On September 28, 2017 ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq:ZIOP), a biopharmaceutical company focusing on new immunotherapies, reported the appointment of David Mauney, M.D., as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer effective from September 28, 2017 (Press release, Ziopharm, SEP 28, 2017, View Source [SID1234520697]). ZIOPHARM also reports the details of an inducement award granted to Dr. Mauney, approved by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors in connection with his employment.

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Dr. Mauney joins ZIOPHARM from Harvest Capital Strategies, LLC, where he served as a Managing Director. With twenty years of experience in the raising, management and disposition of almost $900 million in life science venture capital, Dr. Mauney will lead ZIOPHARM’s corporate development and investor strategy functions, reporting directly to Laurence Cooper, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of ZIOPHARM.

"David brings to our executive leadership team a wealth of entrepreneurial experience, keen insights and multiple relationships that will leverage existing and future capital markets and corporate partnership opportunities, all of which will support our core portfolio of immunotherapy platforms," said Dr. Cooper. "I look forward to working with David at this important stage of growth for the Company, as we continue to advance the development of our innovative gene expression, control, and cell technologies."

Prior to Harvest Capital Strategies LLC, Dr. Mauney co-founded and served as a Managing Director of De Novo Ventures, a health care investment firm founded in 2000. Dr. Mauney was also the Lead Partner of Health Care Investments for Asset Management Company, and he was the first employee and Director of Business Development for Fox Hollow Technologies, which later went public and was ultimately sold to EV3. Dr. Mauney holds an M.D. from the Dartmouth School of Medicine and a B.A. in psychology from Duke University.

ZIOPHARM also announces that David Connolly recently joined the Company as Vice President of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations.

Mr. Connolly brings more than 15 years’ experience in corporate communications, public relations and investor relations experience to ZIOPHARM. Prior to joining ZIOPHARM, he served as Senior Vice President at JPA Health Communications and before that, LaVoieHealthScience, both communications agencies where he was the strategic lead for integrated communications, public relations and advocacy programs for public and private biopharmaceutical and medical device companies. Mr. Connolly holds a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross.

Inducement Award Granted to David Mauney, M.D.

ZIOPHARM announces that as an inducement material to Dr. Mauney entering into employment with the Company, the Compensation Committee of ZIOPHARM’s Board of Directors granted an inducement award to Dr. Mauney in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The inducement award consists of a stock option to purchase up to 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, with a per share exercise price equal to $6.19, the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date of September 28, 2017, the date of Dr. Mauney’s first day of employment with ZIOPHARM, and a ten-year term. The stock option was granted outside of, but subject to the terms generally consistent with, the Company’s 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, and will vest with respect to one-third of the shares subject to the stock option award on the first anniversary of the grant date and with respect to remaining two-thirds in two annual installments on each of the second and third anniversaries of the grant date, subject to Dr. Mauney’s continuous service with the Company through each applicable vesting date and may be eligible for potential vesting acceleration under certain circumstances pursuant to the terms of Dr. Mauney’s stock option award agreement.

On September 28, 2017 TESARO, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSRO), an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company, reported the availability of a number of new support resources and services that address unmet educational needs for women living with ovarian cancer (Press release, TESARO, SEP 28, 2017, View Source [SID1234520693]). The new resources are part of the expansion of the Our Way Forward platform — a program launched earlier this year, which features the results of a national survey that uncovered gaps in communication amongst patients and physicians. The expanded website includes numerous resources and tools for ovarian cancer patients and their loved ones, as well as a series of local ovarian cancer educational programs, including a special storytelling event with "The Moth" this fall. World-champion gymnast and gold medalist, Shannon Miller, will join TESARO to complement the Our Way Forward program and educate and empower the ovarian cancer community, sharing her experience as an ovarian cancer survivor.

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Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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"As the Our Way Forward survey indicated, we as a community still have a long way to go to meet the needs of women with ovarian cancer. As a company, we measure our success by the number of patients and their loved ones that we impact in a positive manner," Mary Lynne Hedley, Ph.D., President and Chief Operating Officer. "By offering expanded educational content that emerged from perspectives and experiences of patients, survivors and caregivers like Shannon, we are committed to addressing the physical and emotional challenges that ovarian cancer brings to women."

The Our Way Forward website expansion used the findings uncovered in the Our Way Forward survey to develop informed resources and provide a call-to-action for patients, their loved ones and physicians to rethink how they talk about advanced, recurrent ovarian cancer. The Our Way Forward survey was conducted online in the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of TESARO, Inc. between April 2017 and May 2017, among 254 women living with ovarian cancer and 232 physicians who treat ovarian cancer patients. The updated website includes tailored content that addresses the emotional support needs of the caregiver, self-care and empowerment tips for women at any point during their personal ovarian cancer experience, first-person perspectives from women living with ovarian cancer and video content from "The Moth" storytelling event.

"As an ovarian cancer survivor, I am well aware of the anxiety and fear that goes along with an initial diagnosis, as well as the fear of recurrence even after treatment. It’s something that is always there. That’s why I am thrilled to join TESARO to be a part of a program that directly addresses the unique challenges of women after an ovarian cancer diagnosis and those currently living with ovarian cancer," said Mrs. Miller. "With Our Way Forward, TESARO has demonstrated their commitment to women like me — and their families and caregivers — who are faced with the possibility of cancer returning. As new medicines become available to treat women living with recurrent ovarian cancer, programs to support women from an emotional and psycho-social standpoint remain equally critical."

