Oncolytics Biotech® to Participate in Fireside Chats at Two Investment Conferences in September

On September 6, 2024 Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC), a leading clinical-stage company specializing in immunotherapy for oncology, reported that Chief Financial Officer Kirk Look will participate in a fireside chat at the H.C. Wainwright 26th Annual Global Investment Conference, which is taking place September 9-11, 2024 at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York, NY (Press release, Oncolytics Biotech, SEP 6, 2024, View Source [SID1234646394]). Chief Medical Officer Tom Heineman, M.D., Ph.D., will participate in a fireside chat at the 2024 Cantor Global Healthcare Conference, which is taking place September 17-19, 2024 at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel in New York, NY. Additional details on the fireside chats can be found below.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Event: H.C. Wainwright 26th Annual Global Investment Conference
Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. ET
Location: Lotte New York Palace Hotel, Holmes I Room – 4th Floor
Webcast Link: Available by clicking here

Event: Cantor 2024 Global Healthcare Conference
Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024
Time: 10:55 a.m. ET
Location: InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel, Track 6 Morgan Suite
Webcast Link: Available by clicking here

Company management will also be participating in one-on-one investor meetings at the conferences. To schedule a meeting, please submit a request on the conference website, contact your H.C. Wainwright or Cantor Fitzgerald representative, or email [email protected].

Webcasts of the Company’s presentations will also be available on the Investor Relations page of Oncolytics’ website (LINK) and will be archived for three months.

Immatics Announces Upcoming Oral Presentation at the Society for Melanoma Research Congress 2024

On September 6, 2024 Immatics N.V. (NASDAQ: IMTX, "Immatics" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company active in the discovery and development of T cell-redirecting cancer immunotherapies, reported that updated clinical data on its lead cell therapy candidate, ACTengine IMA203 targeting PRAME, will be presented at the 21st International Congress of the Society for Melanoma Research (Press release, Immatics, SEP 6, 2024, View Source [SID1234646393]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Oral presentation

Date / Time: October 11, 2024 / 8:00 – 8:20 am Central Daylight Time
Session: Plenary Session 1 – Developmental Immunotherapy (Cellular Immunotherapy, Vaccines, and New Checkpoints)
Title: ACTengine IMA203 TCR-T targeting PRAME in PD1-refractory metastatic melanoma – Clinical Update
Presenter: Martin Wermke, M.D. (University Hospital Dresden, Germany)

About IMA203

ACTengine IMA203 T cells is an autologous T cell product with a genetically modified, pairing-enhanced TCR directed against an HLA-A*02-presented peptide derived from preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME). This peptide is frequently expressed in a large variety of solid cancers, thereby supporting the program’s potential to address a broad cancer patient population. Immatics’ PRAME peptide is present at a high copy number per tumor cell and is homogeneously and specifically expressed in tumor tissue. The peptide has been identified and characterized by Immatics’ proprietary mass spectrometry-based target discovery platform, XPRESIDENT. Through its proprietary TCR discovery and engineering platform XCEPTOR, Immatics has generated a highly specific T cell receptor (TCR) against this target for its TCR-based cell therapy approach, ACTengine IMA203.

ACTengine IMA203 TCR-T is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 trial as IMA203 monotherapy, and as a second-generation IMA203CD8 (GEN2) monotherapy, where IMA203-engineered T cells are co-transduced with a CD8αβ co-receptor, thereby leveraging the power of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. As previously reported, IMA203 in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor has been deprioritized.

