aTyr Pharma Announces Closing of $86.3 Million Public Offering Including Full Exercise of Underwriters’ Option to Purchase Additional Shares

On September 20, 2021 aTyr Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIFE), a clinical stage biotherapeutics company engaged in the discovery and development of innovative medicines based on novel biological pathways, reported the closing of an underwritten public offering of 10,781,250 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $8.00 per share, which included the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares (Press release, aTyr Pharma, SEP 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234590069]). The gross proceeds to aTyr from the offering, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses, are $86.3 million. All of the shares sold in the offering were sold by aTyr.

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Piper Sandler and RBC Capital Markets acted as joint book-running managers for the offering. Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd. acted as the lead manager for the offering. Roth Capital Partners LLC acted as financial advisor.

The offering was made pursuant effective registration statements, filed by aTyr with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The offering was made only by means of a written prospectus and prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement on Form S-3. An electronic copy of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering are available on the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained by contacting Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, by telephone at (800) 747-3924 or by email at [email protected]; or RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate, 200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10281, by telephone at (877) 822-4089 or by email at [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

Bankrolled by Pfizer and Bayer, Pyxis files for $100M IPO to take cancer drugs into the clinic

On September 20, 2021 Pyxis Oncology reported that it is aiming to close out a transformative 2021 with an IPO (Press release, Pyxis Oncology, SEP 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234590055]). Having licensed a pair of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) from Pfizer and raised a megaround to develop them, Pyxis is now seeking to tap public investors for cash in an IPO filing that sets the initial fundraising target at $100 million.

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Boston-based Pyxis will use the money to take three candidates into the clinic. PYX-201 and PYX-202 are leading the charge, with Pyxis expecting to file INDs for both prospects around the middle of next year. PYX-201, one of the assets picked up from Pfizer, is designed to hit EDB, which regulates blood vessels and is overexpressed in cancers of the lung, breast and other organs. Pyxis is initially targeting non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer and sees scope to pair the drug with a checkpoint inhibitor.

PYX-202, which Pyxis licensed from LegoChem, hits DLK1, a transmembrane protein that is expressed in embryonic tissues—and re-expressed in some solid tumors—but highly restricted in healthy adult tissues. Pyxis has preclinical data in small cell lung cancer.

The third prospect, PYX-203, is following closely behind, with an IND penciled in for 2023. PYX-203, another of the Pfizer candidates, targets the CD123 antigen expressed in acute myeloid leukemia. Pyxis recently hired Jay Feingold, M.D., Ph.D., formerly of ADC Therapeutics, to lead the push into the clinic.

RELATED: Pyxis debuts next-gen cancer ADCs from under Pfizer’s wing

All of the targets are being pursued by other companies including ImmunoGen, MacroGenics and Philogen. Still more companies are working on ADCs and other modalities targeting the same cancers as those pursued by Pyxis.

Pyxis’ belief it can stand out from the competition is underpinned by potential differentiators such as the FACT platform that is behind two of its leading drug candidates. Pfizer identified the potential for site-specific conjugation techniques to boost the consistency of drug loading. Armed with the fruits of Pfizer’s work, Pyxis expects to improve efficacy and reduce systemic toxicity.

Pfizer let Pyxis have two preclinical candidates based on the platform for $5 million upfront and $20 million in stock, putting the Big Pharma just above Bayer at the top of the list of the biotech’s principal stockholders. Pyxis is on the hook for up to $660 million in milestones covering the first four licensed ADCs, and Pfizer will pocket more upfront fees if targets are added to the deal. Pyxis paid LegoChem an upfront fee of $500,000 in 2020 and $9 million in 2021 in relation to PYX-202.

Azurity Pharmaceuticals Completes Acquisition of Arbor Pharmaceuticals

On September 20, 2021 Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Azurity") reported the closing of its acquisition of Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Arbor"), as previously announced on August 24, 2021 (Press release, Arbor Pharmaceuticals, SEP 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234590054]). The acquisition creates a leading company offering innovative, high-value products to meet the unique needs of patients with underserved conditions.

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With this acquisition, Arbor is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Azurity. The two companies will begin to integrate their operations over the coming months and will operate as Azurity post-integration.

Helix BioPharma Corp. Announces Appointment of Interim Chief Executive Officer

On September 20, 2021 Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX: HBP) ("Helix" or the "Company"), an immuno-oncology
company developing innovative drug candidates for the prevention and treatment of cancer, reported that
the Company’s Chairman of the Board, Prof. Dr. Slawomir Majewski, will immediately assume the role of Interim CEO
while the Company continues to identify and evaluate candidates (Press release, Helix BioPharma, SEP 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234590051]).

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Slide Presentation, dated September 20, 2021

On September 20, 2021, Syros Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company") Presented the Corporate Presentation (Filing, 8-K, Syros Pharmaceuticals, SEP 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234588079]).

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