On November 15, 2018 Oragenics, Inc. (NYSE American:OGEN), a leader in the development of new antibiotics against infectious diseases and effective treatments for oral mucositis ("OM"), reported it has received clearance to enroll patients residing in Germany from the Paul Erlich Institute and patients residing in the United Kingdom from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), into its Phase 2 clinical trial of AG013, a live biotherapeutic product for the potential prevention and treatment of OM (Press release, Oragenics, NOV 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234531372]).

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"We are pleased with the receipt of regulatory Health Authority approvals in Germany and the United Kingdom. These approvals provide us with the opportunity to expand the number of clinical trial sites from which we can draw patients to participate in our clinical trial of AG013," stated Alan Joslyn, Ph.D., president and CEO of Oragenics, Inc. Dr. Joslyn continued "The approvals of Germany and the United Kingdom, further enhance our ability to complete the clinical study in 2019."

The ongoing Phase 2 trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-arm, multi-center trial, in which approximately 200 patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either AG013 or placebo. The purpose of the study (NCT03234465) is to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of topically administered AG013 compared to placebo for reducing the incidence and severity of OM in patients undergoing traditional chemoradiation for the treatment of head and neck cancer. Key measures include duration, time to development, and overall incidence of OM (using a World Health Organization scale) during the active treatment phase, which begins from the start of chemoradiation therapy and ends two weeks following its completion.

AG013, which has been granted Fast Track designation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and orphan drug status in Europe, is an Intrexon Actobiotics therapeutic candidate formulated to deliver the therapeutic molecule, human Trefoil Factor 1, to the mucosal tissues in the oral cavity in a convenient oral rinsing solution. Trefoil Factors are a class of peptides involved in the protection of gastrointestinal tissues against mucosal damage and play an important role in these tissues subsequent regeneration. The compound was designed by the company’s strategic partner, Intrexon Actobiotics NV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) whereby Oragenics, Inc. holds an exclusive world-wide license

On November 15, 2018 Aradigm Corporation (NASDAQ: ARDM) (the "Company") reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2018 (Press release, Aradigm, NOV 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234531428]).

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Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results

The Company recorded $282,000 in revenue in the third quarter of 2018 compared with $2.7 million in revenue in the third quarter of 2017. The Company recognized $170,000 in contract revenue-related party, $52,000 in government contract revenue and $60,000 in government grant revenue for the third quarter of 2018, as compared to $2.7 million in contract revenue-related party, $6,000 in government contract revenue and $13,000 in government grant revenue for the third quarter of 2017.

Total operating expenses for the third quarter of 2018 were $2.8 million, compared with total operating expenses of $5.7 million for the third quarter of 2017. The decrease in research and development expenses of $2.0 million was due to a lower regulatory spend in support of Linhaliq during the ongoing EMA review process of the validated MAA submission and our ongoing interaction with the FDA to address the issues raised in their complete response letter dated 26 January 2018. The decrease in research and development expenses for the quarter was also due to lower employee related expenses from a reduction in headcount. The decrease in general and administrative expenses of $0.9 million was primarily related to lower legal expenses, lower consulting expenses and lower employee-related expenses due to a reduction in headcount.

Net loss for the third quarter of 2018 was $3.6 million or $(0.24) per share, compared with a net loss of $3.9 million or $(0.26) per share in the third quarter of 2017. For the quarter ended September 30, 2018, the net loss decreased by $0.3 million primarily from a decrease in operating expenses of $2.9 million offset by a decrease in revenue of $2.4 million and an increase of $0.2 million in other interest expense.

Liquidity and Capital Resources and Related Matters

As of September 30, 2018, the Company reported cash and cash equivalents of $2.9 million. During the second and third quarters of 2018 Aradigm raised an aggregate of approximately $7.0 million through the issuance and sale of promissory notes. In October 2018, Aradigm entered into an additional note purchase agreement for the issuance and sale of approximately $4 million in promissory notes, of which $2.0 million of promissory notes were issued and sold on October 25,

2018. Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, the Company anticipates that an additional closing for the issuance and sale of $2.0 million of promissory notes will occur prior to December 31, 2018. The Company believes that the $2.0 million received in October along with the cash balance of $2.9 million will be sufficient to fund operations through the fourth quarter of 2018. Aradigm is pursuing potential alternatives to resolve our cash position in the short-term as well as developing strategic options that would provide for our long-term viability. However, no assurance can be given that we will be successful in raising such additional capital on favorable terms or at all. Not achieving such funding on a timely basis would materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations and could require us to delay or reduce the scope of all or a portion of our development programs, dispose of our assets or technology or to cease operations entirely.

About Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

NCFBE is a severe, chronic and rare disease characterized by abnormal dilatation of the bronchi and bronchioles, frequently associated with chronic lung infections. It is often a consequence of a vicious cycle of inflammation, recurrent lung infections, and bronchial wall damage. NCFBE represents an unmet medical need with high morbidity and mortality that affects more than 150,000 people in the US. and over 200,000 people in Europe. There is currently no drug approved for the treatment of this condition

On November 15, 2018, Syros Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company") reported that it held a conference call and webcast in which the Company’s management reviewed a slide presentation describing, among other things, data from the dose-escalation portion of the Company’s Phase 1 clinical trial of SY-1365 (Presentation, Syros Pharmaceuticals, NOV 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234531470]). This slide presentation is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

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On November 15, 2018 Heat Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBX), a biopharmaceutical company developing therapies designed to activate a patient’s immune system against cancer, reported financial and clinical updates for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018 (Press release, Heat Biologics, NOV 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234531356]).

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Jeff Wolf, Heat’s CEO, commented, "We continue to advance our Phase 2 trial investigating our lead candidate 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). We intend to announce updates regarding interim Phase 2 data in the fourth quarter of 2018 and plan to complete patient enrollment in Q2 2019. Given the positive interim results we reported earlier this year, which included durable responses to HS-110 in difficult-to-treat low TIL and low PD-L1 patients, we have seen increased interest from within the industry for improving outcomes for those patients least likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitors alone.

"We have completed a Pre-IND Type B meeting with FDA for our next-generation ComPACT product and plan to file our Phase 1 Investigational New Drug (IND) in the first quarter of 2019. Our ComPACT therapy combines T-cell activation and co-stimulation within a single treatment, simplifying combination immunotherapy while potentially providing superior immune activation at reduced treatment costs.

"Finally, we are also on track to submit an IND for PTX-35, our novel co-stimulatory antibody designed to harness the body’s natural antigen-specific immune activation mechanisms, in the first quarter of 2019. We are encouraged by the preliminary pre-clinical efficacy and safety data which shows a positive toxicity profile across a wide range of doses.

"Importantly, we ended the quarter with a strong cash balance of $21.0 million and expect to receive an additional $6.9 million in CPRIT grant funds for PTX-35 within the next few months. Combined, these funds should provide us with sufficient capital to significantly advance our clinical programs through a number of key milestones, including completion of our Phase 2 trial of HS-110, which holds the potential to drive significant value for shareholders."

Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Recognized $1.8 million of grant revenue for qualified expenditures under the CPRIT grant.
Research and development expenses increased approximately 144.4% to $4.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $1.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017.
General and administrative expense increased approximately 33.3% to $1.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $1.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017. The $0.4 million increase consists of professional services/consulting fees associated with our 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders as well as an increase in investor relations and new business development fees during the three months ended September 30, 2018.
Net loss attributable to Heat Biologics was $3.7 million, or ($0.16) per basic and diluted share for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to a net loss of $2.3 million, or ($0.64) per basic and diluted share for the three months ended September 30, 2017.
As of September 30, 2018, the Company had approximately $21.0 million in cash and cash equivalents.

On November 15, 2018 Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (Nasdaq: CNST) a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company using its expertise in epigenetics to discover and develop novel therapeutics, reported that it will make a presentation on its EZH2 inhibition program in prostate cancer at an upcoming biomedical conference (Press release, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, NOV 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234531377]).

