On September 28, 2021 Van Andel Institute’s Stephanie Grainger, Ph.D., reported that it has been awarded a $2,375,000, five-year Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (Press release, Van Andel Institute, SEP 28, 2021, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=stephanie-grainger-maximizing-investigators-research-award [SID1234590448]). This prestigious grant will support Grainger’s exploration of a critical type of cellular communication that drives healthy development and, when disrupted, can spur cancer, osteoporosis, heart conditions and other diseases.

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Called Wnt (and pronounced "wint"), this vital molecular pathway is central to a host of important processes that guide the body’s construction early on and that continue throughout life, such as tissue regeneration during healing.

Stephanie Grainger, Ph.D.

"Much like the foreperson at a construction site, Wnt controls nearly everything the body does throughout development: for example, it communicates where the head should go versus the feet and, in adults, coordinates resources to heal wounds and replenish stem cells," Grainger said. "I am honored to receive this award, which will help us answer longstanding questions that have profound implications for correcting errors in the Wnt pathway as a means to treat disease."

Scientists have long been interested in Wnt as a potential target for new cancer therapies but developing such treatments has proven to be difficult. The problem lies in a lack of insight into the specific interactions between molecules in the vast Wnt network. A better understanding of these interactions could help scientists develop highly targeted approaches that fix specific problems while leaving the rest of the pathway untouched — and producing fewer side effects.

Grainger and her team will focus on two major players in the pathway: Wnt9a and Fzd9b. These molecules, which are found on the outside of cells, interact to convey chemical messages to and from cells. What isn’t clear, Grainger says, is how Wnt9a and Fzd9b enter the cell to deliver their information payload.

"The Wnt pathway operates in a careful balance — too much or too little Wnt activity can have devastating consequences," Grainger said. "Solving the exact mechanism by which Wnt9a and Fzd9b carry out their job could have massive implications for therapeutic development and a ripple effect for understanding other parts of the pathway."

Maximizing Investigators’ Research Awards are highly competitive and provide scientists "with greater stability and flexibility, thereby enhancing scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs," according to the NIGMS. Grainger is the second VAI investigator in the last four years to earn this award. She joined VAI’s Department of Cell Biology in August.

Research reported in this publication was supported by National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award no. R35GM142779 (Grainger). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

On September 28, 2021 Lifelink Systems reported a strategic collaboration with Genentech to provide a suite of advanced conversational technology solutions that will support a broad range of patient experience initiatives at the biotechnology leader (Press release, Genentech, SEP 28, 2021, View Source [SID1234590435]). Lifelink Systems will provide Genentech with a platform to power smart digital assistants to help clinical trial participants, patients, caregivers, and providers to receive personalized assistance and support related to clinical research programs and approved therapies.

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"Genentech is an industry leader and innovator and it’s a privilege to be on the digital transformation journey with them," said Greg Johnsen, CEO at Lifelink Systems. "We see an immense opportunity to use conversational AI to shift the dialogue between pharmaceutical companies and their customers to something that is consumer-friendly and accessible. Smart digital assistants that use language to interact with people on their mobile devices is the path forward."

"We are prioritizing investment in patient-facing innovation and believe that conversational digital technology represents a key next generation consumer interface," said Nikheel Kolatkar, MD MPH, Vice President, Scientific Operations at Genentech. "We are working with Lifelink Systems because their platform gives us the ability to digitally engage all demographic groups through intuitive interactive messaging which drives high engagement and satisfaction rates. This capability is especially critical as we see significant growth in decentralized clinical trials and continue to invest in our ability to increase access for disadvantaged communities."

More than 80% of US adults own a smartphone, but traditional healthcare mobile apps have not been widely adopted by patients due to complexity and high onboarding friction. Conversational AI leverages the native SMS and browser interfaces with automated, language-based messaging, making it simple for every user to engage. Conversational solutions can be configured to support a range of workflows, including processes like study awareness, satisfaction surveys, FAQs, adherence, and patient reported outcomes.

Lifelink Systems technology has configurations that are designed to support clinical trial programs and medical information desks.

Digital navigators will reach out to potential clinical trial participants through their mobile devices, regardless of location, to learn about trial participation, collect transportation preferences, navigate consent, and assess satisfaction
Approved medical information and support resources regarding dosing, side effects, safety, and support programs are being converted from long clinical documents to simple, conversational interfaces that allow patients, caregivers, and providers to get answers to FAQs on-demand
A Focus on Diversity and Inclusion

The Lifelink Systems technology will also be used by Genentech to help improve clinical trial diversity and inclusive research efforts. People of color remain vastly underrepresented in clinical research and Genentech is on a mission to change that.

