On June 17, 2021 Orion Biotechnology Canada Ltd., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, reported that it has raised $11.5M USD in a Series A financing (Press release, Orion Biotechnology, JUN 17, 2021, View Source [SID1234584176]).

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The oversubscribed round was led by Keiretsu Forum, a global group of investors and included corporate/institutional investors, venture capitalists and existing shareholders. Howard Lubert, President Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic, commented "As early investors in disruptive life sciences companies, we have seen how cutting-edge technologies like Orion’s can bring significant value to the industry and lead to the delivery of innovative new treatments for patients. We believe that Orion has developed a truly innovative technology for effectively targeting G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs)." The investment includes conversion of a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) as well as closing the first tranche of a Series A investment.

"It’s rewarding to see a Canadian biotech company receive support for their novel technology from across the Keiretsu Forum ecosystem following our cross border due diligence process. Our investors are excited to be a part of their growth and innovation" said Kevin Sterling, President Keiretsu Forum Toronto.

Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance Orion’s pipeline of novel precision-engineered therapeutics, including its lead oncology candidate, which is a first-in-class Chemokine Analog with best-in-class potency. The investment will also enable the company to extend its proprietary discovery platform for effectively targeting complex GPCRs that have proven difficult to target using traditional drug classes.

"We are pleased to have the support and confidence of a large network of seasoned life science investors" said Mark Groper, President and CEO of Orion Biotechnology. "With the completion of this funding round, we are positioned to build on the momentum we have created, advance our multi-asset portfolio, and further leverage our proprietary discovery platform to deliver new precision engineered therapies in collaboration with industry partners".

On June 16, 2021 GT Biopharma, a clinical stage immuno-oncology company focused on developing innovative therapeutics based on the Company’s proprietary natural killer (NK) cell engager (TriKE) protein biologic technology platform, reported that it will provide a corporate update at the upcoming Raymond James Human Health Innovation Conference on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 at 11:20 AM ET (Press release, GT Biopharma, JUN 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234584068]).
A live webcast of the event will be available by visiting "Presentations" page in the Investors section of GT Biopharma’s website at www.gtbiopharma.com/news-media/presentations. A replay of the webcast will be archived for 30 days following the presentation.

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On June 16, 2021 Apexigen, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing a new generation of antibody therapeutics for oncology, and the Nordic Society of Gynaecological Oncology – Clinical Trial Unit (NSGO-CTU) reported an agreement to initiate a collaborative Phase 2 clinical study evaluating sotigalimab, Apexigen’s monoclonal antibody targeting CD40, in combination therapy for patients with recurrent BRCA wild type ovarian cancer. Sotigalimab, Apexigen’s lead immuno-oncology therapeutic candidate, is a potentially first-in-class and best-in-class CD40 agonist, with unique epitope specificity and Fc receptor engagement for optimal therapeutic effect and tolerability (Press release, Apexigen, JUN 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234590990]).

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"We are excited to collaborate with the NSGO-CTU and ENGOT, premier organizations with tremendous experience conducting gynaecological oncology clinical trials," said Xiaodong Yang, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Apexigen. "The poor survival in advanced ovarian cancer is due both to late diagnosis as well as a lack of effective second-line therapy. Robust preclinical and early clinical data underscore the utility of next-generation immune-modulating therapies, such as sotigalimab. We believe combining sotigalimab treatment with chemotherapy or chemotherapy plus radiation shows promise in offering new therapeutic options for patients with recurrent BRCA wild type ovarian cancer. We’re fortunate to have the opportunity to explore these combinations with the NSGO-CTU and ENGOT as we continue to address the greatest outstanding challenges in oncology."

"Our purpose at the NSGO-CTU and ENGOT is to improve management options in gynaecological cancer indications by conducting and coordinating clinical trial efforts across countries," added Mansoor Raza Mirza, M.D., Medical Director of the NSGO-CTU and Chair of ENGOT. "The evaluation of sotigalimab, a novel and promising agent, in this Phase 2 randomized study is an important next step to improve the standard of care for patients with ovarian cancer. We look forward to working with Apexigen to reach our mutual goal."

About Sotigalimab (APX005M)
Sotigalimab is a novel, humanized monoclonal antibody that stimulates the anti-tumor immune response. Sotigalimab targets CD40, a co-stimulatory receptor that is essential for activating both innate and adaptive immune systems. Binding of sotigalimab to CD40 on antigen presenting cells (i.e., dendritic cells, monocytes and B-cells) initiates a multi-faceted immune response bringing multiple components of the immune system (e.g., T cells, macrophages) to work in concert against cancer. Sotigalimab is currently in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of cancers such as esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancers, melanoma, rectal cancer and sarcoma in various combinations with immunotherapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a cancer vaccine. Additional information on clinical trials for sotigalimab can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

On June 16, 2021 Innate Pharma SA (Euronext Paris: IPH – ISIN: FR0010331421; Nasdaq: IPHA) ("Innate" or the "Company") reported that it will host a virtual investor event on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, at 2 p.m. CEST / 8 a.m. EDT(Press release, Innate Pharma, JUN 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234584032]).

