Aduro Biotech, Inc. Investor Presentation

On January 7, 2019 Aduro Biotech, Inc presented the corporate presentation (Presentation, Aduro Biotech, JAN 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234532498]).

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MD Anderson Cancer Center and 4D pharma collaborate to evaluate live biotherapeutics in solid tumors

On January 6, 2019 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and 4D pharma reported a strategic collaboration to evaluate 4D’s live biotherapeutic oncology pipeline across a range of cancer settings (Press release, MD Anderson, JAN 6, 2019, View Source [SID1234553989]).

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The alliance brings together MD Anderson’s translational medicine and clinical research capabilities with 4D’s expertise in the discovery and development of live biotherapeutics. The collaboration will initially assess the 4D’s lead oncology candidate, MRx0518, as a potential treatment for solid tumors.

The first clinical trial, an open label Phase I study of MRx0518 in combination with Keytruda and conducted in collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., has been initiated and is due to open shortly. The study will enroll up to 132 patients with metastatic cancer across multiple histologies who progressed on prior anti-PD-1 therapy.

Subsequent studies are also being planned under the collaboration, including using MRx0518 in combination with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

"This alliance, with one of the leading oncology research centers in the world, will provide a strong and long-term foundation for the development of 4D’s live biotherapeutics in cancer," said Duncan Peyton, 4D’s chief executive officer. "The current study, which is one of the first live biotherapeutic programs to reach the clinic in the immuno-oncology space, represents an important step forward in the development of MRx0518 and 4D’s broader oncology franchise. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners at MD Anderson to progress this study and help bring this therapy to patients."

Neurocrine Biosciences Provides Preliminary Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2018 Net Product Sales Results and 2019 Program Milestones

On January 6, 2019 Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: NBIX) reported an update on its business performance, including preliminary net product sales results for 2018, and key clinical development programs for 2019 (Press release, Neurocrine Biosciences, JAN 6, 2019, View Source [SID1234532491]). Kevin Gorman, Chief Executive Officer of Neurocrine, will discuss these updates as part of a webcast presentation at the 37th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on Monday, Jan. 7 at 2:30 p.m. PT (5:30 p.m. ET).

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"Our fourth quarter and 2018 results reflect the dedication of our team in educating healthcare providers about tardive dyskinesia and the benefit INGREZZA can bring to patients. We still have a lot of work to do as many people suffering from tardive dyskinesia remain undiagnosed and untreated, and we remain committed to helping the lives of patients through our recently expanded field sales team and disease awareness education," said Kevin Gorman, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Neurocrine Biosciences. "In 2019, we will remain focused on reaching more patients with INGREZZA and making progress in our clinical development programs, including the planned submission of AbbVie’s new drug application for uterine fibroids and our planned submission for Parkinson’s disease, as well as advancing our congenital adrenal hyperplasia program."

Preliminary Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2018 Net Product Sales Results (Unaudited)

Based on preliminary unaudited financial information, the Company expects net product sales for the three months and full-year ended December 31, 2018 to be approximately $130 million and $409 million, respectively, compared to $64.5 million and $116.6 million for the same periods in 2017.

2019 Expected Milestones

INGREZZA (valbenazine) for Tardive Dyskinesia

"Talk About TD" disease state awareness campaign
Execution of post-marketing clinical studies, including RE-KINECT, the largest real-world study in patients with possible tardive dyskinesia
Presentations at key scientific annual meetings, including American Academy of Neurology (AAN), American Psychiatric Association (APA), International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS)
Elagolix in Collaboration with AbbVie

Continued launch of ORILISSA (elagolix) to treat endometriosis by AbbVie
Elagolix for uterine fibroids: planned 2019 New Drug Application (NDA) submission
Opicapone for Parkinson’s Disease

NDA submission in Q2 2019
Preparation for 2020 opicapone commercial launch
Presentations at key scientific annual meetings, including AAN, MDS
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)/NBI-74788 (In Development)

Phase IIa data for CAH (adults) in Q1 2019
Phase IIa initiation for CAH (pediatric) in Q2/Q3 2019
Pivotal study initiation for CAH (adults) in 2H 2019, pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discussion in Q2
Early Stage Programs

Investigational New Drug submission and initiation of a Phase I trial for a new, internally discovered program
About INGREZZA (valbenazine) Capsules
INGREZZA, a selective vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor, is the first FDA-approved product indicated for the treatment of adults with tardive dyskinesia, a condition associated with uncontrollable, abnormal and repetitive movements of the face, torso, and/or other body parts.

INGREZZA is thought to work by reducing the amount of dopamine released in a region of the brain that controls movement and motor function, helping to regulate nerve signaling in adults with tardive dyskinesia. VMAT2 is a protein in the brain that packages neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, for transport and release in presynaptic neurons. INGREZZA, developed in Neurocrine’s laboratories, is novel in that it selectively inhibits VMAT2 with no appreciable binding affinity for VMAT1, dopaminergic (including D2), serotonergic, adrenergic, histaminergic, or muscarinic receptors. Additionally, INGREZZA can be taken for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia as one capsule, once-daily, together with psychiatric medications such as antipsychotics or antidepressants.