Affimed Reports Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results & Business Update

On September 5, 2024 Affimed, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company committed to giving patients back their innate ability to fight cancer, reported financial results and provided an update on clinical and corporate progress for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 (Press release, Affimed, SEP 5, 2024, View Source [SID1234646694]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"We continue to generate compelling data across our clinical programs," said Dr. Andreas Harstrick, Chief Medical Officer of Affimed. "In solid tumors, our combination study is making significant progress, and we are excited to see objective responses and meaningful tumor control, even in patients with EGFR mutant lung cancer — a disease often resistant to immunomodulation. It’s particularly encouraging that these outcomes are achieved without chemotherapy, which is important given the intolerance many pretreated patients have for such treatments. Our programs in hematologic malignancies are also advancing well. Recent updates from the 12 patients of the LuminICE-203 study reveal remarkable efficacy, in an advanced Hodgkin lymphoma population that had exhausted all approved treatment options. Additionally, AFM28 continues to show promise as a monotherapy in AML. The data shared today underscore our strategy of leveraging the innate immune system in our fight against cancer and reinforce our commitment to advancing these clinical programs."

Pipeline Highlights:

AFM24 (EGFR / CD16A)
In the AFM24-102 trial (combination with atezolizumab):

24 heavily pretreated EGFRmut NSCLC patients are in the trial; in 17 patients that are response evaluable per protocol, 1 CR, 3 PRs and 8 SDs were observed. All responses have been confirmed by follow-up scan. ORR is 23.5% (4/17) and DCR is 70.6% (12/17). Median follow-up is > 7 months and 8 out of the 17 patients continue on treatment. All 4 responders remained on treatment for at least 7 months. Final PFS data from the EGFRmut cohort is expected at a scientific conference in H1 2025.
All patients were pretreated with TKIs (~60% with third generation TKIs) and the majority (76%) had also received platinum-based chemotherapy.
The EGFRwt NSCLC cohort of patients who failed chemotherapy and PD-1/PD-L1 has continued enrollment, with 40 patients on trial. ORR and safety for this cohort is expected in Q4 2024.
In May, the Company received FDA Fast Track designation for the combination treatment of AFM24 with atezolizumab for EGFRwt NSCLC patients.
Acimtamig (AFM13; CD30 / CD16A)
High efficacy observed in the first 12 patients with advanced HL in cohorts 1 and 2 of the Phase 2 LuminICE-203 study showing an ORR of 83.3 % and CRR of 50%.

In the multi-center, multi-cohort, open-label Phase 2 LuminICE-203 trial, patients with advanced, treatment refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma receive combination of CD30-targeting innate cell engager acimtamig (AFM13) with AlloNK.
All HL patients were heavily pretreated with a median of 4 lines of prior therapy, having exhausted all standard of care treatment options, including combination chemotherapy, brentuximab vedotin and checkpoint inhibitors; 50% of patients had also failed prior autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT).
Enrollment in cohorts 1 and 2 (acimtamig doses of 200 mg or 300 mg; AlloNK 2×109 per week for 3 weeks) is completed: In the 12 patients, 6 CRs and 4 PRs were observed.
Enrollment in cohorts 3 and 4 (acimtamig 200 mg or 300 mg; 4×109 in week one and 2×109 AlloNK in weeks 2 and 3) has progressed well with 10/12 patients on study.
Treatment related adverse events were consistent with previous experience and side effects related to acimtamig and AlloNK were well manageable with standard of care treatment.
Data from the study is expected to be presented at a scientific conference in Q4 2024.
AFM28 (CD123 / CD16A)
In the sixth cohort (300 mg) of the multi-center Phase 1 open-label, dose-escalation study (AFM28-101), of AFM28 monotherapy in CD123-positive r/r AML, 3 out of 6 patients (50%) showed a CR or CRi.

