Helix BioPharma Corp. Completes Fourth Dosing Cohort and Initiates Enrollment of the Next Cohort in U.S. Combination Treatment Study of Its Lung Cancer Drug Candidate L-DOS47

On July 25, 2018 Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX, FSE: HBP) ("Helix" or the "Company"), an immuno-oncology company developing innovative drug candidates for the prevention and treatment of cancer, reported that the Safety Review Committee ("SRC") reviewed safety data from the fourth dosing cohort of the Company’s LDOS001 study and recommended that Helix begin enrollment of patients into the fifth dosing cohort (Press release, Helix BioPharma, JUL 25, 2018, http://www.helixbiopharma.com/helix-biopharma-corp-completes-fourth-dosing-cohort-initiates-enrollment-next-cohort-u-s-combination-treatment-study-lung-cancer-drug-candidate-l-dos47/ [SID1234528420]). LDOS001 is a dose escalation study of L-DOS47 with pemetrexed and carboplatin in recurrent or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Patients enrolled in th fifth dosing cohort will receive the next L-DOS47 dose level which is 6.0 micrograms of L-DOS47 per kilogram of patient body weight.The combination of L-DOS47 with pemetrexed and carboplatin continues to be safe and well tolerated.

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The two patients in the previous two cohorts dosed with 1.5 and 3.0 micrograms of L-DOS47 experienced a stable and a partial tumor response at their first imaging assessment respectively. This brings the total number of treated patients experiencing a partial response to five (5) out of eleven (11). The range of tumor size reduction is from 33% to 91%. The program expects to recruit seven (7) more patients in the next three (3) cohorts, provided no dose limiting toxicities are observed.

"We are very encouraged that a significant group of treated patients are experiencing a reduction in their tumor growth," said Heman Chao, CEO Helix’s Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to receiving more data and continuing to advance the L-DOS47 development program

Ophthotech Corporation to Report Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Host Conference Call on Wednesday, August 1, 2018

On July 25, 2018 Ophthotech Corporation (Nasdaq: OPHT) reported that it will report its second quarter 2018 financial and operating results on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 (Press release, Ophthotech, JUL 25, 2018, View Source [SID1234527866]). Following the announcement, Ophthotech’s management team will host a live conference call and webcast at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the Company’s financial results and provide a general business update.

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To participate in this conference call, dial 800-458-4121 (USA) or 323-794-2597 (International), passcode 3698278. A live, listen-only audio webcast of the conference call can be accessed on the Investor Relations section of the Ophthotech website at: www.ophthotech.com. A replay will be available approximately two hours following the live call for two weeks. The replay number is 888-203-1112 (USA Toll Free), passcode 3698278.

Pacira to Report Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results on Thursday August 2, 2018

On July 25, 2018 Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX) reported that it will report its second quarter financial results before the open of the U.S. markets on Thursday, August 2, 2018 (Press release, Pacira Pharmaceuticals, JUL 25, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2359881 [SID1234527867]). Following the release, the company will host a live conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET.

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To participate in the conference call, dial 1-877-845-0779 and provide the passcode 5387259. International callers may dial 1-720-545-0035 and use the same passcode. In addition, a live audio of the conference call will be available as a webcast. Interested parties can access the event through the "Events" page on the Pacira website at investor.pacira.com.

For those unable to participate in the live call, a replay will be available at 1-855-859-2056 (domestic) or 1-404-537-3406 (international) using the passcode 5387259. The replay of the call will be available for one week from the date of the live call. The webcast will be available on the Pacira website for approximately two weeks following the call.

Varian Reports Results for Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2018

On July 25, 2018 Varian (NYSE: VAR) reported its third quarter fiscal year 2018 results (Press release, Varian Medical Systems, JUL 25, 2018, View Source [SID1234527868]). All comparisons in this announcement are year-over-year unless noted otherwise.

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GAAP Net Earnings, GAAP Net Earnings per Diluted Share, Non-GAAP Net Earnings and Non-GAAP Net Earnings per Diluted Share refer only to continuing operations.

Non-GAAP Net Earnings and Non-GAAP Net Earnings per Diluted Share are defined as GAAP Net Earnings and GAAP Net Earnings per Diluted Share adjusted to exclude the amortization of intangible assets, acquisition-related expenses and benefits, restructuring and impairment charges, significant litigation charges or benefits, legal costs and significant effects of tax legislation.

