On August 24, 2023 Circio Holding ASA (OSE: CRNA), a biotechnology company developing novel circular RNA and immunotherapy medicines, reported its first half 2023 results (Press release, Circio, AUG 24, 2023, View Source [SID1234634644]).

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Members of Circio’s executive management team will give an online presentation to investors, analysts and the press at 10:00 CET today (details below).

FIRST HALF 2023 HIGHLIGHTS
Corporate
The company was rebranded as Circio, an innovator in next generation circular RNA therapeutics
A convertible bond facility with Atlas Special Opportunities was established, securing up to NOK 300 million in financing over three years
The organization was restructured to reflect the new strategic focus on circRNA, which will lead to significant payroll savings
Circular RNA
Technical proof-of-concept was established for novel circVec vector types and designs, including demonstrating 15X extended half-life vs. mRNA in vitro
A patent application was filed for the circAde concept
Two circRNA posters were presented at the major oncology and gene therapy conferences AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) and ASGCT (Free ASGCT Whitepaper)
Mutant KRAS
The first patient was dosed with TG01 in the multiple myeloma study at Oslo University Hospital
The first patient was dosed with TG01 in the anti-PD-1 combination study in pancreatic cancer at Kansas University, USA
Erik Digman Wiklund, CEO commented: "Circular RNA is a powerful new format for RNA therapeutics, and with our differentiated circVec platform we have a unique opportunity to take a leading role in this emerging space. We are rapidly building our technical capabilities to demonstrate the versatility and broad potential of our technology and put Circio in position to capture the significant potential of vector-delivered circRNA."

Key figures
Amounts in NOK thousands 1H 2023 1H 2022 FY 2022
Total operating revenues 10 002
Total operating expenses -72 519 -59 786 -503 593
Operating profit/loss -72 519 -59 786 -493 591
Net financial items -3 443 164 -1 737
Income tax – 21 62 430
Net profit/loss -75 962 -59 601 -432 898
Basic and diluted EPS (NOK/share) -0.40 -0.32 -2.30
Net change in cash -34 652 -55 884 -115 667
Cash and cash equivalents start of period 66 015 181 682 181 682
Cash and cash equivalents end of period 31 363 125 798 66 015
The interim financial information has not been subject to audit

Presentation
We invite to a live webcast today at 10.00 CET. You can join the webcast here. It will be possible to submit questions during the presentation.

On August 23, 2023 Disruptive Pharma reported positive results from its recent preclinical study for DPH001 (Press release, Disruptive Pharma, AUG 23, 2023, View Source [SID1234649944]). With its innovative MMC technology, researchers at Disruptive Pharma have engineered an improved sorafenib formulation intended for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). DPH001, confirms its bioequivalent exposure profile at 50% API dose compared to NEXAVAR Our data show that the MMC sorafenib formulation of DPH001 achieved the 2X absorption and reduced inter-animal variability which was the goal of the PK study. The animals were given MMC sorafenib formulation, at 50% API dose, and NEXAVARat standard API dose. CEO Peter Åsberg: "we look forward to continue developing DPH001 which will bring an important improvement for patients with HCC/RCC. We believe it can have a major impact on the market and have a positive impact for the patients in terms of an improved side-effect profile undergoing sorafenib treatment. We’re really excited about our upcoming work and the commercial opportunities we see that DPH001 can bring as well as being a demonstrator on how the patented MMC technology may be utilized to create improved versions of marketed products."

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Furthermore, Åsberg highlighted the broader potential of Disruptive Pharma’s MMC technology, which could pave the way for enhanced versions of existing products, stating, "DPH001 serves as a prime example of how our patented MMC technology can be harnessed to create superior iterations of marketed products. This not only demonstrates our commitment to innovation but also underscores our dedication to improving patients’ lives."

On August 23, 2023 WuXi Biologics reported its Interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2023 (Filing, 3 mnth, JUN 30, WuXi Biologics, 2023, AUG 23, 2023, View Source [SID1234634973]).

