On March 6, 2017 Cellectis S.A. (Alternext: ALCLS – Nasdaq: CLLS), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing immunotherapies based on gene edited CAR T-cells (UCART), reported its results for the three-month period ended December 31, 2016 and for the year ended December 31, 2016 (Press release, Cellectis, MAR 6, 2017, View Source [SID1234518008]).

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– FDA approval to conduct Phase I clinical trials for UCART123 in AML & BPDCN patients
– UCART191 Phase I clinical trials ongoing in ALL patients; partial data presented at the NIH’s RAC’s meeting in December 2016
– Constitution of Cellectis’ Clinical Advisory Board
– Strong cash position of $291 million2 (€276 million) as of December 31, 2016
– Revenues and other income of $56 million3 (€51 million) in 2016
– Excluding non-cash stock based compensation expense, Adjusted net loss4 of $9 million2 (€8 million) for full year 2016

1 Cellectis granted Servier an exclusive license to UCART19 product candidate, and Pfizer has been exclusively licensed by Servier for the development and commercialization of UCART19 in U.S.

2 Translated only for convenience into U.S. dollars at an exchange rate of €1.00=$1.0541, the daily reference rate reported by the European Central Bank ("ECB") as of December 31, 2016

3 Translated only for convenience into U.S. dollars at an exchange rate of €1.00=$1.1066, the arithmetic average of the ECB’s monthly average reference rates for the twelve months comprising full year 2016

4 See the section related to the reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP net income. GAAP Net Loss attributable to shareholders amounts to $67 million (€61 million) for the year ended December, 312016.

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Earnings Call Details

Cellectis will host an earnings call on March 7, 2017 at 8:00am Eastern Time to discuss its financial results and provide a general business update.

Dial-In Numbers:

Live PARTICIPANT Dial-In (Toll-Free US & Canada): 877-407-3104

Live PARTICIPANT Dial-In (International): +1 201-493-6792

Replay Information:

Conference ID #: 13625168

Replay Dial-In (Toll Free US & Canada): 877-660-6853

Replay Dial-In (International): +1 201-612-7415

Expiration Date: 3/21/17

Webcast URL (Archived for 12 months): http://cellectis.equisolvewebcast.com/q4-2016

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RECENT CORPORATE HIGHLIGHTS

Cellectis – Therapeutics

UCART123 – Cellectis’ most advanced, wholly owned TALEN gene-edited product candidate

– Pre-clinical data presented at the 2016 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) annual meeting by Dr. Monica Guzman, MD, Weill Cornell, showed long-lasting molecular remission in mice, using UCART123, compared to Cytarabine alone.

– Successful National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee’s (RAC) meeting with unanimous approval of Phase I clinical trials for UCART123 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN).

– Investigational New Drug (IND) approval received from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct Phase I clinical trials in patients with AML and BPDCN.

– First clinical trial approval by the FDA for an allogeneic, "off-the-shelf" gene-edited CAR T-cell product candidate.

– AML clinical program to be led, at Weill Cornell, by Gail J. Roboz, MD, Director of the Clinical and Translational Leukemia Programs and Professor of Medicine.

– BPDCN clinical program to be led, at MD Anderson Cancer Center, by Naveen Pemmaraju, MD, Assistant Professor, and Hagop Kantarjian, MD, Professor and Department Chair, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine.

– Successful cGMP manufacturing runs of UCART123 at large scale, to provide doses for initiating planned Phase I clinical trials in AML and BPDCN patients.

UCART19, exclusively licensed to Servier

– Phase I clinical trials in pediatric and adult ALL patients are ongoing at University College London (UCL) and Kings College London (KCL), UK, sponsored by Servier. Additional sites in other European countries are planned to be opened subject to approval of concerned regulatory bodies.

– Partial data presented on first 7 patients treated with UCART19 at NIH’s Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting in December 2016.

– Pfizer, in collaboration with Servier, plans to open sites in the U.S. for the ongoing Phase I clinical trials in adult ALL patients, as presented at the RAC meeting in December 2016.

Scientific Publications

– Publication of a study in Scientific Reports, a Nature Publishing Group journal, describing a novel approach to a CAR design with an integrated environmental signal utilizing oxygen concentration to manipulate the CAR T-cell response.

Clinical Advisory Board

– Formation of a Clinical Advisory Board (CAB) comprising leading experts in the hematologic malignancies / stem cell transplant, immunotherapy and hematology-oncology clinical research fields to serve as a strategic resource to Cellectis in connection with the clinical development of UCART123.

