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CQDM, the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and Theratechnologies fund close to $2 million for research project to validate the anti-metastatic potential of TH1902 at the Université du Québec à Montréal

On July 12, 2022 CQDM, the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and Theratechnologies reported close to CAN $2 million of funding for a collaborative research project that aims to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of a potential innovative treatment for patients affected by metastatic cancer (Press release, Theratechnologies, JUL 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234616602]). This public-private partnership is made possible through a grant of $824,130 from the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation (MEI) via CQDM, a donation of $186,600 from the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and a contribution of $21,000 from Mitacs. It also includes a contribution of $796,610 from Theratechnologies, as part of the company’s annual multi-million-dollar investment in the development of its oncology therapeutic platform using TH1902.

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The project will be led by Professor Borhane Annabi at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and builds directly on the success of a previous CQDM-funded study also involving Professor Annabi’s and Theratechnologies’ teams. This earlier work led to the development of TH1902, a new therapeutic approach against cancer that is still in development. TH1902 enables the delivery of the chemotherapeutic agent directly into cancer cells through the recognition and internalizing function of a protein called sortilin, which is overexpressed on the surface of the cells. These major scientific advances have driven the launch of clinical studies in patients suffering from hard-to-treat solid tumors, such as patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In order to capitalize on the results obtained to date and as sortilin is also overexpressed on the surface of metastatic cells, the new project will evaluate the therapeutic potential of the compound in several metastatic cancer models. If the hypothesis of the teams is confirmed, the project will increase the spectrum of cancer patients who could benefit from this new therapy.

Today’s announcement will allow Theratechnologies, a Montreal-based company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies, to further cultivate the potential of TH1902 – its main peptide-drug conjugate. As a result of the combined academic and industry expertise, this initiative ultimately could strengthen the therapeutic arsenal available to patients affected by various types of cancers at different stages that too often remain incurable, as is the case in triple-negative breast cancer.

"This research project has the potential to improve the quality of life of many people with cancer and that is no small feat! Much work remains to be done, and we will continue to support the companies and organizations that are working tirelessly to develop new therapeutic avenues to improve the quality of life of Quebecers," said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy and Innovation and Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development.

"CQDM is very pleased to contribute to the achievement of this new project led by exceptional research teams that have already demonstrated their ability to accomplish and surpass the targeted objectives. We are fully confident that this renewed collaboration will lead to crucial advances in the fight against metastatic cancer, a major step in improving the prognosis of patients with advanced and difficult-to-treat cancers," said Diane Gosselin, President and CEO of CQDM.

"A diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer can be devastating and comes with many fears and uncertainties about the future – both for the woman diagnosed and for her family and friends – and unfortunately, there have been few treatments available," said Karine Iseult Ippersiel, President and CEO of the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. "We are thrilled that this new potential treatment option brings a sense of hope for the future and the prospect of a better quality of life for women living with this disease."

"We are delighted to be part of this innovative partnership with key players in the Quebec life sciences community. Our oncology platform originates from local research and leverages a unique and very promising new receptor called sortilin. The enormous potential of TH1902 to treat several types of cancer motivates us to accelerate its development in metastatic and hard-to-treat cancers. This collaboration will allow us to increase its potential to change the lives of those touched by such a devastating disease," said Paul Lévesque, President and Chief Executive Officer of Theratechnologies.

"It is with great humility and optimism that our team of oncology researchers is committed to meeting this new challenge. A better understanding of the molecular mechanism of action of TH1902 will indeed allow us to evaluate its ability to bypass treatment-resistant properties and eventually contribute to minimizing recurrence in patients," said Borhane Annabi, Professor at UQAM and holder of the Chair in Cancer Prevention and Treatment.

CEO Quarterly Update Q2 2022

On July 12, 2022 Sirona Biochem Corp. (TSX-V: SBM) (FSE: ZSB) (OTC: SRBCF) ("Sirona") provides the following update (Press release, Sirona Biochem, JUL 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234616601]):

Dear shareholders,

We are pleased to provide an outlook of our ongoing corporate development.

