Kyowa Kirin Announces Mogamulizumab Received Positive CHMP Opinion for the Treatment of Mycosis Fungoides and Sézary Syndrome

On November 21, 2018 Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., (Kyowa Kirin) reported that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) scientific committee, has adopted a Positive Opinion recommending approval of the marketing authorisation of mogamulizumab, a humanised monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4), for the treatment of adult patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sézary syndrome (SS) who have received at least one prior systemic therapy (Press release, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, NOV 21, 2018, View Source [SID1234531624]).
MF and SS are the two most common subtypes of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

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The CHMP’s opinion is now being referred to the European Commission (EC), for a final decision on the grant of a marketing authorisation. This decision is expected by the end of 2018 and will apply to all 28 countries of the European Union, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

"At Kyowa Kirin we are fully committed to contributing to the health and wellbeing of patients across Europe who are living with mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome," said Mitsuo Satoh, Ph.D., Executive Officer, Vice President Head of R&D Division of Kyowa Hakko Kirin. "I am happy about the CHMP’s opinion which takes us one step closer to obtaining an EU marketing authorisation, launching mogamulizumab and to leaping forward to becoming a global specialty pharmaceutical company."

"Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) can be disfiguring, debilitating, and even life-threatening, and there are limited treatment options for these rare lymphoma subtypes in Europe today," said Jeffrey S. Humphrey, MD, President of Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Development, Inc. "MAVORIC, the pivotal Phase 3 trial of mogamulizumab, is the largest study of systemic therapy ever conducted in MF and SS. The study showed that mogamulizumab prolonged progression-free survival compared to vorinostat in patients with MF or SS. We will continue to work with the scientific community to advance the understanding of these complex diseases, and we look forward to working with health authorities to bring this important new option to Europe."

If mogamulizumab is approved, Kyowa Kirin International PLC, a Kyowa Hakko Kirin Group company, will be responsible for commercializing mogamulizumab in Europe.

The Kyowa Hakko Kirin Group companies strive to contribute to the health and well-being of people around the world by creating new value through the pursuit of advances in life sciences and technologies.

Mogamulizumab Regulatory Status in EU
The EMA’s scientific committee, CHMP adopted a Positive Opinion recommending the approval of the marketing authorisation of mogamulizumab for the treatment of adult patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sézary syndrome (SS) after at least one prior systemic therapy. The CHMP’s recommendation is now being referred to the European Commission (EC), which is expected to render its final decision by the end of 2018. The EC typically adheres to the recommendation of the CHMP, but is not obligated to do so.

Fate Therapeutics Announces Proposed Public Offering of Common Stock

On October 21, 2018 Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of programmed cellular immunotherapies for cancer and immune disorders, reported that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of its common stock (Press release, Fate Therapeutics, SEP 21, 2018, View Source [SID1234530292]). Fate Therapeutics intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund clinical trials and nonclinical studies, the manufacture of clinical product candidates and the conduct of preclinical research and development, and for general corporate purposes. All shares of common stock to be sold in the offering will be offered by Fate Therapeutics. The offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or the actual size or terms of the offering.

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Jefferies, Piper Jaffray, and Wells Fargo Securities are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. Wedbush PacGrow is acting as a co-manager for the offering.

The securities described above are being offered by Fate Therapeutics pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-224680) previously filed with and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at View Source A copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus can be obtained by contacting Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, by e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (877) 821-7388; Piper Jaffray & Co., 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, MN 55402, Attention: Prospectus Department, by e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (800) 747-3924; or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 375 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10152, by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (800) 326-5897.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

BeiGene Announces Preliminary Results from the Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Zanubrutinib in Chinese Patients with B-Cell Lymphoma at Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology

On September 21, 2018 BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative molecularly-targeted and immuno-oncology drugs for the treatment of cancer, reported its preliminary results from the Phase 1 trial of its investigational BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib in Chinese patients with B-cell lymphoma in an oral presentation at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) in Xiamen, China (Press release, BeiGene, SEP 21, 2018, View Source;p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2368471 [SID1234529513]).

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"We continue to be encouraged by clinical data on zanubrutinib, including these results, which we believe support its broad global clinical development. Our recent new drug application filing for zanubrutinib in China for patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a type of B-cell lymphoma, is currently under review by the National Medical Products Administration of China, and we are hopeful that it will give patients in China, and across the world, a new treatment option where it is so greatly needed," said Jane Huang, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Hematology, at BeiGene.

Summary of Preliminary Results from the Phase 1 Trial of Zanubrutinib in Chinese Patients with B-Cell Lymphoma

An ongoing Phase 1 trial of zanubrutinib as a monotherapy in patients with different subtypes of B-cell malignancies, including Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and other non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL), is being conducted in China. The trial is fully enrolled and comprised of two parts – a dose escalation phase involving 21 patients and a dose-expansion phase of 23 patients treated with zanubrutinib at the recommended Phase 2 dose of 160 mg taken orally twice daily.

Preliminary findings suggested that there was no significant difference in the pharmacokinetic profile of zanubrutinib between Chinese and non-Chinese patients. Preliminary findings also showed complete or greater than 80 percent sustained BTK occupancy was achieved among these patients with both single- and multiple-dose administrations.