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The event will feature presentations and an interactive Q&A session from the Company’s executive leadership team as well as Martine Bagot, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Head of the Dermatology Department at the Saint-Louis Hospital, University of Paris, France.

Pr. Bagot will present preliminary mycosis fungoides data from the Company’s Phase 2 TELLOMAK trial evaluating its lead product, lacutamab, an anti-KIR3DL2 cytotoxicity-inducing antibody in development for T-cell lymphomas. This preliminary data will be presented as an oral presentation at the 16th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (16-ICML) on June 22.

Additionally, the Company’s Chief Scientific Officer, Pr. Eric Vivier, DVM, Ph.D., will present preclinical data from ANKETTM (Antibody-based NK cell Engager Therapeutics), Innate’s proprietary platform for developing next-generation, multi-functional NK cell engagers. These new data were presented at the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) Virtual Annual Meeting on June 10.

KAHR, a cancer immunotherapy company developing novel multifunctional immuno-recruitment proteins, reported the first closing of an investment round raising $46.5 million (Press release, KAHR Medical, JUN 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234584051]). The financing was led by aMoon with participation from new investors BVF Partners LP, DAFNA Capital Management LLC, Peregrine Ventures, Shavit Capital and the Cancer Focus Fund. Existing investors also participated in this financing, including Flerie Invest AB, Oriella Limited (CBG, chaired by Vincent Tchenguiz), Pavilion Capital, Hadasit Bio Holdings Ltd (HBL) and Mirae Asset.

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Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance clinical development of the Company’s lead product candidate, DSP107, a first-in-class CD47x41BB targeting fusion protein for the treatment of solid and blood cancers, through multiple Phase 1/2 studies as well as the development of its preclinical pipeline including DSP502, a TIGITxPD1 fusion protein, and DSP216, a LILRB2xSIRPa fusion protein, through IND-enabling studies.

"The successful financing round of this respected syndicate of investors is a testament to our breakthrough technology platforms and promising next-generation multifunctional, immunotherapeutic pipeline," said Yaron Pereg, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of KAHR. "Cancer treatment is challenging in that cancer cells continuously change and develop resistance to existing treatments. Another notable hurdle is the ability of cancer cells to evade recognition and elimination by the body’s own immune system. Our novel, multi-pronged product candidates are specifically designed to address these challenges by unmasking cancer cells for immune recognition, and at the same time, providing signals to effectively trigger a targeted synergistic activation of anticancer immunity."

"Our unique approach positions us in the forefront of cancer immunotherapy, and through this financing we can continue to advance our clinical asset and accelerate our preclinical projects into clinical development across multiple cancer indications for the benefit of patients who are non-responsive or refractory to existing immunotherapies," added Dr. Pereg.

Gur Roshwalb, MD, Partner, aMoon, said, "KAHR’s multifunctional immunotherapeutic platform has enormous potential to address unmet needs in immuno-oncology. We are particularly excited about KAHR’s differentiated first-in-class CD47x41BB targeting compound, which potentially harnesses both the innate and adaptive immune systems to target solid and hematologic tumors."

KAHR develops smart immune-recruitment cancer drugs that activate a targeted immune response by converting cancer camouflage into beacons for the immune system to attack. The Company’s lead product candidate, DSP107 is a first-in-class CD47x41BB targeting compound that simultaneously binds cancer cells and immune cells, linking them together for maximal activation of the immune system against the tumor. DSP107 is designed to weaken the tumor’s defenses on one hand, and activate an effective, local response of both innate and adaptive immunity on the other hand. Specifically, DSP107 binds to and inhibits CD47, an immune checkpoint protein overexpressed in many cancer types that enables the tumor to evade immune recognition and attack. Simultaneously, DSP107 binds 41BB on T-cells, stimulating their activation. These activities lead to targeted immune activation through both macrophage and T-cell mediated tumor destruction.

DSP107 is currently being tested in a Phase 1/2 multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation and expansion study assessing the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of DSP107 as a monotherapy and in combination with Roche’s PD-L1-blocking checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in patients with advanced solid tumors. In addition, KAHR expects to initiate an open label, dose escalation and expansion Phase 1/2 study to evaluate the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of DSP107 as monotherapy and in combination with azacytidine or with azacytidine plus venetoclax in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and T-cell lymphoproliferative diseases in the coming months.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. and Solebury Capital acted as placement agents for the offering.