On March 1, 2021 Novo Nordisk reported that initiated a share repurchase programme in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council of 16 April 2014 (MAR) and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (the "Safe Harbour Rules") (Press release, Novo Nordisk, MAR 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234577315]). This programme is part of the overall share repurchase programme of up to DKK 17 billion to be executed during a 12-month period beginning 3 February 2021.

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Under the programme initiated 3 February 2021, Novo Nordisk will repurchase B shares for an amount up to DKK 3.0 billion in the period from 3 February 2021 to 3 May 2021.

Since the announcement as of 22 February 2021, the following transactions have been made:

Transactions related to Novo Nordisk’s incentive programmes have resulted in a net transfer from Novo Nordisk of 9,261 B shares in the period from 22 February 2021 to 26 February 2021. The shares in these transactions were not part of the Safe Harbour repurchase programme.

With the transactions stated above, Novo Nordisk owns a total of 40,877,947 B shares of DKK 0.20 as treasury shares, corresponding to 1.7% of the share capital. The total amount of A and B shares in the company is 2,350,000,000 including treasury shares.

Novo Nordisk expects to repurchase B shares for an amount up to DKK 17 billion during a 12- month period beginning 3 February 2021. As of 26 February 2021, Novo Nordisk has since 3 February 2021 repurchased a total of 1,974,017 B shares at an average share price of DKK 448.81 per B share equal to a transaction value of DKK 885,959,577.

On March 1, 2021 ASLAN Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ASLN), a clinical-stage immunology focused biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments to transform the lives of patients, reported that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of $60.0 million of its American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") representing ordinary shares (Press release, ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, MAR 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234576097]). In addition, ASLAN expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $9.0 million of ADSs in the public offering on the same terms and conditions. All ADSs to be sold in the offering will be offered by ASLAN. The offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.

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ASLAN expects to use the net proceeds from the offering, together with its existing cash and cash equivalents, primarily to fund its planned ASLAN004 Phase 2b dose-range finding trial in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis patients. ASLAN is also required to repay $2.25 million of principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest under its loan facilities entered into in October and November 2019 with the net proceeds from this offering. The remainder of the net proceeds, if any, will be used to fund new and other ongoing research and development activities, working capital and other general corporate purposes.

Jefferies LLC and Piper Sandler & Co. are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

The securities described above are being offered by ASLAN pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3, including a base prospectus, that was previously filed by ASLAN with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and that was declared effective on February 11, 2021. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available for free on the SEC’s website located at View Source Before you invest, you should read the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus and other documents we have filed with the SEC for more complete information about us and this offering. An electronic copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering, when available, may be obtained by contacting Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, by e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (877) 821-7388; or Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, MN 55402, or by telephone at 800-747-3924 or by email at [email protected].

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

On March 1, 2021 Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), a late-stage biotechnology company developing novel T cell-based cancer immunotherapies, reported that senior leadership plans to present at the following virtual healthcare conferences (Press release, Iovance Biotherapeutics, MAR 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234575950]):

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Cowen 41st Annual Health Care Conference – Cell Therapy Panel
Date/Time: Wednesday, March 3, at 1:20 p.m. ET
H.C. Wainwright Global Life Sciences Conference
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 9, at 7:00 a.m. ET
Barclays Global Healthcare Conference
Date/Time: Thursday, March 11, at 1:50 p.m. ET
Oppenheimer 31st Annual Healthcare Conference
Date/Time: Wednesday, March 17, at 1:10 p.m. ET
The live and archived webcasts of the presentations will be available in the Investors section of the Iovance website at View Source

On March 1, 2021 Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIXT), a clinical-stage drug discovery company developing pharmacologically active drugs for use in cancer treatment, reported that it has entered into definitive agreements for the purchase and sale of 1,133,102 shares of Lixte’s common stock, at a purchase price of $3.70 per share, in a registered direct offering (Press release, Lixte Biotechnology, MAR 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234575938]). The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about March 2, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

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WestPark Capital, Inc. and WallachBeth Capital, LLC are acting as co-placement agents for the offering.

