12 at 3:05 pm ET:
Chimeric antigen receptor macrophages (CAR-M) induce anti-tumor immunity and synergize with T cell checkpoint inhibitors in pre-clinical solid tumor models

On April 9, 2021 Nuvo Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX:MRV; OTCQX:MRVFF) d/b/a Miravo Healthcare (Miravo or the Company), a Canadian focused healthcare company with global reach and a diversified portfolio of commercial products, reported Jesse Ledger, Miravo’s President & Chief Executive Officer and Mary-Jane Burkett, Miravo’s Vice President & Chief Financial Officer will be presenting at upcoming investor conferences (Press release, Nuvo Pharmaceuticals, APR 9, 2021, View Source [SID1234580415]).

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Bloom Burton & Co. Healthcare Investor Conference

The Bloom Burton & Co. Healthcare Investor Conference brings together U.S., Canadian and international investors who are interested in the latest developments in the Canadian healthcare sector. Attendees will have an opportunity to obtain corporate updates from the premier Canadian publicly traded and private companies through presentations and private meetings.

Miravo Healthcare Presentation

DATE: Wednesday, April 21st, 2021
TIME: 10:00 a.m. EST
LINK: Conference Registration

Planet MicroCap Showcase

The Planet MicroCap Showcase VIRTUAL EVENT brings together the most promising companies and the top dealmakers in MicroCap Finance for three (3) days of company presentations, 1:1 meetings and educational panels in The Premier Virtual Event in MicroCap Finance.

Miravo Healthcare Presentation

DATE: Thursday, April 22nd, 2021
TIME: 10:00 a.m. EST
LINK: Miravo Presentation

On April 9, 2021 Palleon Pharmaceuticals, a company pioneering the field of glycan-mediated immune regulation to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, reported the presentation of data supporting the role of hypersialylation in the immune escape of metastatic melanoma at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting held virtually April 10-15, 2021 (Press release, Palleon Pharmaceuticals, APR 9, 2021, View Source [SID1234577756]).

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The research, conducted in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, used Palleon’s HYDRA technology to quantify immunosuppressive sialoglycans of melanoma tumor samples. The tumor tissue had been surgically removed from patients with stage IV melanoma (n=54) who had had zero to four prior rounds of immunotherapy treatment, prior to their initiation of treatment with a PD1 inhibitor. Hypersialylation of tumor cell-surface glycans is known to correlate with poor cancer prognosis, potentially by enabling tumors to evade immune detection. In this study, researchers aimed to evaluate how hypersialylation might contribute to a cancer’s resistance to immune checkpoint therapies.

Results of this analysis showed that patients who had high HYDRA signatures experienced poor outcomes on PD1 inhibitor therapy both in terms of progression-free survival and overall survival. Additionally, these signatures did not correlate with other common melanoma biomarkers such as BRAF-mutation, liver metastases, or TILs, suggesting that hypersialylation may impact response to PD1 inhibitors independently of these pathways.

"This analysis represents an important validation of HYDRA for detecting hypersialylation signature as a potential prognostic biomarker for patients undergoing cancer treatment. Melanoma patients resistant to PD1 inhibitors with high HYDRA signatures may be candidates for the enzymatic sialoglycan degrader that Palleon is now advancing toward clinical studies," said Li Peng, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Palleon and the poster’s principal author. "We are continuing to hone the HYDRA technology, including via ongoing longitudinal study of this patient cohort. We believe HYDRA could offer a powerful tool to support Palleon’s clinical trial patient enrichment strategies and to guide optimal dosing of Palleon’s therapeutic candidates."

The poster, titled "Melanoma patients with multi-Siglec ligands as profiled by HYDRA technology are refractory to PD1 blockade," can be accessed at the conference (#491) or via Palleon’s website on Saturday morning, April 10th at 8:30am ET.

On April 9, 2021 Vascular Biogenics Ltd. ("VBL Therapeutics" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: VBLT), reported the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 5,150,265 ordinary shares and, to certain investors in lieu thereof, pre-funded warrants to purchase 8,050,000 ordinary shares in an underwritten public offering, at a price to the public of $1.90 per ordinary share and $1.89 per pre-funded warrant (Press release, VBL Therapeutics, APR 9, 2021, View Source [SID1234577792]). In addition, VBL Therapeutics has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase additional ordinary shares up to 15% of the aggregate number of ordinary shares plus the ordinary shares underlying pre-funded warrants that are sold in the offering, at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The offering is expected to close on April 13, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. All of the securities in the offering are to be sold by VBL Therapeutics.

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The gross proceeds to the Company from the public offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by VBL Therapeutics, are expected to be approximately $25.0 million. VBL Therapeutics intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

Guggenheim Securities, LLC is acting as bookrunning manager for the offering. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. is also acting as a joint bookrunner. Roth Capital Partners and JonesTrading Institutional Services LLC are acting as co-managers.

The securities described were offered by VBL Therapeutics pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (No. 333-251821), including a base prospectus, previously filed with and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The securities may be offered only by means of a prospectus. A preliminary prospectus supplement relating to and describing the terms of the offering has been filed with the SEC and a final prospectus supplement relating to and describing the terms of the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the securities being offered may also be obtained by contacting Guggenheim Securities, LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 330 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10017, by telephone at (212) 518-9544, or by email at [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

On April 9, 2021 Apexigen, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing a new generation of antibody therapeutics for oncology, reported two upcoming poster presentations accepted as late breaking abstracts at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2021, to be held virtually April 10-15, 2021 (Press release, Apexigen, APR 9, 2021, View Source [SID1234577808]). Details are as follows:

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Title of Presentation: APX601, a Potent TNFR2 Antagonist as a Novel and Promising Approach to Reverse Tumor Immune Suppression (Abstract ID LB175)
AUTHORS: Sushma Krishnan, Ryan Alvarado, George Huang, Xiaodong Yang and Erin L Filbert
PRESENTER: Erin L. Filbert, Ph.D.

Title of Presentation: Targeting SIRPα with APX701, a Novel Myeloid Checkpoint Inhibitor (Abstract ID LB177)
AUTHORS: Ryan Alvarado, Sushma Krishnan, Minu K. Srivastava, Christine Tan, George Huang, Swati Jalgaonkar, Frances R. Bahjat, Erin Filbert and Xiaodong Yang
PRESENTER: Ryan Alvarado

The posters will be available on the e-poster website from at 8:30 am EDT on April 10, 2021, through June 21, 2021.