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NCI, Cancer Research UK launch Cancer Grand Challenges partnership to support bold new ideas for cancer research

On August 27, 2020 The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, reported that it will partner with Cancer Research UK to fund Cancer Grand Challenges, an international initiative to address profound and unanswered questions in cancer research (Press release, Cancer Research UK, AUG 27, 2020, View Source [SID1234564046]). Through Cancer Grand Challenges, NCI and Cancer Research UK will seek novel ideas from multidisciplinary research teams from around the world that offer the potential to make bold advances in cancer research and improve outcomes for people affected by cancer.

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The new partnership builds on Cancer Research UK’s Grand Challenge initiative, which is currently funding seven international teams of researchers across nine countries. Cancer Research UK is the world’s largest independent cancer research charity. Cancer Grand Challenges will foster a highly competitive process designed to stimulate scientific creativity of the highest order.

"This new partnership leverages the expertise of the world’s leading funders of cancer research in a bold effort to identify and pursue innovative ideas that address major challenges in understanding cancer," said NCI Director Norman E. "Ned" Sharpless, M.D. "We’re thrilled to join Cancer Research UK in this unique collaboration to support novel cancer research on a global scale."

The goals of the partnership include identifying important cancer research opportunities; facilitating global collaboration among multidisciplinary researchers to solve these challenges; giving the global teams the freedom and scale to innovate and carry out cutting-edge research; and further advancing fundamental biological knowledge and its clinical application to cancer. To gain essential perspectives from people affected by cancer, a patient committee will offer input and ideas throughout the Cancer Grand Challenges process.

NCI and Cancer Research UK plan to announce the list of new challenges in October 2020. Expressions of interest from research teams for the new challenges are expected to be accepted from October 2020 through April 2021. From these, a small number of teams will be selected to receive pilot funds to further develop their ideas into larger, final applications. Those selected to receive funding will be notified in June 2021, and the awards to final teams will be announced in 2022.

NCI and Cancer Research UK expect to co-fund approximately four awards for each round of Cancer Grand Challenges, with each multidisciplinary team being awarded approximately $25 million over five years. NCI anticipates that the Cancer Grand Challenges partnership will support three rounds of awards, with a new round of challenges announced every other year. NCI plans to use annual funding currently set aside for the Provocative Questions (PQ) initiative, and anticipates funding PQ awards and Cancer Grand Challenges awards in alternating years.

The process to determine the Cancer Grand Challenges is conducted through a series of international workshops to receive input from thought leaders from the cancer research community and people affected by cancer. The most compelling ideas generated from these workshops are then reviewed and the final challenges selected.

Cancer Research UK launched the Grand Challenge initiative in 2015 and has overseen two rounds of Grand Challenge awards to date. These awards are currently funding teams focusing on identifying preventable causes of cancer; creating virtual reality maps of tumors; preventing unnecessary breast cancer treatment; studying tumor metabolism from every angle; understanding why cancers grow in some tissues and not in others; finding new ways to tackle inflammation-associated cancer; and manipulating the microbiome to beat bowel cancer.

"Many of the ongoing Grand Challenge awards align with NCI research priorities, and our missions overlap in many ways," said Dinah S. Singer, Ph.D., NCI deputy director for scientific strategy and development. "This initiative will expand opportunities to identify new challenges based on insights from the cancer research community and to further our understanding of cancer. We’re looking forward to the new ideas proposed by creative teams from around the world."

Trishula Therapeutics Established to Advance Novel TTX-030, an Anti-CD39 Antibody, Being Evaluated in Phase 1/1B Study in Advanced Cancers

On August 26, 2020 Trishula Therapeutics, a clinical stage, privately held company, reported that it was launched to be solely dedicated to the development of TTX-030, a first-in-class anti-CD39 antibody, being studied in advanced cancers (Press release, Trishula Therapeutics, AUG 26, 2020, View Source [SID1234572298]). The new company is designed to further progress and focus on the existing TTX-030 development collaboration with AbbVie.

The Trishula launch is the result of the spin out of the TTX-030 program from Tizona Therapeutics with funds and employees to support its development. Shares in Trishula were distributed to Tizona shareholders, including MPM, Canaan, Abingworth, Lightstone, Interwest Partners, and AbbVie Ventures. Tizona’s current chief executive officer, Scott Clarke, will join the Trishula board and serve as its initial chief executive officer. Clarke will be joined by a seasoned team of experts focused on TTX-030, which is currently being studied in phase 1/1b clinical trials as a monotherapy and in combination with an anti-PD-1 agent and standard chemotherapy in adults with advanced cancer (NCT03884556 and NCT04306900).

"As a stand-alone company, Trishula will continue to deliver on the mission of bringing TTX-030, a novel, transformational medicine, to cancer patients in great need," said Scott Clarke, CEO, Trishula. "I have complete confidence that TTX-030 will continue to rapidly and effectively advance within Trishula and in partnership with AbbVie."

ChromaDex to Present at the LD 500 Virtual Investor Conference

On August 26, 2020 ChromaDex Corp. (NASDAQ:CDXC) reported that its Chief Executive Officer, Rob Fried , and Chief Financial Officer, Kevin Farr , will be presenting at the LD 500 investor conference (Press release, ChromaDex, AUG 26, 2020, View Source [SID1234568254]). The LD 500 will take place on September 1st through the 4th.

The ChromaDex management team is scheduled to present on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time ( 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time ). The presentation will be webcast live via the link below on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at www.chromadex.com . ChromaDex management will also attend virtual one-on-one meetings with institutional investors throughout the day. For those interested in having a meeting with ChromaDex please contact David Scher at [email protected] or visit www.ldmicro.com for more information.

