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Thermo Fisher Scientific Calls for Grant Proposals to Support Research in Cancer Molecular Profiling

On February 28, 2022 Thermo Fisher Scientific reported that it is calling for new proposals for its Oncomine Clinical Research Grant (Press release, Thermo Fisher Scientific, FEB 28, 2022, View Source [SID1234609168]). The latest request for submissions from the global scientific community will award funding for molecular profiling research that helps accelerate the use of genomic sequencing in oncology .

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"Next-generation sequencing is vital to match eligible patients with lung carcinomas with targeted therapies, but often this testing takes too long to inform their care"

The recipients of the grants will each be awarded up to $200,000 in reagents and general funding for independent clinical research proposals that demonstrate excellence in cancer molecular profiling. Project proposals harnessing the value of next generation sequencing (NGS) in either the context of solid or hematological cancers will be reviewed by independent and internationally recognized experts for scientific rigor and merit. Grant proposals are now being accepted through April 7, 2022.

"The Oncomine Clinical Research Grant program aims to fund research furthering our understanding of cancer at the genomic level. The identification of specific cancer biomarkers associated with response or resistance to treatment can inform clinical care and potentially help predict patient outcomes," said José Luis Costa, Ph.D., director of medical affairs for clinical next-generation sequencing and oncology, Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Thermo Fisher is committed to supporting scientists and researchers globally as we look to advance cutting-edge genetic research."

Since launching the program in 2020, Thermo Fisher has awarded Oncomine Clinical Research Grants to 16 projects worldwide in support of research in hematology-oncology, immuno-oncology, liquid biopsy, and fusion gene detection. Recipients of the last funding round, which supported clinical research programs using NGS technology in solid tumors and hematology-oncology applications, included: Myung-shin Kim, The Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, South Korea; Wolfram Jochum, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Switzerland; Fernando Lopez-Rios, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Spain; Tarek Bismar, University of Calgary, Canada.

"Next-generation sequencing is vital to match eligible patients with lung carcinomas with targeted therapies, but often this testing takes too long to inform their care," said grant recipient Fernando Lopez-Rios, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre. "With the support from the Oncomine Clinical Research Grant, we hope to demonstrate that comprehensive genomic sequencing with very rapid turnaround times can increase patient access and advance the idea of universal testing of all patients with lung carcinomas, including those with early-stage disease."

Blue Earth Diagnostics Appoints Dr. David E. Gauden as Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Eugene J. Teoh as Chief Medical Officer

On February 28, 2022 Blue Earth Diagnostics, a Bracco company and recognized leader in the development and commercialization of innovative PET radiopharmaceuticals, reported the appointment of David E. Gauden, D.Phil. as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Press release, Blue Earth Diagnostics, FEB 28, 2022, View Source [SID1234609167]). Former CEO and Executive Chairman Jonathan Allis, D.Phil., assumes the role of Honorary Chairman of the Blue Earth Diagnostics Board of Directors. Dr. Gauden will retain his current responsibilities as President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer and report to Bracco Imaging CEO Fulvio Renoldi Bracco. Terri Wilson, President of BED Inc. (US), will assume additional responsibilities in support of Blue Earth Diagnostics, including global commercial responsibilities. The Company also announced the promotion of Eugene J. Teoh, MBBS, MRCP, FRCR, D.Phil., to Chief Medical Officer (CMO). The changes reflect a new phase of growth and global corporate development for Blue Earth Diagnostics.

Dr. Gauden, a co-founder of Blue Earth Diagnostics, brings more than 20 years of industry expertise in radiopharmaceuticals and diagnostic medical imaging to his new role. Prior to the founding of Blue Earth Diagnostics in 2014, Dr. Gauden served as Product Leader for oncology molecular imaging at GE Healthcare, with business responsibility for the product portfolio, licensing, product development and strategic marketing activities across a range of developmental PET drugs. Dr. Gauden holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Warwick and a doctorate in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford.