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On August 23, 2023 Arcus Biosciences (NYSE:RCUS), a clinical-stage, global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing differentiated molecules and combination therapies for people with cancer, reported that its management team will participate in the following upcoming investor conferences in September (Press release, Arcus Biosciences, AUG 23, 2023, View Source [SID1234634665]):

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Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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2023 Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference
Date: Wednesday, September 6th, 2023 at 10:15 a.m. ET
Location: Boston, MA
Format: Fireside Chat

Citi 18th Annual BioPharma Conference
Date: Wednesday, September 6th, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Boston, MA
Format: Company Panel — Immuno-Oncology

Morgan Stanley 21st Annual Global Healthcare Conference
Date: Tuesday, September 12th, 2023 at 4:15 p.m. ET
Location: New York, NY
Format: Fireside Chat

2023 Cantor Fitzgerald Global Healthcare Conference
Date: Tuesday, September 26th, 2023 at 10:20 a.m. ET
Location: New York, NY
Format: Fireside Chat

Live webcasts of the fireside chats and panel will be available by visiting the "Investors & Media" section of the Arcus Biosciences website at www.arcusbio.com. Replays will be available following the live event.

On August 23, 2023 Australian biotech company Ferronova reported that it has signed a licensing agreement with the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) for the application of PRF’s patented Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) inhibitor in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MRI-guided therapies (Press release, Purdue Research Foundation, AUG 23, 2023, View Source [SID1234634664]).

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The licensing agreement will bring together Ferronova’s patented FerroTrace platform, a super-paramagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticle (SPION) formulation, and PRF’s patented FAP inhibitor in a combination to be applied in targeted radiotherapy of difficult cancers with complicated treatment margins such as glioblastoma, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer.

"Purdue researchers are the driving force behind world changing innovations, and our partnership with Ferronova serves as yet another testament to our dedication to partnering with companies that can improve the world and save lives with Purdue technologies," said Brooke Beier, senior vice president of Purdue Innovates. "This is an example of intellectual property protection from the laboratory of a world-renowned Purdue innovator, and we are excited about the boundless potential of many more Purdue technologies that will make an impact."

In recent years, FAP has received increasing attention as a cancer treatment target, due to its prominent expression in solid tumours but virtual absence from healthy tissues.1 Led by renowned researcher Philip Low, the Presidential Scholar for Drug Discovery and Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor for Chemistry at the Purdue University College of Science’s Department of Chemistry, researchers at Purdue University developed an FAP inhibitor that works by inhibiting a pathway associated with the formation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), cells that regulate tumour growth. In addition to reducing CAF formation, the inhibitory agent also reduces collagen I formation, a protein that is associated with tumour growth.2

"This licensing and collaboration agreement is great news as it signals a new approach in targeted radiotherapy for the treatment of glioblastoma," said Associate Professor Hien Le, a radiation oncologist at South Australia (SA) Health, Head of Research at the Department of Radiation Oncology at Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), and Associate Professor at the University of South Australia. "We look forward to the collaboration and progressing the new approach to the clinic to see how the combination of FerroTrace and the FAP inhibitor will impact practice in glioblastoma."

Ferronova is collaborating with the University of South Australia and the University of Sydney on the development of FerroTrace and the FAP inhibitor. The program is funded by a Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) grant with other partners including Siemens, The Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and the University of Sydney.

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive primary malignant tumour of the central nervous system, and the current standard of care comprises cytoreductive surgery followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. However, despite aggressive chemoradiotherapy and maximum surgical resection, survival in patients with glioblastoma remains poor with a median overall survival of 13.5 months, and 5-year survival rates of only 5.8%.3

"There is an urgent need for glioblastoma-specific agents to distinguish between glioblastoma and surrounding normal tissue," noted Ferronova CEO, Stewart Bartlett. "We are hopeful that this collaboration will change that, and in future, have a positive impact on the management of patients with this tragic disease."