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Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Announces Extension of the Expiration Date for Exchange Offers for Celgene Corporation Notes

On November 12, 2019 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) ("Bristol-Myers Squibb") reported the extension of the expiration date of the offers to exchange (the "Exchange Offers") notes (the "Celgene Notes") issued by Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) ("Celgene") for up to $19,850,000,000 aggregate principal amount of new notes to be issued by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (the "Bristol-Myers Squibb Notes") and cash and the related consent solicitations (the "Consent Solicitations") being made by Bristol-Myers Squibb on behalf of Celgene to adopt certain proposed amendments (the "Amendments") to the indentures governing the Celgene Notes (Press release, Bristol-Myers Squibb, NOV 12, 2019, View Source [SID1234550934]). Bristol-Myers Squibb hereby extends such expiration date from 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 13, 2019, to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 15, 2019 (as the same may be further extended, the "Expiration Date").

On the early participation date of May 1, 2019, requisite consents were received and supplemental indentures were executed, eliminating substantially all restrictive covenants and certain events of default and other provisions in each of the indentures governing the Celgene Notes. Such supplemental indentures will only become operative upon the settlement date of the Exchange Offers.

The Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations are being made pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the confidential offering memorandum and consent solicitation statement dated April 17, 2019 and the related letter of transmittal hereby, each as amended by the press releases dated May 1, 2019, May 24, 2019, June 28, 2019, September 23, 2019, October 8, 2019, October 18, 2019, October 30, 2019, November 1, 2019, November 5, 2019, November 7, 2019 and as amended hereby, and are conditioned upon the closing of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s acquisition of Celgene (the "Merger"), which condition may not be waived by Bristol-Myers Squibb, and certain other conditions that may be waived by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

The settlement date for the Exchange Offers is expected to occur promptly after the Expiration Date and on or about the closing date of the Merger. The closing of the Merger is expected to occur by the end of 2019. As a result, the Expiration Date may be further extended one or more times. Bristol-Myers Squibb will provide notice of any such extension in advance of the Expiration Date.

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Documents relating to the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations will only be distributed to eligible holders of Celgene Notes who complete and return an eligibility form confirming that they are either a "qualified institutional buyer" under Rule 144A or not a "U.S. person" and outside the United States under Regulation S for purposes of applicable securities laws. Except as amended by the press releases dated May 1, 2019, May 24, 2019, June 28, 2019, September 23, 2019, October 8, 2019, October 18, 2019, October 30, 2019, November 1, 2019, November 5, 2019, November 7, 2019 and as amended hereby, the complete terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations are described in the confidential offering memorandum and consent solicitation statement dated April 17, 2019 and the related letter of transmittal, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Global Bondholder Services Corporation, the exchange agent and information agent in connection with the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations, at (866) 470 3900 (U.S. toll-free) or (212) 430 3774 (banks and brokers). The eligibility form is available electronically at: View Source

Moleculin Announces FDA Approval of IND for its STAT3 Inhibitor in Emory University Clinical Trial

On November 12, 2019 Moleculin Biotech, Inc., (Nasdaq: MBRX) ("Moleculin" or the "Company"), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of drug candidates targeting highly resistant tumors, reported that the FDA has approved a request for Investigational New Drug ("IND") status for its drug candidate WP1066 to be used in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of children with recurrent or refractory malignant brain tumors (Press release, Moleculin, NOV 12, 2019, View Source [SID1234550933]). The request was made by physician researchers at Emory University, including Dr. Tobey MacDonald, Professor of the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, Director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Principle Investigator for this clinical trial. The trial will be conducted at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Moleculin Biotech, Inc. is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development of a broad portfolio of oncology drug candidates for the treatment of highly resistant tumors. (PRNewsfoto/Moleculin Biotech, Inc.)

"This FDA approval gives a green light for Emory University to begin an important clinical trial to explore a new approach to treating pediatric brain cancer," commented Walter Klemp, Moleculin’s Chairman and CEO. "WP1066 is currently in a clinical trial for adult patients with glioblastoma and melanoma metastases to the brain at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and this is a logical extension of that research. WP1066 is an inhibitor of the activated form of a protein called STAT3, a target that has been implicated in a wide range of highly resistant cancers. Preclinical research at Emory University indicated that WP1066 had a significant anti-tumor effect on medulloblastoma cell lines, so there is a lot of encouragement regarding the opportunity to provide new hope for treating this rare condition."

MEI Pharma to Present at the Stifel 2019 Healthcare Conference

On November 12, 2019 MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEIP), a late‐stage pharmaceutical company focused on advancing new therapies for cancer, reported that Daniel P. Gold, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, will present at the Stifel 2019 Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at 2:25 p.m. ET. The conference will take place November 19-20, in New York, N.Y (Press release, MEI Pharma, NOV 12, 2019, View Source [SID1234550932]).

A live audio webcast of the event can be accessed on the Events & Presentations page of the Investors section of MEI Pharma’s website at View Source

An archived replay of the webcast will be available on MEI Pharma’s website for at least 30 days after the live event concludes.

Selecta Biosciences to Present at the Stifel 2019 Healthcare Conference

On November 12, 2019 Selecta Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: SELB), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on unlocking the full potential of biologic therapies based on its immune tolerance platform technology, ImmTOR, reported that Selecta’s Chief Executive Officer, Carsten Brunn, Ph.D., will present at the Stifel 2019 Healthcare Conference in New York on Tuesday, November 19 at 1:50 p.m. Eastern Time (Press release, Selecta Biosciences, NOV 12, 2019, View Source [SID1234550931]). A live webcast and a copy of the presentation will be available on the Investors & Media section of the Selecta website at www.selectabio.com.

Merck licenses CRISPR gene-editing technology to Evotec

On November 12, 2019 Merck, a leading science and technology company, reported that it has signed a license agreement providing Evotec SE access to Merck’s foundational CRISPR intellectual property (Press release, Evotec, NOV 12, 2019, View Source;announcements/press-releases/p/merck-licenses-crispr-gene-editing-technology-to-evotec-5868 [SID1234550930]). Evotec, an international biotechnology company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, will use Merck’s CRISPR genome-editing technology to create edited cell lines for Evotec’s commercial and internal research purposes.

"This CRISPR license is the impetus for important drug testing and discovery that promises to accelerate research and lead to the development of new therapies," said Udit Batra, member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science. "Merck has been at the forefront of innovation in gene editing for 15 years and continues to work with industry and academia to solve complex problems using our patented CRISPR technology, both ethically and responsibly."

Evotec plans to use Merck’s CRISPR intellectual property portfolio to develop precisely engineered assays to determine the biology and toxicity for potential drug candidates during the drug development cycle.

"Evotec is excited to continue its strong partnership with Merck through licensing their groundbreaking CRISPR technology," said Craig Johnstone, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec. "Our vision and passion for innovation includes using CRISPR technology to test and improve the efficacy of the new drugs we develop to bring relief to patients suffering from underserved conditions worldwide."

This new license reinforces past collaborations between Merck and Evotec. In November 2016, the companies entered into a set of agreements whereby Evotec would provide screening services using Merck’s collection of genetic reagents including CRISPR and shRNA libraries. Combining access to Merck’s genome editing libraries with Evotec’s screening expertise offers a faster path to explore and identify new drug targets.