"Blue Earth Diagnostics is poised to achieve significant near-term milestones in our mission to deliver diagnostic imaging solutions to inform and guide the clinical management of patients with cancer," said Dr. Gauden. "I am excited and honored to assume the role of CEO as our Company enters a new stage of growth. As the recognized leader in PET prostate cancer diagnostic imaging, we are actively progressing our comprehensive prostate cancer portfolio, which includes 18F-fluciclovine and our investigational rhPSMA technology platform. Our investigational program for the use of 18F-fluciclovine in neuro-oncology and other applications is well underway, as are plans to acquire additional diagnostic imaging technology. Speaking on behalf of the entire Company, we want to express our sincere thanks to our founding CEO, Jonathan Allis, who, in his eight years of unswerving commitment and deep, strategic insight, advanced Blue Earth to the industry leadership position that it holds today."

Dr. Teoh, Blue Earth Diagnostics’ new CMO, reports to CEO David Gauden. He joined the Company in 2018 as European (EU) Medical Director and was subsequently promoted to Vice President Clinical Development. He takes the reins from former CMO Peter Gardiner, MB ChB, FRCP, FFPM, who will continue to serve in a strategic advisory capacity through 2022. As CMO, Dr. Teoh has overall medical oversight and will contribute to strategic direction and guide development of innovative molecular imaging products to help guide clinicians in the diagnosis and management of cancer patients.

Since joining Blue Earth Diagnostics, Dr. Teoh has developed and progressed the Company’s brain metastases clinical program from inception to its current Phase 2/3 status. He has provided medical leadership and input to product lifecycle and pipeline research and development activities. Prior to joining Blue Earth Diagnostics, Dr. Teoh served as a consultant and investigator to the Company in research to advance its prostate cancer pipeline. Dr. Teoh obtained his medical degree from Imperial College School of Medicine, in London, UK, and completed his initial medical training in Oxford and London. This was followed by specialist training in radiology at Oxford, leading to board-certification in radiology with sub-specialization in diagnostic nuclear medicine. Dr. Teoh is a member of the Royal College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists in the UK, and holds a doctorate in cancer imaging from the University of Oxford. He has published his research in prestigious medical journals and presented at a variety of national and international meetings.

"It is an honor to take the role of CMO at Blue Earth Diagnostics, and I am committed to continuing our success in the development of radiopharmaceuticals to fulfil an unmet medical need for clinicians and improve patient care," said Dr. Teoh. "This is a pivotal time for Blue Earth Diagnostics as a growing international diagnostic imaging company. We look forward to sharing results of our efforts as we work to provide well-differentiated solutions to best inform patient care."

Immune-Onc Therapeutics to Participate in the Cowen 42nd Annual Health Care Conference and the Oppenheimer 32nd Annual Healthcare Conference

On February 28, 2022 Immune-Onc Therapeutics, Inc. ("Immune-Onc"), a private, clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company developing novel biotherapeutics targeting immunosuppressive myeloid checkpoints, reported that Charlene Liao, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Immune-Onc, will host virtual one-on-one investor meetings at the Cowen 42nd Annual Health Care Conference and will deliver a company presentation at the Oppenheimer 32nd Annual Healthcare Conference (Press release, Immune-Onc Therapeutics, FEB 28, 2022, View Source [SID1234609166]). Details of the conferences are as follows:

Cowen 42nd Annual Health Care Conference (March 7-9, 2022)

Immune-Onc will be scheduling virtual one-on-one investor meetings as a private company. Meetings may be requested through Cowen.
Oppenheimer 32nd Annual Healthcare Conference (March 15-17, 2022)

Immune-Onc will present a corporate overview on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, at 4:40 PM – 5:10 PM ET (Track 6) and will participate in virtual one-on-one meetings. Please contact your Oppenheimer representative to schedule.

Pfizer Invites Public to View and Listen to Webcast of Pfizer Discussion at Healthcare Conference

On February 28, 2022 Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) reported that invites investors and the general public to view and listen to a webcast of a discussion with Angela Hwang, Group President, Pfizer Biopharmaceuticals Group; Andy Schmeltz, Global President, Oncology; and Suneet Varma, Global President, Rare Disease at the Cowen 42nd Annual Health Care Conference on Monday, March 7, 2022 at 9:50 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (Press release, Pfizer, FEB 28, 2022, View Source [SID1234609165]).

To view and listen to the webcast, visit our web site at www.pfizer.com/investors. Information on accessing and registering for the webcast will be available at www.pfizer.com/investors beginning today.