Upcoming resources will include new content created by Mrs. Miller, as she shares her personal ovarian cancer story, including the risks one still faces with an ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The Our Way Forward survey revealed that around half (53 percent) of patients polled felt that ovarian cancer had a severe or very severe impact on their lives. For patients who are currently in treatment or who have been treated, about half (49 percent) admitted that they find not being sure of the path forward after diagnosis to be very or extremely challenging. According to the survey, more than two in five patients who are either currently in treatment, or who have been treated, find not knowing what to expect during treatment (46 percent) or after treatment (47 percent) to be very or extremely challenging.

Approximately 85 percent of women with advanced ovarian cancer will experience recurrent disease after treatment. Despite high response rates to chemotherapy, its effectiveness diminishes over time. Many women have been told to "watch and wait" — along with the healthcare professionals, monitoring the cancer for recurrence. Until recently, before maintenance treatments were available, after a response to platinum-based chemotherapy, women had limited treatment options that would delay progression of the disease. These treatments have been shown to extend patients’ time in remission and increase progression-free survival rates.

About the Our Way Forward Survey
The Our Way Forward survey was conducted online in the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of TESARO, Inc. between April 13 and May 2, 2017, among 254 women 18+ years of age living in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Survey respondents were selected from individuals who had agreed to participate in surveys through the Harris Poll and their partners, or were recruited to participate by patient advocacy organizations, NOCC and OCRFA. Results are representative of only those surveyed. A parallel survey was conducted between April 17 and May 5, 2017, among 232 physicians who treat ovarian cancer patients in the U.S., consisting of 201 medical oncologists and 31 gynecologic oncologists. Survey respondents were selected from physicians who had agreed to participate in surveys through the Harris Poll and their partners. More information about the campaign, full survey methods and survey findings, including important resources to enhance conversations about ovarian cancer, are available on the Our Way Forward website at www.ourwayforward-oc.com and via NOCC at ovarian.org and OCRFA at ocrfa.org.

About Ovarian Cancer

Approximately 22,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, many of whom will be diagnosed with advanced disease; while more than 65,000 women are diagnosed annually in Europe. In 2017 alone, 14,000 women will die of ovarian cancer, as it is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women. Despite high-response rates to platinum-based chemotherapy in the second-line advanced treatment setting, approximately 85 percent of patients will experience recurrence within two years.

On September 28, 2017 — MabVax Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBVX) a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of antibody-based products to address unmet medical needs in the treatment of cancer, reported that its Special Meeting of Stockholders scheduled for and convened on September 28, 2017 (the "Special Meeting"), was adjourned to achieve a quorum on the proposals to be approved (Press release, MabVax, SEP 28, 2017, View Source [SID1234520692]).

The Special Meeting has been adjourned to 3:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time/6:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, October 2, 2017, at the offices of the Company at 11535 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92121, to allow additional time for MabVax stockholders to vote on proposals to approve the following:

1. A reverse stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock by a ratio of not less than one-for-two and not more than one-for-twenty at any time prior to September 28, 2018, with the exact ratio to be set at a whole number within this range as determined by the Board of Directors;

2. The potential issuance of up to an aggregate of 3,400,000 shares of common stock, in excess of 19.99% of the number of shares of common stock that were issued and outstanding on August 11, 2017, consisting of (i) 2,386,360 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series J Preferred Stock, issued to investors in a financing consummated in August 2017 and (ii) 1,013,640 shares of common stock available for issuance under designated but unissued shares of Series J Preferred Stock;

3. If the Proposal 2 is approved, to approve the potential issuance of up to 6,500,000 shares of common stock upon conversion of Series K Preferred Stock issuable in connection with a financing consummated in August 2017, in excess of 19.99% of the number of shares of common stock that were issued and outstanding on August 11, 2017;

4. The issuance of securities in one or more non-public offerings where the maximum discount at which securities will be offered will be equivalent to a discount of 30% below the market price of the common stock, as required by and in accordance with Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5635(d);

5. The issuance of securities in one or more non-public offerings where the maximum discount at which securities will be offered will be equivalent to a discount of 20% below the market price of the common stock, as required by and in accordance with Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5635(d); and

6. The Fifth Amended and Restated MabVax Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. 2014 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan, including the reservation of 6,128,406 shares of common stock for issuance, each as set forth in the MabVax’s proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

The affirmative vote of over 50% of the issued and outstanding voting power of MabVax’s outstanding voting shares is required for the approval of the reverse stock split; a majority of the votes cast is required for the approval of Proposal 2, provided however, that no shares of common stock underlying the Series J Preferred Stock may be counted towards approval of this proposal; a majority of the votes cast is required for the approval of Proposal 3, provided however, that no shares of common stock underlying the Series K Preferred Stock may be counted towards approval of this proposal; and a majority of the votes cast is required for the approval of each of the remaining proposals.

During the period of the adjournment, MabVax will continue to solicit proxies from its stockholders with respect to the proposals set forth in the proxy statement. Only stockholders of record on the record date of August 28, 2017, are entitled to and are being requested to vote. If a stockholder has previously submitted its proxy card and does not wish to change its vote, no further action is required by such stockholder.

No changes have been made in the proposals to be voted on by stockholders at the Special Meeting. The Company’s proxy statement and any other materials filed by the Company with the SEC remain unchanged and can be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

MabVax encourages all stockholders that have not yet voted to vote their shares by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, October 1, 2017, Eastern daylight time. If you have not voted, or have mislaid your proxy materials or are uncertain if you have voted all the shares you are entitled to vote please see "How You Can Vote," below. Every single vote counts.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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