Publication Reports Role of Dopamine Receptors in Cancer and ONC201 Response

On January 11, 2019 Oncoceutics, Inc. reported the publication of a research article in the scientific journal Clinical Cancer Research that describes the dysregulation of specific dopamine receptors by human cancers (Press release, Oncoceutics, JAN 11, 2019, View Source [SID1234558363]). The article also defines therapeutic opportunities associated with selective targeting of these receptors in tumors by ONC201 and other imipridones, Oncoceutics’ novel class of small molecule cancer therapies.

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!

The research findings show that DRD2 is the specific member of the dopamine receptor family that is most often dysregulated in human cancers, implicating it as a therapeutic target for selective antagonism. Overexpression of this receptor was seen across a wide range of human cancers, with the strongest expression detected in neurooncology and neuroendocrine tumors. Further studies showed that selective antagonism of DRD2, while avoiding other receptors, is critical to maximizing anticancer efficacy, a key feature of ONC201.

This report also finds that another dopamine receptor, DRD5, negatively influences the sensitivity of tumor cells to ONC201. Combining the expression of these two dopamine receptors provides a biomarker tool to identify additional types of cancer that respond to ONC201 beyond its current lead indication in H3 K27M-mutant glioma, which appears to be one of many mechanisms that can produce this biomarker signature.

"Decades of research have shown that G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) such as dopamine receptors, are hijacked by tumors to support their growth and survival," said J. Silvio Gutkind, PhD, Associate Director of Basic Science at University of California, San Diego. "It is rewarding to finally see the clinical translation of one of these therapeutic concepts with ONC201. This compound is clearing the path for other GPCR-targeting agents, including additional imipridones in development, to address a previously untargeted axis in cancer."

"We are excited and compelled by the clinical results that we are seeing with ONC201 in patients with specific types of high grade gliomas," said Joshua Allen, PhD, senior author of the article and Senior Vice President of Research and Development, Oncoceutics. "Our findings in this research article provide a molecular compass that points to additional indications, within and beyond gliomas, that we can study in the lab and the clinic to help more cancer patients with this novel therapy."

Puma Biotechnology and Knight Therapeutics Enter into Exclusive License Agreement to Commercialize NERLYNX® (neratinib) in Canada

On January 11, 2019 Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: PBYI), a biopharmaceutical company, reported that it has entered into an exclusive License Agreement with Knight Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: GUD) that grants Knight the exclusive right to commercialize NERLYNX (neratinib) in Canada (Press release, Puma Biotechnology, JAN 11, 2019, https://investor.pumabiotechnology.com/press-release/puma-biotechnology-and-knight-therapeutics-enter-exclusive-license-agreement-commercia [SID1234532621]).

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!

Puma Biotechnology filed a new drug submission for NERLYNX with Health Canada in July 2018 for the extended adjuvant treatment of adult patients with early stage HER2-overexpressed/amplified breast cancer following adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy. Under the terms of the License Agreement, Knight will be responsible for all commercial activities and future regulatory submissions for NERLYNX in Canada. Puma will receive upfront and milestone payments up to $7.2 million USD throughout the term of this agreement, as well as double digit royalties on net sales of NERLYNX in Canada.

"Our new agreement with Knight demonstrates our commitment to bringing NERLYNX to patients around the world while continuing to focus our commercial resources on the U.S. market," stated Alan H. Auerbach, Chief Executive Officer and President of Puma. "We are confident this new partnership will help patients in Canada access NERLYNX at the earliest opportunity."

"We are excited to partner with Puma to offer a new treatment option to Canadian breast cancer patients," said Jonathan Ross Goodman, Chief Executive Officer of Knight. "While adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence in early stage HER2-positive breast cancer, up to 25% of patients treated with adjuvant trastuzumab will have a recurrence. NERLYNX has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of recurrence in those patients who were previously treated with trastuzumab."

Neratinib was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2017 for the extended adjuvant treatment of adult patients with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer following adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy, and is marketed in the United States as NERLYNX (neratinib) tablets.

Dr. Reddy’s to Release Q3 FY19 Results on February 1, 2019

On January 11, 2019 Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (BSE: 500124, NSE: DRREDDY, NYSE: RDY) reported that it will announce results for the quarter ended December 31, 2018 on Friday, February 1, 2019 after the Board Meeting (Press release, Dr Reddy’s, JAN 11, 2019, View Source [SID1234532623]).

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!