Calyxt – Cellectis’ plant science subsidiary

– Publication of a study in BMC Plant Biology describing the use of genome editing technology to modulate soybean oil composition for increased shelf-life, higher frying stability and improved nutritional characteristics.

– Calyxt completed an expansion of its high-oleic/no trans-fat soybean variety (CAL1501) in the U.S. with a production of 1,200 tons of soybeans.

Financial Results
Cellectis’ consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"). The audit procedures have been carried out by the independent auditors and their audit report relating to the certification of the financials is in the process of being issued. The audited report for Cellectis’ consolidated financial statements will be included in the Company’s annual report.

Fourth quarter 2016 Financial Results

Cash: As of December 31, 2016 Cellectis had €276.2 million in total cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets compared to €264.0 million as of September 30, 2016. This increase of €12.2 million notably reflects (i) the receipt of R&D tax credits of €9.2 million, (ii) proceeds of €7.0 million related to the supply agreement with Servier, (iii) the unrealized positive translation effect of exchange rate fluctuations on our U.S. dollar cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets of €12.1 million, partially offset by (iv) other net cash flows used by operating activities of €15.0 million and (v) fixed assets expenditures of €1.1 million.

Revenues and Other Income: During the quarters ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, we recorded €29.2 million and €12.1 million, respectively, in revenues and other income. This decrease is mainly due to the decrease of €20.0 million in collaboration revenues, notably due to the €18.8 million revenue recorded in 2015 in relation to early exercise by Servier of its option to acquire the exclusive worldwide rights to further develop and commercialize UCART19, partially offset by increases of €1.0 million in research tax credit and €1.3 million in subsidies.

Total Operating Expenses: Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2016 were €30.9 million, compared to €28.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2015. The non-cash stock-based compensation expenses included in these amounts were €13.1 million and €12.6 million, respectively.

R&D Expenses: For the quarters ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, research and development expenses increased by €2.6 million from €16.0 million in 2015 to €18.7 million in 2016. Personnel expenses increased by €0.5 million from €11.2 million in 2015 to €11.6 million in 2016, due to a €1.8 million increase in social charges on stock options, partially offset by a €1.1 million decrease in non-cash stock based compensation expense and a €0.2 million decrease in wages and salaries. Purchases, external expenses and other expenses increased by €2.2 million from €4.3 million in 2015 to €6.5 million in 2016.

SG&A Expenses: During the quarters ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, we recorded €8.1 million and €11.4 million, respectively, of selling, general and administrative expenses. The increase of €3.3 million primarily reflects the increase in personnel expenses from €5.6 million to €8.9 million, attributable to the increase of €1.5 million in non-cash stock-based compensation expense, €1.4 million in social charges on stock options, and €0.4 million in wages and salaries. No material variance has been identified on purchases, external expenses and other expenses.

Financial Gain (Loss): The financial gain was €7.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2015 compared with a financial gain of €6.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2016. The change in financial result was primarily attributable to the increase of €1.3 million in fair value adjustment expense on our foreign exchange derivatives and current financial assets, partially offset by the gain of €0.8 million due to the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on our U.S. dollar cash and cash equivalent accounts.

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Shareholders of Cellectis: During the quarters ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, we recorded a net gain of €8.2 million (or €0.23 per share on both a basic and a diluted basis) and net loss of €12.5 million (or €0.35 per share on both a basic and a diluted basis), respectively. Adjusted income attributable to shareholders of Cellectis for the fourth quarter of 2016 was €0.6 million (€0.02 per share on both a basic and a diluted basis) compared to adjusted income attributable to shareholders of Cellectis of €20.9 million (€0.59 per share on both a basic and a diluted basis), for the fourth quarter of 2015. Adjusted income (loss) attributable to shareholders of Cellectis for the fourth quarter of 2016 and 2015 excludes non-cash stock-based compensation expense of €13.1 million and €12.6 million, respectively. Please see "Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for reconciliation of GAAP net income (loss) attributable to shareholders of Cellectis to Adjusted income (loss) attributable to shareholders of Cellectis.

Full year 2016 Financial Results

Cash: As of December 31, 2016 Cellectis had €276.2 million in total cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets compared to € 314.2 million as of December 31, 2015. This decrease of €38.0 million was primarily driven by (i) €29.6 million of cash used in operating activities, related to our research and development and manufacturing efforts, including the advancement of UCART123, for which an IND was filed in the United States in early 2017, partially offset by payments received from Servier and Pfizer pursuant to our collaboration agreements and R&D tax credit, and (ii) €12.5 million of cash used in investment activities, primarily through Calyxt’s land acquisition and greenhouse construction in an aggregate amount of €9.5 million. The decrease was also partially offset by the positive unrealized translation effect of exchange rate fluctuations on our U.S. dollar cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets of €4.4 million.

