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Defence Therapeutics To Participate In Bio International Convention 2026 Next Week For Strategic Partnership Discussions

On June 17, 2026 Defence Therapeutics Inc. ("Defence" or the "Company"), (CSE: DTC, OTCQB: DTCFF, FSE: DTC) a publicly traded biotechnology and precision intracellular drug-delivery company, reported its participation in the BIO International Convention 2026, taking place June 22–25 in San Diego, California.

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Defence’s team will be available throughout the conference to meet with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, investors, and potential strategic collaborators interested in exploring partnership opportunities involving Defence’s proprietary Accum platform.

Accum is designed to enhance intracellular delivery by promoting endosomal escape and improving delivery to target cellular compartments. The platform is being applied across multiple therapeutic modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and radiopharmaceutical drug conjugates (RDCs), where efficient intracellular delivery remains a critical challenge.

Defence is actively seeking partnerships with innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, biosimilar developers, and technology providers interested in leveraging Accum to unlock additional value from their therapeutic programs. Partnership opportunities include the development of novel Accum-enabled ADCs, enhancement of biosimilar products, revitalization of existing or discontinued assets, and co-development of advanced delivery and linker technologies. Accum can be incorporated into ADC programs without restarting the engineering process, enabling integration at any stage of development, from discovery through clinical evaluation.

"BIO International Convention is one of the most important gatherings for the global biotechnology industry, bringing together innovators, investors, and pharmaceutical leaders from around the world," said Sébastien Plouffe, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Therapeutics. "For Defence, it provides a unique opportunity to showcase the potential of our Accum platform and engage with organizations seeking innovative approaches to improve the delivery and effectiveness of advanced therapeutics. We look forward to meeting with potential partners and exploring opportunities to create value through collaborations."

Companies interested in scheduling a meeting with Defence during BIO 2026 are encouraged to contact the Company in advance through the BIO Partnering platform or by reaching out directly to the Defence team at [email protected].

(Press release, Defence Therapeutics, JUN 17, 2026, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=defence-therapeutics-to-participate-in-bio-international-convention-2026-next-week-for-strategic-partnership-discussions [SID1234668772])

MultiValent Biotherapies Launches with $27 Million Series A Financing to Advance Development of Targeted Prostate Cancer Drug Conjugate

On June 16, 2026 MultiValent Biotherapies, Inc. (MultiValent), a private biotechnology company developing targeted drug conjugate therapies for cancer, reported a $27.425 million first closing of its Series A Preferred Stock financing.

MultiValent plans to use the funds to advance the clinical development of MVB-101, a prostate-specific membrane antigen x folate receptor alpha (PSMA x FRα) targeted drug conjugate which MultiValent has licensed from Coherent Biopharma (Coherent). The Company expects to begin clinical development of MVB-101 in the United States for the treatment of a subgroup of prostate cancer patients in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial in the third quarter of 2026.

"We are pleased to announce both the initial closing of our Series A financing and the licensing of MVB-101. We look forward to advancing this promising drug candidate into clinical development in the United States," said Fred Schwarzer, Executive Chairman of MultiValent.

"Prostate cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers among men in the United States. Approximately 330,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed annually and nearly 3 million men in the United States are living with this devastating disease," said Stephen Snowdy, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of MultiValent. "Current treatments often result in significant quality of life impacts, including erectile and urinary dysfunction. If clinical development is successful, MVB-101 has the potential to provide an effective treatment option for a subgroup of prostate cancer patients while helping preserve quality of life for those patients."

"MVB-101 is a novel bivalent peptide-like drug conjugate molecule which is approximately 1/50th the size of traditional antibody drug conjugate molecules. The smaller size of MVB-101 should facilitate faster diffusion into the tumor as compared to antibody-based therapies, and the dual targeting of MVB-101 against PSMA and FRα is designed to provide better binding against heterogenous tumor cells," said Bruce Keyt, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of MultiValent.

