Trethera and UCLA Publish Comprehensive Review Highlighting Deoxycytidine Kinase as a Novel Metabolic Target for Cancer Therapy

On July 16, 2026 Trethera Corporation ("Trethera"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported a comprehensive peer-reviewed manuscript describing deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) as a promising novel metabolic target that may enable a new class of precision cancer therapies. The article, published in Nucleosides, Nucleotides & Nucleic Acids, reviews decades of scientific study of the deoxyribonucleoside salvage pathway and highlights TRE-515 as the first dCK inhibitor to advance into human clinical testing.

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The review describes how many tumors become increasingly dependent on the salvage pathway to maintain DNA precursor pools during rapid proliferation, DNA damage, and therapeutic stress. By selectively inhibiting the salvage pathway’s rate-limiting enzyme dCK, TRE-515 is designed to exploit a metabolic vulnerability that may exist across multiple tumor types while sparing normal tissues that primarily rely on de novo nucleotide synthesis.

The publication summarizes evidence demonstrating that specific genetic alterations—including BRCA2 deficiency and mutant p53—increase tumor reliance on dCK-mediated deoxyribonucleoside salvage. The authors further review emerging preclinical data supporting dCK inhibition in combination with DNA-damaging agents and radiation therapy that cause replication stress, suggesting that nucleotide salvage inhibition may enhance the activity of standard-of-care therapies across multiple tumor types.

"The data linking deoxyribonucleoside salvage to tumor growth and survival are very compelling but underappreciated relative to the historical focus on the de novo synthesis pathway," said Dr. Peter M. Clark, Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and publication first author. "This review highlights growing evidence that many tumors also depend on the deoxyribonucleoside salvage pathway under conditions of replication stress and DNA damage."

"True innovation doesn’t come from improving yesterday’s medicines—it comes from opening entirely new biological pathways for therapy," said Dr. Ken Schultz, Trethera Chief Executive Officer and publication co-author. "This publication reinforces the growing recognition that targeting dCK represents a new frontier in precision cancer medicine and positions TRE-515 at the forefront of that opportunity."

The publication also highlights the translational tools supporting TRE-515 development, including pharmacodynamic biomarkers designed to measure dCK activity and pathway inhibition to help guide future clinical studies.

Biochemical pathways for the supply of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pools. TRE-515 blocks the salvage pathway, which becomes upregulated during cancer growth and autoimmune disease.

(Press release, Trethera, JUL 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234669280])

Adlai Nortye Announces First Patient Dosed in Intermittent Weekly Dosing Arm of Global Phase 1 Trial of Pan-RAS(ON) Inhibitor AN9025

On July 16, 2026 Adlai Nortye Ltd. (NASDAQ: ANL) ("Adlai Nortye" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative cancer therapies, reported that the first patient has been dosed in the United States in the intermittent weekly dosing (QW) arm of the ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of AN9025, a pan-RAS(ON) inhibitor.

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"Dosing the first U.S. patient with AN9025 on an intermittent weekly schedule is a significant milestone and advances our clinical strategy to evaluate AN9025 with a differentiated approach. We believe based on our preclinical data that weekly dosing could widen the therapeutic window, enabling higher dosing and/or improving tolerability and combinability by giving normal tissue a break while maintaining tumor RAS-signaling inhibition," said Dr. Archie Tse, President, Head of Research and Development at Adlai Nortye. "We look forward to efficiently progressing the global clinical development of AN9025 and generating meaningful data to support its future advancement. We continue to plan to share initial Phase 1 dose escalation data in 1H27 from the QD arm, with a potential early look at the QW arm."

The Phase 1 study is a first-in-human, multicenter, open-label trial designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and anti-tumor activity of AN9025 in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors harboring RAS mutations. This trial is being conducted by Adlai Nortye in collaboration with Jiangsu Aosaikang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. ("ASK Pharm") as a multi-regional clinical trial ("MRCT") pursuant to a license agreement, under which Adlai Nortye retains ex-China rights to AN9025, while ASK Pharm holds rights in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. With this announcement, both the QD and QW dose escalation arms are currently enrolling.

About AN9025

AN9025 is an oral small molecule pan-RAS(ON) inhibitor with best-in-class potential, designed to target a broad spectrum of RAS mutations across various tumor types. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that AN9025 effectively inhibits RAS-mutant cancers with potent and durable efficacy, including pancreatic, lung, and colorectal adenocarcinomas, and shows comparable or superior results relative to a benchmark agent of the same class.

(Press release, Adlai Nortye Biopharma, JUL 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234669279])

Remix Therapeutics to Present at AACR Drug Discovery and Development Conference

On July 16, 2026 Remix Therapeutics (Remix), Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing small molecule therapies to modulate RNA processing and address the underlying drivers of disease, reported Peter Smith, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Remix will present at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Drug Discovery and Development Conference taking place July 21-24, 2026 in Boston.

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"The AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Drug Discovery and Development Conference brings together leaders across oncology research and drug development, making it an ideal venue to provide a corporate update and showcase our progress with the ongoing Phase 1/2 ARIA study of REM-422," said Dr. Smith. "The clinical activity, durability of response and favorable safety results observed to date reinforce the potential of our RNA processing approach, and we look forward to discussing how this modality may offer a new therapeutic option for patients with MYB-driven cancers, including adenoid cystic carcinoma."

