On August 6, 2018 CytRx Corporation (Nasdaq: CYTR), a biopharmaceutical research and development company specializing in oncology, reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, and provided an overview of recent accomplishments and plans for its research and development programs (Press release, CytRx, AUG 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234528834]).

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"To date, 2018 has been marked by several important achievements, most notably the launch of Centurion BioPharma Corporation, which is focused on personalized medicine in advancing our albumin binding ultra high potency LADR (Linker Activated Drug Release) drug candidates and platform technology, and the filing of a provisional patent application covering our breakthrough companion diagnostic to be used alongside the LADR assets," said Eric Curtis, CytRx’s President and Chief Operating Officer. "We are extremely excited about the opportunity these innovative assets can offer to the oncology field and we are diligently working to secure a strategic partnership to advance them further."

"On the corporate and financial front, we have been executing on several key initiatives, including increasing our participation at institutional investor conferences, substantially reducing our cash burn rate, and strengthening our balance sheet. These efforts, combined with our addition to the Russell Microcap Index, leave us well positioned to achieve our corporate objectives for the remainder of 2018," concluded Mr. Curtis.

Second Quarter 2018 and Recent Highlights
Centurion BioPharma Corporation
Breakthrough Personalized Medicine Companion Diagnostic Filed for Albumin-Binding LADR Drug Candidates. In July 2018, Centurion filed a provisional patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office covering its unique albumin companion diagnostic (ACDx) for use alongside its albumin binding ultra-high potency LADR drug candidates. The goal of ACDx is to identify patients with cancer who are most likely to benefit from the treatment with the Company’s lead assets, LADR-7, LADR-8, LADR-9 and LADR-10 and any albumin-binding drugs the Company may generate in the future.
Launched Centurion BioPharma Corporation. In June 2018, Centurion BioPharma Corporation, a private wholly owned subsidiary, was launched by CytRx to focus on the advancement of the LADRTM drug candidates and technology platform. The subsidiary may develop novel drug candidates on its own while out-licensing other assets for larger patient populations. Eric L. Curtis serves as Centurion BioPharma’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
CytRx Corporation
Paid Off Hercules Long-Term Loan Facility. In August 2018, CytRx announced that it made the final scheduled payment under a long-term loan facility agreement with Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. and Hercules Technology III, L.P. As of August 1, 2018, the Hercules loan was paid in full, which extinguished all of CytRx’s outstanding debt.
Expiration of the Majority of Its Outstanding Warrants. In July 2018, CytRx announced the expiration of warrants for approximately 3.2 million shares of its common stock. CytRx believes the expiration of these warrants, the majority of which were associated with a public offering in December 2016, eliminates overhang and provides additional common share float stability.
Aldoxorubicin Included in New NantCell Inc. Triple Negative Breast Cancer Clinical Trial. In June 2018, CytRx highlighted that aldoxorubicin licensee NantCell, Inc. had dosed the first patient in the Phase 1b portion of a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial for patients with triple negative breast cancer. This new trial represents the third NantCell study evaluating aldoxorubicin combined with immunotherapy or high affinity natural killer cell therapy in high unmet need cancer indications.
Added to the Russell Microcap Index. In June 2018, CytRx announced that it had been added to the Russell Microcap Index, effective upon the market open on Monday, June 25, 2018. The Russell indexes are broadly referenced as benchmarks by active investment strategists and institutional investors for index funds. CytRx’s inclusion in the index highlights the growth CytRx has made as a company.
Aldoxorubicin Reviewed in Future Oncology. In June 2018, CytRx highlighted data on licensee NantCell Inc’s aldoxorubicin, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Future Oncology. The paper, published June 5, 2018, is entitled "Aldoxorubicin therapy for the treatment of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma" and can be accessed online here. The paper discusses the albumin-binding mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, preclinical studies, clinical trial data and the safety profile of aldoxorubicin. It also discusses the potential relevance in the future treatment of patients with sarcoma, or who have other anthracycline sensitive tumor types, while avoiding cardiotoxicity.
Aldoxorubicin Data Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2018 Annual Meeting. In June 2018, CytRx highlighted NantCell Inc’s aldoxorubicin abstract selected for poster presentation at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2018 Annual Meeting. The presented data showed that aldoxorubicin, alone or in combination with ifosfamide, lacks cardiotoxicity with doxorubicin equivalent doses beyond 1000 mg/m2. The data, obtained from two clinical trials of aldoxorubicin, contributes to the growing body of evidence showing that aldoxorubicin may be able to improve antitumor activity without typical doxorubicin-associated cardiac toxicity.
Eric L. Curtis named as President and Chief Operating Officer. In May 2018, CytRx announced the appointment of Eric L. Curtis as President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Curtis is a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience in both oncology and orphan diseases, including development and commercialization of approved drugs Votrient, Doxil, Velcade, Benlysta and Tykerb. CytRx has been utilizing Mr. Curtis’s extensive life science leadership to further the LADRTM development program by working to secure a strategic alliance for Centurion BioPharma Corporation.
Presented Statistically Significant Breakthrough LADR Drug Candidate Data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2018 Annual Meeting. In April 2018, CytRx presented three posters highlighting breakthrough data relating to its LADR drug candidates at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2018 Annual Meeting in Chicago. The posters describe the positive scientific findings that led to the Company’s decision to select auristatin E (AE) derivatives LADR-7 and LADR-8, and maytansine derivatives LADR-9 and LADR-10, as the LADR candidates eligible to advance toward IND-enabling studies. The compounds demonstrated excellent, long-term antitumor activity across a wide range of human solid tumor cancer types, including lung, breast, ovarian, head and neck, renal cell, and melanoma. PDF copies of the presented posters (abstracts #1657, #2661, and #3703) can be accessed here.
Participated in Three Institutional Investor Conferences. Over the past quarter, CytRx participated in three institutional investor conferences, including the Singular Research Summer Solstice 2018 Conference in New York City, the OneMed NYC Oncology Investor Conference 2018 in New York City and the 8th Annual LD Micro Invitational Conference in Bel-Air, California. At each conference, CytRx executive management made a formal presentation and had one-on-one meetings with institutional investors.

