On February 1, 2023 OncoHost, a precision diagnostics company centered on predictive biomarker development for improved patient care, reported the official launch of its PROphet non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) Test in the United States (Press release, OncoHost, FEB 1, 2023, View Source [SID1234626739]).

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OncoHost’s first test, PROphet NSCLC, guides first line treatment decisions for advanced unresectable non-small lung cancer patients.

The PROphet NSCLC Test provides clinicians with actionable clinical insights into optimal first line therapeutic choices, and a better understanding of their patients’ personalized cancer dynamics. Requiring just one pre-treatment blood test, PROphet scans approximately 7,000 proteins in a patient’s blood plasma and delivers a report that predicts their clinical benefit from anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy-based treatment plans.

"After years of research, development and determination, we are proud to be launching our PROphet NSCLC test in the United States," said Dr. Ofer Sharon, CEO of OncoHost. "While driver mutation detection is an essential factor in determining effective treatment, approximately 85% of all patients diagnosed with NSCLC do not have any detectable driver mutations. In these cases, the PROphet NSCLC Test, when combined with PD-L1 results, will serve an invaluable purpose in predicting the best treatment plan for each individual patient. We hope to create a shift in the industry and improve the lives of those fighting this disease."

The PROphet algorithm is trained on OncoHost’s large-scale clinical trial, PROPHETIC. To date, the trial has over 1,500 patients recruited across 40 sites worldwide, making it one of the largest prospective cohorts in the precision oncology field. The PROphet NSCLC test is supported by a blinded validation demonstrating that it accurately predicts a patient’s clinical benefit and associated overall survival differences with single agent versus combination treatment plans.

"We are thrilled to be launching the PROphet NSCLC test, offering a predictive biomarker to guide treatment planning for this large subset of patients," said Chris Dingman, OncoHost CCO. "Access to our test will have a significant impact on patient care and treatment protocols. The PROphet Report will guide physicians’ treatment decisions by offering personalized insights on the predicted clinical benefit of immunotherapy. Combining these findings with the patients PD-L1 level will allow them to offer the most effective plan and avoid unnecessary treatments."

To order the PROphet NSCLC test, any physician can visit the OncoHost website at www.oncohost.com and complete a Test Requisition Form.

On February 1, 2023 Ratio Therapeutics Inc., a pharmaceutical company specializing in the development of targeted radiotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer, reported the close of its Series A financing extension today, bringing the total raised to date to over $40 million (Press release, Ratio Therapeutics, FEB 1, 2023, View Source [SID1234626738]). The latest round was led by Duquesne Capital and Schusterman Family Investments, with Kenan Turnacioglu, Ph.D., General Partner at Catalio Capital Management representing them and joining as an executive advisor, along with continued significant participation from existing investor base.

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The proceeds will be used to optimize and expand the breadth of the company’s proprietary Trillium and Macropa technology platforms, accelerate the discovery and development of targeted radiotherapies and diagnostics leveraging the platforms’ tunable nature to advance programs through clinical-stage development as well as expand the team through hiring and forming new strategic partnerships.

Founded by entrepreneurial scientists Jack Hoppin, Ph.D., and John Babich, Ph.D., Ratio emerged in June of 2022 with over $20 million in seed financing while engaged in fully funded development alliances with Bayer and Lantheus Holdings Inc. Since then, the company has progressed its collaboration programs, established additional internal discovery and preclinical programs, implemented a comprehensive intellectual property strategy in targeted radiotherapies and diagnostics and filed numerous patent applications.

"We are grateful for the support and honored by the confidence of our investors, who have witnessed our tremendous progress in the past year and recognize the potential of our technology and the strength of our team," commented Dr. Hoppin, Ratio’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "This financing extends our cash runway into 2024 and will allow us to continue making progress toward our milestones. We look forward to working closely with our shareholders as we continue to advance our R&D platforms and bring innovative treatments to address the unmet needs of patients as quickly as possible."