As of June 15, 2018, after a median follow-up of 9.5 months (2.3 months–23.4 months), 21 patients (47%) remained on treatment. With 44 patients enrolled in the trial, 34 were evaluable for response. Of the nine patients with CLL/SLL, the overall response rate (ORR) was 100 percent, with two complete responses (CRs), six partial responses (PRs), and a PR with lymphocytosis (PR-L). Of the two patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), there was one CR and one stable disease (SD). Of the two patients with WM, there was one PR and one SD. Of the 26 patients with follicular lymphoma (FL), the ORR was 42 percent with two CRs and nine PRs. There were three patients with FL who were not evaluable at the time of the data cutoff. Of the five patients with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), there were three SDs and two patients who were not evaluable.

At the time of data cutoff, no dose-limiting toxicities occurred during dose escalation portion of the trial and there were no unexpected safety signals identified in the trial. No deaths related to adverse events were observed in the trial. The most common adverse events (occurring in ≥ 20% of patients) of any attribution among all 44 patients were neutrophil count decreased (50%), anemia (32%), upper respiratory tract infection (25%), white blood cell count decreased (25%), platelet count decreased (23%), rash (23%), hematuria (20%), and hyperuricemia (20%).

"These preliminary safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics data of zanubrutinib support its ongoing clinical study. In this study, the preliminary results suggest zanubrutinib has a high rate of activity and is generally well-tolerated, which we believe is based on its potency and high-degree of selectivity," said Jun Zhu, M.D., Medical Department Chief at the Beijing Cancer Hospital and study presenter.

About B-Cell Lymphomas
Lymphoma is a diverse group of malignancies that originates from B, T or NK cells. The most common type of B-cell lymphomas are non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, of which diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common. Other types of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma include FL, CLL/SLL, MCL, MZL, and WM.

About Zanubrutinib
Zanubrutinib (BGB-3111) is an investigational small molecule inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) that is currently being evaluated in a broad pivotal clinical program globally and in China as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies to treat various B-cell malignancies.

OncoMed Provides Update on Navicixizumab Partnership

On September 20, 2018 OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: OMED), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel anti-cancer therapeutics, reported that Celgene has notified OncoMed that due to strategic product portfolio considerations Celgene has decided not to exercise its option to license OncoMed’s bispecific antibody navicixizumab (anti-DLL4/VEGF bispecific, OMP-305B83) (Press release, OncoMed, SEP 20, 2018, View Source [SID1234529495]). Celgene continues to retain its options to license OncoMed’s etigilimab (anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, OMP-313M32) and rosmantuzumab (anti-RSPO3, OMP-131R10) under the collaboration. OncoMed and Celgene are working to formalize the termination of the collaboration agreement with respect to navicixizumab, and OncoMed expects to retain worldwide rights to navicixizumab.

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"While we are disappointed in Celgene’s decision, we thank them for the productive interactions in evaluating navicixizumab, and we respect their decision given their pipeline prioritization and focus," said John Lewicki, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of OncoMed. "With the global development and commercialization of navicixizumab remaining under our control, we are evaluating potential opportunities for the program and will continue to assess the data as it evolves for navicixizumab in combination with paclitaxel in heavily pretreated platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients."

OncoMed is currently conducting a Phase 1b clinical trial of navicixizumab in combination with paclitaxel in patients with platinum-resistant late-stage ovarian cancer. Interim Phase 1b data will be presented in a poster presentation on October 20, 2018 at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) meeting to be held in Munich.

About Navicixizumab
OncoMed’s anti-DLL4/VEGF bispecific antibody, navicixizumab, is designed to inhibit the function of both DLL4 and VEGF and thereby induce potent anti-tumor responses while mitigating certain angiogenic-related toxicities. Navicixizumab was developed utilizing OncoMed’s BiMAb bispecific platform technology, which enables the design of bispecific antibodies comparable to traditional monoclonal antibodies but possessing dual target-binding specificity. In preclinical studies, navicixizumab demonstrated robust in vivo anti-tumor efficacy across a range of solid tumor xenografts, including colon, ovarian, lung and pancreatic cancers, among others. Further, in preclinical studies dual inhibition of DLL4 and VEGF appeared to exhibit synergistic anti-tumor activity at doses where blockade of either target alone elicited sub-optimal activity.

RedHill Biopharma to Present at Ladenburg Thalmann 2018 Healthcare Conference

On september 20, 2018 RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (Nasdaq: RDHL) (Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange: RDHL) ("RedHill" or the "Company"), a specialty biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on proprietary drugs for gastrointestinal diseases, reported that Mr. Dror Ben-Asher, chief executive officer of RedHill, will present a corporate overview at the Ladenburg Thalmann 2018 Healthcare Conference, on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. ET, at the Sofitel Hotel in New York City (Press release, RedHill Biopharma, SEP 20, 2018, View Source [SID1234529589]).

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The presentation will be broadcast live and available for replay on the Company’s website, View Source, for 30 days. Please access the website at least 15 minutes ahead of the presentation to register, download, and install any necessary audio software.