Cellectis expects that its cash, cash equivalents and Current financial assets of €276.2 million as of December 31, 2016 will be sufficient to fund its current operations to 2019.

Revenues and Other Income: During the year ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, we recorded €56.4 million and €51.0 million, respectively, in revenues and other income. This decrease is mainly due (i) to the decrease of €10.4 million in collaboration revenues notably due to revenue recorded in 2015 in relation to early exercise by Servier of its option to acquire the exclusive worldwide rights to further develop and commercialize UCART19 (€18.8 million) partially offset by the revenue from an agreement to provide Servier with raw materials and additional batches of UCART19 products and the achievement of two milestones in 2016 (totaling €11.9 million), (ii) increases of €4.0 million in research tax credit, €0.5 million in licenses fees and €0.4 million in research subsidies.

Total Operating Expenses: Total operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2016 were €111.8 million, compared to €84.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The non-cash stock-based compensation expenses included in these amounts were €53.0 million and €30.1 million, respectively.

R&D Expenses: For the year ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, research and development expenses increased by €18.5 million from €52.4 million in 2015 to €70.9 million in 2016. Personnel expenses increased by €8.8 million from €35.5 million in 2015 to €44.3 million in 2016, notably due to a €1.6 million increase in wages and salaries, and a €11.5 million increase in non-cash stock based compensation expense, partially offset by a €4.3 million decrease in social charges on stock options and free share grants. Purchases and external expenses increased by €9.8 million from €15.2 million in 2015 to €25.0 million in 2016, due to increased expenses related to UCART123 and other product candidates’ development, including payments to third parties and costs related to preparation of UCART123 clinical trials, purchases of biological materials and expenses associated with the use of laboratories and other facilities.

SG&A Expenses: During the year ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, we recorded €27.2 million and €39.2 million, respectively, of selling, general and administrative expenses. The increase of €12.0 million primarily reflects (i) an increase of €10.7 million in personnel expenses from €19.6 million to €30.3 million attributable to a €0.9 million increase in wages and salaries, an increase of €11.4 million of non-cash stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by a decrease of €1.6 million of social charges on stock options and free share grants, (ii) an increase of €1.9 million in purchases and external expenses and (iii) a decrease of €0.6 in other expenses due to lower business taxes and lower provisions.

Financial Gain (Loss): The financial gain was €7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the financial gain was null for the year ended December 31, 2016. The decrease in financial income and expenses between 2016 and 2015 was mainly attributable to the decrease of €5.9 million in net foreign exchange gain, €1.6 million foreign exchange derivatives fair value expense, and €0.9 million current financial assets fair value expenses, partially offset by an increase of €0.5 million in interest income.

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Shareholders of Cellectis: During the year ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, we recorded a net loss of €20.5 million (or € 0.60 per share on both a basic and a diluted basis) and a net loss of €60.8 million (or €1.72 per share on both a basic and diluted basis), respectively. Adjusted loss attributable to shareholders of Cellectis for the year ended December 31, 2016 was €7.8 million (€0.22 per share on both a basic and a diluted basis) compared to Adjusted income attributable to shareholders of Cellectis of € 9.6 million (€0.28 per share on both a basic and a diluted basis), for the year ended December 31, 2015. Adjusted income (loss) attributable to shareholders of Cellectis for the year ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 excludes non-cash stock-based compensation expense of €53.0 million and €30.1 million, respectively. Please see "Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of GAAP net income (loss) attributable to shareholders of Cellectis to Adjusted income (loss) attributable to shareholders of Cellectis.

On March 7, 2017 Actelion Ltd (SIX: ATLN) reported that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for the use of Ledaga (chlormethine gel) 160 micrograms/g for the treatment of mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (MF-CTCL) (Press release, Actelion, MAR 6, 2017, View Source [SID1234518007]).

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MF-CTCL is a rare, potentially life-threatening immune system cancer that is chronic and usually progresses slowly. The course of disease in individual patients is unpredictable. In about 34% of cases, a progression of the disease is observed, and in the most advanced stages, MF-CTCL cells can metastasize to other body tissues, including the liver, spleen and lungs.