Under the terms of its license agreement with Coherent, MultiValent received exclusive rights to MVB-101 in all markets outside of Greater China. Coherent received an equity stake in MultiValent and a cash up-front payment, and it may receive future payments triggered by development, regulatory, commercial and sales milestones.

About MVB-101

MVB-101 is a bivalent peptide-like drug conjugate. The drug binds two targets that are highly upregulated on the surfaces of prostate cancer cells, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and folate receptor alpha (FRa). The drug carries a payload of monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), a clinically proven highly potent anti-cancer molecule that interferes with cell replication. MVB-101’s safety and efficacy have been preliminarily demonstrated by Coherent in more than 110 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

(Press release, MultiValent Biotherapies, JUN 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234668771])

Calidi Biotherapeutics Receives Positive Pre-IND Feedback from US FDA for CLD-401 Indicating Agreement on its Current Development Strategy as it Advances Towards a First-in-Human Study

On June 16, 2026 Calidi Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: CLDI) ("Calidi" or "the Company"), a biotechnology company pioneering the development of targeted genetic medicines, reported that it has received pre-IND regulatory feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) providing alignment and clarity on Calidi’s IND-enabling preclinical plans and clinical strategy for CLD-401 prior to advancing the drug candidate into Phase 1 clinical studies.

"We thank the FDA for its regulatory feedback, and we believe we are in agreement with the agency on our overall IND strategy for CLD-401," said Calidi Biotherapeutics Chief Executive Officer Eric Poma, Ph.D. "We look forward to our regulatory submission for CLD-401, a potentially ground-breaking oncolytic virus with in situ delivery of an IL-15 superagonist, which we are targeting by year-end. This positions us to initiate our first-in-human clinical trial in early 2027."

In the pre-IND meeting, the FDA and Calidi agreed on key aspects of the CMC and non-clinical programs as well as feedback on the overall design for the proposed first-in-human clinical study. This pre-IND (Type B) interaction builds on the engagement and alignment achieved through early scientific advice as part of a Type D interaction with the FDA.

Calidi is committed to rapidly advancing CLD-401 into the clinic, believing that early Phase I data for CLD-401 will validate the Company’s proprietary RedTail platform. The Company continues to expand the functionality of the RedTail platform while actively pursuing strategic partnerships to accelerate clinical development and broaden its impact.

(Press release, Calidi Biotherapeutics, JUN 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234668770])

Syncromune Presents Multi-Modal Efficacy Assessment Framework at Inaugural Gustave Roussy Intratumoral Immunotherapy Symposium

On June 16, 2026 Syncromune, Inc., a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing SYNC-T, an investigational in situ multi-target immunotherapy platform for solid tumors, reported that Executive Chairman and Chief Innovation Officer Charles Link, M.D., presented and served as a panelist at the inaugural Intratumoral Immunotherapy Symposium 2026. The event was hosted by Gustave Roussy in partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center on June 11–12, 2026, in Villejuif, Paris, France.

Dr. Link’s presentation highlighted the growing need for a multi-modal, immune-aware framework to better assess efficacy in intratumoral immunotherapy. He addressed a key challenge in the field: while these therapies are delivered locally, they are designed to elicit systemic anti-tumor responses. Importantly, this often manifests as an abscopal effect observed both with ipsilateral and contra-lateral cancer regression distally. Conventional response criteria alone often fail to fully capture their activity due to delayed or non-linear response patterns and inflammatory changes that can mimic disease progression. His talk emphasized the value of integrating complementary readouts from imaging and other clinical measures to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of treatment effects over time.

"It was an honor to be invited to present at the inaugural Gustave Roussy Intratumoral Immunotherapy Symposium, which brought together many of the world leaders helping define this emerging field," said Charles Link, M.D., Executive Chairman and Chief Innovation Officer of Syncromune, and Adjunct Professor at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research. "Intratumoral immunotherapies hold significant promise, as they are designed to generate potent systemic anti-tumor activity while potentially limiting systemic drug exposure and toxicity. The local delivery approach with systemic therapeutic intent also requires a more dynamic, immune-aware paradigm for assessing efficacy. We believe the framework presented at the symposium will help support the clinical development and broader adoption of intratumoral immunotherapy for patients who need it most."

