On February 14, 2020 Epizyme, Inc. (Nasdaq: EPZM), a fully integrated commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel epigenetic therapies, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing the company’s New Drug Application (NDA) for the accelerated approval of TAZVERIK (tazemetostat) for patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) who have received at least two prior lines of systemic therapy (Press release, Epizyme, FEB 14, 2020, View Source [SID1234554364]). The FDA granted Priority Review and has designated the company’s application as a supplemental NDA (sNDA) with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of June 18, 2020. Priority Review is granted to investigational therapies that, if approved, may offer significant improvements in the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of a serious condition.

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"Follicular lymphoma is an incurable disease for which patients are in need of a safe, durable treatment option," said Dr. Shefali Agarwal, chief medical officer of Epizyme. "If approved, we believe TAZVERIK could become an important new option for these patients and their physicians. We are thrilled with FDA’s acceptance of our application as an sNDA with Priority Review, for TAZVERIK for patients with relapsed or refractory FL. We look forward to working with the Agency during their review and would like to thank the many patients, caregivers and physicians whose contributions have been invaluable in bringing us to this point."

"On the heels of our first approval for TAZVERIK for epithelioid sarcoma last month and a successful launch into the market, this sNDA filing acceptance brings us one step closer to providing TAZVERIK to a larger patient population," said Robert Bazemore, chief executive officer of Epizyme. "The June 2020 PDUFA date positions TAZVERIK for two FDA approvals within six months of each other, which would be a remarkable achievement for Epizyme. We are actively building off our experience with our ES commercial launch, in order to seamlessly expand to an FL launch where we anticipate rapid market adoption, if approved."

Epizyme’s sNDA submission is based primarily on updated Phase 2 efficacy and safety data for TAZVERIK in this patient population, which were presented at the 2019 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. The data demonstrated that treatment with TAZVERIK resulted in clinical benefit as assessed by both investigators and an Independent Review Committee (IRC), and was shown to be generally well tolerated in FL patients with EZH2 activating mutations (n=45) and FL patients with wild-type EZH2 (n=54).

To support a full approval of TAZVERIK for FL, Epizyme is conducting a single, global, randomized, adaptive trial to evaluate the combination of TAZVERIK with "R2" (Revlimid plus Rituxan), an approved chemo-free treatment regimen, for FL patients in the second-line or later treatment setting. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 500 FL patients, stratified based on their EZH2 mutation status. The safety run-in portion of the trial is underway, and the company expects to advance into the efficacy portion of the Phase 1b/3 trial in 2020.

About TAZVERIK
TAZVERIK (tazemetostat) is a methyltransferase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients aged 16 years and older with metastatic or locally advanced epithelioid sarcoma not eligible for complete resection. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s). For the full prescribing information, please visit www.TAZVERIK.com.

On February 14, 2020 SELLAS Life Sciences Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLS) ("SELLAS" or the "Company"), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel cancer immunotherapies for a broad range of cancer indications, reported feedback from a Type C review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its clinical development program for nelipepimut-S (NPS) in patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) (Press release, Sellas Life Sciences, FEB 14, 2020, View Source [SID1234554363]). Based on written feedback from the FDA and on the totality of clinical, safety and translational NPS data presented to date, the Company has finalized the design and plan for a Phase 3 registration-enabling study of NPS in combination with trastuzumab for the treatment of patients with TNBC in the adjuvant setting after standard treatment. If successful, this study may be considered as the basis for a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission to the FDA.

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"We are indeed pleased with the feedback and final outcome from our discussions with the Agency, after extended interaction with them, on the optimal and mutually acceptable design of a potential registration-enabling Phase 3 clinical trial for NPS in combination with trastuzumab. Importantly, we believe we have established an appropriate and expedient pathway to potentially bring NPS in combination with trastuzumab to patients in need as quickly as possible," said Angelos Stergiou, MD, ScD h.c., President and Chief Executive Officer of SELLAS. "We believe this regulatory clarity will enhance our business development efforts to seek out-licensing opportunities to fund and conduct the future clinical development of NPS in order to maximize the potential of the program as we continue to focus all of our resources on the development of our lead asset, galinpepimut-S, which recently entered a registrational Phase 3 study in acute myeloid leukemia."

The planned Phase 3 study will be a 1:1 randomized, blinded two-arm study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the NPS vaccine (NPS plus granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)) in combination with trastuzumab vs. GM-CSF alone as maintenance treatment in the adjuvant setting following standard-of-care therapy in patients with TNBC, defined as hormone receptor-negative, HER2 1+/2+ tumors (as assessed by immunohistochemistry tumors), at high risk of recurrence. The FDA indicated in its feedback that there is adequate safety information to support the use of NPS in combination with trastuzumab.