Prescient Therapeutics raises $7 million to fund cancer treatment pipeline

On August 26, 2020 Biotech Prescient Therapeutics (ASX: PTX) reported that it has successfully raised $7 million to fund an expanded pipeline of innovative cancer treatments (Press release, Prescient Therapeutics, AUG 26, 2020, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prescient-therapeutics-raises-7-million-to-fund-cancer-treatment-pipeline [SID1234565484]).

The clinical stage oncology company reported it has received firm commitments from professional and sophisticated investors for the placement of 128.1 million shares priced at $0.055 each to raise over $7 million before costs.

The placement immediately follows a recently completed oversubscribed $6.5 million share purchase plan, bringing the total funds raised to $13.5 million. Following settlement of the placement, Prescient confirmed it will have more than $20.3 million cash on hand.

Prescient chief executive officer and managing director Steven Yatomi-Clarke said the strong response for the placement partly reflected the excess demand for the share purchase plan.

"Both existing and new shareholders have shown that they share Prescient’s enthusiasm for its expanded pipeline of innovative cancer treatments," he said.

The placement shares are expected to be issued this Friday.

Use of funds
The company has assigned some of the funds for the development of targeted therapies and cell therapy enhancement programs.

"These funds will also be applied towards the development of OmniCAR, a next generation CAR-T platform that aims to significantly broaden CAR-T’s addressable market, while overcoming many limitations of existing CAR-T therapies," Mr Yatomi-Clarke said.

"These represent tremendous market opportunities. We welcome new shareholders as they join us on our journey to develop innovative and personalised cancer therapies," he added.

The placement funds will also be used for working capital and to pay the costs of the offer.

CAR-T technology
CAR-T technology is a type of cellular therapy that reprograms a cancer patient’s immune cells to recognise and destroy cancer.

Mr Yatomi-Clarke joined Small Caps last week in a podcast talking about Prescient’s next-generation CAR-T platform, OmniCAR.

"For the very first time, thanks to this brand new approach (CAR-T therapy) we’re seeing responses that we’ve not yet seen in cancer before that are akin to cures…Some are calling it the beginning of the end which is incredibly exciting to contemplate," he said.

"The problem with cancer is that it’s mutated at surface just enough to avoid surveillance from the immune system, so the T-cells – the frontline soldiers of the immune system – don’t recognise the cancer anymore."

Mr Yatomi-Clarke said Prescient’s technology modifies and trains the receptor of the T-cells in a patient’s own immune system so they can detect cancer again.

"We are seeing unparalleled cancer-killing capabilities with this type of therapy that has caused durable remissions in patients that have failed everything else… it’s a remarkably exciting new frontier of cancer [treatment] that we’re in," he said.

Targeted therapies
Prescient’s other approach to cancer is targeted therapies and it is developing two drug candidates, PTX-100 and PTX-200.

Mr Yatomi-Clarke described targeted therapies as injectable medicines that "finds the mutations or drivers of the cancer and switches them off – so the things that make it divide in an uncontrolled manner".

PTX-100 is currently in a pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) basket study of hematological and solid malignancies, focusing on cancers with Ras and RhoA gene mutations. It is believed to be the only RhoA inhibitor in the world in clinical development, according to Prescient.

PTX-200 is a novel PH domain inhibitor that inhibits the Akt tumour survival pathway, which plays a role in the development of breast and ovarian cancers, as well as leukemia. It achieved encouraging results from a Phase 2a study on HER2-negative breast cancer, Phase 1b/2 in relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia and Phase 1b in recurrent or persistent platinum resistant ovarian cancer.

Prescient also recently announced two of its assets are being assessed by the Doherty Institute in Melbourne for antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Phosplatin Therapeutics Completes $18.4 Million Private Financing Round

On August 26, 2020 Phosplatin Therapeutics LLC, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on oncology therapeutics, reported the completion of an oversubscribed $18.4 million private financing round (Press release, Phosplatin, AUG 26, 2020, View Source [SID1234564995]). Participation included new and existing investors, inclusive of family offices from the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and high net worth individuals.

Robert Fallon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Phosplatin Therapeutics, commented, "The success of the financing underscores the breadth of our data from three different Phase I trials and the broad potential of our lead compound, PT-112, which is advancing through clinical development as a monotherapy, including in mCRPC and multiple myeloma, and in combination with PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibition. We plan to utilize the proceeds of this capital raise to complete Phase 2 development of PT-112, and our continued planning prior to launching intended pivotal trials."

Phosplatin Therapeutics has raised $56 million in equity capital since inception, and receives milestone fees from its sub-licensee for Greater China.

About PT-112

PT-112 is the first small molecule conjugate of pyrophosphate developed in oncology therapeutics. PT-112 promotes immunogenic cell death (ICD), or the release of damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that lead to downstream immune effector cell recruitment in the tumor microenvironment. PT-112 represents a potential best-in-class small molecule inducer of this immunological form of cancer cell death, and is under Phase 2 development. The first-in-human study of PT-112 demonstrated an attractive safety profile and evidence of long-lasting responses among heavily pre-treated patients, and won "Best Poster" at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2018 Annual Congress within the Developmental Therapeutics category. The novelty of its pyrophosphate moiety also results in osteotropism, or the propensity of the drug to reach the mineralized bone. This property is of interest in cancer types that originate in bone, or frequently lead to metastatic bone involvement, such as metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The first human clinical results in mCRPC were presented at the 2020 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.