On July 19, 2020 Antengene Corporation, a leading innovative hematology and oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing global first-in-class and best-in-class therapies, reported that it has successfully closed US$97 million in Series C financing (Press release, Antengene, JUL 19, 2020, View Source [SID1234562180]).

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Antengene Corporation
The financing was led by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC with additional support from new investors including GL Ventures (an affiliate of Hillhouse Capital), GIC, and a large, reputable long-term investor. Existing investors including Qiming Venture Partners and Boyu Capital also participated.

"We appreciate the recognition and trust from these prestigious investment institutions. This round of financing has drawn support from among the world’s largest asset managers, top-tier healthcare investors widely recognized in the capital markets, and strong continuous support from our existing investors. This is an important milestone to reinforce Antengene’s capabilities to bring cutting-edge therapies to help patients with life-threatening diseases in the Asia Pacific regions and around the world." said Dr. Jay Mei, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Antengene.

Proceeds from the Series C financing will be primarily used to fund the continuing clinical development of Antengene’s robust pipeline of hematology and oncology therapies, expanding in-house research and development capabilities and strengthening the commercial infrastructures in APAC markets. To date, Antengene has made significant progress with its broad pipeline of six clinical-stage programs and six pre-clinical stage oncology assets:

ATG-010 (selinexor) is the first and only oral selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) compound in the world. In July 2019, the U.S. FDA approved selinexor in combination with low-dose dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). In June 2020, selinexor was approved by the U.S. FDA as a treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL). Currently, the registration clinical trials of ATG-010 in RRMM and R/R DLBCL are ongoing in China. The compound is also in late clinical development for various other hematologic malignancies and solid tumors (including KRAS mutant tumors). Pre-clinical studies demonstrated that inhibition of nuclear protein export through XPO1 can effectively treat tumors with such mutation.
ATG-008 (onatasertib) is a second-generation dual mTORC1/2 inhibitor presently studied in multi-regional clinical trials for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), gynecological malignancies and other cancers as a single agent or in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody.
ATG-016 (eltanexor) is a second-generation oral selective inhibitor of nuclear export protein XPO1 presently studied in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) as well as various types of solid tumors, such as colorectal cancer (CRC) and prostate cancer (PrC).
ATG-019 is a first-in-class PAK4/NAMPT dual-target inhibitor presently studied in a number of clinical trials including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), colorectal cancer, NSCLC, and melanoma. In addition, pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that ATG-019 in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies can effectively improve the anti-tumor activity and is effective in treating patients that become resistant to anti-PD-1 therapy.
ATG-527 (verdinexor) is an innovative compound in clinical studies as a potential treatment for anti-viral infection and autoimmune diseases – such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Phase I healthy volunteer study of the compound has been completed.
ATG-017 is a potent and selective small molecule extracellular signal–regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) inhibitor in clinical development for the treatment of various solid tumors, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and multiple myeloma.
In addition, the Antengene drug discovery team is focused on the research and pre-clinical development of innovative small molecules, monoclonal and bi-specific antibodies to treat cancer.

On July 17, 2020 Respected financial management company Oak Stone Limited has said that SoftBank-backed oncology drug manufacturer, Relay Therapeutics Inc., soared 75% in its trading debut after the company expanded its initial public offering to raise $400 million (Press release, Oak Stone, JUL 17, 2020, View Source [SID1234562075]).

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On Thursday in New York trading, Relay’s shares closed at $35.05, giving the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company a market valuation of around $3 billion.

"Relay sold 20 million shares at $20 each, pricing them above the $18 to $19 marketed range," said James Burnley, Head of Wealth Management at Oak Stone Limited. "The company had earlier expanded the size of the offering from 14.7 million shares and increased the target range from $16 to $18," he added.

In a 2018 Series C funding round, Masayoshi Son’s SoftBank Vision Fund invested $300 million in Relay and owns a 41% stake in the company. An affiliate of D.E. Shaw & Co. also took part in the round, which raised a total of $400 million. Since its founding, Relay has raised a total of $520 million in private rounds.

The clinical-stage business has one drug candidate in Phase 1 trials and a second scheduled for Phase 1 trials towards the end of this year. Its more sophisticated treatment binds and stabilises the SHP2 protein to prevent the growth of cancer cells.

"Relay reported a net loss of $75 million for 2019, compared with a net loss of $49 million the year prior, this was due to its research and development expenses increasing," said Michael Pearson, Head of Corporate Equities at Oak Stone Limited.

Relay Therapeutics offering was managed by JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Cowen Inc. and Guggenheim Securities. The company’s shares are trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker RLAY.