Summary of Events


Event


Date and Time


Medium

Release of financial results


February 1st, after the Board Meeting


Email, Media, Company website, Business wire

Press meet presentation


Will be available on the Company’s website


URL available on Company’s website, www.drreddys.com

Earnings Call


February 1st, 6:30 PM IST / 8:00 AM EST


Hosted by the Company

(Details below)

Playback of Earnings Call


After the earnings call till February 7th


Details below

Transcript of the Earnings call


Will be available on the Company’s website


URL available on Company’s website, www.drreddys.com


Earnings Call

Following the release, the management of the Company will host an earnings call to discuss the Company’s financial performance. (Dial In and other details given below)

Play Back

The play back will be available after the earnings call, through February 7th, 2019. For play back dial in phone No: 022 7194 5757 / 022 6663 5757, and Playback Code is 37176.

Conference Dial-In Numbers

Universal Access Number:


+91 22 6280 1219

+91 22 7115 8120

Local Access Number:

Available all over India


+91 70456 71221

International Toll Free Number:


USA: 1 866 746 2133

UK: 0 808 101 1573

Singapore: 800 101 2045

Hong Kong: 800 964 448


No password/pin number is necessary to dial in to any of the above numbers. The operator will provide instructions on asking questions before and during the call.

Johnson & Johnson Announces completion of Offer for Ci:z Holdings Co., Ltd.

On January 11, 2019 Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) reported that the conditions to its public tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of Ci:z Holdings Co., Ltd. (TYO: 4924) (the "Company") not already held by Johnson & Johnson or its affiliates that was previously announced on October 23, 2018, have been satisfied and the offering period for the tender offer has expired (Press release, Johnson & Johnson, JAN 11, 2019, View Source;johnson-announces-completion-of-offer-for-ciz-holdings-co-ltd-300776682.html [SID1234532626]).

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!

There were 20,004,934 shares of the Company tendered in the tender offer, representing 41% of the outstanding shares of the Company. Johnson & Johnson will acquire all tendered shares for ¥5,900 per share and will purchase additional shares of the Company through the acquisition of CIC Corporation ("CIC"), the ownership vehicle of the Company’s founder, Dr. Yoshinori Shirono. As of the expiration of the offering period, the shares tendered in the tender offer, together with shares already held by Johnson & Johnson or its affiliates and the shares to be acquired through the acquisition of CIC, will give Johnson & Johnson an aggregate ownership interest in the Company of 89%. The settlement of the tender offer and the acquisition of CIC will be completed by January 17, 2019. Following settlement of the tender offer and the acquisition of CIC, Johnson & Johnson plans to acquire the remaining shares of the Company that were not tendered in the tender offer through a share consolidation under Japanese law during the first half of 2019 and take appropriate actions to delist the Company from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Additional information on the tender offer and settlement procedures is available to the Company’s shareholders in the tender offer registration statement for the transaction filed on EDINET in Japan. Copies of an English translation of the tender offer explanatory statement, which includes all the information described in the tender offer registration statement, may be obtained by contacting Johnson & Johnson’s tender offer agent, SMBC Nikko (IBG_M&[email protected]).

Heat Biologics Provides Clinical and Business Update

On January 10, 2019 Heat Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBX), a biopharmaceutical company developing therapies designed to activate a patient’s immune system against cancer, reported a business update regarding the company’s progress and plans for 2019 (Press release, Heat Biologics, JAN 10, 2019, View Source [SID1234532613]).

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!

Key highlights:

Phase 2 trial expanded to evaluate the benefit of HS-110 in combination with a different anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor to treat patients earlier in the course of their metastatic disease
Selected to deliver podium presentation of interim Phase 2 lung cancer data at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper)-SITC Clinical Immuno-Oncology Symposium on February 28, 2019
Remains on track to complete enrollment of Phase 2 lung cancer trial in Q2, 2019
Strong balance sheet entering 2019
Jeff Wolf, Heat’s CEO, commented, "We have postponed reporting our most recent interim data to enable us to present this data at a leading oncology conference. We are honored that our lead investigator, Daniel Morgensztern, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Thoracic Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, has been selected to deliver an oral presentation of this data at the 2019 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper)-SITC Clinical Immuno-Oncology Symposium on February 28."

Mr. Wolf continued, "We continue to make rapid progress on our Phase 2 trial and remain on track to complete enrollment in this trial in Q2, 2019. The resources provided by our recent funding have enabled us to explore a variety of options to expand the current trial to evaluate the benefit of HS-110 in combination with a different anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor to treat patients earlier in the course of their metastatic disease. The details of this expansion will be announced shortly."

"Our balance sheet is strong as we head into the new year. We recently completed a capital raise of $13.8 million in addition to our cash balance of $21.0 million at the end of the third quarter of 2018. We also expect to receive an additional $6.9 million in CPRIT grant funds later this year. The strength of our balance sheet provides us much greater flexibility to expand our lead Phase 2 trial, accelerate our internal programs and explore complementary opportunities within the lung cancer market and beyond."