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

During this quarter CytRx substantially reduced its monthly cash burn rate, and expects to continue to manage its cash effectively.
CytRx reported cash and cash equivalents of $36.4 million as of June 30, 2018.

Net loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, was $3.0 million, or $(0.10) per share, compared with a net loss of $14.4 million, or $(0.60) per share, for the comparative 2017 period, a reduction of $11.4 million, or approximately 79 percent. During the second quarter of 2018, the Company recognized a non-cash gain of $0.1 million on the fair value adjustment of warrant derivative liabilities related to warrants issued in 2016, compared to a non-cash loss of $4.3 million during the second quarter of 2017 related to these now expired warrants.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $0.8 million for the second quarter of 2018, which represents primarily $0.6 million of expenses for the development of the albumin companion diagnostic (ACDx) and $0.2 million of non-cash expenses. In the second quarter of 2017, R&D expenses of $6.2 million included $4.3 million related to our aldoxorubicin program and $0.9 million for non-cash expenses.
General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $1.7 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared with $3.1 million for the second quarter of 2017, including non-cash stock-compensation expense of $0.4 million for the second quarter of 2018 and $0.5 million for the second quarter of 2017. G&A expenses decreased by approximately 46 percent primarily due to a decrease in professional fees.
Conference Call and Webcast
CytRx will be hosting a conference call and webcast today beginning at 11:00 am Eastern Time (8:00 am Pacific Time). To access the conference call, dial (+1)844-358-6753 (U.S. and Canada) or (+1)216-562-0397 (international callers) and enter the conference ID number: 5991089. A live and archived webcast will be available in the News and Events/Events Calendar section of the Company’s website, www.cytrx.com. A replay of the call and webcast will begin approximately two hours after the live call has ended. To access the replay, dial (+1)855-859-2056 (U.S. and Canada) or (+1)404-537-3406 (international callers) and enter the conference ID number: 5991089.