Of 6 patients treated at dose level 6 at 300 mg, 1 patient showed a CR, 2 patients a CRi for a composite complete response rate (CRcR, defined as CR+CRi) of 50% (3/6) and 2 patients achieved SD.
Of 6 patients treated at dose level 5 at 250 mg, 1 patient showed a CR, lasting 6 months, a CRR of 17% (1/6) ; the other 5 patients achieved SD as best response.
No dose-limiting toxicities were reported in dose levels 5 and 6.
An additional 6 patients will be enrolled at 300 mg of AFM28.
Data from the study is expected to be presented at a scientific conference in Q4 2024.
Upcoming Milestones:

LuminICE-203: Efficacy update of cohorts 1-4 expected to be presented at a future scientific conference in Q4 2024.
AFM24-102: ORR and safety data from the EGFRwt cohort in Q4 2024.
AFM28-101: Data from the study is expected to be presented at a scientific conference in Q4 2024.
AMF24-102: Mature PFS data from EGFRmut and EGFRwt cohorts expected to be presented at a future conference in H1 2025.
Second Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights
Affimed’s consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB). The consolidated financial statements are presented in Euros (€), the Company’s functional and presentation currency.

As of June 30, 2024, cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled €34.4 million. Based on current operating and budget assumptions, the Company expects that cash, cash equivalents and investments, together with anticipated proceeds from its ATM program and the sale of AbCheck, will finance its operations into the second half of 2025.

Net cash used in operating activities for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 was €16.5 million compared to €33.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2023. The decline was mainly due to lower research and development expenditure and personnel expenses due to the reduction in head count.

Total revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, was €0.2 million compared with €1.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2023. Revenue in 2024 only related to a platform license provided to Genentech and 2023 predominantly related to the Roivant research collaborations for which all work has been completed.

Research and development expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, were €11.7 million compared to €25.3 million in 2023. The decrease was primarily a result of lower expenses associated with the development of acimtamig and AFM24, due to a decrease in procurement of clinical trial material, clinical trial costs and manufacturing costs, decrease in head count due to the corporate restructuring.

General and administrative expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, were €4.0 million compared to €6.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2023. The decrease was due to declines in headcount, in legal and consulting expenses, insurance expenses and share-based payment expenses.

Net loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, was €15.5 million, or €1.01 loss per common share compared with a net loss of €29.4 million, or €1.97 loss per common share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2023.

The weighted number of common shares outstanding for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, was 15,300,912 shares.

Additional information regarding these results will be included in the notes to the consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2024, included in Affimed’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Note on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
Affimed prepares and reports consolidated financial statements and financial information in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. None of the financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Affimed maintains its books and records in Euro.

Conference Call and Webcast Information
Affimed will host a conference call and webcast on September 5, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. EDT / 14:30 CET to discuss second quarter 2024 financial results and corporate developments.

The conference call will be available via phone and webcast. The live audio webcast of the call will be available in the "Webcasts" section on the "Investors" page of the Affimed website at View Source To access the call by phone, please use link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI53034c7725d043b0854377307e1cd8a3, and you will be provided with dial-in details and a pin number.

Note: To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. A replay of the webcast will be accessible at the same link for 30 days following the call.

FACIT portfolio company HDAX Therapeutics closes seed financing to target CNS cancers and neuropathies

On September 05, 2024 FACIT reported the company congratulates HDAX Therapeutics ("HDAX") on the closing of a seed financing round to develop their best-in-class HDAC therapeutics for the treatment of a serious cancer conditions (Press release, FACIT, SEP 5, 2024, View Source [SID1234646407]). Capital from the investor group, which included an investment from FACIT’s Compass Rose Oncology Fund, will empower HDAX to address the debilitating neuropathic pain frequently experienced by patients with cancer.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

HDAX’s successes to date exemplify the importance of FACIT’s Ontario First commercialization strategy, providing a continuum of much needed capital and additional supports to advance early-stage cancer innovations. After securing initial capital from FACIT’s Prospects Oncology Fund to support the intellectual property developed at the University of Toronto, HDAX met and surpassed key preclinical milestones while cultivating highly skilled talent and entrepreneurial skills in Ontario. Furthermore, HDAX is one of very few life science start-ups led by two women entrepreneurs, and FACIT is proud to continue its industry leadership in backing women-led companies. Congratulations to HDAX and their continued growth in Ontario!

