On August 5, 2021 Versant Ventures reported that portfolio company Vividion Therapeutics has been acquired by Bayer AG for $1.5 billion up front and up to $500 million in potential future milestone payments (Press release, Versant Ventures, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585938]). This acquisition represents one of the largest transactions for a preclinical-stage biotechnology company.

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Versant’s Series A investment in Vividion builds on a successful track record of San Diego-based start-ups including Amira Pharmaceuticals, Quanticel Pharmaceuticals, Jecure Therapeutics, Crinetics Pharmaceuticals and multiple spinouts launched from the firm’s San Diego-based Inception Therapeutics Discovery Engine.

"San Diego possesses a world-class academic community for discovery research and access to high-quality entrepreneurs for company creation," said Thomas Woiwode, Ph.D., managing director at Versant and a Vividion board member. "The result is a tremendous environment for venture capital investment."

"The field of chemical proteomics is uniquely positioned to translate modern scientific discoveries in human biology into first-in-class therapeutics for patients suffering from cancer and other debilitating diseases," said Benjamin Cravatt, Ph.D., Gilula Chair of Chemical Biology at the Scripps Research Institute and a co-founder of Vividion.

Vividion represents one of several Versant portfolio companies focused on developing better cancer therapies through discovery platforms for previously intractable drug targets. Since the firm’s initial investment in Vividion in 2017, Versant has launched four other start-ups in this field. Monte Rosa Therapeutics recently completed a successful IPO. Other Versant-created companies in the field include Stablix Therapeutics and two stealth companies, all launched within the past 12 months.

On August 5, 2021 Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), and Appia Bio, Inc., an early stage biotechnology company developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cancer patients, reported a collaboration and license agreement to research and develop HSC-derived cell therapies directed toward hematological malignancies (Press release, Kite Pharma, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585937]). Under the partnership, Kite and Appia Bio will develop chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-iNKT) cells using Appia Bio’s ACUA technology platform for allogeneic cell therapy.

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Founded in 2020, Appia Bio recently announced the completion of its Series A financing to support the advancement of the company’s pipeline of allogeneic CAR-iNKT cell therapy candidates into the clinic. With its ACUA technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development to generate CAR-iNKT cells from HSCs. The ACUA platform offers the potential for improved efficacy and safety, streamlined manufacturing, and off-the-shelf accessibility of HSC-derived CAR iNKT-cell therapies.

"We are thrilled to partner with a leader in cell therapy such as Kite, who shares our vision for the potential of iNKT cells in off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapy," said JJ Kang, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Appia Bio. "Our partnership with Kite is an important step toward establishing the broad pipeline potential of our ACUA platform and bringing new treatment options to patients."

"As a pioneer in cell therapy, Kite is deeply commited to developing the next-generation of cell therapies to treat and potentially cure cancer patients," said Mert Aktar, Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Kite. "Through our collaboration with Appia Bio, we’re excited to harness unique biological properties of invariant natural killer T cells to research and develop allogeneic cell therapies for cancer."

Under the terms of the agreement, Appia Bio will be responsible for preclinical and early clinical research of two HSC-derived CAR-iNKT product candidates engineered with CARs provided by Kite. Appia Bio will receive an upfront payment, an equity investment, and additional milestone payments for a total value of up to $875 million as well as tiered royalties. Kite will be responsible for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the product candidates identified through the collaboration.

On August 5, 2021 DiaMedica Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: DMAC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for neurological disorders and kidney diseases, reported that its second quarter 2021 financial results will be released after the markets close on Wednesday, August 11th (Press release, DiaMedica, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585936]). DiaMedica will host a live conference call on Thursday, August 12th at 7:00 AM Central Time to discuss its business update and financial results.

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Conference Call details:

Interested parties may access the conference call by dialing in or listening to the simultaneous webcast. Listeners should log on to the website or dial in 15 minutes prior to the call. The webcast will remain available for play back on our website, under investor relations – events and presentations, following the earnings call and for 12 months thereafter. A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available until August 19, 2021, by dialing (800) 585-8367 (US Toll Free), (416) 621-4642 (International), and entering the replay passcode: 4148874.

On August 5, 2021 Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONTX) ("Onconova"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel products for patients with cancer, reported that the Company intends to release its second quarter 2021 financial results on Thursday, August 12, 2021 (Press release, Onconova, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585935]). Management plans to host a conference call and live webcast at 4:30 p.m. ET on that day to discuss these results and provide an update on its pipeline programs.

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Conference call and Webcast Information

Interested parties who wish to participate in the conference call may do so by dialing (855) 428-5741 for domestic and (210) 229-8823 for international callers and using conference ID 3876025.

Those interested in listening to the conference call via the internet may do so by visiting the investors and media page on the Company’s website at www.onconova.com and clicking on the webcast link. In addition to the live webcast, a replay will be available on the Onconova website for 90 days following the call.

On August 5, 2021 Celsion Corporation (NASDAQ: CLSN), a clinical-stage development company focused on DNA-based immunotherapy and next-generation vaccines, reported that the Company will host a conference call at 11:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday, August 12, 2021 to discuss financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021 and provide an update on product development programs with GEN-1, a DNA-based immunotherapy, currently in Phase II development for the localized treatment of advanced ovarian cancer and PLACCINE, a proprietary synthetic, non-viral vaccine delivery technology currently in preclinical studies (Press release, Celsion, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585934]). Celsion has two platform technologies for the development of novel nucleic acid-based immunotherapies and next generation infectious vaccines.

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To participate in the call, interested parties may dial 1-800-353-6461 (Toll-Free/North America) or 1-334-323-0501 (International/Toll) and ask for the Celsion Corporation Second Quarter 2021 Earnings Call (Conference Code: 2901622) to register ten minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. The call will also be broadcast live on the internet at www.celsion.com. The call will be archived for replay on Thursday, August 12, 2021 and will remain available until August 26, 2021. The replay can be accessed at 1-719-457-0820 or 1-888-203-1112 using Conference ID: 2901622. An audio replay of the call will also be available on the Company’s website, www.celsion.com, for 90 days after 2:00 p.m. EDT Thursday, August 12, 2021.