In underserved, lower income communities, smartphone penetration is 86%, and 26% use smartphones as their primary digital device. Lifelink Systems powers digital navigators that use language and conversational AI to make it easy for anyone to navigate clinical study participation. Digital navigators can answer questions about the trial, conduct onboarding and enrollment activities, and support the participants throughout the duration of the trial — all while using culturally appropriate language and tactics.

"Through smart, language-based interactions, digital navigators can lower traditional barriers to participate in critical clinical research," added Kolatkar. "Conversational digital technology from Lifelink Systems will enable us to help bring advanced science to every patient community, regardless of location, race, gender, income, or age."

The Lifelink Systems platform is highly configurable and capable of supporting a range of critical touch points across the full therapy lifecycle from study enrollment through post-approval patient monitoring. As Genentech deploys conversational technology across its portfolio, the companies will partner closely to identify additional expansion opportunities, including pre-protocol testing with patients, real-time site satisfaction surveys, study eConsent, and patient reported outcomes.

On September 28, 2021 Diaprost reported that it has agreed terms for an exclusive Licensing Agreement with Radiopharm Theranostics (RAD); an Australian based biotech startup, focused on building an innovative and differentiated pipeline of radiopharmaceutical products for both diagnostic and therapeutic uses (Press release, Diaprost, SEP 28, 2021, View Source [SID1234590433]). RAD has recently raised A$20 million to progress a portfolio of radiopharmaceutical assets that have the potential to be first to market or best in class in their respective disease areas. The Diaprost asset is one of four distinct & clearly differentiated platform technologies.

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The Diaprost pipeline is focused on humanised antibodies for diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceutical applications. The hu5A10 antibody enables non-invasive detection and therapy by delivering radionuclides to prostate cancer cells. The platform’s targeting mechanism utilizes binding to Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), a well-established biomarker previously only applied for diagnostic blood tests.

The imaging modalities based on hu5A10, which were developed together with Lasker Award recipient Charles Sawyers, demonstrate superior specificities in diagnosing prostate cancer cell occurrence and an unparalleled ability to detect disease activity. When employing hu5A10 with a Therapeutic Isotope, results clearly demonstrate specific and effective prostate cancer cell eradication. The combination of imaging and radioimmunotherapy, based on the same antibody, enables a powerful tool for both diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

Under the terms of the agreement RAD will have exclusive responsibility to manufacture, develop and commercialise hu5A10 worldwide. Upfront and near-term payments of US$10M are part of a financial package that over the life of the agreement could exceed US$125M, if all development and regulatory goals are met.

"We believe the Licensing Agreement with Radiopharm Theranostics, founded by the experienced Australian life sciences industry figure Paul Hopper, represents a focused route to maximizing the potential of both Diaprost and the hu5A10 program," said Johan Drott, the CEO of Diaprost. "RAD has established a strong management team with recognised experts to focus on the development of radiopharmaceutical products for diagnostic and therapeutic uses in areas of high unmet medical needs."

On September 28, 2021 I-Mab (the "Company") (Nasdaq: IMAB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel biologics, reported that the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has accepted the Company’s IND application to initiate a phase 2 trial for enoblituzumab (also known as TJ271) in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with selected solid tumors in China (Press release, I-Mab Biopharma, SEP 28, 2021, View Source [SID1234590432]). I-Mab has in-licensed the rights to exclusively develop and commercialize enoblituzumab in Greater China from MacroGenics (Nasdaq: MGNX).

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Enoblituzumab is a highly differentiated humanized monoclonal antibody directed against B7-H3, a member of the B7 family of T-cell checkpoint regulators. B7-H3 plays a key role in regulating immune response against cancers and is widely expressed in multiple cancers. Its presence on tumors is associated with poor clinical prognosis. Enoblituzumab is engineered with an optimized Fc domain that enables a dual anti-tumor mechanism by antibody-dependent cell-mediated killing of cancer cells and enhanced T-cell immune response. There are increasing preclinical data generated by I-Mab and preliminary clinical evidence from MacroGenics supporting increased efficacy for the combination of enoblituzumab and PD-1 antibody against cancers.

Enoblituzumab has become one of the Company’s core clinical assets. The phase 2 clinical trial in China will evaluate the efficacy of the combination of enoblituzumab and pembrolizumab. It is designed as a "basket" clinical trial involving non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), urothelial carcinoma, and other selected cancer types based on treatment signals observed in previous studies conducted by MacroGenics.