"In the third quarter, the team continued to deliver robust results, and we strengthened our leadership in radiation therapy with strong orders and revenue performance," said Dow Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of Varian. "Investment will continue to be a key driver of our long-term growth and value creation, and we made strategic investments in the quarter in R&D, Sales, and Marketing to support the company’s future innovation and growth strategies."

The company ended the quarter with $536 million in cash and cash equivalents and $18 million of debt. Net cash provided by operating activities was $102 million. During the quarter, the company invested $39 million to repurchase 325,000 shares of common stock.

Oncology Systems Segment
In the fiscal third quarter, Oncology revenues totaled $667 million, up 18 percent in dollars and 16 percent in constant currency. Gross orders were $763 million, up 11 percent in dollars and 9 percent in constant currency. Gross orders in the Americas increased 9 percent in dollars and in constant currency, driven by North America at 9 percent. In EMEA, gross orders rose 27 percent in dollars and 21 percent in constant currency; in APAC, gross orders decreased 7 percent in dollars and 9 percent in constant currency. Operating earnings for the segment increased 20 percent.

Particle Therapy Segment
In the fiscal third quarter, Particle Therapy revenues totaled $42 million, down 39 percent. The company did not book any new ProBeam orders in the quarter.

Acquisition-Related Expenses and Impairment Charges in Q3
Varian’s GAAP net earnings include acquisition-related expenses totaling $13 million for the quarter, primarily driven by acquisition costs and the loss related to hedging the Australian dollar purchase price of Sirtex, partially offset by the breakup fee received from Sirtex in connection with the termination of the acquisition. Additionally, GAAP net earnings include an impairment charge of $11 million related to the expected refinancing of the Maryland Proton Treatment Center in Baltimore. Together, these costs, and their associated tax effects, reduced Varian’s net earnings in the third quarter of fiscal 2018 by $0.20 per diluted share on a GAAP basis, and were excluded from non-GAAP results.

FY18 Annual Guidance Updated
Considering the financial and operational performance year-to-date and the impact of currency and tariffs, fiscal year 2018 guidance is updated to the following:

Revenue growth range of 9 percent to 11 percent
Non-GAAP Operating earnings as a percentage of revenues range of 17.5 percent to 18.0 percent
Non-GAAP effective tax rate of 20 percent
Weighted average diluted shares of 93 million
Non-GAAP Net Earnings per diluted share range of $4.43 to $4.48
Cash flows from operations range of $475 million to $550 million
Please refer to "Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for a description of items excluded from expected non-GAAP earnings.

Investor Conference Call
Varian Medical Systems is scheduled to conduct its third quarter fiscal year 2018 conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time today. To access the live webcast or replay of the call, visit the Investor Relations page on our website at www.varian.com/investors. To access the call via telephone, dial 1-877-869-3847 from inside the U.S. or 1-201-689-8261 from outside the U.S. The replay can be accessed by dialing 1-877-660-6853 from inside the U.S. or 1-201-612-7415 from outside the U.S. and entering conference ID 13680748. The teleconference replay will be available through 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Friday, July 27, 2018.

Mirati Therapeutics To Present Updated Sitravatinib Clinical Data At The European Society For Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2018 Congress

On July 24, 2018 Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRTX), a clinical-stage targeted oncology company, reported that two abstracts highlighting data from ongoing clinical studies of sitravatinib will be presented as Proffered Papers in oral presentations at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology October 19-23 in Munich, Germany (Press release, Mirati, JUL 24, 2018, View Source [SID1234527849]).

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Title: Stage 2 enrollment complete: Sitravatinib in Combination with Nivolumab in NSCLC Patients Progressing on Prior Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
Presentation Topic: Proffered paper session – Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) (ID 159)
Location: Hall A2 – Room 18, ICM München, Munich, Germany
Lecture Date and Time: October 22, 2018 at 12:06 p.m. – 12:18 p.m. CEST
Presentation Number: 1129O
Presenter: Ticiana A. Leal, M.D.

Title: Sitravatinib demonstrates activity in patients with novel genetic alterations that inactivate CBL
Presentation Topic: Proffered paper session – Developmental therapeutics (ID 170)
Location: Hall B3 – Room 22, ICM München, Munich, Germany
Lecture Date and Time: October 21, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. – 11:12 a.m. CEST
Presentation Number: 408O
Presenter: Lyudmila Bazhenova, M.D.