On August 6, 2018 Foundation Medicine, reported the publication of the results of a large study demonstrating that its novel, investigational assay to measure blood tumor mutational burden (bTMB) can help predict response to the anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy, atezolizumab, (TECENTRIQ) in patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Press release, Foundation Medicine, AUG 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234528460]). The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, was the result of a collaboration between Foundation Medicine and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, and demonstrates the potential of bTMB to expand precision oncology approaches for patients with advanced cancers, including metastatic lung cancer. In addition, these results show that bTMB may be an independent predictor of clinical benefit, regardless of PD-L1 expression as assessed by immunohistochemistry.

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"A significant proportion of patients with advanced lung cancer do not have adequate tissue for traditional biomarker testing. These study results represent an important advance for the liquid biopsy field and suggest that measuring TMB in the blood with our novel assay can help identify patients more likely to benefit from anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy," said Vincent Miller, M.D., chief medical officer at Foundation Medicine. "We look forward to further developing this assay through ongoing clinical trials and ultimately as a companion diagnostic to help oncologists make the most informed decisions possible, even when a tissue sample is not feasible."

In the study, clinical data for the novel bTMB assay was reported from a retrospective analysis of more than 1,000 samples from patients with previously treated, advanced NSCLC who participated in Genentech’s Phase II POPLAR and Phase III OAK clinical trials. The study used samples from the POPLAR trial to identify a range of bTMB thresholds that correlated with clinically meaningful outcomes, which were then confirmed using samples from the OAK study. Within the OAK study, patients with bTMB ≥ 16 total mutations (14 mut/Mb) showed significantly improved progression-free survival when treated with atezolizumab as compared to those patients with bTMB ≥ 16 total mutations (14 mut/Mb) treated with docetaxel chemotherapy (Hazard Ratio=0.65 [95% CI: 0.47, 0.92]; p=0.013). According to the study’s first author, David Gandara, M.D. of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, "These are exciting times in lung cancer immunotherapy. Having a blood test that can identify those patients most likely to benefit would be a huge advantage for both physicians and patients. This publication is the first step toward what I anticipate will be full clinical application of this assay."

This bTMB assay is being prospectively evaluated in two Genentech studies: in the Phase III Blood First Assay Screening Trial (BFAST) as a companion diagnostic assay to validate bTMB as a non-invasive biomarker of response to first-line atezolizumab in advanced NSCLC patients, and in the single arm Phase II Blood First-Line Ready Screening Trial (B-F1RST) evaluating atezolizumab monotherapy in first-line NSCLC.

In April 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a Breakthrough Device designation for Foundation Medicine’s new liquid biopsy assay, which will expand upon its current liquid biopsy assay to include genomic biomarkers for microsatellite instability (MSI) and bTMB. If approved, this test could be the first FDA-approved liquid biopsy assay to incorporate multiple companion diagnostics (CDx) and multiple biomarkers to inform the use of targeted oncology therapies, including immunotherapies.

On August 6, 2018 OncoSec Medical Incorporated (OncoSec) (NASDAQ:ONCS), a company developing intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, reported that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on behalf of Roger S. Lo, M.D., Ph.D. and his research team (Press release, OncoSec Medical, AUG 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234528629]). Dr. Roger S. Lo, Professor of Medicine and Molecular and Medical Pharmacology in the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Associate Chief of Dermatology and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, is a preeminent physician-scientist widely recognized for his work in understanding treatment-resistant melanoma.

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Under the research collaboration, Dr. Lo and his research team will perform genetic, transcriptomic and methylomic analyses of patients in OncoSec’s PISCES/KEYNOTE-695 Phase 2b clinical trial, which is evaluating TAVO (tavokinogene telseplasmid) in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) for the treatment of metastatic melanoma in patients that have progress after receiving all available treatments including anti PD-L1 checkpoint immunotherapy.

