On October 15, 2018 Advanced Proteome Therapeutics Corporation ("APC" or the "Company") (TSXV: APC) (FSE: 0E8), reported the successful completion of the first phase of the Collaboration of APC with Noria Pharmaceuticals Inc. in the rapidly growing and dynamic field of antibody radioisotope conjugates which is expected to have a major impact in the fight against cancer (Press release, Advanced Proteome Therapeutics, OCT 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234530347]).

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APC has succeeded in creating a construct using its proprietary, site-selective, linker technology with Noria’s proprietary MacroPa radioisotope chelation technology in combination with a well-established, commercially successful antibody. The excellent bio-affinity/targeting capability of the parent antibody has been preserved in the novel antibody-MacroPa conjugate in measurements performed by an independent laboratory. This accomplishment sets the stage for studies of targeted alpha-particle therapy, which is intended to carry a uniquely powerful radiation source to specific treatment points to destroy tumor cells.

In light of this development, APC and Noria have agreed to move forward with the second phase of their announced collaboration (July 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) which will involve radiolabeling and testing utilizing cell lines and animal studies.

Dr. Allen Krantz, CSO and Founder of APC commented "We look forward to demonstrating the superiority of our site-selective approach to creating antibody-radioisotope-conjugates with Noria’s novel chelation technology that have commercial potential and advance cancer therapies." This program evokes synergies with our independent efforts involving targeted beta therapy for cancers and will allow us to leverage our technology in both initiatives.

Bill Dickie, APC’s President and CEO, stated that "it is exciting to witness the speed with which we have successfully applied APC technology to the development of vehicles for the targeted delivery of radiopharmaceuticals. These programs provide an important dimension to our overall mission involving anti-cancer therapeutics, which include recently announced (Oct. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)) positive results with antibody-amanitin conjugates which will be more fully reported shortly.".

Dr. Allan Green, President and CEO of Noria commented "We are indeed excited to continue our collaboration with APC and look forward to working with them to create superior antibody-based therapies.

On October 15, 2018 Anixa Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIX), a biotechnology company focused on using the body’s immune system to fight cancer, reported it has filed an IVD pre-submission with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use of its Cchek artificial intelligence based cancer detection technology, as a prostate cancer test (Press release, Anixa Biosciences, OCT 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234530496]). The FDA’s Pre-Submission Program (Pre-Sub) allows medical device and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) manufacturers to discuss specific aspects of the regulatory process and requirements with FDA. In the submission, Anixa requested a face-to-face meeting with the FDA to discuss the agency’s feedback on the proposed preclinical and clinical performance testing plan required to support a pre-market application, and to determine the appropriate regulatory path.

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Dr. Amit Kumar, CEO of Anixa stated, "We are pleased to request a Pre-Sub meeting with the FDA. This meeting will be an important step in the commercialization path for Cchek as a prostate cancer test, which will be the first in a series of cancer detection and confirmation tests using our Cchek technology." Dr. Kumar continued, "This is a major milestone event for us as we begin the process of interfacing with the FDA on our diagnostic testing technology."

Dr. Kumar added, "This request for a meeting is in addition to a meeting already scheduled with the FDA regarding our CAR-T ovarian cancer therapy. I want to make clear that these are two separate and independent paths that address two different potential products. We are excited to have both of our programs ready for discussions with the FDA, and we plan on sharing the results of those meetings as appropriate."

On November 15, 2018 Fusion Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on radiotherapeutics (specifically, targeted alpha therapeutics), reported that it will present at two separate conferences this week (Press release, Fusion Pharmaceuticals, OCT 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234531595]).

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On Tuesday, October 16, 2018, Fusion will present scientific data on its lead program FPI-1434 at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) 2018 Congress. The meeting is behind held in the CCD, Congress Center Dusseldorf, in Dusseldorf, Germany.

On Thursday, October 18, 2018, at 10:00am PT, Fusion will present at the BIO Investor Forum 2018. The event is being held at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, California.

On October 15, 2018 PellePharm, a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to targeting rare skin conditions at their source, reported updated clinical data from two Phase 2 studies of patidegib topical gel in a poster session at NORD’s Rare Diseases and Orphan Products Breakthrough Summit 2018 in Washington, D.C. Results of the studies showed clinical clearance and prevention of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tumors after 6 months of treatment with patidegib topical gel in patients with Gorlin Syndrome, a rare genetic disease; and both clinical and histologic clearance after 3 months of treatment in patients with sporadic, nodular BCCs (Press release, PellePharm, OCT 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234576274]).

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"We are pleased by these positive results showing the potential of patidegib topical gel in preventing new facial BCCs in patients with Gorlin Syndrome, potentially reducing the number of surgeries and resulting facial scarring that patients experience," said Sanuj Ravindran, M.D., president and chief executive officer of PellePharm. "Based on these Phase 2 findings, we intend to initiate a randomized, one-year registrational Phase 3 trial of patidegib topical gel at the end of 2018 in patients with Gorlin Syndrome, and we also plan to study patidegib topical gel in non-Gorlin patients with high-frequency BCCs."

Title: Hedgehog Inhibition by Topical Patidegib Reduces Facial BCC Burden in Patients with Gorlin Syndrome
Date and Time: Monday, October 15 – Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Poster Number: #71

The data presented at the NORD Summit are from two Phase 2 trials of topical patidegib gel – a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, study in patients with Gorlin Syndrome in the UK and in a study in patients with sporadic, nodular BCCs in the US. In the Gorlin Phase 2 trial, 17 patients with a total of 85 surgically eligible BCCs (SEBs) applied patidegib topical gel (administered in strengths of 2% and 4%) or a topical vehicle control twice daily for 6 months to their face for prevention and to 5 SEBs for treatment.