Ratio also welcomes Susan K. Whoriskey, Ph.D., to its board of directors as a strategic advisor who will work closely with the executive team at Ratio to implement strategies for translating scientific advancements into approved therapies. Dr. Whoriskey is a seasoned executive with 30 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals sectors and has sequentially been part of the Founding Executive Team for four successful biotechnology companies: Vera Therapeutics, Moderna, Momenta Pharmaceuticals and Cubist Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Whoriskey’s expertise lies at the interface of integrating research, intellectual property and corporate development. Throughout her career, she has focused on pioneering new technologies and clinical candidates to address unmet needs in the healthcare industry. She has been involved in 5 FDA drug approvals.

"Both the financing round and Susan’s addition to our board of directors are a testament to the value of Ratio’s pipeline and the science behind our technology. We warmly welcome her!" said Dr. Babich, Ratio’s President and Chief Scientific Officer. "Susan’s expertise in working with teams to advance scientific discoveries from the lab bench to the market with several top biotech companies has already been invaluable and will continue to be as we advance our R&D platforms, pipeline and grow as a company in the emerging field of radiopharmaceuticals to address the unmet needs in solid tumors."

About Trillium and Macropa

Ratio Therapeutics’ fully integrated proprietary R&D platforms, Trillium and Macropa, harness the tumor-killing power of alpha particles. The tunable nature of the platforms enables the efficient and timely development of numerous novel radiopharmaceuticals for a broad range of high unmet need in solid tumors, while addressing the trifecta of typical challenges seen with most radiopharmaceuticals: delivery, safety and efficacy. Trillium is a pharmacokinetic modulation platform that can be altered to bind to any antigen-specific target, while Macropa is a best-in-class Actinium-225 chelator. The combination of these platforms enables the tumor-killing power of alpha particles with potential for first- and best-in-class radiopharmaceuticals.

On February 1, 2023 Cytokinetics, Incorporated (Nasdaq: CYTK) reported that on January 31, 2023 it granted stock options to purchase an aggregate of 87,600 shares of common stock to 13 new employees, whose employment commenced in January 2023, as a material inducement to their employment (Press release, Cytokinetics, FEB 1, 2023, View Source [SID1234626724]).

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The stock options that were granted are subject to an exercise price of $42.48 per share, which is equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on January 31, 2023, and will vest over 4 years, with 1/4th of the shares underlying the employee’s option vesting on the one-year anniversary of the applicable vesting commencement date and the remaining shares thereafter vesting monthly at a rate of 1/48th of the shares underlying each employee’s option over the subsequent 36 months, subject to the new employee’s continued service with the Company. Each stock option has a 10-year term and is subject to the terms and conditions of the Company’s Amended and Restated 2004 Equity Incentive Plan and the stock option agreement pursuant to which the option was granted.

The options were granted as material inducements to employment in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

On February 1, 2023 Candel Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CADL), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel viral immunotherapies, reported that Paul Peter Tak, MD, PhD, FMedSci, President and Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a fireside chat at the Guggenheim 2023 Healthcare Talks Oncology Day taking place Feb. 8 – 9, 2023, at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. Details are as follows (Press release, Candel Therapeutics, FEB 1, 2023, View Source [SID1234626723]).

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Format: Fireside Chat

Date/Time: Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at 3:20 p.m. EST

A live webcast of the session will be available by selecting Events and Presentations under the News & Events tab in the Investors section on Candel.com. A replay of the webcast will be archived for up to 30 days following the session date.

On February 1, 2023 Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONTX), ("Onconova"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel products for patients with cancer, reported that the Company will be participating in the 2023 Guggenheim Oncology Conference taking place February 8-9, 2023 in New York City (Press release, Onconova Therapeutics, FEB 1, 2023, View Source [SID1234626722]).

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Steven Fruchtman, M.D., President & CEO of Onconova, will participate in a fireside chat on February 8, 2023, at 10:45 a.m. ET. A webcast of the fireside chat will be available here. Following the presentation, a replay will be archived on the "Corporate Events and Presentations" section of the Onconova website.

The Company will also be participating in 1×1 investor meetings at the conference on February 8 and 9, 2023. Meetings can be requested via Guggenheim.