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Mabwell Announces Novel Drug Technology License Agreement with Qilu Pharmaceutical for Albipagrastim alfa for Injection

On June 27, 2025 Mabwell (688062.SH), an innovative biopharmaceutical company with entire industry chain, reported its wholly-owned subsidiary T-mab has entered into an agreement with Qilu Pharmaceutical for Albipagrastim alfa for Injection (R&D code: 8MW0511). Under the terms of the agreement, Mabwell will grant Qilu Pharmaceutical exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, improve, utilize and commercialize the licensed product in the Greater China (including Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) (Press release, Mabwell Biotech, JUN 27, 2025, View Source [SID1234654161]). T-mab can obtain a total of up to RMB 500 million of upfront payment and sales milestone payment, and the royalty of up to double-digit percentage of net sales of licensed product.

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Albipagrastim alfa for Injection is a recombinant (yeast-secreted) human serum albumin/human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (I) fusion protein for Injection. It is indicated to decrease the incidence of infection, as manifested by febrile neutropenia, in adult patients with non-myeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with a clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia.

Albipagrastim alfa is a new generation of long-acting G-CSF (highly active modified cytokine) with intellectual property rights of Mabwell, which was developed with albumin fusion platform technology by fusing highly active recombinant G-CSF with human serum albumin (HSA). The modification increases the molecular weight, significantly inhibits the elimination pathway mediated by G-CSF receptor and prolongs the half-life of the drug in vivo, which improves the treatment adherence by reducing the frequency of administration in clinical practice. Compared to PEG-G-CSF, Albipagrastim alfa uses HSA as its natural carrier protein via a Pichia pastoris expression system. This approach offers a simpler production process and superior product homogeneity.

Allarity Therapeutics Announces Dosing of Second Patient in New Phase 2 Trial of Stenoparib in Advanced Ovarian Cancer

On June 27, 2025 Allarity Therapeutics, Inc. ("Allarity" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: ALLR), a Phase 2 clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing stenoparib—a differentiated, dual PARP and WNT pathway inhibitor reported that the second patient has been dosed in its new Phase 2 clinical trial protocol evaluating stenoparib in patients with advanced, recurrent, platinum-resistant or platinum-ineligible ovarian cancer (Press release, Allarity Therapeutics, JUN 27, 2025, View Source [SID1234654160]).

Commenting on the development, Thomas Jensen, Chief Executive Officer of Allarity Therapeutics, stated:

"We are pleased to see the second patient enrolled so soon after the trial’s launch. This pace of enrollment suggests a strong level of engagement from our investigators, who appear highly attuned to the opportunity to explore stenoparib’s potential for patients with few or no remaining treatment options."

This new trial builds on earlier Phase 2 data demonstrating durable clinical benefit and favorable tolerability with twice-daily dosing of stenoparib. It focuses on the platinum resistant patient population for whom current treatment options are extremely limited. Stenoparib may represent a novel, targeted and better-tolerated treatment option for these patients who are typically offered only marginally effective, toxic chemotherapies.

In parallel, this trial will serve to advance Allarity’s proprietary Drug Response Predictor (DRP) companion diagnostic and further evaluate the WNT-modulating mechanism of action unique to stenoparib.

About Stenoparib
Stenoparib is an orally available, small-molecule dual-targeted inhibitor of PARP1/2 and tankyrase 1/2. At present, tankyrases are attracting significant attention as emerging therapeutic targets for cancer, principally due to their role in regulating the WNT signaling pathway. Aberrant WNT/β-catenin signaling has been implicated in the development and progression of numerous cancers. By inhibiting PARP and blocking WNT pathway activation, stenoparib’s unique therapeutic action shows potential as a promising therapeutic for many cancer types, including ovarian cancer. Allarity has secured exclusive global rights for the development and commercialization of stenoparib, which was originally developed by Eisai Co. Ltd. and was formerly known under the names E7449 and 2X-121.

About the Drug Response Predictor – DRP Companion Diagnostic
Allarity uses its drug-specific DRP to select those patients who, by the gene expression signature of their cancer, may have a high likelihood of benefiting from a specific drug. By screening patients before treatment, and only treating those patients with a sufficiently high, drug-specific DRP score, the therapeutic benefit rate may be enhanced. The DRP method builds on the comparison of sensitive vs. resistant human cancer cell lines, including transcriptomic information from cell lines, combined with clinical tumor biology filters and prior clinical trial outcomes. DRP is based on messenger RNA expression profiles from patient biopsies. The DRP platform has shown an ability to provide a statistically significant prediction of the clinical outcome from drug treatment in cancer patients across dozens of clinical studies (both retrospective and prospective). The DRP platform, which may be useful in all cancer types and is patented for dozens of anti-cancer drugs, has been extensively published in the peer-reviewed literature.