SELLAS previously reported the final efficacy and safety results from a Phase 2b study of NPS in combination with trastuzumab in TNBC patients (n=97). The disease-free survival (DFS) rate at 24 months was 92.6% for the combination arm vs. 70.2% for the trastuzumab alone arm, a clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in favor of the combination therapy (p=0.01). This was associated with a statistically significant reduction of 71.9% (p=0.01) in the frequency of clinically detected recurrences also in favor of the combination arm. Immune response analysis showed that non-recurrent TNBC patients mounted both vigorous NPS-specific clonal CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte expansion and enhanced in vivo post-antigen challenge cutaneous delayed type hypersensitivity. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were mild or moderate and consisted of manageable local injection site reactions, skin induration, pruritus, and fatigue.

"TNBC is an aggressive type of breast cancer with limited treatment options and poor prognosis, as it is associated with high levels of refractoriness and relapse not only in the metastatic setting, which is true for all types of breast cancer, but also at an early stage. Indeed, following standard frontline chemotherapy, TNBC can relapse as early as within 1−3 years, often with a pattern including visceral metastases. Therefore, optimizing relapse-mitigating approaches in women with TNBC following initial standard therapy (surgery + radiotherapy + chemotherapy) with further safe and effective adjuvant therapy is paramount," said Elizabeth A. Mittendorf, MD, PhD, Rob and Karen Hale Distinguished Chair in Surgical Oncology, Director of Research, Breast Surgical Oncology Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Director, Breast Immuno-Oncology Program Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center, and the Principal Investigator of this planned Phase 3 study. "A Phase 3 study investigating the potential clinical benefit accorded by NPS with trastuzumab, an easily-administered maintenance therapy with a generally manageable toxicity profile, has the potential, assuming positive results, to be practice-changing in the treatment of TNBC, by introducing the first peptide vaccine-based immunotherapy in the therapeutic choices for women with this aggressive malignancy."

On February 14, 2020 Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX: "HBP") ("Helix" or the "Company"), an immuno-oncology company developing innovative drug candidates for the prevention and treatment of cancer, reported that Dr. Heman Chao, Helix’s Chief Executive Officer, will be presenting at NobleCon – Noble Capital Markets’ Sixteenth Annual Investor Conference at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida – on Monday, February 17th at 3:00PM Eastern Standard Time (View Source) (Press release, Helix BioPharma, FEB 14, 2020, View Source [SID1234554361]).

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In addition to the company’s presentation on Monday, February 17th Dr. Chao has been invited to be a panelist on "Cancer Treatment: Tackling the Disease Through Innovative Strategies". The panel discussion is being held on February 17th between 5:30pm and 6:30pm in Terrace Ballroom D. The panel will discuss current revolutionary new strategies to defeat cancer, including innate immunity, modulation of tumor micro-environment, treatment of solid tumors with CAR-T, cancer vaccines and cell cycle inhibitors.

Furthermore, Helix has been selected to present to Noble Capital Markets Life Sciences Scientific and Advisory Board ("LSAB"), in an invitation only event. Noble Capital Markets’ LSAB is composed of world-class healthcare professionals with extensive experience in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

"We are very pleased to be presenting at this conference in addition to having been invited to partake in a panel discussion and to present Helix’s technology to Noble Capital Markets Life Sciences Scientific and Advisory Board", said Dr. Chao. "We look forward to introducing Helix to a wider investment community".

A high-definition video of Helix’s presentation will be available the following day on the Company’s website at www.helixbiopharma.com and will also be available on Noble Capital Markets’ conference website at www.nobleconference.com as part of the conference’s complete catalogue of presentations and on Noble Capital Markets’ investor portal website, Channelchek, at www.channelchek.com.

About NobleCon

Noble Capital Markets’ 16th Annual Emerging Growth Investor Conference – a multi-sector blend of emerging growth companies with total representation limited to 125 public companies. Four presentation tracks run simultaneously each half hour over two days. One-on-one meetings between qualified investors and corporate executives are arranged and scheduled on behalf of participants. Topical panel presentations open to all attendees. Comprehensive evening networking events. Registration for investors is open to institutions, registered investment advisors, family offices, self-directed high-net-worth individuals and independent brokers.

About Helix BioPharma Corp.