According to Oak Stone Limited analysts, the market for IPOs has roared back, with tech and biotechnology offerings leading the way. Moreover, that coincides with the stock market’s recovery and hope for a V-shaped economic recovery.

Historically the IPO industry has been dominated by technology firms. That’s mainly due to the huge investments and rapid-growth nature of those companies. However, in the last year biotech and other health care companies took the lead. That comes as the amount invested in this sector continues to expand.

On July 17, 2020 NANOBIOTIX (Paris:NANO) (Euronext : NANO – ISIN : FR0011341205 – the ‘‘Company’’), a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering new approaches to the treatment of cancer, reported its unaudited revenue for the second quarter of 2020 as well as for the first half of 2020 (Press release, Nanobiotix, JUL 17, 2020, View Source [SID1234562074]).

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Revenue for the second quarter of 2020 (unaudited)

Nanobiotix’s revenue for the second quarter 2020 and for the first half of 2020 amounted to €13.4k and €36.9k respectively.

Most of the revenue generated by the Company during these periods result from the cross-charge to its partner, PharmaEngine, of shared external contract research organization costs pursuant to the license and collaboration agreement.

The amount of cash and cash equivalent as of June 30, 2020 is €26.6m. This amount reflects in particular the payment by HSBC of a €5m State-Guaranteed Loan (prêt garanti par l’Etat or PGE) granted pursuant to an agreement approved on June 22, 2020. The second PGE of €5m granted by Bpifrance has been received on July 17, 2020.

In April 2020, the Company provided updates on clinical development continuity in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. In light of the pandemic and to protect the interests of employees, patients, partners, and shareholders, Nanobiotix made organizational adjustments to control costs while priorities regarding clinical development remained unchanged.

Nanobiotix also announced that the protocol for the phase I clinical trial for NBTXR3 in pancreatic cancer under its clinical collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has been allowed to proceed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

At ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2020, Nanobiotix announced positive new data from the expansion part of its phase I trial, evaluating the potential of first-in-class NBTXR3 activated by radiation therapy to improve treatment outcomes for elderly patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer ineligible for chemotherapy or intolerant to cetuximab. In particular, the analysis of 30 evaluable patients for efficacy showed a primary tumor objective response rate of 83%, including a complete response rate of 60% in the target lesion.

At AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2020, Curadigm, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, presented results demonstrating that its novel "Nanoprimer" technology could potentially improve the efficacy of therapeutics delivered intravenously (IV). In the study, the Nanoprimer was paired with RNA-based therapeutics and showed to improve treatment outcomes up to 50%.

On June 17, 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided feedback necessary to proceed with the design of NANORAY-312, a pivotal phase III trial investigating NBTXR3 for elderly head and neck cancer patients ineligible for platinum-based chemotherapy. The FDA also accepted the NBTXR3 chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) development plan to support the future New Drug Application (NDA) for the product and its use in the NANORAY-312 phase III clinical trial.

On July 17, 2020 Nucleix, a liquid biopsy company revolutionizing cancer treatment by detecting the disease earlier, reported two presentations featuring its Bladder EpiCheck technology at the 35th Annual European Association of Urology (EAU) Virtual Congress (Press release, Nucleix, JUL 17, 2020, View Source [SID1234562072]).

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The first presentation, titled "Feasibility of the EpiCheck test in upper tract tumor: interim analysis of a prospective trial," evaluated 47 patients who underwent an ureteroscopy for primary or recurrent upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) since June 1, 2018. For each patient, cytology and Bladder EpiCheck tests were performed on voided urine and selective urine (urine collected from the ureter) samples. In the study, 46% of patients were positive for UTUC as confirmed by endoscopic biopsy – half of which were high grade. This interim analysis reported a significantly higher overall sensitivity of Bladder EpiCheck compared to cytology in voided urine (75% vs 39%, p=0.03). Bladder EpiCheck also outperformed cytology in high-grade UTUC with a sensitivity of 89% vs. 64% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 95% vs. 88% in voided urine.

"Accurately identifying patients with high-grade UTUC is critical, as the disease progression can be deadly and the standard treatment – removal of ureter and kidney – leads to major morbidity. Unfortunately, identifying the presence of high-grade UTUC today is done through ureteroscopy, a very complex procedure under general anesthesia that has low yield," said Dr. Alberto Breda, head of the oncological urology unit and the kidney transplant team in Fundacio Puigvert, Barcelona, Spain and the lead investigator of the study. "We are encouraged that these data demonstrate the promise of Bladder EpiCheck’s ability to accurately rule-out high-grade upper tract urothelial cancer with a simple voided urine test. As a result, we hope to be able to identify more patients who can safely keep their kidney and undergo conservative treatment."

