On June 17, 2021 Mevion Medical Systems reported the upgrade of the MEVION S250 Proton Therapy System at the S. Lee Kling Proton Therapy Center at Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, to a MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System with HYPERSCAN Pencil Beam Scanning and FLASH capabilities (Press release, Mevion Medical Systems, JUN 17, 2021, View Source [SID1234584157]). Originally installed and treating patients since 2013, the MEVION S250 was the first compact proton therapy system in the world.

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"This upgrade strengthens our commitment to provide the most up to date proton technology to cancer centers and their patients," said Tina Yu, CEO of Mevion. "We are delighted to continue a collaboration with our longest clinically operational collaborator for many years to come."

The S. Lee Kling Proton Therapy Center features two independent Mevion proton therapy systems, each with its own dedicated compact accelerator. The system upgrade will enable the center to offer Mevion’s industry leading HYPERSCAN Pencil Beam Scanning on both systems. HYPERSCAN enables faster and sharper delivery of therapeutic radiation to tumors while sparing healthy tissue. FLASH*, a non-invasive, ultra-high dose rate technique delivering treatments in less than one second, may dramatically improve the cancer-fighting benefits of therapeutic radiation by shortening treatment courses and lessening side effects.

The purchase agreement with Barnes-Jewish Hospital was signed in December 2020 and received Certificate of Need Approval in March 2021. The upgraded room is scheduled to be put into service in 2022.

As the leading supplier of compact proton therapy systems in the United States, Mevion has been selected by more leading cancer centers, including NCI-Designated Cancer Centers, and has treated over 6,000 patients worldwide. Mevion’s leading-edge clinical capabilities, combined with its compact, affordable design, and industry-leading ramp-up time, have changed the landscape of proton therapy.

*FLASH Therapy is currently under preclinical research and is not yet available for commercial sale or clinical use.

On June 17, 2021 BeyondSpring Inc. (the "Company" or "BeyondSpring") (NASDAQ: BYSI), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative cancer therapies, reported it will host a Research and Development (R&D) Day to discuss the development program for its novel immune agent, Plinabulin, in anti-cancer indications on Friday, June 25th, at 8:00 a.m. ET (Press release, BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, JUN 17, 2021, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beyondspring-to-host-rd-day-to-discuss-novel-immune-agent-plinabulins-development-program-in-anti-cancer-indications [SID1234585698]).

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The webinar will feature presentations by Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) Steven Lin, M.D. (MD Anderson Cancer Center), and Trevor M. Feinstein, M.D. (Piedmont Cancer Institute), who will discuss the current treatment landscape and unmet medical need in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and patients who failed checkpoint inhibitors. Drs. Lin and Feinstein will be available to answer questions following the formal presentations.

Also featured will be a management discussion of BeyondSpring’s pipeline, including lead asset plinabulin, a selective immunomodulating microtubule-binding agent (SIMBA), being developed as a "pipeline in a drug." Topics management will cover include:

Plinabulin and G-CSF combination, which received priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its NDA for prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN), which also received breakthrough designation. The Company has a PDUFA date of November 30, 2021.
Plinabulin and docetaxel combination, which is in a fully enrolled pivotal Phase 3 global study (DUBLIN-3) as a potential direct anticancer agent in patients with NSCLC. DUBLIN-3 is expected to report data in mid-2021.
Plinabulin in combination immune-oncology regimens, leveraging its MOA as a potent APC (antigen presenting cell) inducer. Plinabulin has demonstrated promising Phase 1 data in 2nd/3rd line SCLC (ASCO 2021); company has recently initiated a Phase 1 study in 7 cancers which failed checkpoint inhibitors to investigate plinabulin’s potential to reverse resistance to immunotherapy.
To register for the webinar, please click here.

If you would like to ask a question during the live Q&A, please submit your request via email, click here.

Steven Lin, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Lin is an Associate Professor and Physician-Scientist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, with joint appointments in the Departments of Radiation Oncology and Experimental Radiation Oncology. Dr. Lin’s practice focuses on thoracic malignancies, and he oversees several clinical trials including the use of proton beam therapy for esophageal cancer and in the combination of immunotherapy with radiotherapy in lung and esophageal cancers. Dr. Lin runs a translational research team that evaluates biomarkers for treatment response and disease outcomes after chemoradiation therapy and immunotherapy. On the basic science side, Dr. Lin’s main interests lie in identifying novel approaches that could enhance radiotherapy and immunotherapy combinations in lung cancer that could be translated to innovative clinical trials for patients.