Ledaga is indicated for the topical treatment of mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (MF type CTCL) in adult patients.

The market authorization for Ledaga is based on the results of the pivotal 201 study, the largest randomized controlled study ever conducted in early stage MF-CTCL, involving 260 patients. In this study, within the efficacy evaluable (EE) population, 77% of patients who were treated for at least 6 months with chlormethine gel achieved a clinical response in the Composite Assessment of Index Lesion Severity (CAILS) score, while 59% of those treated with the compounded control had a clinical response. A response was defined as at least a 50% improvement in the baseline CAILS score. Complete response was achieved in 19% of patients treated with chlormethine gel in the EE population versus 15% of patients treated with the compounded control. Reductions in mean CAILS scores were seen as early as four weeks into the study, with further reductions observed with continuing therapy.

In the 201 study, the most frequent adverse reactions reported with chlormethine gel were skin related: dermatitis (54.7%; e.g., skin irritation, erythema, rash, urticaria, skin-burning sensation, pain of the skin), pruritus (20.3%), skin infections (11.7%), skin ulceration and blistering (6.3%), and skin hyperpigmentation (5.5%). No evidence of systemic absorption of chlormethine was observed with the treatment.

Actelion is working diligently to launch Ledaga in the EU as rapidly as possible. Actelion has agreed to a list of post-approval measures with the CHMP (Committee for Medical Products for Human Use, the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency). Subject to fulfilling the agreed commitments and achieving market access in various countries, a potential first European launch of Ledaga is not expected before January 2018.

ABOUT LEDAGA (CHLORMETHINE)

Ledaga (chlormethine) is an alkylating drug indicated for the treatment of mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-Cell lymphoma (MF-CTCL) formulated as a topical, once-daily, colorless gel.

Chlormethine gel, under the brand name Valchlor (mechlorethamine) is commercially available in the US (since 2013) and in Israel through special import authorization procedure (since 2016). In France, patients benefit from the drug under a temporary authorization for use ("ATU") program initiated during the second half of 2014.

ABOUT MF-CTCL

Mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-Cell lymphoma (MF-CTCL) is a rare, but serious and life-threatening, immune system cancer that appears in the skin. MF-CTCL is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

MF-CTLC typically appears in patients over 50 years of age (median age is 54), and is more common in men. It presents first as dry skin and a red rash, with or without itching. As a result, MF-CTLC is often mistaken for eczema or psoriasis, delaying diagnosis. MF-CTLC goes on to form scaly plaques on the skin, which can cover small or large areas of the skin. Large bumps or tumor nodules may also develop, and lymph nodes may be involved.

While MF-CTCL is a chronic and usually slowly progressing disease, the course of disease in individual patients is unpredictable, with some patient progressing into advanced stages. In about 34% of cases, a progression of the disease is observed, and in the most advanced stages, MF-CTCL cells can metastasize to other body tissues, including the liver, spleen and lungs.

Current research suggests that patients who are diagnosed in early stages of MF-CTCL have a normal life expectancy, however, the average time to diagnosis ranges from two to seven years. An important therapeutic objective in treating MF-CTLC is prevention of disease progression. Failure to maintain MF-CTLC in its early stages results in a drastically reduced median survival.

ABOUT STUDY 201

Study 201 was a multicenter, randomized, observer-blinded, active-controlled, 12-month study of Stage I and IIA MF-type CTCL patients, conducted in 13 centers in the US to evaluate the efficacy and safety of chlormethine gel compared with chlormethine HCl 0.02% compounded in Aquaphor ointment. In total, 260 patients were randomized 1:1 to topical treatment with chlormethine gel or chlormethine HCl 0.02% compounded in Aquaphor ointment once daily for up to 12 months.

In the study, within the efficacy evaluable (EE) population, 77% of patients treated with chlormethine gel had a clinical response at 12 months, in the Composite Assessment of Index Lesion Severity (CAILS*) score, while 59% of those treated with the compounded control achieved a confirmed response. (*A response was defined as at least a 50% improvement in the baseline CAILS score).

Complete response was achieved in 19% of patients treated with chlormethine gel versus 15% of patients treated with the compounded control in the EE population. Reductions in mean lesion severity (CAILS) were seen as early as four weeks, with further reductions observed with continuing therapy.

The most frequent adverse reactions reported with chlormethine gel were skin related: dermatitis (54.7%; e.g., skin irritation, erythema, rash, urticaria, skin-burning sensation, pain of the skin), pruritus (20.3%), skin infections (11.7%), skin ulceration and blistering (6.3%), and skin hyperpigmentation (5.5%). No clinical evidence of systemic absorption of chlormethine was observed with the treatment.

