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Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

On September 30, 2021, Exicure, Inc. ("Exicure") and Exicure Operating Company, Exicure’s wholly owned subsidiary (collectively with Exicure, the "Company") reported that entered into an amendment ("Amendment No. 3") to the Company’s Credit and Security Agreement, dated as of September 25, 2020, as amended on October 21, 2020 and July 30, 2021, with MidCap Financial Trust, as agent, and the lenders party thereto from time to time (as amended by Amendment No. 3, the "Credit Agreement") (Filing, 8-K, Exicure, SEP 30, 2021, View Source [SID1234590895]).

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Amendment No. 3 extends the availability of the second advance of $7.5 million under the Credit Agreement from September 30, 2021 to December 31, 2021, subject to the Company’s satisfaction of certain applicable funding conditions as described in Amendment No. 3, including i.) Exicure’s issuance of equity interests, subject to certain limitations, resulting in receipt by Exicure of unrestricted net cash proceeds of at least $20.0 million, and ii.) the contribution by Exicure, and receipt by Exicure Operating Company, of such cash proceeds to the capital of Exicure Operating Company.

RGENIX Announces Company Name Change to Inspirna and Expands Board of Directors with Appointment of Pharma Veteran Dieter Weinand

On September 30, 2021 Inspirna, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class small molecule and biologic cancer therapeutics, reported its corporate name change from Rgenix to Inspirna and announced the appointment of Dieter Weinand to its Board of Directors, where he will serve as Chairman (Press release, Rgenix, SEP 30, 2021, View Source [SID1234590622]).

"Given the recent progress made advancing our novel oral small molecule programs RGX-202 and RGX-104 through the clinic, and in anticipation of executing on upcoming milestones, we knew this was an opportune time to align our company name with the science on which our pipeline is based," said Masoud Tavazoie, M.D., Ph.D., and Chief Executive Officer of Inspirna. "Our new name and logo combine our desire to inspire the development of new cancer medicines with our proprietary RNA-based target discovery platform, and we believe this name now more closely aligns with our mission to develop novel therapeutics that can uniquely benefit patients with difficult to treat cancers."

The Company currently has two clinical trials ongoing, including a Phase 1b study of RGX-202, a novel oral small molecule in development for colorectal cancer (CRC), and a Phase 1b/2 study of RGX-104, a novel oral small molecule in development for several lung cancer indications, including small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Additionally, RGX-019, a novel biologic drug candidate, is in preclinical testing in select solid and liquid tumors. Inspirna plans to provide an update on its programs at its upcoming virtual R&D Day.

Inspirna also announced the appointment of Dieter Weinand to its Board of Directors. Mr. Weinand, formerly CEO of Bayer Pharma AG, brings over 30 years of experience across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dieter to Inspirna," said Dr. Tavazoie. "A seasoned executive in the pharma and biotech industries, his insight will be invaluable as we work to advance our drug candidates through the clinic. He has guided companies across various therapeutic areas, including oncology, from the clinical phase through launch and commercialization, and we look forward to benefitting from his expertise."

"I am delighted to be joining the Inspirna Board of Directors as Chairman at this time of tremendous progress for the Company," said Mr. Weinand. "I am impressed with the clinical and preclinical work the Company has completed thus far and was drawn to the RNA technology on which the pipeline is founded, which I believe has the potential to provide new treatment options for patients with cancer."

Prior to his most recent role as CEO of Bayer Pharma AG, Mr. Weinand held senior leadership positions at Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Sanofi, with responsibilities ranging from management and strategy to operations and commercialization. He has led the launch and marketing of numerous products, including those in primary care, specialty care, and oncology. Mr. Weinand sits on several boards as Chairman, including Replimune, ForeBio, Mnemo and ZielBioPharma. Additionally, he is a director of FieldTrip Health. Mr. Weinand earned his M.S. in pharmacology and toxicology from Long Island University and his B.A. in biology from Concordia College.

Virtual R&D Day on Tuesday, October 26th

Inspirna will host a virtual R&D Day on Tuesday, October 26th, 2021 at 3:00 PM ET. The private event will be open to analysts and investors. Details will be provided to invitees separately. Those interested in attending the event should contact [email protected].

Signify Health and HealthComp collaborate to develop value-based health benefits

On September 30, 2021 Signify Health (NYSE: SGFY), a leading value-based healthcare platform that leverages advanced analytics, technology and nationwide healthcare provider networks, and HealthComp, the largest independent health benefits administrator in the country, reported a new strategic collaboration to give self-funded employer groups an affordable health benefits package that embeds value-based payments with value-based benefits design (Press release, Signify Health, SEP 30, 2021, https://www.signifyhealth.com/news/signify-health-and-healthcomp-collaborate-to-develop-value-based-health-benefits [SID1234590621]).

