New Indication for Boan Biotech’s Boyounuo (Bevacizumab Injection) Approved in China: Treatment of Recurrent Glioblastoma

On July 29, 2021 Luye Pharma Group reported that Boyounuo (Bevacizumab Injection), an oncology biologic developed in-house by its subsidiary Boan Biotech, has been approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma (Press release, Luye Pharma, JUL 29, 2021, View Source [SID1234595074]). It is the third indication approved for Boyounuo in China, the first two being advanced, metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer and metastatic colorectal cancer. The approval of this new indication will enable the product serve a broader patient population.

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Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor, representing approximately 57% of all gliomas and 48% of all primary malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors1. Characterized by high morbidity, high recurrence rate, high mortality rate and low cure rate, glioblastoma is regarded as one of the most difficult tumors to treat in the field of neurosurgery. Bevacizumab is one of the most important therapeutic agents in the treatment of glioblastoma after temozolomide, and has been listed as a recommended therapy for recurrent glioblastoma in multiple authoritative guidelines and consensus in China and around the world.

Boyounuo is an anti-VEGF humanized monoclonal antibody injection developed in-house by Boan Biotech. It is a biosimilar to Avastin. Comparative clinical studies have shown that Boyounuo is highly similar to Avastin in terms of PK characteristics, clinical efficacy, safety and immunogenicity. According to the Guidelines on Similarity Evaluation and Indication Extrapolation of Biosimilars, all indications for Avastin approved in China can also be gradually applied to Boyounuo.

A signature anti-angiogenic oncology drug, bevacizumab is one of the standard therapies in the treatment of malignant tumors. Avastin has been approved worldwide for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, glioblastoma, renal cell carcinoma, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and other solid tumors, while in China it has been approved for treating advanced, metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer , metastatic colorectal cancer, recurrent glioblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dr. Dou Changlin, R&D President and COO of Boan Biotech, said, "We are delighted to see the approval of the third indication for Boyounuo within three months of the Group’s announcement of marketing authorization for the product on May 7. Bevacizumab injection is the gold standard for the treatment of several malignant tumors. Its efficacy and safety have been widely recognized by doctors and patients in clinical applications. Given the large unmet treatment needs in these disease areas, we hope that Boyounuo will bring benefits to more patients, helping them live longer lives while improving their quality of life."

Boan Biotech is accelerating growth in core market coverage via its own business team, commercial resources and networks to improve the accessibility of Boyounuo. Meanwhile, the company has granted AstraZeneca exclusive promotional rights in county markets across 21 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of China’s mainland to serve a broader patient base.

Aligos Therapeutics to Announce Second Quarter 2021 Results August 5, 2021

On July 29, 2021 Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGS), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics to address unmet medical needs in viral and liver diseases, reported that it will report the company’s second quarter 2021 financial results on Thursday, August 5, 2021 after the close of U.S. financial markets (Press release, Aligos Therapeutics, JUL 29, 2021, View Source [SID1234591813]).

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panCELLa Inc. Announces Issuance of Israeli Patent for Tools and Methods for Using Cell Division Loci to Control Proliferation of Cells

On July 29, 2021 panCELLa, a privately held biotechnology company focused on developing safe therapeutic cell products for a broad range of diseases, reported the issuance of the FailSafeTM patent in Israel (Press release, panCELLa, JUL 29, 2021, View Source [SID1234591513]). This patent issued to the Sinai Health System (SHS) protects the exclusive panCELLa technology known as FailSafeTM. FailSafeTM is a superior safety switch compared to other suicide systems as it will not become "lost" or "shut down" during a "mutation" or if the therapeutic cells become deregulated or "go rogue". FailSafeTM can be controlled both prior to or after transplantation in a patient. As well, it is the only quantifiable safety switch on the market allowing patients and clinicians to make an informed decision regarding the risk of a cell therapy going awry.

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FailSafeTM is a valuable therapeutic platform technology that may be applied in numerous indications. Currently, panCELLa is developing therapeutic products through our subsidiaries – Ankarys Therapeutics and Implant Therapeutics – in the areas of immunology, mesenchymal stem cell and pancreatic islets while we continue to seek collaborative and strategic partnerships to develop and monetize additional applications in the area of regenerative medicine.

panCELLa currently has 52 issued or pending patents and has in-licensed the rights to a further 67 issued or pending patents.

QIAGEN Reports Full Results for Q2 and H1 2021

On July 29, 2021 QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) reported that full results for the second quarter and first half of 2021 that were in line with the preliminary announcement on July 12 (Press release, Qiagen, JUL 29, 2021, View Source [SID1234586596]).

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Net sales rose 28% (+24% at constant exchange rates, CER) to $567.3 million in Q2 2021 and above the outlook for about 20% CER growth. Currency movements against the U.S. dollar had a positive impact of about four percentage points on sales at actual rates in Q2 2021 over the year-ago period. For the first half of 2021, net sales rose 39% (+35% CER) to $1.135 billion. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) were $0.52 in the second quarter of 2021, while adjusted EPS were $0.67 ($0.66 CER) against the outlook for about $0.62-0.64 CER, and were up 22% from $0.55 in the second quarter of 2020. For the first half of 2021, diluted EPS were $1.08 while adjusted EPS were $1.33 ($1.31 CER), up 49% from $0.89 in the first half of 2020.

"In line with the preliminary announcement in mid-July, our results in the second quarter of 2021 were driven by outstanding performance in our non-COVID product groups, and show solid trends for our core business. We are seeing very positive growth in these product groups, which are the highest priority of our teams as we seek to expand on the opportunities within QIAGEN’s five pillars of growth. We anticipate ongoing strong demand in these product groups in the second half of 2021, as we aim for at least 20% CER growth for the full year and for these product groups to represent the majority of our sales," said Thierry Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of QIAGEN N.V.

"We welcome the success of vaccination campaigns and their contributions to moving the world beyond the pandemic. At the same time, the faster-than-expected uptake has led to a reduction in demand for COVID-19 testing. This prompted us earlier in July to update our view on COVID-19 testing trends for the second half of 2021, and update the outlook for sales and adjusted EPS growth. As we prepare QIAGEN for sustained growth beyond the pandemic, and reaffirm the mid-term targets set for our five pillars of growth, we are confident in developing a stronger and more differentiated leadership position in the Life Sciences and diagnostics markets," Bernard said.

Roland Sackers, Chief Financial Officer of QIAGEN N.V., said: "QIAGEN continued to deliver a strong level of sales growth and profitability throughout the first half of 2021, and also very strong cash flow improvements over the year-ago period. As part of our commitment to value creation, we recently started the new $100 million share repurchase program with a goal for completion in mid-September 2021. This reflects our confidence in QIAGEN’s growth prospects and is a reaffirmation of our commitment to increasing returns for shareholders."

Merck Announces Second-Quarter 2021 Financial Results

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