On March 6, 2017 OncoCyte Corporation (NYSE MKT:OCX), a developer of novel, non-invasive blood based tests to aid in the early detection of cancer, reported the successful completion of a critical step in the development of its lung cancer diagnostic test (Press release, BioTime, MAR 6, 2017, View Source [SID1234518005]).

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While the key performance metrics of its diagnostic cannot be revealed until they are presented at the American Thoracic Society Meeting in May, the company has locked its prediction algorithm and intends to move to the Clinical Validation Phase of development—the last phase before commercial launch. The data from the study exceed levels OncoCyte believes necessary for a commercially successful test and the Company is moving forward with plans to launch the lung cancer diagnostic test during the second half of 2017.

OncoCyte’s algorithm confirmed the results of an earlier study by The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, which reported its results at the CHEST 2016 Annual Meeting in October 2016. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) in Wistar’s study was 0.82 with a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 62%. OncoCyte’s study results were consistent with Wistar’s.

The AUC of a test is a measure that combines sensitivity and specificity to express its total accuracy, with 1.0 being perfect accuracy and 0.50 being a random result. Sensitivity and specificity are statistical measures of test performance, with sensitivity measuring the percentage of malignant nodules that are identified correctly by the test and specificity measuring the percentage of benign nodules correctly identified.

OncoCyte’s assessment of the market leads management to believe that it is positioned to be the first company to provide a highly accurate non-invasive confirmatory blood test for lung cancer. Based on published sources, Lung RADS guidelines and NLST (National Lung Screening Trial) data, the Company estimates that approximately 1.4 million patients annually in the U.S. could benefit from its test. Assuming this number of patients and the Company’s currently planned pricing for such a test, the total addressable market could potentially exceed $4 billion. OncoCyte believes that its blood based lung cancer test can provide Medicare and private insurance companies with significant savings if the price of its product is about 20 to 25 percent of the cost of an invasive lung biopsy, which according to recent Medicare estimates averages approximately $15,000. Potential revenue to OncoCyte will depend in large measure on the test’s market penetration and on approved reimbursement by Medicare and health insurers.

The results of OncoCyte’s study will be presented at The American Thoracic Society conference in May by its lead author, Dr. Anil Vachani, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, PA. "If the assay continues to perform at these levels, it could create a significant improvement in the standard of care in lung nodule management. Current practice can result in patients undergoing avoidable invasive procedures, which a diagnostic test of this type could help to reduce significantly, while also lowering the cost to determine the presence of lung cancer," said Dr. Vachani.

OncoCyte’s study utilized Wistar’s biomarker panel, which has been exclusively licensed to OncoCyte. The study developed and tested OncoCyte’s proprietary algorithm, using approximately 300 samples collected from patients at 26 community based, academic and government sites across the United States. OncoCyte developed its algorithm by combining data from the top mRNA biomarkers with clinical data such as nodule size. The algorithm was self-tested via a six-fold internal cross-validation on the samples. Cross-validation is a statistical method used to develop and estimate the performance of an algorithm.

The samples were collected from patients with nodules ranging in size from five to thirty millimeters, the size range presenting the greatest diagnostic challenge to clinicians. For patients with these size nodules, physicians must weigh the risk of cancer against the risks posed by costly and potentially dangerous invasive biopsies to confirm whether the nodules are malignant or benign.

Because of the study’s successful results, OncoCyte also announced that it will begin ramping-up its commercial capabilities in anticipation of the potential launch of the test. OncoCyte will initiate a Clinical Validation Phase for this diagnostic. During this phase, the company will continue to carry out analytical validation studies to refine its operational stage laboratory processes and will apply for certification of its CLIA diagnostic testing lab. Upon CLIA certification, OncoCyte will conduct a small CLIA lab validation study to demonstrate that the full assay system utilized in the CLIA lab provides the same results on clinical samples as those obtained in the R&D lab. OncoCyte then will begin a clinical validation study using the finalized algorithm and operational procedures on a new set of at least 300 blinded prospectively collected samples to confirm whether the sensitivity and specificity of the test remain within commercial parameters in a CLIA operational setting. Assuming successful completion of these steps, OncoCyte anticipates launching the test commercially in the second half of 2017.

