On August 2, 2022 Xenetic Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:XBIO) ("Xenetic"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing innovative immune-oncology technologies addressing hard-to-treat cancers, and VolitionRx Limited (NYSE AMERICAN:VNRX) ("Volition"), a multi-national epigenetics company, reported a research and development collaboration to develop Neutrophil Extracellular Traps ("NETs") targeted, adoptive cell therapies for the treatment of cancer (Press release, Xenetic Biosciences, AUG 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234617250]).

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The collaboration is an early exploratory program to evaluate the potential combination of Volition’s Nu.Q NETs Test and Xenetic’s DNase-Armored CAR T platform to develop proprietary adoptive cell therapies potentially targeting multiple types of solid cancers.

Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Volition will fund a research program and the two parties will share proceeds from commercialization or licensing of any products arising from the collaboration.

"Since we in-licensed the DNase-based oncology platform in April of this year, our team is intently focused on driving the technologies forward with the goal of improving outcomes of existing therapeutic agents in multiple solid tumor indications. We are pleased to enter into our first industry research and development collaboration just a few short months after acquiring the technology platform. We have gotten to know the Volition team and are impressed by their technical expertise and creativity. We are therefore very excited to advance the development of this exciting new technology with an aligned strategic partner with the capabilities of Volition," commented Jeffrey Eisenberg, Chief Executive Officer of Xenetic.

Epigenetically modified nucleosomes are present on tumor cell surfaces and within the tumor microenvironment of multiple types of solid cancers, and thus these nucleosomes may represent generalizable tumor antigens that are not limited to a single cancer type. Volition’s Nu.Q technology can specifically recognize and target epigenetically modified nucleosomes, while Xenetic’s DNase-Armored CAR T platform is designed to enhance the function of CAR T cells within solid tumor microenvironments.

Jake Micallef, Volition’s Chief Scientific Officer, added, "Elevated levels of NETs are associated with poor patient outcomes in a range of diseases, such as COVID-19, sepsis and cancer. NETs are specifically implicated in metastatic cancer and removing them has been shown to prevent the spread of disease. Consequently, there’s an urgent need to develop treatments aimed at reducing the production of NETs or removing them from the body. Our CE marked Nu.Q NETs test is the only analytically validated test for the detection and evaluation of NETs. We are delighted to be working with Xenetic, employing our Nucleosomics technology to measure the level of NETs and help monitor the efficacy of their pioneering cancer therapies. It’s an exciting time ahead!"

On August 2, 2022 Caris Life Sciences(Caris), the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize health care, and Xencor, Inc. (NASDAQ: XNCR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered antibodies and cytokines for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported a multi-year strategic option and license agreement to research, develop and commercialize XmAb bispecific antibodies directed against novel targets for the treatment of patients with cancer (Press release, Xencor, AUG 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234617249]).

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Under the terms of the agreement, Caris will apply its proprietary end-to-end discovery platform, Caris Discovery, to identify novel targets for bispecific antibody drug candidates. Caris Discovery combines insights generated from molecular interrogation of primary patient tissues using ADAPT, the company’s exclusive aptamer-based proteomic profiling platform; a robust validation pipeline; and CODEai, the company’s proprietary real-world data platform that integrates Caris’ extensive catalog of molecular data with cancer treatment information. This results in a highly differentiated, orthogonal multi-omics method for target-based discovery.

"There is a critical need to address the paucity of novel therapeutic targets in oncology," said David Spetzler, M.S., Ph.D., MBA, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Caris Life Sciences. "Consequently, we have launched a comprehensive platform agnostic to therapeutic modality to discover and validate novel cancer targets. Our collaboration with Xencor will combine Caris’ proprietary, multi-omics target discovery engine and Xencor’s XmAb engineering platform to design and manufacture investigational bispecific antibodies to develop first-in-class therapies for patients with cancer."

"Our collaboration with Caris leverages the plug-and-play nature of the XmAb platform, combining Xencor’s extensive set of protein engineering tools and capabilities with Caris’ innovation in precision oncology," said John Desjarlais, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Xencor. "Caris has built a unique target discovery platform, coupled with deep genomics information, that will enhance our ability to create and evaluate a new generation of XmAb bispecific and multi-specific antibodies, including T cell engagers, NK cell engagers and other modalities."

As part of the agreement, Xencor will receive exclusive options to research, develop and commercialize products directed to up to three targets. Caris will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible to receive up to approximately $120 million in license fees, discovery, development, regulatory and sales-based milestones, in addition to royalty payments on net sales of each product commercialized by Xencor and future rights for molecular profiling and companion diagnostics for drug candidates developed under the collaboration.

XmAb is a registered trademark of Xencor, Inc.

On August 2, 2022 Theratechnologies Inc. ("Theratechnologies" or the "Company") (TSX: TH) (NASDAQ: THTX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies, reported that Paul Levesque, President and Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a fireside chat at the Canaccord Genuity 42nd Annual Growth Conference on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. ET (Press release, Theratechnologies, AUG 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234617248]).

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A live webcast of the event can be accessed here and through the investor relations section of the Company’s website under ‘Events’. An archive will also be available for 90 days following the conference.

On August 2, 2022 MannKind Corporation (Nasdaq: MNKD) reported that it will release its 2022 second quarter and year to date financial results and its management will host a conference call to discuss these results and corporate updates at 5:00 PM (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 (Press release, Mannkind, AUG 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234617247]).

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Presenting from the Company will be its Chief Executive Officer, Michael Castagna and Chief Financial Officer, Steven Binder.

Those interested in listening to the conference call live via the Internet may do so by visiting the Company’s website at View Source under Events.

On August 2, 2022 Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), a leading medical genetics company, reported that it will report its second quarter 2022 financial results on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, and will host a conference call and webcast that day at 4:30 p.m. Eastern / 1:30 p.m. Pacific to discuss its financial results and recent highlights (Press release, Invitae, AUG 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234617246]).

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Invitae’s (NVTA) mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medical practice to improve the quality of healthcare for billions of people. www.invitae.com (PRNewsFoto/Invitae Corporation)

To access the conference call, please register at the link below: View Source

Upon registering, each participant will be provided with call details and access codes.

The live webcast of the call and slide deck may be accessed here or by visiting the investors section of the company’s website at ir.invitae.com. A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and will be archived on the company’s website.