Trevor M. Feinstein, M.D.
Dr. Feinstein is board certified in medical oncology and hematology by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is director of research at Piedmont Fayette Hospital. He joined Piedmont Cancer Institute in 2011 from private practice in West Palm Beach, Florida where he cared for cancer patients. Dr. Feinstein is actively involved in clinical trials focused on improved therapies for various cancers and is a certified member of MD Anderson Cancer Network. He is a co-investigator on several peer-reviewed research projects and has authored numerous publications and abstracts in Hematology and Oncology. Dr. Feinstein graduated from University of Illinois medical school and completed his residence and fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh.

On June 17, 2021 Synlogic, Inc. (Nasdaq: SYBX), a clinical stage company bringing the transformative potential of synthetic biology to medicine, reported that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with Roche for the discovery of a novel Synthetic Biotic medicine for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)(Press release, Synlogic, JUN 17, 2021, View Source [SID1234584099]). Under the terms of the agreement, Synlogic and Roche will collaborate to develop a Synthetic Biotic medicine addressing an undisclosed novel target in IBD.

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"Our mission is to develop Synthetic Biotic medicines that benefit patients in meaningful ways," said David Hava, Ph.D., Synlogic’s Chief Scientific Officer. "We are excited to expand our efforts in inflammation, working to address the unmet needs of patients with inflammatory bowel disease."

"We are excited to work with Synlogic and explore the potential of a new modality for the treatment of IBD," said James Sabry, Global Head, Roche Pharma Partnering. "Synlogic and Roche share a commitment to advancing innovative science and delivering transformative medicines to patients living with inflammatory disease."

At the conclusion of the research period, Roche will have the exclusive option to enter a licensing and collaboration agreement for further development and commercialization of the program.

Learn more about Synlogic’s programs and pipeline by visiting View Source

On June 17, 2021 Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCSA) reported that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCUP) to license in RX-3117(Press release, Processa Pharmaceuticals, JUN 17, 2021, View Source [SID1234584119]). RX-3117 is an oral, anticancer agent with an improved pharmacological profile relative to gemcitabine and other nucleoside analogs. Rx-3117 has a family of patents extending into 2036 as well as U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Orphan Designation for the treatment of Pancreatic Cancer. Processa will evaluate the potential benefit of RX-3117 for patients with such cancers as pancreatic or non-small cell lung cancer.

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Under the terms of the agreement, Processa has an exclusive worldwide license (excluding China), to develop, manufacture, use, commercialize and sublicense RX-3117.

Processa will be developing biomarker assays to identify those patients who will most likely benefit from this targeted therapy. Prior to conducting a pivotal trial, Processa will first conduct a Phase 2b trial in 2022 to assess the correlation of the biomarker measurements with the clinical benefit-risk of RX-3117 in patients with pancreatic cancer or non-small cell lung cancer.

We are excited to expand our oncology portfolio, while providing an important solution for patients with pancreatic and non-small cell lung cancer," said Dr. David Young, Chief Executive Officer of Processa Pharmaceuticals. "The asset aligns with our mission to identify and bring to market better and safer drugs for patients who need treatment options to improve their survival and/or quality of life. From our Phase 2b trial, we expect to obtain biomarker data that will identify patients who will benefit the most from this drug while significantly increasing the probability of a successful Phase 3 trial.

"The RX-3117 program is a legacy asset from our merger with Rexahn Pharmaceuticals last year, and outside our core ophthalmology competency. We are very pleased to establish this partnership with Processa which has the expertise needed to further develop RX-3117. The economic terms of the license will be 75% attributed to the holders of the Rexahn Contingent Value Rights and 25% attributed to Ocuphire," said Mina Sooch, Chief Executive Officer for Ocuphire Pharma.

On June 17, 2021 The board of directors of AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) reported a quarterly cash dividend of $1.30 per share (Press release, AbbVie, JUN 17, 2021, View Source [SID1234584137]).

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The cash dividend is payable August 16, 2021 to stockholders of record at the close of business on July 15, 2021.

Since the company’s inception in 2013, AbbVie has increased its dividend by 225 percent. AbbVie is a member of the S&P Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have annually increased their dividend for at least 25 consecutive years.