Immune Biosolutions Enters into a Research Collaboration and License Agreement with Johnson & Johnson Innovation to Identify and Develop Therapeutic Antibodies for Multiple Targets

On August 6, 2018 Immune Biosolutions Inc. (IBio), a JLABS @ Toronto resident company, reported a research collaboration and license agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (Press release, Immune Biosolutions, AUG 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234528459]). The agreement, facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC, will focus initially on the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies in oncology.

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The collaboration will utilize IBio’s proprietary Nebula antibody discovery platform to advance oncology targets that historically have been a challenge for therapeutic development. "IBio’s Nebula platform provides a new angle to antibody discovery with four families of technologies integrated within a single platform to deliver innovative antibody therapies in key disease areas. We are excited to be working with Janssen in this promising new area which we believe has the potential to transform and improve human health," said Frédéric Leduc, chief executive officer of Immune Biosolutions.

Financial terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.

OncoSec Enters Research Collaboration Agreement with UCLA and Roger S. Lo, M.D., Ph.D.

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.

Foundation Medicine Publishes New Data in Nature Medicine Supporting Blood Tumor Mutational Burden (bTMB) as a Novel Predictor of Response to Cancer Immunotherapy

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.

Arcus Biosciences Announces Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Recent Corporate Updates

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.

Xencor Reports Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On August 6, 2018 Xencor, Inc. (NASDAQ:XNCR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune disease, asthma and allergic diseases, and cancer, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 and provided a review of recent business and clinical highlights (Press release, Xencor, AUG 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234528631]).

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"Our recent activities and upcoming milestones reflect our commitment to building a broad pipeline of antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune disorders and cancer," said Bassil Dahiyat, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer at Xencor. "In 2018, we are focused on advancing multiple oncology programs, all built from our XmAb bispecific technology, to potentially produce a new generation of targeted immunotherapies. In addition to initiating DUET-2, the first-in-human trial of our lead TME activator, we remain on track to announce Phase 1 data from our lead bispecific oncology candidate, XmAb14045, and to file IND applications for our next two TME activators by year-end. In parallel, we continue to advance our autoimmune disease candidate, XmAb5871, toward Phase 3 development."

Recent Business Highlights and Upcoming Clinical Plans

XmAb5871: XmAb5871 is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody that targets CD19 with its variable domain and uses Xencor’s XmAb immune inhibitor Fc domain to target FcyRIIb, a receptor that inhibits B-cell function.

·Initiation of Phase 3 trial in IgG4-RD expected in 2H18.

·Topline data from Phase 2 trial in SLE expected in 4Q18.

Bispecific Oncology Pipeline: Xencor’s initial bispecific antibody programs are tumor-targeted antibodies that contain both a tumor antigen binding domain and a cytotoxic T-cell binding domain (CD3). These bispecific antibodies activate T cells for highly potent and targeted killing of malignant cells. Their XmAb Fc domains confer long circulating half-lives, stability and ease of manufacture.

· Initial data from Phase 1 study of XmAb14045 for the treatment of AML and other CD123-expressing hematologic malignancies expected in 2018, pending alignment on timing with Novartis.

·Initial data from Phase 1 study of XmAb13676 for the treatment of B-cell malignancies expected in 2019, pending alignment on timing with Novartis.

·Initial data from Phase 1 study of XmAb18087 for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors and gastrointestinal stromal tumors expected in 2019.

Xencor’s bispecific pipeline also includes a suite of TME activators that engage multiple targets, such as T-cell checkpoints or agonists.

In July 2018, Xencor dosed the first patient in DUET-2, a Phase 1 study of XmAb20717, a PD-1 x CTLA-4 dual checkpoint inhibitor. The trial is a multiple ascending dose study to determine the safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, immunogenicity and preliminary anti-tumor activity of intravenous administration of XmAb20717 in patients with advanced solid tumors.

· IND filing for XmAb23104, a PD-1 x ICOS bispecific antibody for the treatment of multiple oncology indications, expected in 2018 and initiation of Phase 1 trial expected in 2019.

· IND filing for XmAb22841, a CTLA-4 x LAG-3 dual checkpoint inhibitor for the treatment of multiple oncology indications, expected in 2018 and initiation of Phase 1 trial expected in 2019.