"We are very excited about the successful results of our study," commented William Annett, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our goal is to have the first commercial blood test that can help physicians to better manage patients presenting with lung nodules, and to avoid a significant number of risky and costly biopsies."

On March 6, 2017 Advaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADXS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has indicated the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for ADXS-NEO, a personalized neoantigen-targeted approach to cancer immunotherapy that is being developed in collaboration with Amgen, can proceed (Press release, Advaxis, MAR 6, 2017, View Source [SID1234518004]).

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This ground-breaking IND paves the way for bringing a new precision immunotherapy for the treatment of cancers into the clinic this year. ADXS-NEO employs Advaxis’ proprietary Listeria monocytogenes (Lm)-based antigen delivery technology, its Lm Technology, to target multiple patient-specific neoantigens in each individual patient’s tumor that are not present in normal cells. ADXS-NEO is designed to stimulate both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system.

Advaxis bioengineers ADXS-NEO constructs by programming its Lm-based antigen delivery technology to present the unique protein fragments or neoantigens associated with mutations found in a patient’s own cancer cells. These cancer-specific mutations are identified by comparing the DNA sequences of cancer cells with normal cells. ADXS-NEO works by presenting a large payload of neoantigens directly into dendritic cells within the patient’s immune system to generate new cancer-fighting white blood cells. These T cells hunt down cancer cells bearing these neoantigens while at the same time broadly stimulating the immune system and reducing the ability of the cancer to resist.

ADXS-NEO constructs can present multiple neoantigens that can be targeted by a patient’s immune system simultaneously. Tumors may accumulate up to 100 or more mutations that can generate neoantigens, and each patient has a set of mutations that are unique to his or her own tumors. ADXS-NEO is designed to hit multiple targets at once to improve the likelihood of a benefit.

ADXS-NEO will be manufactured in Advaxis’ newly constructed facility in Princeton, N.J., utilizing a process that minimizes the time required to develop the patient-specific immunotherapy. A single manufacturing run can provide sufficient product to treat each patient repeatedly for more than one year.

"The IND acceptance is a landmark step towards escaping the one-size-fits-all approach to cancer treatments by building innovative, patient-specific immunotherapies. This highly personalized approach has the potential to transform the treatment of care across multiple types of cancers," said Robert Petit, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Advaxis. "This enables us to employ Lm Technology to focus the attention of a patient’s immune system against the very mutations within their cancer that turned their cells malignant in the first place."

ADXS-NEO is under development through a collaboration between Amgen and Advaxis, bringing together Amgen’s expertise in immuno-oncology development and commercialization and Advaxis’ proprietary Lm-based antigen delivery technology and it’s My Immunotherapy Neo-Epitopes or MINE platform. Advaxis plans to initiate a phase 1 trial evaluating ADXS-NEO in multiple tumor types later this year.

"Over the past several years, the field of cancer immunotherapy has brought promising new treatments with meaningful benefits to cancer patients. Amgen remains committed to a multi-modality approach in immunotherapy, and our collaboration with Advaxis adds to the toolkit of cancer-fighting options available for patients," said David M. Reese, Senior Vice President, Translational Sciences at Amgen. "We look forward to our continued work with Advaxis to explore the potential of ADXS-NEO in the clinic and across multiple tumor types."

On March 6, 2017 Aduro Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADRO), a biopharmaceutical company with three distinct immunotherapy technologies, reported data presentations relating to its technology platforms to be given at the 2017 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting taking place in Washington, D.C., April 1 through April 5, 2017 (Press release, Aduro Biotech, MAR 6, 2017, View Source [SID1234518003]).

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Abstract 2645: Development of a first in class APRIL fully blocking antibody BION-1301 for the treatment of multiple myeloma

Date/Time: Monday, April 3, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
Location: Convention Center, Halls A-C
Poster section 26; Board number 4

Abstract 2993: STING signaling in breast tumor microenvironment modulates immune checkpoint blockade efficacy in the neu-N mouse model of breast cancer

Date/Time: Monday, April 3, 3:05 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. ET
Location: Room 152, Level 1, Washington Convention Center
Session: Innate Immune Mechanisms in Cancer Treatment – Oral Presentation

Late-Breaking Research: Immunology

Abstract LB-198:

Combination of PEGylated recombinant hyaluronidase PH20 (PEGPH20) with live-attenuated, double-deleted (LADD) Listeria enhances tumor infiltrating CD8+ T cell response and antitumor efficacy in mice

Date/Time: Tuesday, April 4, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Convention Center, Halls A-C
Poster section 35; Board number 21