On January 9, 2024 Precision BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTIL), an advanced gene editing company utilizing its novel proprietary ARCUS platform to develop in vivo gene editing therapies for sophisticated gene edits, including gene elimination, insertion, and excision, reported completion of a strategic transaction with TG Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TGTX) for an exclusive license to develop Azercabtagene Zapreleucel (azer-cel) for autoimmune diseases, and other indications outside of cancer (Press release, Precision Biosciences, JAN 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234639165]).

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"We are excited to extend the utility of our allogeneic CAR T assets into immunology by collaborating with TG Therapeutics as they advance novel treatments for B-cell diseases. Key factors in our decision to partner with the TG team include their recent development, regulatory and commercial successes in the multiple sclerosis space, which we believe are strong indicators of the commitment and expertise they will bring to the development of azer-cel in autoimmune diseases," said Michael Amoroso, President and Chief Executive Officer at Precision BioSciences. "As TG Therapeutics assumes development of azer-cel for immunology, Precision will remain focused on capitalizing on the utility of ARCUS for gene elimination and gene insertion, beginning with our wholly owned PBGENE-HBV program for chronic hepatitis B and PBGENE-PMM for primary mitochondrial myopathy."

"After an extensive review of the CAR T products available for development in immunology, we are excited to bring azer-cel into our portfolio as we look to expand our offerings for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases," said Michael S. Weiss, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TG Therapeutics. "We are pleased to partner with Precision BioSciences for azer-cel, and the equity investment we are making is indicative of our optimism in the near- and long-term opportunities for ARCUS for in vivo gene editing."

In exchange for global rights to azer-cel for autoimmune diseases and indications outside of cancer, Precision will receive upfront and potential near-term economics valued at $17.5 million. The upfront payment of $7.5 million will consist of cash and the purchase of 2,920,816 shares of Precision common stock by TG Therapeutics at a price of $0.77 per share, a 100% premium to the 30-day volume-weighted average price (VWAP) prior to purchase. Precision will also receive $2.5 million within 12 months, as an equity investment in Precision’s common stock at 100% premium to the then 30-day VWAP prior to purchase. Upon the achievement of certain near-term clinical milestones, Precision will receive an additional $7.5 million payment in cash and the purchase of Precision common stock by TG Therapeutics at a 100% premium to the then current 30-day VWAP. Precision is eligible to receive up to $288 million in additional milestone payments based on the achievement of certain clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones, in addition to high-single-digit to low-double-digit royalties on net sales.

"With this deal and the Imugene oncology collaboration for azer-cel announced in August 2023, Precision has now completed two cell therapy collaborations to realize value from our allogeneic CAR T platform while enabling development of azer-cel for patients in diseases with high unmet need. These transactions are expected to extend our runway and will fund continued development of our wholly owned in vivo gene editing programs. As a result of these two accretive partnerships, Precision has received or is eligible to receive $47 million in upfront and potential near-term payments and has the potential to receive more than $900 million in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments," added Mr. Amoroso.

Although it has not finalized its full financial results for the year ended December 31, 2023, Precision expects to report that it had approximately $116 million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2023. Upfront and potential near-term cash from azer-cel transactions, along with existing cash and cash equivalents, expected operational receipts, continued fiscal and operating discipline, availability of Precision’s at-the-market (ATM) facility, and available credit are expected to extend Precision’s cash runway into the first half of 2026 and through clinical phase 1 readouts for its wholly owned HBV and PMM programs.

Precision will continue to evaluate potential partners for other assets from its allogeneic CAR T platform that are no longer being developed internally, including PBCAR19B stealth cell and BCMA targeting CAR T assets for multiple myeloma.

On January 9, 2024 Orphelia Pharma, a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and marketing of pediatric and orphan medicines, announces the publication of two scientific articles about KIZFIZO, the first pediatric drinkable formulation of temozolomide for the treatment of refractory or relapsed neuroblastoma, which is under registration review under centralised procedure by the EMA (Press release, ORPHELIA Pharma, JAN 9, 2024, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=orphelia-pharma-announces-the-publication-of-two-scientific-articles-on-kizfizo-the-first-pediatric-drinkable-formulation-of-temozolomide-for-the-treatment-of-refractory-or-relapsed-neuroblastoma [SID1234639164]).

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The first article, entitled Dispensing Oral Temozolomide in Children: "Precision and Stability of a Novel and Ready to Use Liquid Formulation in Comparison with Capsule Derived Mixtures", published in Pharmaceutics, demonstrates that the clinical practice of administering temozolomide capsules (Temodal) by mixing the content with food or drinks results in significant underexposure compared to administering the ready-to-use KIZFIZO 40 mg/ml oral suspension.