"UCLA and Dr. Lo represent an ideal collaborator for OncoSec to augment our ongoing PISCES/KEYNOTE-695 Phase 2b clinical program with specialized research designed to pinpoint the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that correspond to specific clinical outcomes in the treatment of metastatic melanoma with TAVO in combination with pembrolizumab," said Christopher G. Twitty, Chief Scientific Officer of OncoSec. "The PISCES/KEYNOTE-695 Phase 2b study continues to progress as planned with enrollment in Stage 1 expected to be complete in the third quarter 2018 and topline data anticipated prior to year-end. Our collaboration with Lo Lab has the potential to not only offer important insights into the mechanism of action of TAVO in combination with pembrolizumab for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, but could be applicable across our clinical pipeline, including the ongoing KEYNOTE-890 Phase 2b trial of TAVO in combination with pembrolizumab in triple negative breast cancer."

Under Dr. Lo’s direction, his research team focuses on genomic, epigenomic and immunologic factors that shape the cancer’s evolution on molecularly targeted therapies and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors. Dr. Lo’s research has received funding from the National Cancer Institute, American Skin Association, Melanoma Research Alliance, The Melanoma Research Foundation, Ressler Family Foundation, and Steven C. Gordon Family Foundation.

On August 6, 2018 Arcus Biosciences, Inc. (NYSE:RCUS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on creating innovative cancer immunotherapies, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 and recent corporate updates (Press release, Arcus Biosciences, AUG 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234528461]).

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"We are pleased with the progress we have made in advancing our molecules into studies in patients with three product candidates now in clinical development," said Terry Rosen, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Arcus. "We continue to believe that AB928, our dual adenosine receptor antagonist, has the potential to significantly enhance the activity of anti-PD-1 antibodies as well as certain chemotherapies and have designed our clinical program for AB928 to demonstrate the potential of these combinations in multiple tumor types where the adenosine pathway is believed to play a critical role. The program will include extensive biomarker analysis to identify biomarkers that may be predictive of response and to demonstrate that changes in immune markers correlate with responses and are consistent with AB928’s mechanism. We look forward to reporting initial safety, biomarker and clinical data for our AB928 combinations in patients in the first half of 2019."

Pipeline Updates

AB928 (dual A 2a R/A 2b R antagonist)

Reported the unblinded safety results from the Phase 1 double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial for AB928 in healthy volunteers. AB928 was found to be safe and well tolerated at all doses evaluated, including the highest dose tested of 200 mg once daily (QD) (with food). At the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in April 2018, the Company presented pharmacodynamic data demonstrating that an AB928 dose between 75 mg and 150 mg QD should be sufficient to achieve greater than 90% inhibition of the adenosine 2a receptor (A2aR) pathway.
Initiated dosing of patients in dose-escalation trial to evaluate AB928 in combination with AB122. This trial is designed to identify the recommended dose of AB928 that can be combined with a fixed dose of AB122 for the AB928 + AB122 expansion cohorts in the AB928 Phase 1/1b program. Dosing began with 75 mg QD of AB928 and 240 mg of AB122 every two weeks (Q2W). Subsequent dose-escalation cohorts will evaluate doses of 150 mg and 200 mg QD of AB928, or intermediate doses, in combination with 240 mg Q2W of AB122.
Preparing to initiate Phase 1/1b trials to evaluate AB928 in combination with three different chemotherapy regimens. Each trial will evaluate AB928 in combination with a chemotherapy regimen that is considered a standard of care for each tumor type:
–AB928 in combination with Doxil in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and ovarian cancer
–AB928 in combination with mFOLFOX in colorectal and gastroesophageal cancers
–AB928 in combination with carboplatin/pemetrexed and pembrolizumab in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Each of these chemotherapy regimens induces immunogenic cell death (a hallmark of which is the generation of significant amounts of adenosine), and therefore their anti-cancer activity is believed to be enhanced by A2aR antagonism. The trials will begin with a dose-escalation portion to identify the recommended dose of AB928 for each chemotherapy regimen, which will be followed by expansion cohorts. The dose-escalation portion will enroll patients with the same tumor types as the expansion cohorts. The Company also plans to evaluate other AB928 combinations, e.g. AB928 + AB122, in these trials.

