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MediciNova Added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index

On December 15, 2020 MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the JASDAQ Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), reported that MediciNova will be added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (NASDAQ: NBI) effective prior to the market open on Monday, December 21, 2020 (Press release, MediciNova, DEC 15, 2020, View Source [SID1234572876]).

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The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (NBI) is designed to track the performance of a set of securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ) that are classified as either biotechnology or pharmaceutical according to the Industry Classification Benchmark. The addition of MediciNova to the NBI is a result of the annual reconstitution of the index.

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index is the benchmark index for the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (exchange-traded fund) (NASDAQ: IBB), which has net assets of $10.2 billion, as well as for other biotechnology-focused ETFs and mutual funds.

Yuichi Iwaki, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of MediciNova, Inc., commented, "We are excited that MediciNova has been added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index and we believe that our inclusion in this index will raise our profile in the investment community. We consider this milestone to be a substantial accomplishment as it validates our tireless work to create value for the company. We remain focused on our mission to develop promising new therapies for diseases with high unmet medical needs and we continue to manage our expenses efficiently."

Cellectis Announces Withdrawal of Follow-On Offering

On December 15, 2020 Cellectis (Euronext Growth: ALCLS – Nasdaq: CLLS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing immunotherapies based on gene-edited allogeneic CAR T-cells (UCART), reported that it has withdrawn the proposed underwritten offering of American Depositary Shares ("ADS") due to market conditions (Press release, Cellectis, DEC 15, 2020, View Source [SID1234572875]).

The Company believes that it is not in the best interest of its stockholders to raise the equity capital in the current market environment. Cellectis remains well capitalized with a cash position at the end of the third quarter of 2020 of $308 [1] million to fund its key programs into 2022.

Cellectis is well positioned on all fronts, and the entire team remains steadfast in its mission to develop innovative product candidates to benefit cancer patients.

[1] Cash position includes cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets and restricted cash. Restricted cash was $26 million as of September 30, 2020.

Arvinas, Inc. Announces Pricing of $400 Million Public Offering of Common Stock

On December 15, 2020 Arvinas, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARVN), a clinical-stage biotechnology company creating a new class of drugs based on targeted protein degradation using its PROTAC Discovery Engine, reported the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 5,714,286 shares of its common stock at a price of $70.00 per share, before underwriting discounts and commissions (Press release, Arvinas, DEC 15, 2020, View Source [SID1234572874]). In addition, Arvinas has granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to an additional 857,142 shares of common stock at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions. All of the shares are being offered by Arvinas.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Piper Sandler & Co. are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and BMO Capital Markets are acting as co-managers for the offering. The offering is expected to close on or about December 18, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

An automatically effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-251326) relating to the shares of common stock offered in the public offering was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on December 14, 2020. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus that form a part of the registration statement. A final prospectus supplement related to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may also be obtained, when available, by contacting: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, telephone: 866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-906-9316 or by emailing [email protected]; or Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, MN 55402, by telephone at 800-747-3924 or by email at [email protected].

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

Plus Therapeutics Completes Sixth Dosing Cohort in ReSPECT™ Glioblastoma Trial

On December 15, 2020 Plus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTV) (the "Company"), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing novel, targeted and personalized therapies for rare and difficult to treat cancers, reported completion of the sixth dosing cohort in the ReSPECT Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the Company’s lead investigational asset, Rhenium NanoLiposome (RNL), in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) (Press release, Cytori Therapeutics, DEC 15, 2020, View Source [SID1234572872]).

The sixth cohort of the ReSPECT trial included an increase in both the RNL drug volume and the radiation dose to 8.8 milliliters and 22.3 millicuries, respectively. RNL is designed to safely, effectively and conveniently deliver a very high dose of radiation potentially up to 15 times greater than traditional external beam radiation therapy.

Eighteen patients with recurrent GBM thus far have been treated in the ReSPECT trial. 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 and UT Southwestern Medical Center.

"The dose escalation design in ReSPECT permits both increases in drug volume and the radiation dose of RNL," said Marc Hedrick, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Plus Therapeutics. "This scheme is important as it allows us to potentially better target those malignant cells at the tumor margin that may be the source of future disease progression."

As previously disclosed, 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). Interim data from ReSPECT was disclosed in November 2020 at the Society of Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting and showed that RNL was well-tolerated, with no dose-limiting toxicity observed in the first 15 patients enrolled in the trial.

Scopus BioPharma Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering

On December 15, 2020 Scopus BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq: SCPS) reported the pricing of its initial public offering (Press release, Scopus BioPharma, DEC 15, 2020, View Source(Nasdaq%3A%20SCPS)%20today%20announced,price%20of%20%245.50%20per%20share [SID1234572871]).

The company’s common stock is set to begin trading Wednesday, December 16, 2020 on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol "SCPS".

The company is offering 500,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $5.50 per share.

The Benchmark Company, LLC acted as Sole Bookrunning Manager and Joseph Gunnar & Co., LLC acted as Co-Manager for the offering.

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is acting as counsel to the company. Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. is acting as counsel to the underwriters.

An offering statement relating to the shares of common stock was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and became qualified on December 14, 2020. The offering is being made only by means of an offering circular, copies of which may be obtained, when available, by contacting: The Benchmark Company, LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 150 E. 58th Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10155, by calling (212) 312-6700 or by e-mail at [email protected]; or Joseph Gunnar & Co., LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 30 Broad Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10004, by calling (212) 440-9600 or by email at [email protected]. The offering circular is also available on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website at www.sec.gov.

Scopus BioPharma intends to use the proceeds of the offering principally to further development of the company’s lead drug candidate, a novel, targeted immuno-oncology gene therapy for the treatment of multiple cancers.

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