Turnstone Biologics Corp. Enters into Agreement to be Acquired by XOMA Royalty
Corporation for $0.34 in Cash Per Share Plus a Contingent Value Right

On June 27, 2025 XOMA Royalty Corporation ("XOMA Royalty") (Nasdaq: XOMA) and Turnstone Biologics Corp. ("Turnstone" or the "Company") (Nasdaq-CM: TSBX) reported that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement ("the Merger Agreement"), whereby XOMA Royalty will acquire Turnstone for $0.34 in cash per share of Turnstone common stock ("Turnstone common stock") plus one non-transferable contingent value right ("CVR") (Press release, Turnstone Biologics, JUN 27, 2025, View Source [SID1234654159]).

Following a thorough review process conducted with the assistance of its legal and financial advisors, the Turnstone Board of Directors has unanimously determined that the acquisition by XOMA Royalty is in the best interests of all Turnstone stockholders and has approved the Merger Agreement and related transactions.

Terms

Pursuant and subject to the terms of the Merger Agreement, XOMA Royalty will commence a tender offer (the "Offer") by July 11, 2025, to acquire all outstanding shares of Turnstone common stock. The closing of the Offer is subject to certain conditions, including the tender of Turnstone common stock representing at least a majority of the total number of outstanding shares, a minimum cash balance at closing, and other customary closing conditions. Immediately following the closing of the tender offer, Turnstone will be acquired by XOMA Royalty, and all remaining shares not tendered in the offer, other than shares validly subject to appraisal, will be converted into the right to receive the same cash and CVR consideration per share as is provided in the tender offer. Turnstone stockholders holding approximately 25.2% of Turnstone common stock have signed support agreements under which such stockholders have agreed to tender their shares in the Offer and support the merger transaction. The merger transaction is expected to close in August 2025.

Advisors

Leerink Partners is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Cooley LLP is acting as legal counsel to Turnstone. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is acting as legal counsel to XOMA Royalty.

Titan Pharmaceuticals Announces $600,000 Private Placement of Convertible Preferred Stock

On June 27, 2025 Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTNP) ("Titan" or the "Company") reported that, pursuant to a securities purchase agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") with Blue Harbour Asset Management L.L.C-FZ ("Blue Harbour"), it has completed a private placement of the Company’s newly designated Series C Convertible Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock") (Press release, Titan Pharmaceuticals, JUN 27, 2025, View Source [SID1234654158]). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, Blue Harbour purchased 60,000 shares of Preferred Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $600,000. The shares have a conversion price of $3.40.

The Certificate of Designations authorizing the Preferred Stock contains a beneficial ownership conversion "blocker" that prevents Blue Harbour from acquiring the lower of either (i) the maximum percentage of common stock permissible under Nasdaq rules and regulations without first obtaining shareholder approval or (ii) 19.99% of the Company’s outstanding common stock.

The shares being sold in this transaction do not involve a public offering and have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), in reliance on Regulation S thereunder. Titan and Blue Harbour have concurrently entered into a registration rights agreement (the "Registration Rights Agreement") pursuant to which Titan has agreed to provide certain registration rights upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement. Additional information regarding the agreement can be found in an 8-K that was filed with the SEC: View Source

ARC Group Ltd. served as sole financial advisor to Titan in the private placement.

Sona Announces Ethics Committee Approval For Melanoma Clinical Trial

On June 27, 2025 Sona Nanotech Inc. (CSE: SONA) (OTCQB: SNANF) (the "Company", "Sona"), an oncology-focused life sciences company developing innovative therapies based on its uniquely biocompatible gold nanorod technology, reported that it has received ethics committee approval to proceed with its previously announced early feasibility study of its Targeted Hyperthermia Therapy ("THT") cancer treatment (Press release, Sona Nanotech, JUN 27, 2025, View Source [SID1234654155]).

Sona CEO David Regan commented, "This ethics committee approval gives us the green light we’ve been waiting for to begin enrolling patients suffering from late-stage melanoma, for whom no other therapy has worked, to participate in our first-in-human clinical trial. Our clinical trial partner will now begin enrolling patients, and we will advise when a first dosing of our THT treatment has occurred. Sona’s CMO, Dr. Carman Giacomantonio, will provide clinical training and will observe the application of THT in the first patients enrolled."

The study is designed to assess safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy and will include two treatments of Sona’s THT, one week apart, for patients with advanced melanoma who are on, but have failed to respond to, a standard of care immunotherapy protocol. The study is anticipated to be conducted this summer with an initial read-out of final results expected by September, subject to enrollment rates.