Molecular Templates to Present at the UBS Global Healthcare Conference

On May 15, 2018 Molecular Templates, Inc. (Nasdaq:MTEM) ("Molecular"), a clinical-stage oncology company focused on the discovery and development of the company’s proprietary engineered toxin bodies (ETBs), which are differentiated, targeted, biologic therapeutics for cancer, reported that its management will provide a corporate overview at the UBS Global Healthcare Conference, taking place May 21-23 at the Grand Hyatt New York hotel in New York City (Press release, Molecular Templates, MAY 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234526645]).

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Presentation Details

Date:
Time:
Location:
Webcast: Monday, May 21
8:00am Eastern Time
Ballroom IV
https://cc.talkpoint.com/ubsx001/052118a_as/?entity=70_OJGBE5X

Astellas Appoints Bernhardt Zeiher, M.D., as New Chief Medical Officer

On May 15, 2018 Astellas reported that Bernhardt G. Zeiher, M.D., F.C.C.P., F.A.C.P., ("Bernie"), was promoted to Chief Medical Officer (CMO), effective April 1, 2018 (Press release, Astellas Pharma US, MAY 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234526669]). Zeiher will continue serving as president of Development, while now also overseeing all other functions of Astellas’ Medical and Development (M&D) organization, including Clinical and Research Quality Assurance, Medical Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, Planning & Administration, and Regulatory Affairs.

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Reporting directly to Astellas president and CEO, Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., Zeiher will join the company’s top executive leadership team. He will continue to lead the organization from Northbrook, Ill., Astellas’ headquarters for M&D and its Americas operations.

In his new role, Zeiher will focus on further integrating and enhancing Astellas’ delivery of its global innovative pipeline and driving support for the appropriate use of its products.

"I am honored to lead the Astellas M&D organization during this critical time," said Zeiher. "As we embark upon a new Corporate Strategic Plan, it is my goal to continue and further implement the corporate vision of turning innovative science into value for patients."

Zeiher started his career at Astellas in 2010 as vice president and Therapeutic Area leader for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Diseases. He was promoted to senior vice president and Therapeutic Area Head for Immunology, Infectious Diseases and Transplant in 2012. Zeiher was later named executive vice president and Therapeutic Area Head when his organization was expanded to include the company’s CNS and Pain programs. Most recently, Zeiher was promoted to president of Development in 2015. Prior to joining Astellas, Zeiher served as the vice president of the Inflammation/Immunology therapeutic area at Pfizer.

He earned his Doctor of Medicine at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and completed an internal medicine residency at University Hospitals of Cleveland as well as a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Zeiher is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians and the American College of Chest Physicians. He has worked in the pharmaceutical industry since 1998

GTx Provides Corporate Update and Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On May 15, 2018 GTx, Inc. (Nasdaq:GTXI) reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018 and highlighted recent accomplishments and upcoming milestones (Press release, GTx, MAY 15, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2349054 [SID1234526616]).

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"GTx is off to a strong start in 2018, with data presented at the SUFU Meeting in March supporting enobosarm’s potential to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The data included additional positive results in a subset of women with both SUI and urge incontinence," said Robert J. Wills, Ph.D., Executive Chairman of GTx. "We look forward to presenting additional data from our open-label, Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical trial evaluating enobosarm 3 mg in postmenopausal women with SUI at the upcoming AUA meeting in May. In addition, we completed patient enrollment in our placebo-controlled, Phase 2 clinical trial of enobosarm in postmenopausal women with SUI several months ahead of schedule. Enrollment exceeded the 400 patients planned per protocol, and we are eager to report top-line results early in the fourth quarter of 2018."

Clinical Highlights and Anticipated Milestones

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI):

Enobosarm, a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM), is being evaluated in Phase 2 clinical development for SUI, the Company’s lead indication. Recent and upcoming important milestones are summarized as follows:

At the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine, & Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU) Meeting in March, positive results were presented from the Company’s Phase 2 proof-of-concept (POC) clinical trial of enobosarm 3 mg administered orally in post-menopausal women with SUI. Details of the SUFU presentation can be found here and are summarized below:
At the end of the 12-week treatment period, all 18 enobosarm-treated women demonstrated clinically meaningful (50 percent or greater) reductions in stress urinary incontinence episodes per day, compared to baseline.
The reduction in incontinence episodes was sustained, or durable, well beyond the 12-week treatment period.
Additional positive results in a subset of postmenopausal women suggest a dual treatment effect on both SUI and urge incontinence (UI).
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results showed a statistically significant increase in several important measurements and support the mechanism of action of enobosarm on the pelvic floor.
There were no serious adverse events reported and reported adverse events were minimal and included headaches, nausea, fatigue, hot flashes, insomnia, muscle weakness and acne. Mild transient elevations in liver enzymes that were within normal limits were observed, except for one patient with levels greater than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal which returned to normal following her 12-week treatment period. Reductions in total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C and triglycerides were also observed.
On May 18, 2018, a podium presentation at the 2018 American Urological Association (AUA) meeting will update results from the Phase 2 POC clinical trial of enobosarm.
The Company has an ongoing randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 trial to assess the efficacy and safety of enobosarm administered orally in post-menopausal women with SUI compared to placebo. More information about the ASTRID (Assessing Enobosarm for Stress Urinary Incontinence Disorder) trial can be found here.
In April, the Company completed patient enrollment in the ASTRID trial several months ahead of schedule, enrolling 493 women at over 60 clinical trial centers across the United States. Top-line results are expected early in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Prostate Cancer:

The Company has a Selective Androgen Receptor Degrader (SARD) preclinical program to evaluate its novel SARD technology in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The Company has ongoing mechanistic preclinical studies designed to select the most appropriate compound to potentially advance into a first-in-human clinical trial.

First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

As of March 31, 2018, cash and short-term investments were $32.1 million compared to $43.9 million at December 31, 2017.
Research and development expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 were $11.0 million compared to $4.2 million for the same period of 2017.
General and administrative expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 were $2.7 million compared to $2.1 million for the same period of 2017.
The net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 was $13.6 million compared to a net loss of $6.3 million for the same period in 2017.
GTx had approximately 22.5 million shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2018. Additionally, there are warrants outstanding to purchase approximately 5.3 million shares of GTx common stock at an exercise price of $8.50 per share and approximately 3.3 million shares of GTx common stock at an exercise price of $9.02.
About the Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept Clinical Trial

The single-arm, open-label Phase 2 clinical trial is evaluating enobosarm in postmenopausal women with SUI, and is the first clinical trial to evaluate an orally-administered selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) for SUI. This clinical trial is closed to enrollment; more information about the clinical trial can be found here.

About the Phase 2 ASTRID Clinical Trial

In addition to the Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical trial being presented at AUA, GTx also has a larger, ongoing, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating enobosarm in postmenopausal women with SUI. The study, called ASTRID (Assessing Enobosarm for Stress Urinary Incontinence Disorder), completed enrollment (n=493) recently and is being conducted at over 60 clinical trial centers across the United States. Top-line results are expected early in the fourth quarter of this year. More information about the ASTRID clinical trial can be found here.

About Enobosarm and SUI

Enobosarm (GTx-024), a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM), has been evaluated in 25 completed or ongoing clinical trials enrolling over 2,100 subjects, in which approximately 1,500 subjects were treated with enobosarm at doses ranging from 0.1 mg to 100 mg. At all evaluated dose levels, enobosarm was observed to be generally safe and well tolerated. The rationale for evaluating enobosarm as a treatment for SUI is supported by preclinical in vivo data demonstrating increases in pelvic floor muscle mass following treatment with GTx’s SARM compounds, including enobosarm, and the proof-of-concept Phase 2 clinical trial of enobosarm 3 mg for the treatment of postmenopausal women with SUI.

About Stress Urinary Incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) refers to the unintentional leakage of urine during activities that increase abdominal pressure such as coughing, sneezing or physical exercise. SUI, the most common type of incontinence suffered by women, affects up to 35 percent of adult women. There are a variety of treatments that are used to treat SUI in women, such as behavioral modification and pelvic floor physical therapy, especially as initial treatment options. As the condition worsens however, bulking agents and surgical procedures are often the most widely used treatments

Myriad Genetics to Present Eight Studies at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting

On May 15, 2018 Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYGN), a leader in molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine, reported that it will present results from eight studies at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) annual meeting to be held June 1 to 5, 2018 in Chicago, Ill (Press release, Myriad Genetics, MAY 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234526646]). Abstracts of the Company’s presentations will be available at: abstracts.asco.org on May 16 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

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"We look forward to presenting exciting new discoveries at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) that we believe will expand the reach of personalized medicine for patients with cancer," said Johnathan Lancaster, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer, Myriad Genetics. "Importantly, our presentations will focus on new advances in predicting breast cancer recurrence and the need for chemotherapy, the role of hereditary cancer testing in preventing cancer or optimizing treatment plans, and novel companion diagnostics for helping guide medication selection for patients with breast or ovarian cancers."

