On June 16, 2021 Servier, a global independent pharmaceutical Group, and PRISM BioLab, a Japan based biotechnology company with proprietary small molecule drug discovery platform, "PepMeticsTechnology", reported that they have entered into a Collaboration and Exclusive License Option Agreement(Press release, Servier, JUN 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234584046]).

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Under the collaboration agreement, PepMetics technology provided by PRISM BioLab are utilized to identify from their library or synthetize, characterize, and optimize small molecule compounds capable of binding and stimulating the activity of the target specified by Servier.

Wesley Blackaby, Ph.D, Head of Chemistry at Servier says: "We look forward to working with PRISM BioLab in this collaboration. The PRISM BioLab technology has the potential to help with the identification and optimization of novel compounds against hard to drug targets, in particular in cancer, which is one of the Group’s priority R&D areas."

Upon finding the lead compounds, Servier has the option to license the lead compounds for further optimization and clinical development.

PRISM BioLab will receive collaboration fee and option fees payments under the Option Agreement, and further milestones and royalty payments under the License Agreement. Specific financial terms are not disclosed.

Dai Takehara, President and CEO, PRISM BioLab, says: "We are delighted to partner with Servier who is committed to delivering therapy for patients by challenging novel targets. Our proprietary PepMetics Technology has generated various pipelines for previously undruggable targets, and our team is excited to challenge Servier’s novel target together."

PepMetics Molecules are designed to mimic α-helix or β-turn peptide using unique scaffold with corresponding dihedral angles. These motifs are essential for protein-protein interactions within the cell especially related to transcription and translation.

Using this technology, two clinical stage pipelines for cancer and fibrosis have been developed and licensed to Japanese Pharma companies, and many early pipelines and research seeds are created for novel and previously undruggable targets.

Véronique Blanc, Ph.D, Research Program Head – Immuno-Oncology at Servier, says: "Intra-cellular pathways and targets offer multiple opportunities to modulate the innate and adaptive immune response in cancer and represent a source of future innovation, that we are committed to explore. As many immune-oncology intracellular targets are difficult to drug, the design of innovative and adapted modulators is critical for the development of new drugs.

On June 16, 2021 Plus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTV) (the "Company"), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing novel, targeted therapies for rare and difficult to treat cancers, reported that the Data and Safety Monitoring Board recommended the Company proceed to the eighth cohort of the Phase 1 dose escalation ReSPECT trial, which is evaluating the Company’s lead investigational drug, Rhenium NanoLiposome (RNL), in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM)(Press release, Cytori Therapeutics, JUN 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234584066]).

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"We are pleased with the favorable safety profile observed thus far with RNL in recurrent GBM," said Marc Hedrick, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Plus Therapeutics. "Moving to cohort eight will allow us to continue to push the envelope in terms of addressable tumor size and maximum radiation dose delivered."

Twenty-one patients with recurrent GBM have been treated in the ReSPECT trial across seven cohorts to date. In these patients, RNL has had no dose-limiting toxicities observed with absorbed radiation doses of up to 740 Gray per tumor.

The eighth cohort of the ReSPECT trial will implement a 40% increase in total radioactivity. The planned infused dose will be 31.2 millicuries in a volume of 12.3 milliliters (increased from 22.3 millicuries and 8.8 milliliters, respectively, used in cohort seven). The planned maximum flow rate will not change.

RNL is under investigation as a potentially safe, effective and convenient way to deliver a very high dose of radiation, possibly over 20 times greater than traditional external beam radiation therapy. This trial is supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute at three trial sites in the U.S., including UT Health Science Center San Antonio, UT Southwestern Medical Center and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted both Orphan Drug designation and Fast Track designation to RNL for the treatment of patients with GBM. Additional details about the ReSPECT trial are available at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01906385).

The latest corporate information can be found on the Company’s Investor Relations page at ir.plustherapeutics.com/presentations.

On June 16, 2021 Marker Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development of next-generation T cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications, reported that its Chief Financial Officer, Anthony H. Kim, will present at the upcoming virtual Raymond James Human Health Innovation Conference on Monday, June 21, 2021 at 9:20 a.m. ET (Press release, Marker Therapeutics, JUN 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234584079]).

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A live webcast of the presentation will be accessible from the Investors section of the company’s website at markertherapeutics.com and will be available for replay following the event.

On June 16, 2021 Zai Lab Limited (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKEX: 9688), an innovative commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, and MacroGenics (NASDAQ: MGNX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative monoclonal-antibody-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, reported that the companies have entered into an exclusive collaboration and license agreement involving up to four immuno-oncology molecules(Press release, Zai Laboratory, JUN 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234584047]).

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The first collaboration program covers a lead research molecule that incorporates MacroGenics’ DART platform and binds CD3 and an undisclosed target that is expressed in multiple solid tumors. The next-generation CD3 component of the DART bispecific molecule has been designed to minimize cytokine-release syndrome while maintaining anti-tumor cytolytic activity. The second collaboration program will cover a target to be designated by MacroGenics. For both molecules, Zai receives commercial rights in Greater China, Japan, and Korea and MacroGenics receives commercial rights in all other territories. For the lead molecule, Zai Lab receives an option upon reaching a predefined clinical milestone to convert the regional arrangement into a global 50/50 profit share.

Zai Lab also obtains exclusive, global licenses from MacroGenics to develop, manufacture and commercialize two additional molecules. For the four programs, each company will contribute intellectual property to generate either CD3- or CD47-based bispecific antibodies.

"We are very pleased to be expanding our existing relationship with Zai Lab, which already includes regional rights in Greater China for two clinical-stage programs," said Scott Koenig, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of MacroGenics. "Zai has a strong track record of rapidly progressing the development of innovative product candidates in China. This new partnership enables us to jointly discover, develop and deliver potentially best-in-class therapeutics to address patients’ unmet medical needs."

"MacroGenics has been a great partner and one of the leading companies in the immuno-oncology field," said Samantha Du, Ph.D., Founder, Chairperson, Chief Executive Officer of Zai Lab. "We are pleased to expand our strategic collaboration, which leverages both companies’ unique research capabilities and gives Zai Lab access to MacroGenics’ proprietary technologies to expand our innovative oncology portfolio on a global basis."

Under the terms of the agreement, MacroGenics receives initial consideration from Zai Lab of $55 million, including an upfront payment of $25 million and an equity investment of $30 million in MacroGenics’ common stock at $31.30 per share. In addition, MacroGenics is eligible to receive up to $1.4 billion in potential development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments for the four programs. If products from the collaboration are commercialized, MacroGenics would also receive royalties on annual net sales in Zai Lab’s territories.

On June 16, 2021 Selecta Biosciences a biotechnology company leveraging its clinically validated ImmTOR platform to develop tolerogenic therapies that selectively mitigate unwanted immune responses, reported that Selecta’s Chief Executive Officer, Carsten Brunn, Ph.D., will provide a corporate update and participate in one-on-one investor meetings at the Raymond James Human Health Innovation Conference to be held virtually, June 21-23, 2021 (Press release, Selecta Biosciences, JUN 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234584062]).

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The presentation on Wednesday, June 23 at 12:00 p.m. ET will be available through the Raymond James conference portal and an archived webcast will also be accessible in the Investors & Media section of the company’s website at www.selectabio.com.