Helix BioPharma Corp. is an immuno-oncology company specializing in the field of cancer therapy. The company is actively developing innovative products for the prevention and treatment of cancer based on its proprietary technologies. Helix’s product development initiatives include its novel L-DOS47 new drug candidate and Chimeric Antigen Receptor ("CAR") based cell therapies. Helix is currently listed on the TSX under the symbol "HBP".

About DOS47

DOS47 is based upon a naturally occurring enzyme isolated from the jack-bean plant called urease that breaks down a natural substance found in the body, urea, into metabolites that include ammonia and hydroxyl ions. By doing so at the site of cancerous tissues in the body, the Company believes DOS47 can modify the micro environmental conditions of cancerous cells in a manner that leads to apoptosis. DOS47 stimulates an increase in the pH of the microenvironment surrounding the cancerous cells, effectively reversing the acidic extra-cellular conditions that are believed to act to defend tumour cells.

About L-DOS47

L-DOS47 is Helix’s first immunoconjugate based drug candidate in development based on the Company’s novel DOS47 platform technology, which is designed to use an innovative approach to modify the microenvironmental conditions of cancer cells in a manner that leads to their destruction.

On February 14, 2020 Immunomedics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMMU) ("Immunomedics" or the "Company"), a leading biopharmaceutical company in the area of antibody-drug conjugates, reported the appointment of Loretta Itri, M.D. as chief medical officer (CMO)(Press release, Immunomedics, FEB 14, 2020, View Source [SID1234554360]). In her new role, Dr. Itri will lead all research and clinical development, regulatory, and medical affairs activities of the Company. Dr. Itri is a well-established pharmaceutical executive with decades of experience and a strong track record of bringing innovative drugs to market for multiple biopharma organizations.

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"I am thrilled Loretta has agreed to join us as our permanent CMO," remarked Dr. Behzad Aghazadeh, executive chairman. "Loretta has been working with us in overseeing our clinical and regulatory activities since the Spring of 2019. She has been an invaluable member of our leadership team, with important contributions to the refiling of our Biologics License Application for sacituzumab govitecan and accelerating our clinical development programs into new indications. I look forward to working closely with Loretta to invest in and expand our novel and differentiated antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform assets for the benefit of cancer patients worldwide."

Dr. Itri commented, "It is my distinct pleasure to formally join Immunomedics as CMO. I have had the great opportunity of managing the Company’s sacituzumab govitecan development activities across multiple indications over the past year. The excitement from key opinion leaders and patients about the drug’s potential clinical benefit has been palpable. Working closely with the FDA, we are hopeful that sacituzumab govitecan will soon be available to patients with triple-negative breast cancer. I am especially looking forward to working closely with the executive management team to expand our clinical development plans across our unique ADC platform to advance therapeutic options across hard-to-treat cancers, including indications such as metastatic urothelial cancer and hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer."

Dr. Loretta Itri was most recently the executive vice president of Global Health Sciences & Regulatory Affairs at The Medicines Company where she oversaw the development and regulatory approval of a variety of products, including the early development of inclisiran, and other cardiovascular drugs and antibiotics. Previously, she was president of Pharmaceutical Development and CMO at Genta, Inc., playing a vital role in the development of diverse therapeutic agents that helped treat conditions such as breast cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Prior to that, Dr. Itri served as senior vice president of Medical and Regulatory Affairs at Johnson & Johnson’s Pharmaceutical Research Institute, where she oversaw the development and approval of a number of therapeutic products, including Procrit, Cladribine, and Tramadol. In addition, she served as senior vice president of Clinical Affairs and CMO for Ortho Biotech Inc., responsible for the hematology, oncology and immunology product lines. Dr. Itri began her career at Hoffmann-La Roche, where she advanced to the position of assistant vice president of Clinical Development in immunology, virology, hematology, and oncology.

Dr. Itri received her M.D. from New York Medical College, completed her medical residency at SUNY-Stony Brook and her fellowship in medical oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center where she was an adjunct attending physician for more than 15 years. Dr. Itri has served as a member of the National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Counselors in both the Division of Cancer Treatment and the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. She is the author or co-author of numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and abstracts related to the clinical development of therapeutic agents.

On February 14, 2020 Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: FENC; TSX: FRX), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of PEDMARKTM (a unique formulation of sodium thiosulfate (STS)) for the prevention of platinum-induced ototoxicity in pediatric patients, reported its business update and financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (Press release, Fennec Pharmaceuticals, FEB 14, 2020, View Source [SID1234554359]).