Presentation Details:

Session Title: Biotech Spotlight Session 1: Novel Therapeutics
Date and Time: July 24, 2026 at 2:50 PM ET
Location: Sheraton Boston Hotel

About REM-422
REM-422 is a potent, selective, and oral small molecule mRNA degrader that induces the reduction of MYB mRNA and subsequent protein expression. REM-422 functions by facilitating the incorporation of a poison exon in the MYB mRNA transcript, leading to nonsense-mediated decay of the transcript. REM-422 is currently in a Phase 1/2 clinical study in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC) and a Phase 1 clinical study in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (HR-MDS). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted REM-422 Orphan Drug Designation for ACC and AML and Fast Track designation for ACC.

About the ARIA (A study of REM-422 In Adenoid cystic carcinoma) Clinical Trial
This Phase 1/2, open-label, non-randomized, multicenter study (NCT06118086) is investigating REM-422 in patients with recurrent, metastatic or unresectable Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC). The study includes a Dose Escalation Phase and a Dose Expansion Phase. The purpose of the Dose Escalation Phase is to determine the maximum tolerated dose and/or recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of REM-422 in patients with recurrent, metastatic, or unresectable ACC. The purpose of Dose Expansion is to further evaluate the safety and anti-tumor activity of the REM-422 RP2D in biomarker positive patients.

About Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma
Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a solid tumor that most commonly arises in the salivary glands characterized by frequent recurrent, perineural invasion and dysregulation of the MYB oncogene. Depending on the location of the tumor, symptoms may include numbness of the face, difficulties swallowing, changes in vision, or difficulty breathing, among others. Many therapeutic approaches, such as chemotherapy, kinase inhibitors, and immunotherapy have been studied in ACC with modest or disappointing results, and there remain no approved treatment options.

(Press release, Remix Therapeutics, JUL 16, 2026, https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/07/16/3328319/0/en/remix-therapeutics-to-present-at-aacr-drug-discovery-and-development-conference.html [SID1234669278])

Umoja Biopharma Announces FDA Clearance of IND Application for UB-VV400, the Industry’s First Known CD22-Directed In Vivo CAR T Cell Therapy for Relapsed/Refractory B Cell Malignancies

On July 16, 2026 Umoja Biopharma, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to delivering innovative and potentially curative immunotherapies for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently cleared its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for UB-VV400, a CD22-directed in vivo CAR T cell therapy candidate for adults with relapsed/refractory B cell malignancies.

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"UB-VV400 is our second VivoVec based in vivo CAR T cell program to advance to U.S. clinical trials," said Luke Walker, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Umoja Biopharma. "Generating CAR T cells within a patient’s body would have the potential to transform clinical practice. We designed this Phase 1/2 trial to address a critical, real-world unmet need for patients, including those who have progressed after prior CAR T cell treatment. We remain highly encouraged by the early clinical activity and safety profile seen in the patients treated in our investigator-initiated trial of UB-VV400, and we look forward to sharing initial clinical data."

The Phase 1/2 VIBRANT-1 study of UB-VV400 will open soon at U.S. clinical sites, with the first patient anticipated to be dosed in Q3 this year. The open-label, dose escalation and expansion trial is designed to evaluate safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and preliminary antitumor activity of UB-VV400 in combination with rapamycin in patients with relapsed/refractory B cell malignancies.

Initial clinical data from the investigator-initiated trial of UB-VV400 in China is expected to be shared at a major medical meeting in the second half of 2026.

(Press release, Umoja Biopharma, JUL 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234669277])

Crescent Biopharma Announces Closing of Public Offering of Ordinary Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants, Including Full Exercise of Underwriters’ Option to Purchase Additional Shares

On July 16, 2026 Crescent Biopharma, Inc. ("Crescent" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CBIO), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to rapidly advancing the next wave of therapies for cancer patients, reported that it has closed its previously announced underwritten public offering of 9,387,896 ordinary shares, including 1,293,103 ordinary shares sold pursuant to the underwriters’ full exercise of their option to purchase additional shares, and in lieu of ordinary shares to certain investors, pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 525,897 ordinary shares. The ordinary shares were sold to the public at a price of $14.50 per share and the pre-funded warrants were sold at a price to the public of $14.499 per pre-funded warrant, which represents the per ordinary share price less the $0.001 per share exercise price for each such pre-funded warrant. The gross proceeds to Crescent from the offering, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by Crescent, were approximately $143.7 million. All of the ordinary shares and the pre-funded warrants sold in the public offering were sold by Crescent.

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Jefferies, TD Cowen, Guggenheim Securities and Cantor acted as joint book-running managers for the offering. LifeSci Capital acted as passive book-running manager for the offering.

The securities described above were offered by Crescent pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, including a base prospectus, that was previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and was declared effective on July 10, 2026. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to this offering has been filed with the SEC. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus are accessible through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The offering was made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained by contacting Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, by telephone at (877) 821-7388, or by email at [email protected]; TD Securities (USA) LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by email at [email protected]; Guggenheim Securities, LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 330 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10017, by telephone at (212) 518-9544, or by email at [email protected]; Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Attention: Capital Markets, 110 East 59th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by email at [email protected]; and LifeSci Capital LLC, Attention: LifeSci Capital LLC, 1700 Broadway, 40th Floor, New York, NY 10019, or by email at [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the 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 the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

(Press release, Crescent Biopharma, JUL 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234669276])