"Having successfully built a value-based care platform to support providers, employers, and health plans who are committed to improving patient outcomes, our collaboration with a leading third-party administrator such as HealthComp opens up new opportunities to drive the transformation away from the broken fee for service model," said Peter Boumenot, Chief Product Officer, Signify Health. "We believe that converging value-based payments with value-based benefit design is essential for all stakeholders at both the individual and the population levels. HealthComp’s proven capabilities will help us bridge this gap for employers across the country who are looking for turnkey solutions that improve costs and outcomes."

"The majority of the employers we work with are looking for new ways to strengthen the alignment of cost, quality and member satisfaction with their benefits offerings," said Justin Tran, Senior Vice President of medical cost management at HealthComp. "By working with Signify Health, we have a unique opportunity to bring together advanced alternative payment models with advanced benefits designs that deliver the clinical and operational excellence needed to address the root causes of suboptimal health outcomes and increasing costs."

Employers are increasingly adopting value-based insurance designs (VBID), which align the appropriate use of high value healthcare services with the engagement of high-performance providers who are accountable for health outcomes. A new white paper published by VBID Health describes how VBID and alternative payment models can be brought together to improve overall health and lower the costs of healthcare delivery and references many of the tools that are available for employers working in collaboration with providers, third-party administrators, and carriers. Early results of similar payment arrangements with Signify Health have shown a promising reduction in both health plan spend and adverse clinical events for members engaged in the program.

The partnership will focus on leveraging Signify Health’s leading capabilities in episode-based financing and high-value provider networks, along with HealthComp’s innovative approach to comprehensive benefits administration and member engagement, to create more affordable, predictable, transparent, and member-focused benefit design. Value-based benefits developed by HealthComp and powered by Signify Health’s value-based payment platform will be offered in select markets across the U.S.

LDL receptor-peptide conjugate as in vivo tool for specific targeting of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

On September 30, 2021 VECT-HORUS reported to be part of the research in PDAC with its theranostic agents to first improve PDAC diagnosis, response monitoring or recurrence detection in operated patients and also treat them (Press release, Vect-Horus, SEP 30, 2021, View Source [SID1234590620]).
Cedric malicet, Oncology Department Manager, is pleased to inform you of the recent publication of the article " LDL receptor-peptide conjugate as in vivo tool for specific targeting of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma " in Communications Biology.

Regulus Therapeutics’ Director David Baltimore Receives 2021 Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science

On September 30, 2021 Regulus Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: RGLS), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs (the "Company" or "Regulus"), reported that David Baltimore, Ph.D., a director of Regulus, is the recipient of the 2021 Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award in the category of Medical Science (Press release, Regulus, SEP 30, 2021, View Source [SID1234590618]).

Dr. Baltimore’s recognition is based on the breadth and substance of his discoveries in virology, immunology, and cancer as well as his leadership within the academic and scientific communities and his extensive work as a public advocate for science.

The Lasker Awards program honors discoveries and clinical advances that improve human health and highlights the importance of public support for science. The awards program is widely considered one of the most prestigious awards programs in medical science and numerous recipients, including Dr. Baltimore, also hold Nobel Prizes.

"On behalf of the Regulus team, we congratulate David for this recognition of his extensive and impressive body of work," said Jay Hagan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Regulus. "As a 1975 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine, David has made multiple foundational scientific discoveries over the course of his career, including the discovery of reverse transcriptase, as well as his additional research, which has contributed broadly to our understanding of cancer, AIDS, and the underlying biology of the immune response. He has been a powerful advocate for science over the years, advancing work that helped America respond to the AIDS crisis, and has played a significant role in the development of the biotechnology industry in America. We are proud that he is a part of Regulus and continually benefit from his guidance as we advance our pipeline of microRNA therapeutics."

More information about the foundation and the Special Achievement Award can be found here.

About David Baltimore, Ph.D.

Dr. David Baltimore is a Director of Regulus and President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Biology at Caltech. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1975, Dr. Baltimore has profoundly influenced national science policy on such issues as recombinant DNA research and the AIDS epidemic. Dr. Baltimore graduated from Swarthmore College with a degree in chemistry. He took graduate courses at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his Ph.D. from Rockefeller University. He was a postdoctoral fellow at MIT and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He was a Research Associate at The Salk Institute in 1965 and joined the faculty at MIT in 1968. He has served as Director of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, President of Rockefeller University, and President of Caltech. He was awarded the 1999 National Medal of Science and 2000 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a foreign member of the Royal Society of London and the French Academy of Sciences. He has also been President and Chair of the American Association of the Advancement of Science.