The second presentation, titled "The diagnostic accuracy of Bladder EpiCheck in high-risk population," evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of Bladder EpiCheck compared to cystoscopy and cytology, the current gold standard, among 167 consecutive patients with a history or suspicion of high-risk bladder cancer. The results of the study found that in patients with history of high-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) undergoing follow-up, the diagnostic accuracy of the Bladder EpiCheck was higher than cytology and cystoscopy in terms of sensitivity (93.5%, 73.9% and 58.1%, respectively) and NPV (96.4%, 87.5%, 79.3%, respectively).

"We are encouraged by the independent evidence of our Bladder EpiCheck technology, and its potential role in improving UTUC and NMIBC management for the benefit of patients," said Aharona Shuali, M.D., vice president of medical at Nucleix. "Bladder EpiCheck’s consistently excellent sensitivity and NPV in high-grade urothelial cancers allows urologists to start considering innovative approaches for managing these patients."

About Bladder EpiCheck

Bladder EpiCheck provides patients and clinicians with a simple, objective urine test to detect recurrence of bladder tumors. The test analyzes subtle disease-specific changes in DNA methylation markers, allowing for the detection of 92% of the high-risk (non Ta-LG) cancers. Bladder EpiCheck demonstrated negative predictive value (NPV) of 99% for high-risk cancer, meaning that when receiving a negative Bladder EpiCheck result, there is 99% chance that no high-risk cancer is present1. Bladder EpiCheck is intended for use as a noninvasive method for monitoring of tumor recurrence in conjunction with cystoscopy in patients previously diagnosed with bladder cancer. Bladder EpiCheck is CE-marked and available in Europe. The test is not available for sale in the United States.

On July 17, 2020 ADC Therapeutics SA (NYSE:ADCT), a late clinical-stage oncology-focused biotechnology company pioneering the development and commercialization of highly potent and targeted antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for patients with hematological malignancies and solid tumors, reported that the first patient has been dosed in the pivotal Phase 2 portion of LOTIS 3, a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating loncastuximab tesirine (Lonca, formerly ADCT-402) in combination with ibrutinib in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) (Press release, ADC Therapeutics, JUL 17, 2020, View Source [SID1234562071]).

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"Based on the encouraging interim data Lonca and ibrutinib demonstrated in Phase 1, the trial was amended to a Phase 1/2 protocol intended to support the submission of a supplemental Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)," said Jay Feingold, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of ADC Therapeutics. "We are pleased to have dosed the first patient in the pivotal Phase 2 portion of this trial as we continue advancing Lonca as both a single agent and in combination with other therapies for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We are on track to file a BLA with the FDA for Lonca as monotherapy for the treatment of relapsed or refractory DLBCL in the second half of 2020."

The 161-patient Phase 1/2 open-label, single-arm clinical trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of Lonca in combination with ibrutinib in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL or MCL. The Phase 2 portion of the trial will enroll three cohorts: non-germinal center B-cell-like (non-GCB) DLBCL, GCB DLBCL and MCL.

"A significant proportion of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma relapse after treatment and their prognosis is poor, underscoring the need for new options for later-lines of therapy," said Murali Janakiram, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, and an investigator for the trial. "The combination of Lonca, a CD19-targeted ADC, and ibrutinib, a small-molecule inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, has shown synergy and I look forward to its continued evaluation in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL or MCL."

Interim data from the Phase 1 portion of the Phase 1/2 clinical trial presented at the virtual 25th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) in June 2020 showed an overall response rate of 75.0% and complete response rate of 58.3% at the Lonca dose of 60 μg/kg, which is the selected dose for the Phase 2 portion of the trial, in combination with ibrutinib (560 mg/day) in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL or MCL. The combination has had a manageable toxicity profile, with the most common grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events in ≥10% of patients being thrombocytopenia (20%) and anemia (12%).

About Loncastuximab Tesirine (Lonca)

Loncastuximab tesirine (Lonca, formerly ADCT-402) is an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) composed of a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against human CD19 and conjugated through a linker to a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimer cytotoxin. Once bound to a CD19-expressing cell, Lonca is designed to be internalized by the cell, following which the warhead is released. The warhead is designed to bind irreversibly to DNA to create highly potent interstrand cross-links that block DNA strand separation, thus disrupting essential DNA metabolic processes such as replication and ultimately resulting in cell death. CD19 is a clinically validated target for the treatment of B-cell malignancies.

Lonca is being evaluated in LOTIS 2, a pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and LOTIS 3, a pivotal Phase 1/2 trial in combination with ibrutinib in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL or mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).