The gross proceeds to Lixte from this offering are expected to be approximately $4.19 million before deducting the placement agents’ fees and other offering expenses payable by Lixte. The company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and general expenses including further development of its lead clinical compound LB-100.

The shares of common stock are being offered by Lixte pursuant to a "shelf" registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-252430) previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on January 26, 2021 and declared effective by the SEC on February 5, 2021. The offering of the securities will be made only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the securities being offered will be filed with the SEC. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus may be obtained, when available, on the SEC’s website at View Source or from: WestPark Capital, Inc. – Attention: Jason Stern, 1900 Avenue of the Stars, 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90077 or by Email: [email protected] or by telephone at (310) 203-2919.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a 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.

On March 1, 2021 Cancer Research UK and Teon Therapeutics, Inc. (Teon) today (Monday 1 March) reported that they have signed a collaboration agreement to progress the early phase clinical development of Teon’s first-in-class small molecule adenosine A2B receptor antagonist, TT-702 (Press release, Teon Therapeutics, MAR 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234575900]).

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Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives. Teon is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing a focused portfolio of small molecules that modulate metabolic signalling pathways in the tumour microenvironment.

Under the terms of the clinical development partnership, Cancer Research UK will sponsor the first-in-human Phase I/II clinical trial of TT-702, which will be led by a team at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

TT-702 targets cancer’s ability to evade the human immune response, enabling the immune system to expose and then destroy cancer cells. The hope is that TT-702 could be used to treat patients with advanced hard-to-treat solid tumours, including metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer, which is an aggressive form of cancer which has progressed despite surgery and hormone therapy.

Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development will work closely with Teon throughout the collaboration and share clinical insights as they emerge to help guide TT-702’s future development strategy.

Teon retains the rights to further develop and commercialise TT-702 and will receive the results of the clinical trial from Cancer Research UK in return for undisclosed success-based milestone and royalty payments.

TT-702 is an adenosine receptor antagonist and specifically targets the A2B receptor, which is over expressed on various types of tumour cells and immune cells*.

High levels of adenosine in the tumour microenvironment activate the A2B receptor, triggering tumour cells to grow and suppress T-cells, allowing the cancer cells to avoid immune detection.

TT-702 prevents the A2B receptor being activated by high levels of adenosine, which prevents cancer cell growth and enhances the anti-tumour immune response.

The Centre for Drug Development, Teon, and a team of clinical investigators led by Professor Johann de Bono are currently preparing to open a first-in-human clinical trial in the second half of 2021.

The researchers will test the safety and efficacy of TT-702 in multiple cancer indications, including hard-to-treat prostate cancer and triple negative breast cancer. TT-702 will be evaluated as both a monotherapy and in combination with anti-PD1 immunotherapy or hormonal therapy.

Dr Nigel Blackburn, Cancer Research UK’s director of drug development, said: "We are delighted to be working with Teon to advance TT-702 into human trials, and the drug makes an exciting addition to our growing portfolio of innovative anti-cancer agents. Finding new ways to target difficult-to-treat cancers remains a research priority for Cancer Research UK, and despite the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are continuing to leverage new partnerships like Teon, so we can bring potentially life-saving treatments closer to patients who need them."

Ken Horne, president and chief operating officer at Teon Therapeutics, said: "The partnership with the Centre for Drug Development provides an ideal route for Teon to pursue early-phase clinical development of TT-702, and leverage the incredible resources that Cancer Research UK brings. We are very excited to collaborate with a world-class investigator like Professor de Bono, thanks to the Centre for Drug Development".

Professor Johann de Bono, Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are excited to begin clinical trials of this new anti-cancer drug in several types of cancer. This new agent targets the evasive strategies cancer takes against the human immune response, exposing cancer cells to the immune system for destruction."