Initiated development of an immunohistochemistry assay with a leading cancer diagnostic company to be used in Arcus’s clinical trials for AB928 and future clinical trials of AB680. This assay will test for expression of multiple proteins, including PD-L1 and CD73, as well as CD8+ T cells, in the Company’s Phase 1/1b program for AB928.
AB122 (anti-PD-1 antibody)

Continued dosing in the ongoing Phase 1 dose-escalation trial in cancer patients in Australia. The Company has identified 240 mg as the recommended dose for AB122 when administered every two weeks and is currently enrolling patients in additional cohorts to explore other dosing schedules.
Preparing to initiate an expansion cohort to evaluate AB122 as a monotherapy in NSCLC. The objective of this cohort is to confirm that the clinical activity of AB122 is similar to that of approved anti-PD-1 antibodies in NSCLC patients.
AB154 (anti-TIGIT antibody)

Received regulatory approval to initiate a Phase 1 trial to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and clinical activity of AB154 as monotherapy and in combination with AB122 in Australia. The dose-escalation portion will first evaluate increasing doses of AB154 as a monotherapy and subsequently in combination with AB122. Once the recommended doses for AB154 as a monotherapy and in combination with AB122 have been identified, the Company plans to initiate expansion cohorts to evaluate AB154 as a monotherapy and in combination with AB122 in selected tumor types. In the future, the Company plans to explore AB154 in combination with some of its other product candidates. The Company also plans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the fourth quarter of 2018 to initiate clinical testing of AB154 in the U.S.
AB680 (small molecule CD73 inhibitor)

Initiated pre-clinical development of an oral formulation of AB680. IND-enabling studies of an oral formulation of AB680 are ongoing.
Corporate Updates

In July, Arcus announced that Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. exercised its option under the Option and License Agreement entered into in September 2017 to obtain an exclusive development and commercialization license to the Company’s adenosine receptor antagonist program, which includes AB928 and back-up compounds, in Japan and certain other territories in Asia (excluding China).
In June, Arcus and Infinity Pharmaceuticals announced a clinical collaboration to evaluate two triple combination therapies in TNBC and ovarian cancer. These cohorts will be incorporated into Arcus’s Phase 1/1b trial for AB928 in TNBC and ovarian cancer.
In June, Arcus announced the promotion of Jennifer Jarrett to Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Jarrett also continues to serve as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.
Upcoming Milestones

In the second half of 2018, the Company expects to

Present the final data from the Phase 1 trial of AB928 in healthy volunteers at a medical conference in the fall.
Initiate a Phase 1 trial to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of AB680 in healthy volunteers.
Present safety, pharmacokinetic, receptor occupancy and clinical activity data from the ongoing Phase 1 trial of AB122.
In the first half of 2019, the Company expects to

Present initial data from the dose-escalation trials of AB928 + AB122 and AB928 + chemotherapy, which will include data on safety, biomarker analysis and clinical activity for each of the combinations.
Initiate the expansion cohorts for the AB928 + AB122 and AB928 + chemotherapy combinations. Initial data from the expansion cohorts are expected in late 2019.
Report safety and pharmacokinetic data from the Phase 1 trial of AB680 in healthy volunteers.
Initiate clinical testing of AB680 in cancer patients.
Second Quarter and Year-to-Date 2018 Financial Results

