On September 2, 2021 Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, MDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) and Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG ("Secarna"), a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and development of next-generation antisense oligonucleotide ("ASO") therapies to address challenging or previously undruggable targets via its LNAplus platform, reported that they have expanded their strategic partnership in the field of ASO-based therapeutics (Press release, Evotec, SEP 2, 2021, View Source;announcements/press-releases/p/evotec-and-secarna-pharmaceuticals-expand-strategic-partnership-in-the-field-of-antisense-drug-discovery-6094 [SID1234587222]).

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The new agreement expands the ongoing successful collaboration between Evotec and Secarna initiated in August 2020. The parties are now also working on industry partners’ discovery, research and development programmes, leveraging Secarna’s industry-leading antisense oligonucleotide expertise with Evotec’s unparalleled discovery and development capabilities.

Dr Craig Johnstone, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, said: "We are delighted to open our strategic partnership with Secarna for third-party programmes. Secarna’s validated ASO technology provides a highly promising pathway to access targets commonly deemed ‘undruggable’. Leveraging Secarna’s LNAplus technology through the capacity and capabilities of Evotec’s multimodality drug discovery platform will unlock a vast opportunity space for a broad range of partnerships with third parties to develop disease-modifying therapies in indications with high unmet medical need."

Alexander Gebauer, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Secarna Pharmaceuticals, said: "We are excited to further expand our successful alliance with Evotec. Integrating our proven expertise in the field of antisense discovery into Evotec’s well established discovery and development platform, we form a strong foundation for enabling and strengthening third-party pipelines with our LNAplus ASOs. We are looking forward to continue working with Evotec to make new therapeutic options available to industry partners and the many patients who urgently need them."

On September 2, 2021 Epigenomics AG (Frankfurt Prime Standard: ECX, OTCQX: EPGNY; the "Company") reported that a study recently published in BMC Cancer shows that blood tests, such as Epi proColon(R), can significantly increase the CRC screening rates in medically underserved populations (MUP) unwilling or unable to complete FIT or colonoscopy. For eligible participants, the rate of testing increased from 12.6% completing a FIT test the previous year to 93.5% with the blood test.

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Greg Hamilton, CEO of Epigenomics AG, commented: "CRC still is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the U.S., despite the ability to reduce it through screening. Adherence to regular screening is key to earlier CRC detection thus reducing incidence and mortality. The findings now being published are in line with a series of previously published results that blood tests can make an important contribution to reducing the number of CRC related deaths, especially in medically underserved populations which are the most vulnerable."

In the U.S., many people are not up-to-date with CRC screening despite the available testing, with overall screening rates under 70%. This applies in particular to MUP, who share characteristics such as low income, lack of insurance or being underinsured. Although FIT has desirable characteristics for MUP, return rates are consistently low, around 10% in MUP compared to the general population. This was confirmed in the study now published. In the study, the patients were consecutively offered CRC screening by colonoscopy and FIT, according to the current guidelines for CRC screening. Only when both options were rejected, the blood test was offered. Of the 460 participants ultimately offered screening, no participant accepted the offer of colonoscopy, 30 (6.5%) chose FIT screening and 430 (93.5%) elected for mSEPT9 testing. Only two of the 30 participants who chose FIT returned the test (6.7%).

Hence, the study results show that the introduction of blood-based testing for CRC screening, when compared to FIT, has proven to be well-received by the participants, likely because of convenience and ease of testing. The result is another important contribution to the realization that FDA approved CRC screening blood tests should be incorporated into the screening paradigm, as this is a tangible solution to reduce CRC mortality.

On September 2, 2021 Almac Group reported that Khadeeja Ali Syeda, a 2021 graduate of Apex Friendship High School, has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural Almac Group Scholarship, and will receive $50,000 over the next four years (Press release, Almac, SEP 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234587217]).

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After an independent review by Triangle Community Foundation’s seasoned scholarship committee, Khadeeja was named this year’s recipient due to her impressive academic performance and involvement in the community, interest in pursuing a STEM career, and powerful personal statement. She will attend North Carolina State University and will receive, in addition to tuition assistance, mentorship opportunities and unique exposure to Almac Group’s career opportunities in the global pharmaceutical and biotech industry.

Commented Donna Christopher, Global VP of Operations, Almac Clinical Services, "Almac and the McClay Foundation support students in overcoming barriers to education across the world, and I am so pleased that we have expanded our reach to create opportunity here in the Triangle region. On behalf of Almac, we are excited to offer the inaugural Almac Group Scholarship to Khadeeja Ali Syeda, whom we had the recent pleasure of meeting at our facility in Durham prior to her first day at North Carolina State University. She is an impressive student who is well-prepared to succeed, and we look forward to continuing to forge a relationship with her as we provide support to help chart her success during her college career and beyond."

Commented Khadeeja Ali Syeda, ""I would like to thank Almac for their generosity. This scholarship will alleviate much of the financial burden I had due to the cost of my education, and will make it easier for me to pursue my goals. I am honored to have been the recipient of this award, and I am excited for the opportunities it will open up for me in the future."

The Almac Group Scholarship Fund was established in Spring2021 in partnership with Triangle Community Foundation to support a substantial, multi-year scholarship award for a selected first-year college student in the Triangle region. Triangle Community Foundation is responsible for scholarship administration and independent evaluation of scholarship candidates, and the McClay Foundation, which wholly owns the Almac Group, is the sole financier of the Fund and its subsequent awards, including this year’s award.