Important Safety Information

Contraindications
INGREZZA is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to valbenazine or any components of INGREZZA. Rash, urticaria, and reactions consistent with angioedema (e.g., swelling of the face, lips, and mouth) have been reported.

Warnings & Precautions
Somnolence
INGREZZA can cause somnolence. Patients should not perform activities requiring mental alertness such as operating a motor vehicle or operating hazardous machinery until they know how they will be affected by INGREZZA.

QT Prolongation
INGREZZA may prolong the QT interval, although the degree of QT prolongation is not clinically significant at concentrations expected with recommended dosing. INGREZZA should be avoided in patients with congenital long QT syndrome or with arrhythmias associated with a prolonged QT interval. For patients at increased risk of a prolonged QT interval, assess the QT interval before increasing the dosage.

Adverse Reactions
The most common adverse reaction (≥5% and twice the rate of placebo) is somnolence. Other adverse reactions (≥2% and >placebo) include: anticholinergic effects, balance disorders/falls, headache, akathisia, vomiting, nausea, and arthralgia.

Ascentage Pharma and MD Anderson Cancer Center Announce Strategic Alliance in Cancer Drug Development

On January 6, 2019 Ascentage Pharma Group, Inc., and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported a five-year strategic collaboration agreement to advance the development of five potential new cancer therapies (Press release, Ascentage Pharma, JAN 6, 2019, View Source [SID1234532492]).

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The alliance is aimed at developing novel cancer therapeutics based upon Ascentage’s proprietary Protein-Protein Interaction drug discovery technology platform. MD Anderson’s leukemia team will join in efforts to advance the clinical development of Ascentage’s apoptosis-targeted and tyrosine kinase inhibitor candidates, including Bcr-Abl inhibitor HQP1351, Bcl-2/xL inhibitor APG-1252, Bcl-2 selective inhibitor APG-2575, IAP inhibitor APG-1387 and MDM2-p53 inhibitor APG-115. These compounds will be studied as single-agent therapies, as well as in combination with approved or investigational therapeutics against various forms of hematologic malignancies.

The strategic alliance leverages MD Anderson’s translational research and clinical expertise to help accelerate the development of the select candidates, chosen for their potential to target cancer cell apoptosis and other pathways for treating life-threatening cancers, such as Acute Myelocytic Leukemia (AML), Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN), and Myelofibrosis. The alliance will be led by Hagop Kantarjian, M.D., Chair of Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson, whose research and collaborations were the basis for the FDA approvals of over 20 drugs in leukemia.

"MD Anderson is highly dedicated to developing and providing more effective therapies for patients. This strategic alliance is important for our work towards finding cures to treat cancers. We will be investigating this pipeline of candidate therapies, and we are interested in the novel mechanism of their actions," said Dr. Kantarjian.

"We are pleased to announce this important partnership with MD Anderson," said Dr. Dajun Yang, Chairman & CEO of Ascentage Pharma. "We look forward to working closely with the investigators in MDACC in the hopes of accelerating the clinical development of these important candidates to provide new treatment options for cancer patients in the US and worldwide."

Roivant Announces Corporate Updates and Webcast of Presentation at 37th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

On January 6, 2019 Roivant Sciences reported its corporate updates across its family of companies in advance of the 37th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (Press release, Roivant Sciences, JAN 6, 2019, View Source [SID1234532490]).

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Launch of Alyvant

Roivant announced the launch of Alyvant, a new Vant focused on technology-enabled pharmaceutical commercialization which has entered into an agreement with a pharmaceutical partner to co-promote three approved branded medicines. Alyvant’s long-range vision is to reduce the cost of commercializing all medicines through technology, generating savings for the healthcare system at large.

Alyvant is led by President Gillian Cannon, who joined the company with over 30 years of leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including at Merck, Otsuka, and UCB. Alyvant’s Chief Technology Officer, Mitchell Mittman, previously worked in senior roles at Amazon, Expedia, Goldman Sachs, and other financial institutions where he built industry-leading software and data science platforms.

"Alyvant’s technology integrates market research, sales force optimization, and digital engagement into a single platform to connect patients and physicians with relevant medicines as cost-effectively as possible," said Benjamin Zimmer, President of Roivant Health. "This technology platform allows us to engage new market segments that are underserved by traditional pharma commercial models, while also reducing the need for expensive and wasteful mass-market DTC campaigns that inflate the cost of delivering new medicines to patients."

Additional Updates

Urovant reported that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase 2a trial of vibegron in patients with abdominal pain due to irritable bowel syndrome
Axovant announced the creation of its Scientific Advisory Board and provided clinical trial timelines for four of its investigational gene therapies
Dermavant and Altavant announced appointments of senior executives
Vivek Ramaswamy, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Roivant, will provide further business updates, including new data from Immunovant’s ongoing Phase 1 study of subcutaneous anti-FcRn antibody RVT-1401, at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference tomorrow, Monday, January 7th, at 9:30 a.m. PT at the Westin St. Francis. His presentation will be webcast here.