On July 20, 2021 Akoya Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKYA) ("Akoya"), The Spatial Biology Company, reported that it will release financial results for the second quarter of 2021 after the market close on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 (Press release, Akoya Biosciences, JUL 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234590278]). Company management will host a conference call to discuss financial results at 5:00 p.m. ET.

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Investors interested in listening to the conference call may do so by dialing (833) 562-0146 for domestic callers or (661) 567-1226 for international callers, followed by Conference ID: 8057237. A live and archived webcast of the event will be available on the "Investors" section of the Akoya website at View Source

On July 20, 2021 Microbial cancer detection firm Micronoma reported that it is collaborating with the University of New South Wales, Sydney under a $4 million grant from the Australian government to apply artificial intelligence technology toward developing microbial biomarkers for the early detection of liver cancer (Press release, Micronoma, JUL 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234585497]).

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Amany Zekry and Emad El-Omar, both professors at UNSW Medicine & Health, are leading the effort alongside co-principal investigator and Micronoma CSO Eddie Adams.

The group will use Micronoma’s AI-driven microbial biomarker technology to detect, validate, and translate blood-borne microbial-derived biomarkers for the early detection of HCC — something the company has already been working on internally.

Micronoma CEO Sandrine Miller-Montgomery said in a statement that interest in the link between circulating microbiome signatures and cancer early detection has been growing since the firm’s proof-of-concept publication in Nature last year.

"Developing a method to enable the identification of robust microbial plasma biomarker signatures of HCC is in our product pipeline, and this collaboration enables us to fast-track product development," she added.

On July 20, 2021 Junshi Biosciences (HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180), a leading innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies, reported that the company has established a joint venture with Immorna, a fast-growing biotechnology company focusing on the process development and optimization of mRNA and delivery vehicles and the research and development of new nucleic acid drugs, to develop and commercialize new drugs for the global market in the fields of cancer, infectious diseases, rare diseases, and other diseases, based on the mRNA technology and other technology platforms (Press release, Shanghai Junshi Bioscience, JUL 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234585313]).

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Immorna’s unique mRNA construction and established versatile process platform are suitable for the development of self-replicating mRNA as well as conventional non-replicating mRNA products, enabling the construction of a customized form of mRNA molecule for a specific disease. In terms of delivery vehicles, Immorna has developed several nanoliposome particles (LNP) suitable for different administration methods and has technical capabilities in the field of research and development of new non-LNP delivery vehicles.

Under the terms of the agreement, Junshi Biosciences will inject at most 799 million RMB in cash into the joint venture. The initial investment is 200 million RMB, of which 50 million RMB will be used to subscribe to 50% of the registered capital of the joint venture. Immorna will invest in the joint venture company with intellectual property rights involved in the mRNA technology platform. The 50 million RMB in the estimated asset value of the platform will be used to subscribe to other 50% of the registered capital of the joint venture company.

"As the mRNA Technology Platform gradually matures, its potential in a variety of fields—including infectious diseases, cancer, rare diseases, and other diseases—has become increasingly evident," says Dr. Ning Li, Chief Executive Officer of Junshi Biosciences. "This is highly consistent with the therapeutic areas covered by Junshi Biosciences’ R&D pipeline and our desire to explore the next generation of innovative therapeutics. Immorna has a wealth of experience and expertise in mRNA industrialization. We look forward to working together to develop more revolutionary therapeutics for patients worldwide through our mRNA Technology Platform with domestic intellectual property rights and promote public health on a global scale."

"Immorna is very pleased to reach a strategic collaboration agreement with Junshi Biosciences, under which a joint venture company has been created," says Dr. Zihao Wang, Chief Executive Officer of Immorna Therapeutics. "We are very confident that this new entity will allow us to take advantage of each other’s core competency, quickly and efficiently utilize the versatile mRNA platform technology in immunotherapy and infectious disease prevention, and continue our search for new directions of the application."

On July 20, 2021 Enochian BioSciences, Inc., a company focused on gene-modified cellular and immune therapies in infectious diseases and cancer, reported that Honorable Mark Dybul, M.D. has been named as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Press release, Enochian BioSciences, JUL 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234585128]).

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Dr. Dybul, who has served as Executive Vice-Chair of the Board of Enochian BioSciences since January 2019, is a globally recognized leader in pandemics. He was a principal architect and ultimately the head of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest international health initiative in history dedicated to a single disease, that achieved historic prevention, care and treatment goals on time and on budget. During his tenure, the program grew from approximately $500 million to $6.5 billion annually. Dr. Dybul went on to transform the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and, during Dr. Dybul’s four-year tenure, both President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosted funding rounds that raised $25 billion for the Global Fund.

Dr. Dybul has been deeply involved in the fight against COVID-19. He was the only American appointed to the 15-member Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, mandated by the World Health Assembly and co-chaired by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. Dr. Dybul also was a member of the High Level Scientific Advisory Group for the G20’s Global Health Summit focused on COVID-19.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Dybul began his career in public health as a researcher at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, ultimately leading a section of Dr. Fauci’s lab and serving as the Assistant Director for Medical Affairs.

"It is a great privilege to have one of the world’s preeminent public health experts assume the role of CEO of Enochian BioSciences," said Enochian BioSciences’ Chair of the Board René Sindlev. "Mark’s deep expertise in science, combined with his long experience managing research programs and advising on strategy, brings key and difficult-to-find competencies to Enochian BioSciences. Under Mark’s leadership, we are excited to see the organization rapidly advance toward its goal of developing cures for HBV, HIV and potentially, to address inhaled pan-coronavirus and pan-influenza treatment and prevention."

Gregg Alton, Enochian BioSciences’ Board Director, and former interim CEO and longtime General Counsel of Gilead Sciences, said, "I have known Mark since he worked closely with Tony Fauci. I watched him lead what was effectively a start-up in the U.S. Government, PEPFAR, and make it one of the most successful public health programs in history. Mark then went on to transform the Global Fund, a public-private partnership, introducing business models for purchasing, supply chain, and many others. He knows how to lead, develop strategy, maintain the teams’ focus and achieve success."

"As a long-time researcher, clinician, and leader of large global diseases programs, I am very honored to transition from my current role of Executive Vice-Chair to full-time CEO of Enochian BioSciences," said Dr. Dybul. "Based in elegantly brilliant science, we have made significant progress in the past 18 months building a deep and wide pipeline with platforms that address major killers including cancer and infectious diseases. The recent acceleration of potential cures for Hepatitis B, HIV and potential inhaled pan-coronavirus, including the cause of COVID-19, and pan-influenza treatment and prevention — makes it an extremely exciting time to become the CEO of Enochian BioSciences."

On July 20, 2021 Shanghai Junshi Bio reported that formed a mRNA Joint Venture with Hangzhou’s Immorna to develop new drugs for cancer, plus infectious and rare diseases (Press release, Shanghai Junshi Bioscience, JUL 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234585126]). Initially, the JV will have a value of $16 million with Junshi contributing half of that in cash and Immora adding in its mRNA IP for the other half. Junshi, a company best known for developing the first domestically developed PD-1 drug approved in China, said it would invest up to $123 million in the JV. Immorna focuses on process development and optimization of mRNA and delivery vehicles along with R&D of novel nucleic acid drugs.

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