On January 3, 2025 Novocure (NASDAQ: NVCR) reported that management will participate in the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Ashley Cordova, Chief Executive Officer, and William Doyle, Executive Chairman, will speak on behalf of the company and address questions at 9:00 a.m. PST (Press release, NovoCure, JAN 3, 2025, View Source [SID1234649410]). Ms. Cordova and Mr. Doyle will be joined by Christoph Brackmann, Chief Financial Officer, for one-on-one meetings with investors throughout the conference.

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A live audio webcast of this presentation can be accessed from the Investor Relations page of Novocure’s website, www.novocure.com/investor-relations, and will be available for replay for at least 14 days following the event.

On January 3, 2025 Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania reported a new screening technology, Aptamer-based T Lymphocyte Activity Screening and SEQuencing (ATLAS-seq), to better identify antigen-reactive T cells that are more likely to offer greater immune responses against cancer cells (Press release, CHOP, JAN 3, 2025, View Source [SID1234649409]). The findings were reported this week in the journal Nature Communications.

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Researchers continuously work to develop immunotherapy treatments that help the immune system recognize and attack specific protein targets on cancer cells, also known as tumor antigens, thereby training the body to fight cancer more effectively and precisely. Discovering antigen-reactive T cell receptors (TCRs) is essential to this precision medicine approach.

TCRs are protein complexes located on the surface of T cells that recognize and bind to antigen peptides presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, triggering a cascade of cellular responses that lead to T cell activation. However, standard methods for isolating antigen-reactive TCRs often fail to identify TCRs that effectively activate T cells.

"TCRs identified by ATLAS-seq tend to be more efficient in target cell killing than those identified by conventional technologies," said Lan Lin, PhD, senior author of the study and Assistant Professor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine. "Overall, ATLAS-seq improves TCR screening to more effectively identify antigen-reactive TCRs with high functional activity."

The ATLAS-seq technology combines a single-cell approach with an aptamer-based fluorescent molecular sensor that emits a fluorescence signal when a T cell is activated. In the study, the researchers designed a microfluidic system to isolate individual T cells that react to stimulation by an antigen peptide of interest and determined their unique TCR sequences using single-cell sequencing.

"We envision that ATLAS-seq can play a pivotal role in identifying TCRs targeting tumor antigens, driving the development of novel T cell immunotherapies for a broad range of hard-to-treat cancers," said Lin, who is also a researcher in the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics and the Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine at CHOP.

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01GM121827, W.W. Smith Charitable Trust grant C2004 and a CHOP Research Institute Cell & Gene Therapy Collaborative seed grant.

On January 3, 2025 DiaCarta Inc., a precision molecular diagnostic company, reported the publication of its prospective clinical trial data on its blood-based test for triaging FIT (fecal immunochemical test)-positive patients in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening (Press release, DiaCarta, JAN 3, 2025, View Source [SID1234649408]).The study data was published in the Journal of Molecular Pathology on December 13, 2024. The findings reveal that in triaging FIT-positive patients in CRC screening, the QuantiDNA test from patients’ plasma reduces the need for colonoscopy examinations by 33% and is non-inferior to the standard of care in detecting significant colorectal lesions.

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The prospective clinical trial was designed for the Triage of FIT+ Patients Enrolled in a Colorectal Cancer Screening Program. During the period 2019–2022, 711 individuals of both genders, aged 50–74, participating in a CRC screening program organized by the ASL NA 3 SUD, a public healthcare company operating in the district of Naples (Italy), were enrolled in a cross-sectional study aimed at investigating the possible role of the plasma-based test. According to the study protocol, all participants with a FIT+ (or FOBT+) test, willing to sign an informed consent and eligible for the study, received both the blood-based test and a colonoscopy. Data analysis strategy ensured a comparison between the standard of care and the alternative approach. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee in December 2018. Statistical analysis was conducted internally and independently validated by TechnoSTAT Clinical Services (Bnei Brak, Israel). The database was provided and held by Mednet, Inc. (Minnetonka, MN, USA).

"In Europe, all patients diagnosed as FIT positive are referred for colonoscopy, but, according to data collected from within the screening programs, 75% of them turn out to be negative afterward," said Dr. Mauro Scimia, DiaCarta’s Medical Director and Senior Business Director in Italy, as well as one of the senior authors of this paper. "We utilized the straightforward, non-invasive, and well-tolerated blood-based test to triage FIT+ patients, significantly reducing the number of patients who truly require colonoscopy. This approach helps alleviate the burden on healthcare providers and reduces patients’ anxiety while they wait for long colonoscopy queues."

"We are very pleased with the clinical trial results. The clinical performance of the simple blood-based test in triaging CRC screening aligns perfectly with our mission to advance cancer testing through liquid biopsy," Dr. Adam (Aiguo) Zhang, President and CEO of DiaCarta, added. "This clinical trial represents a major milestone in "bringing the test into clinical practice."

On January 3, 2025 Pulse Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLSE), a company leveraging its novel and proprietary Nanosecond Pulsed Field Ablation (nano-PFA or nsPFA) technology, reported plans to present at the upcoming 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco (Press release, Pulse Biosciences, JAN 3, 2025, View Source [SID1234649407]).

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Pulse Biosciences’ Management is scheduled to present on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 3:45 pm PT. A live and recorded webcast of the presentation will be available on the "Events Calendar and Presentations" page of the company’s investor website at View Source

On January 3, 2025 Imugene Limited (ASX:IMU), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, reported that the first Australian patient has been dosed in the Phase 1b clinical trial of its allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy azer-cel (azercabtagene zapreleucel), at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) in Sydney (Press release, Imugene, JAN 3, 2025, View Source [SID1234649406]). The trial is focused on patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), one of the most challenging and aggressive forms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

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Azer-cel is one of the few allogeneic CAR T-cell therapies currently being evaluated in Australia. Azer-cel offers an off-the-shelf alternative to traditional autologous CAR Tcell therapies, which require lengthy manufacturing processes involving a patient’s own cells. By utilising pre-manufactured donor T-cells, azer-cel has the potential to significantly shorten treatment timelines and expand accessibility for patients with limited options.

Imugene recently reported promising data from its US trial sites (see ASX announcement 2 September 2024), demonstrating the potential of azer-cel to deliver meaningful clinical outcomes. In the US cohorts, three patients achieved complete responses (CR) despite having relapsed following multiple prior treatments, including autologous CAR T therapies. Notably, patients treated in Cohort B – which includes lymphodepletion chemotherapy and interleukin-2 (IL-2) – have shown particularly robust and durable responses, with responses extending beyond 90 and 120 days.

Leslie Chong, Managing Director and CEO of Imugene, said: "Achieving first patient dosed for azer-cel in Australia represents a significant milestone for Imugene and for Australian patients battling this devastating disease. The trial’s opening at RPAH in Sydney reflects our commitment to accelerating the development of innovative, offthe-shelf immunotherapies that have the potential to improve outcomes for patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL. We are proud to bring this trial to Australia and look forward to expanding recruitment across multiple sites."