Molecular Partners to Present at Upcoming Healthcare Investor Conferences

On September 3, 2021 Molecular Partners AG (SIX: MOLN, NASDAQ: MOLN), a clinical-stage biotech company developing a new class of custom-built protein drugs known as DARPin therapeutics, reported that its Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Amstutz, Ph.D., will present at two upcoming virtual healthcare investor events in September 2021 (Press release, Molecular Partners, SEP 3, 2021, View Source [SID1234587260]).

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Conference Presentation Details:

Event: Morgan Stanley 19th Annual Global Healthcare Conference
Date/Time: Friday, September 10, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM ET (5:00 PM – 5:45 PM CET)
Event: H.C. Wainwright 23rd Annual Global Investment Conference
Date/Time: September 13-15, 2021; Presentation available on demand from Sept. 13, 7:00 AM ET (1:00 PM CET)
All webcasted presentations will be made available on the Molecular Partners website.

QIAGEN to enter the DAX – Germany’s leading stock market index

On September 3, 2021 QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) reported it has been chosen to be included in the DAX (Deutscher Aktienindex), the leading German stock market index in Germany (Press release, Qiagen, SEP 3, 2021, View Source;Germanys-Leading-Stock-Market-Index/default.aspx [SID1234587258]).

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"Joining the ranks of Germany’s top publicly listed companies is a great milestone and achievement for QIAGEN," said Thierry Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of QIAGEN N.V. "The relevance of molecular testing to fight disease, develop medicines and conquer scientific frontiers has never been stronger. Our employees are the reason for this achievement and have never been more committed to achieving our vision at QIAGEN of making improvements in life possible."

Roland Sackers, Chief Financial Officer of QIAGEN added: "Our inclusion in the DAX 40 is a recognition of the progress QIAGEN has made to deliver long-term profitable growth and create value for shareholders and other stakeholders. Even more important has been the contribution of QIAGEN’s solutions to increasing our knowledge about the biology of life and improving outcomes for patients. This goes to the heart of what our employees do every day and making a significant impact on daily life around the world."

QIAGEN was built on a revolutionary way to extract DNA – composed of the building blocks of life – from a wide range of biological samples. As a spinout of the University of Duesseldorf, QIAGEN has become a global company on track to achieve more than $2 billion in sales in 2021. With about 6,000 employees worldwide, QIAGEN’s corporate headquarter is in Venlo, the Netherlands, while the operational headquarters site is in Hilden, Germany.

QIAGEN is implementing a successful growth strategy that aims to create significant value for its stakeholders, including shareholders. The company’s portfolio of Sample to Insight portfolio address the growing molecular testing needs of customers across the continuum from research and pharmaceutical R&D in the life sciences to clinical molecular diagnostics.

The changes in the DAX, which is being expanded to include the 40 largest companies based on market capitalization, is set to take place on Monday, September 20, 2021. This is also the date when QIAGEN will no longer be included in Germany’s MDAX, which will now be the index for the next 50 companies based on market capitalization after the DAX.

QIAGEN also continues as a member of Germany’s TecDAX, which is comprised of the 30 largest German companies from the technology sector. Additionally, QIAGEN’s Global Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), making it one of only a few companies listed on exchanges in both countries.

PharmAbcine Receives HREC Clearance for Phase II Trial of Olinvacimab and Pembrolizumab in mTNBC

On September 3, 2021 PharmAbcine Inc. (KOSDAQ: 208340ks), a clinical-stage biotech company focusing on the development of antibody therapeutics, reported that the company has received Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) clearance to commence the Phase II combination trial of olinvacimab, PharmAbcine’s anti-VEGFR2 antibody, and KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), MSD’s anti-PD-1 molecule, for the treatment of metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (mTNBC) in Australia (Press release, PharmAbcine, SEP 3, 2021, View Source [SID1234587247]).

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The Phase II clinical trial is an open-label and multicenter trial that will enroll 36 immuno-oncology drug naïve mTNBC patients regardless of their PD-L1 expression level. The study will evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, pharmacodynamics, and the expression level of VEGFR-2 and PD-L1 after the administration of 16mg/kg of olinvacimab, and 200mg of pembrolizumab. PharmAbcine will sponsor the clinical trial that will take place in Australia, and MSD will supply pembrolizumab.

PharmAbcine and MSD decided to enter this collaboration based on the promising clinical data obtained from the Phase Ib olinvacimab and pembrolizumab study in mTNBC which is still ongoing in Australia. According to the interim result presented at San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) 2020, olinvacimab in combination with pembrolizumab showed a clear safety profile and certain encouraging efficacy data, including 50% Overall Response Rate (ORR) and 67% Disease Control Rate (DCR) in the high-dose olinvacimab (16mg/kg) cohort (n=6pts). In addition, one patient in Partial Response (PR) showed Complete Response (CR) in the target lesion and another PR patient showed CR in a non-target lesion.

mTNBC is a highly malignant type of cancer that shows a high recurrence rate within the first five years after the diagnosis. mTNBC accounts for 15-20% of all breast cancers and shows a 5-year survival rate of approximately 11%. Unlike some other breast cancers, mTNBC does not express estrogen or progesterone receptors or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and it does not respond to existing cancer drugs designed to target these markers. mTNBC is very difficult to treat, and there are very few FDA approved treatment options for these patients.