The transcript and webcast replay of the discussion will be made available on our web site at www.pfizer.com/investors within 24 hours after the end of the live discussion and will be accessible for at least 90 days.

City of Hope and Osel Announce Live Biotherapeutic Product CBM588 May Enhance Efficacy of Immunotherapy for Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer

On February 28, 2022 City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, and Osel Inc., a company developing live biotherapeutic products for modulation of the human microbiome, reported Phase 1 trial data showing that use of the live biotherapeutic CBM588 (Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588 strain) plus immunotherapy medicine nivolumab/ipilimumab significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with metastatic kidney cancer when compared to use of nivolumab/ipilimumab alone (Press release, City of Hope, FEB 28, 2022, View Source [SID1234609164]). The study was published in Nature Medicine today.

"To our knowledge, this is the first randomized clinical trial to demonstrate that a live bacterial product can modulate the gastrointestinal microbiome and enhance immunotherapy response in cancer patients. These results can help improve treatment options for patients with kidney cancer and is an important foundational step to bring about more effective targeted therapies for cancer treatment," said Sumanta K. Pal, M.D., a professor in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research at City of Hope and senior author of the study.

CBM588 is a nonpathogenic bacteria that has multiple documented beneficial effects on the human microbiome. It produces short-chain fatty acids (mainly butyric acid), a well-known energy source for the lining of the GI tract, and has immunomodulatory properties. The bacterial strain appears to exert additional beneficial effects, including inhibiting pathogenic microorganisms and helping to restore the GI lining and decrease intestinal imbalance.

Last summer, City of Hope granted an exclusive worldwide license to Osel for intellectual property on the novel use of CBM588 to enhance the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors to treat cancer.

In the clinical trial, 30 patients with metastatic kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma) who had never received treatment before were randomized to receive either CBM588 orally in combination with nivolumab/ipilimumab or nivolumab/ipilimumab alone. Data showed a significant improvement in progression-free survival in patients treated with CBM588 plus nivolumab/ipilimumab (12.7 months) compared to nivolumab/ipilimumab alone (2.5 months). Additionally, use of CBM588 in combination therapy was linked to an increase in response rate when compared to use of nivolumab/ipilimumab therapy alone (58% vs. 20%).

While there was no significant difference between the treatment groups in terms of the amount of the Bifidobacterium genus bacteria, patients who responded to the CBM588 with nivolumab/ipilimumab treatment had significant increases in the Bifidobacterium species. There were no significant differences in treatment-related toxicity reported between the two groups.

"Over the last several years, the immunotherapy field has been closely studying how the GI microbiome can enhance immune checkpoint efficacy for the treatment of cancer," said Thomas Parks, Ph.D., director of product development at Osel. "Compared to microbiome modulation using fecal transplants, CBM588 given orally is potentially a more effective, reproducible, scalable and safer method to treat patients. We look forward to supporting the world-class team at City of Hope as they advance CBM588 in additional clinical trials."

Osel licensed the rights for the pharmaceutical use of CBM588 in the United States, Canada and Europe from Miyarisan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. CBM588 is manufactured under GMP (good manufacturing practice) and marketed in Japan by Miyarisan Pharmaceutical as a prescription product known as MIYA-BM (Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588 strain) to treat GI indications.

"City of Hope is currently conducting another Phase 1 clinical trial of CBM588 in combination with nivolumab and tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib for the treatment of advanced or metastatic kidney cancer," said Pal, co-director of the Kidney Cancer Program at City of Hope. "We are working to open a large, randomized Phase 3 trial of CBM588 in the future."

Jeffrey Trent, Ph.D., Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) president and research director, a contributor to the study, said, "The field of microbiome research is exploding as evidenced by the clinical importance of this study, which points to the continued growth of clinical research and scientific understanding of the microbiome’s connection to disease and recovery." TGen is an affiliate of City of Hope.

Nazli Dizman, M.D., and Luis Meza, M.D., who were both postdoctoral fellows at City of Hope when the study was conducted, were lead researchers on the trial and co-primary authors. Funding for the study, "Nivolumab plus ipilimumab with or without live bacterial supplementation in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a randomized phase 1 trial," was provided by a grant from the Gateway for Cancer Research (Grant 449 ID: G-20-100).