Tests for the accuracy of the administered dose and stability of temozolomide were performed with the capsule contents mixed with food vehicles (apple juice, applesauce, cream, milk and mashed potatoes) and compared to an equivalent dose of KIZFIZO. The dose delivered was systematically lower with capsule-based preparations, regardless of the vehicle used.

In addition, certain food vehicles (dessert cream, milk, mashed potatoes) had a significant effect on the chemical degradation of temozolomide, with the significant increase of its hydrolysis product, amino-imidazole-carboxamide (AIC).

The second article, also published in Pharmaceutics, as : A Multicenter Randomized Bioequivalence Study of a Novel Ready-to-Use Temozolomide Oral Suspension vs. Temozolomide Capsules", demonstrates the bioequivalence between KIZFIZO oral suspension and the capsule form of temozolomide (Temodal).

In conclusion, the administration of KIZFIZO, which is bioequivalent with the capsule form of temozolomide, avoids the misuse associated with the administration of capsules in the paediatric population. This ready to use oral liquid formulation, which is taste masked and ensures the chemical stability of temozolomide, accurately delivers the prescribed dose.

About KIZFIZO 40 mg/ml

KIZFIZO (temozolomide oral suspension, 40 mg/ml) is a ready-to-use oral liquid pediatric formulation of temozolomide developed for use in the treatment of relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma, which carry a very poor prognosis. This age-adapted and taste-masked formulation delivers an accurate dose in a small volume, while avoiding drug handling and caregiver exposure to temozolomide. It is the result of a collaboration between the pharmacists and clinicians at Gustave Roussy hospital and the development team at Orphelia Pharma.

In March 2022, KIZFIZO was granted Early Access Authorization (Autorisation d’Accès Précoce) by the French authorities, for the treatment of refractory and relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma as monotherapy or in combination with irinotecan or topotecan.

KIZFIZO has received an Orphan Drug Designation from the EMA and the FDA and the formulation is covered by granted patents in Europe and the US. The company filed an MAA with the EMA in the summer of 2023.

On January 9, 2024 Oric Pharmaceuticals presented its corporate presentation (Presentation, ORIC Pharmaceuticals, JAN 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234639163]).

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On January 9, 2024 Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l. (NMS), a part of NMS Group S.p.A. (NMS Group) and Nerviano Medical Sciences, Inc. (NMS-US), a wholly owned subsidiary of NMS Group, focused on the discovery and development of oncology drugs and the largest oncological R&D company in Italy, reported that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for its next-generation FLT3 inhibitor NMS-03592088 for the treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) (Press release, Nerviano Medical Sciences, JAN 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234639161]).

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NMS-03592088 is a potent inhibitor of FLT3, KIT and CSF1R that is being assessed as new therapeutic option for AML patients who are relapsed or refractory after treatment with prior standard of care drugs including prior FLT3 inhibitors. Preclinical characterization demonstrated that NMS-03592088 has superior features with respect to approved FLT3 inhibitor drugs supporting its positioning as next generation FLT3 inhibitor. Notably, in addition to the higher biochemical and cellular potency and superior in vivo efficacy, NMS-03592088 showed potent activity in the presence of the gatekeeper resistance mutation F691L, reported as cause of relapse after treatment with first generation FLT3 inhibitors opening the potential for treatment of patients who failed prior FLT3 inhibitor treatment.

The clinical efficacy of NMS-03592088 is being evaluated as monotherapy in a Phase I/II study in Europe and the US. Preliminary evidence of activity was observed during Phase I dose escalation with efficacy demonstrated in patients who had failed prior standard of care including patients who failed prior FLT3 treatments (LINK: AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)2023). The trial is currently enrolling patients in Phase II with different FLT3 positive AML settings explored (NCT03922100).

"The orphan drug designation for NMS-03592088 is a significant achievement for NMS. It underscores the potential of NMS-03592088 and our dedication to making a difference in the lives of patients with FLT3 AML. We are proud to be at the forefront of innovation and remain steadfast in our mission to address unmet medical needs" said Lisa Mahnke, MD, PhD, CMO of NMS | CEO and Managing Director of NMS-US.

"Receiving orphan drug designation for NMS-03592088 is a critical milestone in our development journey. This recognition not only highlights the scientific merit of our approach but also reinforces our commitment to bringing novel therapies to those who need them most. We look forward to advancing NMS-03592088 through further clinical development and regulatory milestones" said Elena Ardini, MSc, Asset Leader of NMS.

The FDA’s Office of Orphan Products Development grants ODD status to drugs and biologics intended for the safe and effective treatment, diagnosis or prevention of rare diseases or conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. ODD provides benefits to drug developers designed to support the development of drugs and biologics for small patient populations with unmet medical needs. These benefits include potential for market exclusivity for seven years upon FDA approval eligibility for tax credits for qualified clinical trials, and waiver of Prescription Drug User Fee Act Application fee.