On June 13th we announced that we had successfully completed an exclusive global license for TFC-1067 and related family of compounds with Allergan Aesthetics (an AbbVie company). This deal represents a major milestone for Sirona and one we have been working on for some time. While this clearly validates our science and our chemistry platform, the deal also speaks volumes about the team we have here at Sirona. Although we are still a small organization, we were able to rise to the challenge of a long and intensive due diligence process while maintaining operations and moving other projects forward. We will continue to grow our team on the strong base we have built as a group.

The deal will make Sirona a profitable company and the value will be realized. Terms of the agreement were negotiated with the assistance of industry expert Linda Pullan of Pullan Consulting and our legal team from McMillan LLP. The agreement includes a long-term revenue stream in addition to significant upfront and milestone payments. We can now leverage the success of this deal and have already been provided opportunities to meet with institutional investors and analysts. We will continue to build this company and target rapid growth over the second half of 2022 and beyond.

We recently added Dr. Wolfgang Bieber to our strategic advisory board. He has started a review of the company on an operational level and will report on improvements to maximize the talent and value from our team and facilities. He will also assist in any management changes that take place. We plan to have further additions to this new board of advisors in order to improve operations and effectively manage and speed up the development of our promising product pipeline.

TFC-039 Animal Health
Our anti-diabetes drug, TFC-039, is being evaluated as a treatment in companion animals by a number of the top global animal healthcare companies. SGLT2 inhibitors provide an opportunity to treat inflicted animals with a once-daily oral medication as opposed to the traditional method of daily insulin injections. There are currently no alternatives to insulin injections in animal health.

Discussions and due diligence activities with global animal health companies continue to progress. As outlined in our previous CEO update, Wanbang Biopharmaceuticals has signed a binding Letter of Intent and remains committed to providing data and manufacturing information to potential partners. Discussions between Wanbang and a number of these companies are currently ongoing.

TFC-039 Other Indication
Studies on a new indication for TFC-039 have shown promising results and the next steps are being planned. Details of the new indication will not be disclosed until patented, but the opportunity as a valuable therapeutic exists in an area of great need.

Anti-Aging
Batch scale-up and formulation of our lead anti-aging compound are in preparation for a clinical trial. In parallel, we are working with a contract research organization to finalize the trial plan and determine the endpoints that will give us the most commercially viable results. The trial is expected to begin in H2 2022 and will take place in France. We are in discussions with several pharmaceutical / dermatology companies that may participate in the trial for a right-of-first-refusal to license the compound. This compound has the potential to revolutionize the antiaging market as BOTOX did with the antiwrinkle market. After many years of research, we are excited to reach the pivotal milestone of a clinical trial.

Antiviral
As announced on 20 December 2021, our library of 20 antiviral compounds was tested by Utah State University’s Institute of Antiviral Research and results were inconclusive. We have now identified a European institution with the potential to screen the antiviral library through customized development tests. TFChem is preparing the contract for this partnership which will be announced when completed. Testing is expected to start in H2 of 2022. We have expanded this library of compounds through ongoing work at our research facility in France. The need for new antivirals remains incredibly strong as vaccines struggle to combat continually evolving viruses like the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The antiviral market is estimated to reach $64 B US by 2028 .

Greenwich LifeSciences Announces Removal of Clinical Hold Permitting Phase III Clinical Trial to Proceed

On July 12, 2022 Greenwich LifeSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GLSI) (the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of GLSI-100, reported that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed the clinical hold permitting the Flamingo-01 Phase III clinical trial to proceed (Press release, Greenwich LifeSciences, JUL 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234616600]).

As previously announced, the Phase III clinical trial was placed on clinical hold by the FDA related to manufacturing and the pharmacy process. The Company through discussions with the FDA and testing of GP2 in the pharmacy process has satisfactorily addressed the clinical hold issues. The Company has committed to additional testing of GP2 in the pharmacy process. On July 11, 2022, the FDA formally removed the clinical hold and thus the Flamingo-01 Phase III clinical trial may proceed as planned. The Company has begun site initiation visits and will provide further updates on the progress of Flamingo-01 in the future.