"This is a significant milestone for the company, as we strongly believe that olinvacimab could be a new therapeutic option for mTNBC patients," said Dr. Jin-San Yoo, CEO of PharmAbcine. "We are excited to initiate this study and expect the first patient enrollment to take place in October 2021.

About Olinvacimab

PharmAbcine’s leading pipeline, olinvacimab is an anti-VEGFR2 neutralizing fully human IgG. It is currently in a Phase II study for bevacizumab-nonresponding rGBM (recurrent glioblastoma multiforme) patients in both US and Australia. In addition to the ongoing Phase Ib olinvacimab and pembrolizumab combo trial in mTNBC, another olinvacimab plus pembrolizumab Phase Ib trial for rGBM is ongoing in Australia.

Eckert & Ziegler Extends Gallium-68 Generator Portfolio in the United States

On September 3, 2021 Eckert & Ziegler Radiopharma GmbH reported that it has successfully submitted an amendment to their Drug Master File (DMF) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for GalliaPharm (Press release, Eckert & Ziegler Radiopharma, SEP 3, 2021, View Source [SID1234587245]). Their proprietary Ge-68/Ga-68 generator from now on will additionally be available in sizes of up to 100 mCi with a shelf-life of 12 months or for a maximum of 700 elutions. Gallium-68 from GalliaPharm is used for the preparation of diagnostic imaging drugs in Positron Emission Tomography (PET).

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"With the development of generators with higher Ge-68 activity and the amendment of our DMF, we are responding to the increasing demand for Ga-68 based diagnostics in the United States," explained Dr Harald Hasselmann, Eckert & Ziegler Executive Director and responsible for the Medical segment. "The soon to be available preparations for imaging of prostate cancer as well as upcoming novel Ga-68 drugs and their theranostic pair, mostly labeled with Lu-177, allow Eckert & Ziegler to strongly support the trend towards higher activity generators and we are currently working to provide comprehensive solutions to the healthcare providers and their patients."

"Higher activity GalliaPharm generators will enable nuclear medicine institutions and radiopharmacies across the United States to prepare their Ga-68 PET imaging products with the same flexibility as they are used to, while being able to offer the procedures to a greater number of patients and with an expanded service area," added Jay Simon, General Manager of Eckert & Ziegler Radiopharma, Inc. in Wilmington, MA. "Users can obtain additional doses from a single generator elution and are at the same time able to significantly increase the number of daily elutions. Both will contribute to enhanced medical care and assure the supply to American patients."

GalliaPharm is mainly used in combination with tracer kits for diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancer. Gallium generators offer a low-cost alternative for the radiolabeling of biomolecules with Gallium-68 in PET, an imaging examination method used to detect the presence or absence of diseased tissue. PET imaging is primarily used in the diagnosis of cancer, cardiology or neurology. Radioisotopes such as Fluorine-18 can be used alternatively but require investments of millions of dollars in large-scale equipment (cyclotrons). The Ge-68/Ga-68 generator on the other hand, is an easily transportable, small system that is much more cost-efficient, leading to cost reductions for nuclear medicine providers while increasing flexibility.

ADC Therapeutics Announces Medical Leadership Transition

On September 3, 2021 ADC Therapeutics SA (NYSE: ADCT), a commercial-stage biotechnology company improving the lives of those affected by cancer with its next-generation, targeted antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, reported that Jay Feingold, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, will depart the company to pursue a new opportunity (Press release, ADC Therapeutics, SEP 3, 2021, View Source [SID1234587244]). ADCT is pleased to announce that Joseph Camardo, MD, will be appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.

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"Jay Feingold has played a key role in the growth of ADC Therapeutics over the last seven years and was instrumental in establishing our clinical team and strategy leading to the approval of our first commercial therapy, ZYNLONTA," said Chris Martin, PhD, Chief Executive Officer. "We are grateful for his leadership, expertise and steadfast dedication to patients, and we wish him well in his next endeavor." Dr. Feingold will continue to consult with ADCT through 2022 to ensure a smooth transition.

Dr. Camardo joined ADC Therapeutics from Celgene Corporation, where he was most recently Senior Vice President of Celgene Global Health after having served as Senior Vice President of Global Medical Affairs and Corporate Medical Operations. Prior to Celgene, Dr. Camardo was Senior Vice President of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Forest Research Institute and spent more than 20 years at Wyeth Research before its acquisition by Pfizer. At Wyeth, he held several leadership roles including Senior Vice President of Clinical Research and Development.

"Dr. Camardo’s extensive background in clinical development and Medical Affairs makes him the ideal successor and ensures a seamless evolution of our company. Dr. Camardo worked closely with Dr. Feingold for the last 18 months and together they ensured our first marketed product was well-received by the physician community in the United States and beyond," continued Chris Martin.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am delighted to welcome Dr. Camardo to the pivotal role of Chief Medical Officer," said Ron Squarer, Chairman of the Board and an advisor to the company. "The Board has worked closely with Joe Camardo on several critical projects and appreciates his vast and deep industry experience, as well as his passion for patients."