A list of Myriad presentations at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2018 are below. Follow Myriad on Twitter via @MyriadGenetics and stay informed about symposium news and updates by using the hashtag #ASCO18.

Title Presenter Abstract Number Day/Time Myriad Product

Oral Presentation

Validation of a Combined Residual Risk Score
for Healthy Unaffected Women Presenting to Breast
Cancer (BC) Screening Centers Kathryn Dalton Presentation 1507 Sunday, June 3, 2018: 8:00-11:30 a.m. CDT. riskScore

Poster Presentations

Predicting Expected Absolute Chemotherapy
Treatment Benefit in Women with Early-Stage
Breast Cancer using a 12-Gene Expression
Assay William Gradishar Abstract 525 Saturday, June 2, 2018: 8:00-11:30 a.m. EndoPredict

In Silico Evaluation of the 12-gene molecular
score (EndoPredict) and the Recurrence Score
(Oncotype DX) as Predictors of Response to
Neo-adjuvant Chemotherapy in Estrogen
Receptor Positive (ER+), HER2 Negative
(HER2-) Breast Cancer Hatem Soliman Abstract 539

Saturday, June 2, 2018: 8:00-11:30 a.m. CDT. EndoPredict

Promoting Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening
after Multiplex Genetic Testing and Genetic
Counselling Gregory Idos Abstract 1582 Saturday, June 2, 2018: 1:15-4:45 p.m. CDT.

Myriad myRisk

Promoting Breast Cancer Screening after
Multiplex Genetic Panel Testing (MGPT) and
Genetic Counselling Gregory Idos Abstract 1581 Saturday, June 2, 2018: 1:15-4:45 p.m. CDT.

Myriad myRisk

Evaluation of Homologous Recombination
Deficiency (HRD) status with pathological
response to carboplatin +/- veliparib
in BrighTNess, a randomized phase 3 study in
early stage TNBC Melinda Telli Abstract 519 Saturday, June 2, 2018: 3:00-4:15 p.m. CDT. myChoice HRD

Locus-specific loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in
BRCA1/2 mutated (mBRCA) ovarian tumors
from the SOLO2 (NCT01874353) and Study 19
(NCT00753545) clinical trials Kirsten Timms Abstract 5563 Monday, June 4, 2018: 1:15-4:45 p.m. CDT.

myChoice HRD
About EndoPredict
EndoPredict is a second-generation, multigene prognostic test for patients diagnosed with ER+, HER2- early-stage breast cancer. The test provides physicians with information to devise personalized treatment plans for their patients. EndoPredict has been validated in approximately 4,000 patients with node-negative and node-positive cancer and has been used clinically in more than 20,000 patients. In contrast to first-generation multigene prognostic tests, EndoPredict detects the likelihood of late metastases (i.e., metastasis formation after more than five years) and, therefore, can guide treatment decisions regarding the need for chemotherapy, as well as extended anti-hormonal therapy. Accordingly, therapy decisions backed by EndoPredict confer a high level of diagnostic safety. For more information, please visit: www.endopredict.com.

About Myriad myRisk Hereditary Cancer
The Myriad myRisk Hereditary Cancer panel uses validated technologies and algorithms in an 850 step laboratory process to evaluate 28 clinically significant genes associated with eight hereditary cancer sites including: breast, colon, ovarian, endometrial, pancreatic, prostate and gastric cancers and melanoma. For more information, please visit: View Source

About riskScoreTM
riskScore is a clinically validated algorithm that predicts a women’s remaining 5-year and lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. The algorithm combines the analysis of over 80 well-studied genetic markers and the Tyrer-Cuzick model to accurately estimate breast cancer risk for woman of European descent. For more information, please visit: View Source