The Phase 2 Gorlin trial showed that for prevention of surgically-eligible BCCs (SEBs), patients in the topical control group developed an average of 1.4 new SEBs in 6 months. In contrast, patients treated with patidegib topical gel 2% and 4% developed only 0.4 SEBs in Intent to Treat analysis (p=0.096) and only 0.3 SEBs in Per-Protocol analysis (p=0.008). Additionally, clinical clearance of tumors was observed in 27% (12 out of 45 SEBs) of the patidegib topical gel treated subjects compared to no tumors with clinical clearance in subjects in the vehicle group (N=16 SEBs, P=0.02).

In the U.S. trial, 36 non-Gorlin patients with sporadic, nodular BCCs applied patidegib topical gel 2%, 4%, or topical control to BCCs for 3 months. Use of patidegib topical gel 2% was significantly more effective in clinical and histologic clearance of BCCs after 3 months compared with the topical vehicle gel (p=0.045). This finding correlated with a decrease in hedgehog biomarker in BCC tumors after three months in patients using patidegib topical gel.

Across both studies, patients using topical patidegib gel did not experience any of the significant side effects characteristic of oral hedgehog inhibitors (e.g., hair loss, taste loss or frequent muscle cramps). Patients treated with patidegib topical gel 4% experienced mild skin irritation (e.g., redness, itching and swelling), but those using patidegib topical gel 2% did not.

About Patidegib

Patidegib topical gel has shown early promise in a Phase 2 clinical study for the mitigation of BCC tumors in Gorlin Syndrome by blocking the disease at its source within the hedgehog signaling pathway. Topical patidegib gel was developed to provide the efficacy previously demonstrated by oral patidegib in Phase 1 trials without the adverse systemic side effects. Patidegib’s gel formulation is stable at room temperature for at least two years, making it a viable potential therapy for ongoing, at-home management of Gorlin Syndrome. Patidegib has received both Orphan Drug Designation and Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA.

About Gorlin Syndrome

Gorlin Syndrome is a rare, genetic, disease where patients are born with mutations in the tumor suppressor gene encoding PATCHED1 (PTCH1), which acts as the primary inhibitor of the hedgehog signaling pathway. This leads to the formation of multiple basal cell carcinomas, often on the face.

With no FDA-approved drugs available for Gorlin Syndrome BCCs, the standard of care is surgery. People with severe Gorlin Syndrome may have as many as 30 surgeries per year, which can be repetitive, scarring and disfiguring. Approximately 10,000 people in the United States, or one in 31,000, are believed to be affected by Gorlin Syndrome. Gorlin Syndrome is known by several names, including Gorlin-Goltz Syndrome, Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome (BCNS), and Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome (NBCCS).

About High-Frequency Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCCs)

High-Frequency BCC, like Gorlin Syndrome, is a rare disease which is characterized by the development of an abnormally high number of BCCs. Unlike patients with Gorlin Syndrome, patients with high-frequency BCC are not born with a germline PTCH1 mutation and do not suffer from the other systemic manifestations of Gorlin Syndrome. The standard of care for patients with high-frequency BCC is surgery.

On October 15, 2018 Loxo Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq:LOXO), a biopharmaceutical company developing highly selective medicines for patients with genomically defined cancers, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to LOXO-292, a selective RET inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with advanced RET fusion-positive thyroid cancer who require systemic therapy, have progressed following prior treatment and have no acceptable alternative treatment options (Press release, Loxo Oncology, OCT 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234529908]). This designation supplements the two LOXO-292 Breakthrough Therapy Designations granted in September 2018. The Breakthrough Therapy Designation announced today was also based on data from the ongoing global Phase 1/2 LIBRETTO-001 clinical trial.

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The FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy Designation is intended to expedite the development and review of a drug candidate that is planned for use to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition when preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints.

About LOXO-292
LOXO-292 is an oral and selective investigational new drug in clinical development for the treatment of patients with cancers that harbor abnormalities in the rearranged during transfection (RET) kinase. RET fusions and mutations occur across multiple tumor types with varying frequency. LOXO-292 was designed to inhibit native RET signaling as well as anticipated acquired resistance mechanisms that could otherwise limit the activity of this therapeutic approach. LOXO-292 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the U.S. FDA.

LOXO-292 is currently being studied in the global LIBRETTO-001 Phase 1/2 trial. For additional information about the LOXO-292 clinical trial, please refer to www.clinicaltrials.gov. Interested patients and physicians can contact the Loxo Oncology Physician and Patient RET Clinical Trial Hotline at 1-855-RET-4-292 or email [email protected].

About RET-Altered Cancers
Genomic alterations in RET kinase, which include fusions and activating point mutations, lead to overactive RET signaling and uncontrolled cell growth. RET fusions have been identified in approximately 2% of non-small cell lung cancer, 10-20% of papillary and other thyroid cancers, and a subset of other cancers. Activating RET point mutations account for approximately 60% of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Both RET fusion cancers and RET-mutant MTC are primarily dependent on this single activated kinase for their proliferation and survival. This dependency, often referred to as "oncogene addiction," renders such tumors highly susceptible to small molecule inhibitors targeting RET.