Commented Julia Da Silva, Scholarships Officer at Triangle Community Foundation, "We’re thrilled to be able to partner with Almac Group to support Khadeeja through her college journey and see her join our community of scholars. We can’t wait to see the positive impact she will have on her community and the amazing things she will do with the degree she has chosen to pursue."

The McClay Foundation was established by the late Sir Allen McClay, one of Northern Ireland’s most distinguished entrepreneurs and philanthropists and founder of Almac Group, with the vision to "make a meaningful improvement and advance human health," through the contributions of Almac Group’s innovative family of companies and support to a wide range of global charitable organizations.

On September 2, 2021 Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Syndax," the "Company" or "we") (Nasdaq: SNDX), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing an innovative pipeline of cancer therapies, reported that members of its management team will participate in three upcoming virtual investor conferences (Press release, Syndax, SEP 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234587213]):

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A fireside chat at the Morgan Stanley 19th Annual Global Healthcare Conference at 9:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, September 9, 2021.
A panel at the Citi 16th Annual BioPharma Virtual Conference at 9:45 a.m. ET on Friday, September 10, 2021.
A fireside chat at the Baird Global Healthcare Conference at 8:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, September 14, 2021.
A live webcast of the Morgan Stanley presentation and Citi panel can be accessed from the Investor section of the Company’s website at www.syndax.com, where a replay of the events will also be available for a limited time.

On September 2, 2021 Chemomab Therapeutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: CMMB), a clinical-stage biotech company focused on the discovery and development of innovative therapeutics for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases with high unmet need, reported it has appointed Dale R. Pfost, PhD, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Press release, Chemomab, SEP 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234587212]). Dr. Adi Mor, Company co-founder and current CEO, will continue in her role as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and remain as a member of the Board of Directors. The addition of Dr. Pfost, who brings more than 30 years of diverse experience as a life science senior executive, entrepreneur and venture investor, reflects a planned strategic expansion of the Chemomab senior management team. Dr. Pfost is expected to join the Company’s Board of Directors and subsequently become the company’s Chairman in 2022.

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"The Board and I welcome Dale and thank Adi for her tremendous contributions as founding chief executive of Chemomab," said Stephen Squinto, PhD, Chairman of the Board at Chemomab and an Executive Partner at OrbiMed. "Adi built both the scientific and business platforms for Chemomab and she will continue to be instrumental in developing our first-in-class therapeutic addressing a novel target for multiple inflammatory and fibrotic diseases and helping position the company for future success. We look forward to her continued contributions as we evolve and grow."

Dr. Pfost has served as CEO of six biotechnology companies, three of which became publicly traded with valuations exceeding two billion dollars. He has successfully completed dozens of financings, overseen numerous M&A transactions and served as a director at multiple public and private life science firms.

Dr. Squinto continued, "We are delighted that Dale is coming on board as CEO. He is a seasoned biotechnology industry veteran with deep relationships and a history of successfully building innovative companies through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. With two Phase 2 studies underway and a third poised to kick off in the coming months, Chemomab is making excellent progress on realizing its potential as a premier company addressing diseases with large unmet medical needs. We look forward to Dale’s astute leadership during the next stage of growth."

Dr. Pfost said, "Adi and the Chemomab team have built an impressive company based on a unique asset with multiple high value applications. They have demonstrated exceptional skill in undertaking translational work and establishing clinical programs, and we look forward to extending the company’s already strong network of scientific and clinical collaborators in the U.S. This is an exciting time to join, as the company is well-positioned for both continued progress with its current programs and for leveraging strategic growth opportunities."

Dr. Mor said, "We advanced our novel anti-CCL24 antibody from the lab to the clinic and executed a successful merger earlier in the year. Now is the right time to add to our leadership team as we expand our strategic scope and our geographic presence in the U.S. Dale has a terrific track record of successfully growing biotech companies and I welcome the opportunity to work with him to build on the strong foundation we have achieved to date."

Until it was acquired in May of this year, Dr. Pfost was Chairman and CEO of innovative drug discovery firm Lodo Therapeutics. Previously, he was the U.S.-based General Partner at London-based venture capital firm Advent Life Sciences and served as Executive Chairman of portfolio companies CN Creative and Vestagen Protective Technologies. He co-founded and was acting CEO of MicroBiome Therapeutics in the year leading up to its acquisition. Dr. Pfost also was founding CEO of Acuity Pharmaceuticals, which merged to form OPKO Health. He was the founding CEO of Oxford GlycoSciences and genomics pioneer Orchid BioSciences. Dr. Pfost was also CEO at anti-cancer company Receptor BioLogix, where he led its successful acquisition. His first company, which he started in graduate school, was acquired by SmithKline Beckman and produced the Biomek, still a leading laboratory automation system today. Dr. Pfost is the co-author of 10 scientific papers and an inventor on 10 patents. He earned a BS degree from the University of California Santa Barbara and a PhD in physics from Brown University.

Dr. Pfost’s appointment as CEO and member of the Board will become effective upon the approval of Chemomab shareholders, as is required for public companies based in Israel. A shareholder vote is expected in the fourth quarter of 2021. His expected appointment as Chairman in 2022 will also require shareholder approval.