Cash Position: At June 30, 2018, cash and investments (which include cash equivalents and both short- and long-term investments) were $277.5 million, compared to $175.7 million at December 31, 2017. The increase was primarily attributable to $124.7 million in net proceeds from the Company’s initial public offering in March.
Revenues: Collaboration and license revenues for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $1.3 million, compared to no revenue for the same period in 2017. Collaboration and license revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2018 were $2.5 million, compared to no revenue for the same period in 2017. The increase in revenues for both periods was attributable to revenues recognized from the Option and License Agreement the Company entered into with Taiho in September 2017.
R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $13.7 million, compared to $7.8 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily driven by the Company’s ongoing clinical studies of AB928 and AB122, pre-clinical and manufacturing costs to prepare two additional programs, AB154 and AB680, for clinical trials, an increase in R&D headcount to support the Company’s other programs and a milestone payable due to the regulatory filing for AB154. Research and development expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2018 were $25.4 million, compared to $13.6 million for the same period in 2017.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $3.5 million, compared to $1.8 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to higher legal and accounting fees and additional staff in key areas required to support a public company infrastructure, as well as increased facilities and office expenses related to our expanded facility in Hayward. General and administrative expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2018 were $6.4 million, compared to $3.3 million for the same period of 2017.
Net Loss: Net loss for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 was $13.5 million, compared to $9.6 million for the same period in 2017. Net loss for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was $26.5 million, compared to $16.8 million for the same period in 2017. The increase in net loss was primarily attributable to the increase in operating expenses noted above.
Based on its current operating plan, the Company expects that its cash and investments as of June 30, 2018 will enable the Company to fund its anticipated operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into at least the fourth quarter of 2020.

On August 3, 2018 IMPACT Therapeutics, Inc. (IMPACT), a China-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of "best-in-class" medicine for the treatment of cancer and other life-threatening diseases, reported the completion of $30 million in series C financing (Press release, Impact Therapeutics, AUG 3, 2018, View Source [SID1234528890]). The series C round was led by Decheng Capital (Decheng), with participation from existing investor Lilly Asian Ventures (LAV). Proceeds from the series will be used for the clinical development of IMP4297, a potential best-in-class PARP inhibitor, and to advance IMPACT’s integrated programs targeting DNA Damage Response (DDR).

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PARP inhibitors are targeted therapies for cancer patients with defects in DNA repair mechanisms, such as with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Three PARP inhibitors, which have been shown to be tolerable and effective in clinical studies, have already been approved for marketing outside of China. IMP4297 has demonstrated an excellent safety profile and good preliminary efficacy in phase I clinical trials in Australia and China, which is consistent with the high potency and large therapeutic window found in pre-clinical studies.

"We are grateful for the faith our new and existing investors have shown in us, and for sharing our vision of developing the best potential treatments for cancer patients with DNA repair defects," commented Dr. Ye Edward Tian, CEO of IMPACT. "Decheng and LAV are renowned global VC firms in the biomedical industry. With the capital and resources provided by Decheng and LAV, we will be able to advance the clinical development of IMP4297 and enrich our pipeline."

"IMPACT is committed to the discovery and development of best-in-class therapeutics to treat cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Our data indicates that IMP4297 could be more efficacious and/or less toxic than other PARP inhibitors currently in the market, making it a potential best-in-class drug," added Dr. Sui Xiong Cai, SVP and CTO of IMPACT. "With this series C financing, we are well-positioned to achieve key data milestones as we accelerate the clinical development of IMP4297, in the hope of bringing it to market and patients soon."

"IMP4297 has shown potential to be a best-in-class drug in both pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. IMPACT is an excellent Chinese company with products that can compete globally," said Dr. Xiangmin Cui, Founder and Managing Director of Decheng. "We are very happy to collaborate with the IMPACT team and to support IMPACT’s growth."

"IMPACT is advancing its IMP4297 program steadily," said Dr. Fei Chen, Managing Partner of LAV. "We have seen excellent results from the clinical trials of IMP4297. As an existing investor from the previous two rounds of financing, LAV will continue to support IMPACT with capital and resources."

About Decheng Capital

Founded in 2012, Decheng is a leading VC firm investing in the biomedical and healthcare sectors. With more than $1 billion in capital under management, Decheng provides financial and strategic support to entrepreneurs, innovators and startup companies to take advantage of opportunities in China’s fast-growing healthcare, biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. Well placed to capitalize on revolutionary breakthroughs in life-science innovation worldwide, Decheng has offices in Shanghai and Silicon Valley.

About Lilly Asia Ventures

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Shanghai, LAV is a leading VC firm investing in the biomedical, pharmaceutical and medical devices/diagnostics industries. LAV provides early-to-growth-stage companies with capital, professional expertise and valuable resources. LAV has offices in northern California, Shanghai and Hong Kong.