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Bill Bradley, Ph.D., Associate Director, Translational Sciences, at Constellation, will give a poster presentation at the EORTC / NCI / AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Symposium in Dublin, Ireland, on November 16. The presentation is titled "EZH2 Inhibition as an Effective Treatment for Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer." The presentation discusses preclinical evidence showing the effectiveness of the EZH2 inhibitor CPI-1205 in treating metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) dependent on androgen receptor signaling (ARS). CPI-1205 was shown to combine synergistically with ARS inhibitors, such as enzalutamide or abiraterone acetate, to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cell models and also was effective in overcoming mechanisms of resistance to ARS inhibitors. The poster also includes transcriptomic analysis, including single-cell RNA sequencing, highlighting the mechanisms by which CPI-1205 and its combination with ARS inhibitors restrict prostate cancer growth. The data shown in the poster supports the potential of EZH2 inhibition as a therapeutic approach for the mCRPC patient population and contributes to the rationale for Constellation’s ProSTAR trial of the EZH2 inhibitor CPI-1205 used in combination with ARS inhibitors.

About EZH2 Inhibition in Prostate Cancer

EZH2 is an enzyme that acts as an epigenetic writer and normally regulates gene expression by placing one or more methyl groups on a histone protein, leading to the suppression of gene expression programs. While this effect of EZH2 on gene expression is a normal part of cellular development, some cancers depend on an abnormal pattern of gene expression and re-direct EZH2 to genes that become abnormally repressed. Cancer cells with these abnormal gene expression programs may be more resistant to anti-cancer therapies.

There is a strong association between EZH2 expression and disease progression in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), and a therapeutic approach that targets EZH2 may result in better outcomes than those achieved with approved therapeutic agents that treat mCRPC. In prostate cancer, the androgen receptor is a key regulator of gene expression and acts as the mediator of androgen signaling in prostate cells. The AR signaling pathway is the primary pathway used by prostate cancer cells to promote tumor growth. We believe that EZH2, by suppressing certain gene sets, enhances AR signaling, which can lead to increased tumor growth. In preclinical studies, we observed enhanced gene expression changes in prostate cancer cells treated with a combination of enzalutamide and CPI-1205 as compared to enzalutamide treatment alone. This corroborates our hypothesis that EZH2 functionally cooperates with androgen receptor signaling to promote prostate cancer growth.

We also believe that EZH2 is utilized by prostate cancer cells to establish resistance to ARS inhibitors. We have observed in preclinical studies that EZH2 inhibitors, such as CPI-1205, in combination with ARS inhibitors synergistically killed tumor cells and demonstrated activity in models that are resistant to ARS inhibitors.

About CPI-1205

CPI-1205 is a small molecule designed to promote anti-tumor activity by specifically inhibiting EZH2, an enzyme that suppresses target gene expression. In preclinical studies, we observed that CPI-1205 inhibited tumor growth as a single agent and synergistically enhanced the efficacy of cancer therapies, including ARS inhibitors in a prostate cancer model and immune checkpoint inhibitors in other solid tumor models. Based on these observations and the limited options for patients who progress on ARS inhibitors or immune checkpoint inhibitors, we have prioritized clinical development of CPI-1205 as a combination therapy with ARS inhibitors in prostate cancer and immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors. We are currently conducting the ProSTAR trial. We previously completed a Phase 1 clinical trial of CPI-1205 as a monotherapy in patients with relapsed B-cell lymphoma in which CPI-1205 demonstrated clinical activity and was well tolerated.

About the ProSTAR Clinical Trial

ProSTAR is an open-label Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of CPI-1205 for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in combination with enzalutamide or abiraterone acetate, which are second-generation ARS inhibitors, in patients with mCRPC who previously progressed on treatment with either abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide. Patients who have previously progressed on treatment with abiraterone acetate are treated with a combination of enzalutamide and CPI-1205, and patients who previously progressed on treatment with enzalutamide are treated with a combination of abiraterone acetate and CPI-1205. In the Phase 1b portion of this trial, we aim to establish safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, maximum tolerated dose, and a recommended Phase 2 dose of CPI-1205 with these agents. Based on results from the Phase 1b trial, we expect to select either abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide to be combined with the optimal dose regimen of CPI-1205 for the Phase 2 portion of the trial. In the Phase 2 trial, we will assess response rate as the primary endpoint, defined as the proportion of patients who have any of (i) a prostate-specific-antigen reduction of 50% or more from baseline, (ii) a decline of 30% or more in circulating-tumor-cell count from baseline or (iii) for patients with measurable soft tissue disease, an objective response, defined as a complete response or partial response per RECIST 1.1 criteria.