·IND filing for XmAb24306, an IL15/IL15Rα-Fc bispecific antibody for the treatment of multiple oncology indications, expected in 2019.

XmAb7195: XmAb7195 is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody that targets IgE with its variable domain and uses Xencor’s XmAb immune inhibitor Fc domain to target FcyRIIb, resulting in three distinct mechanisms of action for reducing IgE. In a Phase 1b study, subcutaneously-administered XmAb7195 induced potent IgE reduction with improved tolerability. Xencor is currently seeking a development partner for XmAb7195.

Partnered XmAb Programs: Eight pharmaceutical companies and the National Institutes of Health are advancing novel drug candidates either discovered at Xencor or that rely on Xencor’s proprietary XmAb technology. Four such programs are currently undergoing clinical testing, including MOR208, which is in Phase 3 development as a combination agent for the treatment of relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. In addition, regulatory submissions have been filed in the U.S. and EU for Alexion’s ravulizumab (formerly ALXN1210) for the treatment of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Corporate: In July 2018, Xencor announced the resignation of Edgardo Baracchini, Ph.D., Chief Business Officer, effective August 15, 2018. Xencor has initiated a search to appoint a new Chief Business Officer.

Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2018 Financial Results:

Effective January 1, 2018, Xencor adopted the new revenue recognition standard, Accounting Standard Codification 606 (ASC606). In addition to adopting the standard for 2018, revenue reported for the prior period ending June 30, 2017 has been revised to reflect the new standard.

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $555.4 million as of June 30, 2018, compared to $363.3 million at December 31, 2017. The increase reflects net proceeds of $245.5 million from Xencor’s sale of additional stock in March 2018, offset by cash used to fund operating activities in the six months ended June 30, 2018.

No revenues were reported for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2018, compared to $12.5 million and $16.0 million of income reported for the same periods in 2017. Revenues in the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 were primary milestones received from the Company’s MorphoSys and CSL collaborations. Revenue reported for both periods was affected by the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard on January 1, 2018. Under historic revenue recognition methods, the Company would have recognized $0.6 million and $13.3 million of revenue for the three-month periods, and $7.5 million and $17.7 million of revenue for the six-month periods, ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017, respectively.

Research and development expenditures for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $23.3 million, compared to $16.9 million for the same period in 2017. Total research and development expenditures for the six-month period ended June 30, 2018 were $49.4 million, compared to $32.0 million for the same period in 2017. The increased research and development spending for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 reflects additional spending on Xencor’s pipeline of bispecific oncology candidates.

General and administrative expenses for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $5.0 million, compared to $4.1 million in the same period in 2017. Total general and administrative expenditures for the six-month period ended June 30, 2018 were $9.5 million, compared to $8.9 million for the same period in 2017. The increased spending on general and administration for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 reflects additional facility costs resulting from the expansion of space under lease at Xencor’s Monrovia and San Diego locations and increased stock- based compensation charges.

Non-cash, share based compensation expense for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 was $9.4 million, compared to $6.6 million for same period in 2017.

Net loss for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 was $25.9 million, or $(0.46) on a fully diluted per share basis, compared to a net loss of $7.7 million, or $(0.17) on a fully diluted per share basis, for the same period in 2017. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, net loss was $55.4 million, or $(1.07) on a fully diluted per share basis, compared to a net loss of $23.2 million, or $(0.50) on a fully diluted per share basis, for the same period in 2017. The increased loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 over the same periods in 2017 is primarily due to lower revenue and increased research and development spending in the 2018 periods.

The total shares outstanding were 55,821,310 as of June 30, 2018, compared to 46,854,762 as of June 30, 2017. The additional shares outstanding at June 30, 2018 reflect the 8,395,000 shares sold in Xencor’s March financing.

Financial Guidance:

Based on current operating plans, Xencor expects to have cash to fund research and development programs and operations into 2023. Xencor expects to end 2018 with approximately $500 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.

Conference Call and Webcast:

Xencor will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT) to discuss these second quarter 2018 financial results and provide a corporate update.

The live call may be accessed by dialing (877) 359-9508 for domestic callers or (224) 357-2393 for international callers and referencing conference ID number 6399929. A live webcast of the conference call will be available online from the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.xencor.com. The webcast will be archived on the company’s website for 90 days.