On January 9, 2024 Transgene (Euronext Paris: TNG), a biotech company that designs and develops virus-based immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701), a leader in IT, network and AI technologies, reported the signing of a further development collaboration agreement to continue the clinical evaluation of the individualized neoantigen cancer vaccine TG4050 (Press release, NEC, JAN 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234639160]).

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TG4050 is currently being evaluated in a randomized multicenter Phase I trial as a single agent in the adjuvant treatment of HPV-negative head and neck cancers. Based on promising data obtained in this Phase I* trial (new windowNCT04183166), Transgene and NEC are preparing a randomized Phase I/II extension of this trial slated to start in 2024. This new trial builds on compelling first signs of efficacy and induction of specific T-cell responses with the aim of generating a comprehensive set of immunological and clinical data to further demonstrate the potential of TG4050.

Transgene and NEC expect to present additional immunological and clinical data from the Phase I trial at a scientific conference in the first half of 2024.

TG4050 is based on Transgene’s viral vector based myvac platform and powered by NEC’s cutting-edge AI capabilities for the identification and prediction of the most immunogenic neoantigens.

Alessandro Riva, Chairman and CEO of Transgene, commented: "We are pleased to announce the extension of our agreement with NEC, which marks a significant milestone in our collaboration. We are looking forward to continuing to treat patients with our individualized cancer vaccine TG4050. The compelling initial Phase I data presented with NEC at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2023 showed that all evaluable patients treated with TG4050 monotherapy developed a specific immune response and remained disease-free.

"Our joint clinical development plan builds on these promising data in a setting where there is no approved treatment to prevent patient relapse after adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. We believe that TG4050, by combining a powerful and immunogenic viral vector with an extremely sophisticated neoantigen selection tool, has the potential to address major medical needs in the adjuvant treatment of solid tumors."

Masamitsu Kitase, Corporate SVP, Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences Division, NEC Corporation, commented: "Transgene has been our trusted partner in developing our joint neoantigen asset TG4050. I am excited that the positive results from the Phase I study have encouraged us to further collaborate on this very promising asset for treating head and neck cancers. We are happy that our state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI)/ machine learning (ML) models help in predicting clinically meaningful neoantigens which impact patient outcomes. NEC’s Healthcare and Life Sciences Division is committed to bringing novel AI-based treatments to patients across the globe and achieving meaningful advances in the pharmaceutical industry."

About myvac
myvac is a viral vector (MVA – Modified Vaccinia Ankara) based, individualized immunotherapy platform that has been developed by Transgene to target solid tumors. myvac-derived products are designed to stimulate the patient’s immune system to recognize and destroy tumors using their own cancer specific genetic mutations. Transgene has set up an innovative network that combines bioengineering, digital transformation, established vectorization know-how and unique manufacturing capabilities. Transgene has been awarded "Investment for the Future" funding from Bpifrance for the development of its platform myvac. TG4050 is the first myvac-derived product being evaluated in clinical trials.
Click new windowhere to watch a short video on myvac.

About TG4050
TG4050 is an individualized immunotherapy being developed for solid tumors that is based on Transgene’s myvac technology and powered by NEC’s longstanding artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) expertise. This virus-based therapeutic vaccine encodes neoantigens (patient-specific mutations) identified and selected by NEC’s Neoantigen Prediction System. The prediction system is based on more than two decades of expertise in AI and has been trained on proprietary data allowing it to accurately prioritize and select the most immunogenic sequences.
TG4050 is designed to stimulate the immune system of patients in order to induce a T-cell response that is able to recognize and destroy tumor cells based on their own neoantigens. This individualized immunotherapy is developed and produced for each patient.

About the clinical trial
TG4050 is being evaluated in a Phase I clinical trial for patients with HPV-negative head and neck cancers (new windowNCT04183166). An individualized treatment is created for each patient after they complete surgery and while they receive adjuvant therapy. Half of the participants received their vaccine immediately after completing adjuvant treatment. The other half were given TG4050 as an additional treatment at the time of recurrence of the disease as an additional treatment to standard of care (SoC). This randomized study is evaluating the treatment benefits of TG4050 in patients who are at risk of relapse. Thirty-two patients have been included in this trial under way in France, the UK, and the USA. The principal investigator of the trial is Prof. Christian Ottensmeier, MD, PhD, Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and Professor of Immuno-Oncology at the University of Liverpool. In France, the clinical trial is conducted at Institut Curie by Prof. Christophe Le Tourneau, MD, PhD, Head of the Department of Drug Development and Innovation (D3i), and at the IUCT-Oncopole, Toulouse by Prof. Jean-Pierre Delord, MD, PhD. In the USA, the trial is being led by Yujie Zhao, MD, PhD, at the Mayo Clinic. Endpoints of the trial include safety, feasibility, and biological activity of the therapeutic vaccine. Initial immunological and clinical data presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2023 and ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2023 are very encouraging.