To learn more about this exciting Ontario startup and the potential impact for patients with cancer, read the company’s news release here.

Study Confirms the Ability of Castle Biosciences’ DecisionDx®-SCC Test to Predict Likelihood of Benefit from Adjuvant Radiation Therapy in Patients with High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

On September 5, 2024 Castle Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSTL), a company improving health through innovative tests that guide patient care, reported the publication of a new study in Future Oncology further substantiating use of its DecisionDx-SCC test in guiding patient selection and decision-making related to the use of ART in patients with high-risk SCC based on the ability of the test to identify patients likely to benefit from treatment (Press release, Castle Biosciences, SEP 5, 2024, View Source [SID1234646391]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"Some patients with high-risk SCC are eligible for adjuvant radiation therapy once their primary tumor has been removed; however, determining which patients should seek treatment is complicated and involves weighing numerous pros and cons against the risk of the patient’s cancer returning," said Emily S. Ruiz, M.D., MPH, FAAD, lead author, board-certified dermatologist and Mohs micrographic surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School. "In this study, we were successful in validating, in an independent SCC patient cohort, that DecisionDx-SCC can objectively inform these challenging decisions by identifying patients for whom ART would be beneficial, as well as those who may be best served by avoiding it."

In the study, a novel, independent cohort of patients with high-risk SCC tumors (399 patients; 423 tumors) from two academic centers were tested using DecisionDx-SCC and analyzed for five-year metastasis-free survival and projected time to metastasis. Similar to the recent 2024 study by Arron et al., samples were controlled for bias by clinicopathologically matching ART-treated and untreated patients.1

A comparison of both studies (Arron et al. and Ruiz et al.) demonstrates very similar results:

Both studies showed that patients with DecisionDx-SCC Class 2B (highest metastatic risk) test results who were treated with ART had a 50% decrease in metastatic disease progression, on average, and a significant deceleration of disease progression compared to patients who did not receive ART.
Both studies reported no difference in disease progression rates when comparing ART-treated and untreated patients with DecisionDx-SCC Class 1 (lowest metastatic risk) test results, suggesting these patients may consider deferring treatment due to low metastatic risk and a low likelihood of benefitting from treatment. The majority of patients had Class 1 results, confirming the significance of clinical utility in ruling out ART in these patients.
Additionally, both studies observed a lack of ART-related benefit for patients with Class 2A (higher metastatic risk) test results, despite having an intermediate-level risk of metastasis compared to patients with Class 1 and Class 2B test results. This suggests that a specific pattern of gene expression captured uniquely by a DecisionDx-SCC Class 2B result may be driving the identification of the benefit from ART.
"This marks the sixth study since the start of 2024 demonstrating the value of DecisionDx-SCC test results in improving risk-aligned patient care through precise, tumor-biology-based risk stratification," said Derek Maetzold, president and chief executive officer of Castle Biosciences. "The more than 20 peer-reviewed papers published since the launch of our test four years ago speaks to the breadth of evidence supporting the test’s validity, as well as its ability to improve upon clinicopathologic-based staging systems to drive optimized decision-making regarding appropriate treatment pathways for patients with high-risk SCC."

About DecisionDx-SCC

DecisionDx-SCC is a 40-gene expression profile test that uses an individual patient’s tumor biology to stratify risk of metastasis in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma who have one or more NCCN high-risk factors. The test result, in which patients are stratified into a Class 1 (low), Class 2A (higher) or Class 2B (highest) risk category, predicts individual metastatic risk to inform risk-appropriate management and guide decision-making regarding the use of adjuvant radiation therapy. Peer-reviewed publications have demonstrated that DecisionDx-SCC is an independent predictor of metastatic risk and that the test can significantly improve risk-stratification when used with traditional staging systems and clinicopathologic risk factors to guide risk-aligned management and treatment decisions. Learn more at www.CastleBiosciences.com.