Dr. Link also participated in the panel discussion on "Cross-Sector Collaboration," which brought together leaders from academia, biotechnology, interventional oncology, and regulatory science to explore how strategic partnerships can accelerate the development, clinical translation, and adoption of intratumoral immunotherapies.

The two-day international symposium was the first event fully dedicated to intratumoral immunotherapy. The program featured discussions on next-generation agents, image-guided and minimally invasive delivery technologies, patient and lesion selection based on tumor biology and imaging, response monitoring using CT, MRI, bone scans, PSMA PET, and other biomarkers, lessons from late-stage trials, regulatory considerations, and best practices in trial design. A central focus was fostering cross-sector dialogue to advance the field.

"Our experience in metastatic prostate cancer has underscored the importance of evaluating intratumoral immunotherapies in a way that reflects the unique biology and response kinetics of this therapeutic approach," said Stephen Dale, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Syncromune. "The insights generated from our Phase 1 study are already helping inform assessment strategies in our ongoing LEGION-100 trial, and we believe this type of translational learning will be critical to advancing the field."

(Press release, Syncromune, JUN 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234668769])

NeOnc Technologies Secures UAE IND Approval for NEO212 Following Successful Phase 1 Completion, Advancing Toward Global Phase 2 Development

On June 16, 2026 NeOnc Technologies Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTHI) ("NeOnc" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for central nervous system (CNS) cancers, reported that the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH) has granted Investigational New Drug (IND) status for NEO212, the Company’s orally administered perillyl alcohol-temozolomide carbamate conjugate being developed for patients with aggressive brain tumors. The authorization marks the first international regulatory clearance for NEO212 following completion of Phase 1 clinical evaluation and represents a significant step toward expanding the program into multiple global markets.

NEO212 recently completed the Phase 1 dose-escalation portion of its Phase 1/2 study, which established 610 mg as the recommended Phase 2 dose. In that study, the Company reported encouraging early signs of clinical activity, including potential durable disease stabilization, in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) and brain metastases. NeOnc expects this authorization to support the advancement of NEO212 into Phase 2 clinical development while continuing discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the design of a potential registrational pathway. The Company believes parallel regulatory and clinical activities across multiple jurisdictions may accelerate the overall development strategy for NEO212.

Under the terms of the DOH authorization, NeOnc must satisfy a number of conditions before patient enrollment in the UAE, including separate approval from the DOH Institutional Review Board (IRB) and amendments to the study protocol, investigator’s brochure, and product labeling. The DOH clearance applies to the conduct of clinical research and does not constitute marketing authorization.

The Company has also submitted applications to the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi for its NEO100 clinical programs, including NEO100-01, NEO100-02, and NEO100-03, and is currently awaiting regulatory decisions. If approved, these programs would further expand NeOnc’s clinical development footprint in the UAE and support the Company’s strategy of advancing multiple brain cancer and neurological therapeutic programs in parallel across key international markets.

"This clearance represents an important international milestone for NeOnc and for the NEO212 program," said Amir Heshmatpour, Chief Executive Officer, Executive Chairman and President of NeOnc. "Brain cancers such as glioblastoma remain among the most difficult diseases in oncology, and patients urgently need new treatment options. We are grateful to the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi for its rigorous and collaborative review, and we look forward to working with investigators and healthcare institutions in the UAE as we advance NEO212 toward Phase 2 development."

Glioblastoma remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer, with limited treatment options and poor long-term survival outcomes. NEO212 is designed to combine the chemotherapeutic temozolomide with perillyl alcohol in a single orally administered conjugate intended to improve delivery across the blood-brain barrier. The Company expects to work with healthcare institutions, investigators, and regulatory authorities in the UAE as clinical development activities advance.

(Press release, Neonc, JUN 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234668768])