LegoChem Biosciences and Glycotope Announce Research Collaboration and License Agreement for an Antibody for use as Antibody Drug Conjugate

On June 12, 2022 LegoChem Biosciences Inc. (LCB) and Glycotope GmbH (Glycotope) reported that they have signed a Research Collaboration and License Agreement to develop an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) by combining LCB’s proprietary ADC technology with one of Glycotope’s investigational tumor targeting antibodies (Press release, Glycotope, JUL 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234616599]).

Under the terms of the agreement LCB has the right to exercise its option for worldwide exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the selected antibody as ADC, upon successful completion of a feasibility study. If LCB exercises these rights, Glycotope will receive an upfront payment as well as development and sales milestone payments plus royalties. Specific financial terms have not been disclosed.

"Through this collaboration, once the candidate ADC is discovered and nominated, Glycotope and LCB plan to advance this very innovative program to clinical stage as a competitive cancer therapy," said Dr. Yong-Zu Kim, CEO & President of LCB. "We are very pleased that companies with innovative antibody platforms, such as Glycotope have recognized the advantages of LCB’s linker-payload technology, which has been proven to be plasma stable as well as cancer-selectively activated."

"This exciting collaboration with LegoChem further underlines the value of Glycotope’s unique technology platform and strengthens our leading position in the development of highly specific glyco-epitope targeting antibodies," added Henner Kollenberg, CEO, Glycotope.

"Our antibodies are designed to deliver increased tumor selectivity. Combining these with LCB’s ADC technology platform offers the opportunity to develop ADCs with potential to perform beyond today’s best standard of care," said Patrik Kehler, CSO, Glycotope.

ADCs are a type of targeted cancer medicine that deliver cytotoxic chemotherapy ("payload") to cancer cells via a linker attached to a monoclonal antibody that binds to a specific target expressed on cancer cells. LCB’s ADC platform technologies overcome the existing limitations of ADCs by imparting a trinity of improved properties, (1) site-specific stable bioconjugation (2) cancer selective linker activation and (3) cancer-selective activation of potent payload, all of which in a significantly broader Therapeutic Window.

Glycotope’s antibodies target specific tumor-associated carbohydrate structures or protein/carbohydrate combined glyco-epitopes (GlycoTargets). Targeting these specific antigens enables broad indication range, long-term treatment potential and reduced on-target/off tumor toxicity, key elements of highly potent therapies. Based on this unrivalled tumor-specificity, Glycotope’s antibodies are highly suitable for a multi-function platform approach with independent modes of action to provide a tailored therapy format for as many patients as possible.

Bicycle Therapeutics Announces Further Expansion of Genentech Immuno-Oncology Collaboration

On July 12, 2022 Bicycle Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ: BCYC), a biotechnology company pioneering a new and differentiated class of therapeutics based on its proprietary bicyclic peptide (Bicycle) technology, reported that Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, has exercised its second option to initiate a new program, expanding the exclusive strategic collaboration agreement with Bicycle to discover, develop and commercialize novel Bicycle-based immuno-oncology therapies (Press release, Bicycle Therapeutics, JUL 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234616597]).

Bicycle and Genentech are collaborating on the discovery and pre-clinical development of novel Bicycle-based immunotherapies against multiple targets. Pursuant to the terms of the February 2020 agreement, Genentech was granted two collaboration expansion options, each of which gave Genentech the right to add one additional program to the collaboration in exchange for a $10 million payment to Bicycle. In October 2021, Genentech exercised its first expansion option, and has now exercised its second expansion option, triggering an additional $10 million payment. None of the compounds in Bicycle’s wholly owned oncology pipeline, including its immuno-oncology candidates, are included in the collaboration.

"We are pleased both with the ongoing progress in our collaboration with the preeminent immuno-oncology team at Genentech, and that Genentech has once again elected to exercise an option to add a new program," said Kevin Lee, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Bicycle Therapeutics. "This represents the second expansion option exercised by Genentech under the terms of our collaboration agreement, and we believe this highlights the potential of Bicycles across a wide range of targets. We look forward to our continued collaboration to develop potential new cancer treatments based on Bicycles."