About myChoice HRD
Myriad’s myChoice HRD is the first homologous recombination deficiency test that can detect when a tumor has lost the ability to repair double-stranded DNA breaks, resulting in increased susceptibility to DNA-damaging drugs such as platinum drugs or PARP inhibitors. High myChoice HRD scores reflective of DNA repair deficiencies are prevalent in all breast cancer subtypes, ovarian and most other major cancers. In previously published data, Myriad showed that the myChoice HRD test predicted drug response to platinum therapy in certain patients with triple-negative breast and ovarian cancers. It is estimated that 1.8 million people in the United States and Europe who are diagnosed with cancers annually may be candidates for treatment with DNA-damaging agents. For more information, please visit: View Source

Heat Biologics Reports First Quarter 2018 Results and Provides Corporate Update

On May 15, 2018 Heat Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBX), a biopharmaceutical company developing drugs designed to activate a patient’s immune system against cancer, reported financial and clinical updates for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018 (Press release, Heat Biologics, MAY 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234526617]).

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”We had an eventful first quarter, with a number of positive clinical developments,” said Jeff Wolf, CEO of Heat. ”Most notably, we announced positive interim results from our Phase 2 study investigating HS-110 in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb’s anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab (Opdivo), in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose cancers had progressed after treatment with one or more lines of therapy. These data are especially encouraging in patients with low levels of TIL and PD-L1, who are among the most difficult-to-treat patients. Importantly, we believe the data are consistent with the mechanism of action of our T-cell Activation Platform, which has been shown to promote a robust T-cell immune response. We believe the ability of our platform to convert ”cold tumors” to ”hot tumors” will be an important component in effective immunotherapy combinations against cancer.”

”Given the strength of our recent data, we recently completed a capital raise for gross proceeds of $20.7 million. Consequently, Heat should have sufficient capital to accomplish the following key objectives over the next 5 quarters: 1) complete enrollment in our Phase 2 trial for HS-110 in NSCLC, 2) begin patient enrollment for our ComPact platform, 3) undertake our Phase I study with our first-in-class T cell costimulator antibody, PTX-35, and 4) report preliminary data for each of these trials.”

First Quarter 2018 Corporate Highlights

On March 26, 2018, the Company reported 2-year recurrence rate data from the Phase 2 trial evaluating HS-410 (vesigenurtacel-L) in combination with standard of care, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC); achieved 100% (10 out of 10) disease free survival rate over 2 years in the subgroup of patients that generated a positive immune response to low-dose HS-410 and BCG.
On March 19, 2018, the Company announced the appointment of Anthony Tolcher, M.D., FRCPC, FACP, to the scientific advisory boards of Heat Biologics and its subsidiary, Pelican Therapeutics.
On March 12, 2018, the Board of Directors adopted a stockholder rights plan intended to ensure that all stockholders of the Company receive fair and equal treatment in the event of an attempted hostile takeover of the Company.
On February 28, 2018, the Company announced positive interim data from its Phase 2 clinical trial of HS-110 and Nivolumab in NSCLC; reported tumor shrinkage and disease control in a majority of evaluable patients; HS-110 + nivolumab combination showed durable responses in difficult-to-treat low TIL patients and low PD-L1 patients who respond poorly to checkpoint inhibitors.
On February 20, 2018, the Company reported that the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) recommended continuing patient enrollment in the ongoing Phase 2 Clinical Trial for HS-110.
On February 14, 2018, the Company announced its abstract highlighting interim results of its Phase 2 study on HS-110 had been accepted as a scientific poster presentation during the 2018 Keystone Symposia Conference XI: Immunological Memory: Innate, Adaptive and Beyond, February 25 – March 1, 2018 which took place in Austin, TX.
First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Recognized $0.8 million of grant revenue for qualified expenditures under the CPRIT grant.
Research and development expenses increased to $2.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 compared to $1.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. The $1.1 million increase is due to an increase in CMC activity in our HS-110 and PTX-35 programs as well as continued patient enrollment as we progress in our phase 2 HS-110 clinical trial.
General and administrative expense increased approximately 20% to $1.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 compared to $1.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. The $0.3 million increase is primarily attributable to the increase in personnel costs as we establish our Texas operations associated with our Pelican subsidiary.
Net loss attributable to Heat Biologics was approximately $3.5 million, or ($0.75) per basic and diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 compared to a net loss of approximately $3.2 million, or ($1.18) per basic and diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2017.
As of March 31, 2018, the Company had approximately $9.0 million in cash and cash equivalents. Subsequent to the end of the first quarter, the Company raised approximately $20.7 million in gross proceeds in a public offering of common shares and warrants.