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"Fennec made great progress in 2019 preparing for some important milestones in 2020 including the recent announcement of regulatory submissions in both the U.S. and EU for PEDMARK" said Rosty Raykov, chief executive officer of Fennec. "During the year we also made solid progress in preparing for the potential launch of PEDMARK including the hiring of a chief commercial officer and the preparation and execution of our commercial readiness plan. We look forward to a number of significant milestones throughout 2020. If PEDMARK is granted a Priority Review, the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date is expected in the third quarter of 2020."

Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter 2019

·Cash Position – Cash and cash equivalents were $13.7 million as of December 31, 2019. The reduction in cash balance over the fiscal year is the result of cash used for operating activities including regulatory expenses associated with the regulatory submissions of PEDMARK and expenses associated with commercial launch preparation.
·Research and Development (R&D) Expenses – R&D expenses were $1.2 million and $5.6 million, respectively, for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $1.7 million and $5.0 million for the same period in 2018. The Company completed a significant part of the activities needed for regulatory approval of PEDMARK during the fourth quarter of 2019.
·General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses – G&A expenses were $2.5 million and $7.4 million, respectively, for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $1.4 million and $5.4 million, respectively for the same periods in 2018. Fourth quarter increase in G&A was largely attributable to the commercialization efforts as the Company prepares to bring PEDMARK, if approved, to market in the second half of 2020. An additional increase in G&A expenses is attributed to a small rise in compensation to officers, directors and key contract employees in fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018. Shareholders passed a motion to increase the duration of all outstanding option contracts to a total of 10 years in 2019. This added $1.3 million in G&A in non-cash compensation over the prior year. Sales and marketing expenses increased by $0.4 million over the prior year as the Company began to focus efforts to commercialize PEDMARK. The company incurred approximately $0.25 million in additional administrative expenses as it added positions to the commercial team including the addition of a Chief Commercial Officer.
·Net Loss – Net losses for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2019 of $3.6 million ($0.18 per share) and $12.8 million ($0.64 per share), respectively, compared to $3.0 million ($0.15 per share) and $9.9 million ($0.52 per share), respectively, for the same periods in 2018.
·Financial Guidance – The Company believes its cash and cash equivalents on hand as of December 31, 2019, along with the $12.5 million loan facility available upon FDA approval of PEDMARKTM will be sufficient to fund the Company’s planned commercial launch of PEDMARKTM in the second half of 2020.

Financial Update

The selected financial data presented below is derived from our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements which were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The complete audited condensed consolidated financial statements for the period ended December 31, 2019 and management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations will be available via www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com. All values are presented in thousands unless otherwise noted.

Except for historical information described in this press release, all other statements are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company’s business that could cause actual results to vary, including such risks that regulatory and guideline developments may change, scientific data may not be sufficient to meet regulatory standards or receipt of required regulatory clearances or approvals, clinical results may not be replicated in actual patient settings, protection offered by the Company’s patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by its competitors, the available market for the Company’s products will not be as large as expected, the Company’s products will not be able to penetrate one or more targeted markets, revenues will not be sufficient to fund further development and clinical studies, the Company may not meet its future capital requirements in different countries and municipalities, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Fennec Pharmaceuticals, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law.

For a more detailed discussion of related risk factors, please refer to our public filings available at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com.

About PEDMARK (Sodium Thiosulfate (STS))

Cisplatin and other platinum compounds are essential chemotherapeutic agents for many pediatric malignancies. Unfortunately, platinum-based therapies cause ototoxicity, or hearing loss, which is permanent, irreversible and is particularly harmful to the survivors of pediatric cancer.

In the U.S. and Europe, it is estimated annually that over 10,000 children may receive platinum-based chemotherapy. The incidence of ototoxicity depends upon the dose and duration of chemotherapy, and many of these children require lifelong hearing aids. There is currently no established preventive agent for this hearing loss and only expensive, technically difficult and sub-optimal cochlear (inner ear) implants have been shown to provide some benefit. Infants and young children that suffer ototoxicity at critical stages of development lack speech language development and literacy, and older children and adolescents lack social-emotional development and educational achievement.

PEDMARK has been studied by cooperative groups in two Phase 3 clinical studies of survival and reduction of ototoxicity, The Clinical Oncology Group Protocol ACCL0431 and SIOPEL 6. Both studies have been completed. The COG ACCL0431 protocol enrolled one of five childhood cancers typically treated with intensive cisplatin therapy for localized and disseminated disease, including newly diagnosed hepatoblastoma, germ cell tumor, osteosarcoma, neuroblastoma, and medulloblastoma. SIOPEL 6 enrolled only hepatoblastoma patients with localized tumors.