MacroGenics conducted multiple clinical studies of enoblituzumab for the treatment of cancers including squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN) and NSCLC, demonstrating enoblituzumab is well tolerated with observed efficacy signals. For example, data from a phase 1 cohort expansion study, presented at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2018, have reported that enoblizutumab in combination with PD-1 antibody achieved an objective response rate (ORR) of 33.3% in SCCHN patients and of 35.7% in NSCLC patients with PD-L1 expression <1%. Currently, MacroGenics is conducting a phase 2 study of enoblituzumab in combination with retifanlimab (PD-1 antibody) or tebotelimab (PD-1 & LAG-3 bispecific DART molecule) for first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN.

"With the initiation of the phase 2 clinical trial we hope to accelerate the clinical development of enoblituzumab in Greater China," said Dr. Joan Shen, CEO of I-Mab. "We will be leveraging the data from clinical trials conducted by MacroGenics to advance the clinical development of enoblituzumab for approval in Greater China."

About Enoblituzumab

Enoblituzumab is an investigational Fc-optimized monoclonal antibody that targets B7-H3, a member of the B7 family of immune regulator proteins. B7-H3 is widely expressed by many different tumor types and may play a key role in regulating the immune response to various types of cancer. Enoblituzumab has been or is currently being evaluated in clinical trials as a monotherapy or in combination with anti-PD-1-based therapies in patients with B7-H3-expressing cancers. I-Mab Biopharma acquired the development and commercial rights from MacroGenics for Greater China.

On September 28, 2021 Genelux Corporation, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, and Newsoara BioPharma Co., Ltd., reported a collaboration and exclusive license for the development and commercialization of Olvi-Vec and other oncolytic viruses (Press release, Genelux, SEP 28, 2021, View Source [SID1234590431]).

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According to the terms of the agreement, Newsoara shall have exclusive rights in Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) to Olvi-Vec for which Genelux currently is planning a U.S. based Phase 3 registration trial in platinum resistant/refractory ovarian cancer. Newsoara also shall have exclusive rights in Greater China to Genelux’s proprietary oncolytic virus platform, and the parties will collaborate on the development of novel oncolytic immunotherapeutics.

Newsoara, at its cost and expense, will be responsible for development and commercialization and will have the future right to manufacture licensed products in Greater China. The parties also will collaborate on a Phase 2 clinical trial for the intravenous delivery of Olvi-Vec in a new indication using clinical sites in China and the U.S. Newsoara will be responsible for all trial costs.

Under terms of the agreement, Genelux will receive up-front and near-term payments totaling $11 million and will be eligible to receive additional per-product payments of up to $160.5 million, contingent on certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones, plus tiered royalties on net sales ranging from mid-single-digit to mid-double-digit percentages. Genelux shall have an exclusive license outside of Greater China to oncolytic virus products derived by Newsoara and will pay Newsoara milestones and royalties on sales of any such products which Genelux elects to develop.

"We are delighted to be working with Newsoara on developing Olvi-Vec, as well as on our broader collaboration." said Thomas Zindrick, J.D., President and CEO of Genelux. "It is a dynamic organization with a commitment to advancing cutting-edge therapeutics, whose strength in research, development and manufacturing in China is a perfect complement to our focus on the discovery and clinical development of novel virotherapies. Together we look forward to accelerating the development of Olvi-Vec and to strengthening and broadening our pipeline of next-generation oncolytic viral immunotherapies."

Dr. Benny Li, CEO of Newsoara, stated, "We are very pleased to partner with Genelux, a company with deep internal capabilities in the emerging field of oncolytic virotherapies. Olvi-Vec, a late clinical-stage asset with potential utility in multiple tumor types via physician-preferred routes of administration, offers hope to patients with limited or no treatment options. This partnership accelerates our commitment to becoming a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company and addressing significant unmet medical needs."

About Olvimulogene Nanivacirepvec (Olvi-Vec)
Olvi-Vec is a proprietary, non-pathogenic oncolytic vaccinia virus, modified to increase its safety, tumor selectivity and therapeutic potential. Virus-mediated oncolysis results in immunogenic cell death and triggers immune activation and memory for long-term immunotherapy against cancer. Olvi-Vec has been administered to more than 150 patients in clinical studies. In these studies, Olvi-Vec was generally well tolerated and the data provided evidence of clinical benefit.