On August 22, 2018 Calyxt, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLXT) and Cellectis S.A. (NASDAQ: CLLS – EURONEXT GROWTH: ALCLS) reported its Board of Directors has appointed Yves Ribeill, Ph.D., as Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately (Press release, Cellectis, AUG 22, 2018, View Source [SID1234529062]). Dr. Ribeill replaces Federico Tripodi, who is leaving the Company to pursue other opportunities. Currently a member of Calyxt’s Board of Directors, Dr. Ribeill will work closely with the executive management team to promote the development of the Company’s products to benefit consumers, including the commercial launch of Calyxt’s high-oleic soybean oil.

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In addition, the Board of Directors of Calyxt appointed Jonathan Fassberg, founder of the Trout Group and currently Co-Chief Executive Officer of Solebury Trout, as a member of the Board of Directors and a member of the Audit Committee.

"Given Yves’ extensive prior experience in healthcare, coupled with his strategic abilities, business development experience and broad network, the Board is confident he will bring the right combination of skills necessary to succeed during this pivotal period for Calyxt," said Dr. André Choulika, Chairman of Calyxt’s Board of Directors. "The Company is making significant strides to develop healthy food products for consumers, and we expect Dr. Ribeill to solidify Calyxt’s position as a leader in the field." Dr. Choulika added, "the Company would like to thank Mr. Tripodi for his service as CEO and wishes him the very best in his future endeavors".

"Healthy eating and healthy living go hand-in-hand," added Dr. Ribeill. "I strongly believe that Calyxt will play a vital role in keeping people healthy across the world, and the Company has enormous potential to create foods that exhibit healthy characteristics. At Calyxt, we have the unique opportunity to lead an important trend in agriculture towards creating healthier crops and food ingredients. We view it as our duty to address the health and nutrition concerns of today’s society by developing better, more nutritious foods for consumers."

Yves Joseph Ribeill, Ph.D., founded SCYNEXIS, Inc (NASDAQ: SCYX) and served as President and CEO from 1999 to 2015. Dr. Ribeill has more than 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry, with an expertise in anti-infective diseases including bacterial, fungal, viral and parasiticidal and in microbiome-centric diseases. Prior to moving to the U.S. 21 years ago, Dr. Ribeill held several management positions during his international career with Rhône-Poulenc and Aventis in France and in the UK. Dr. Ribeill was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the World Health Organization, the Medicines for Malaria Venture and is currently Vice Chairman of the Triangle Global Health Consortium in North Carolina.

Conference Call Details

Calyxt to hold a conference call for investors Wednesday, August 22, 2018 at 8:30a.m. ET – 7:30a.m. CT.

The live dial-in information for the conference call is:

US & Canada only: 877-407-9747

International: 412-902-0044

Replay Information

Conference ID #: 13673206

Replay Dial-In (Toll Free US & Canada): 877-660-6853

Replay Dial-In (International): 201-612-7415

Expiration Date: 9/5/18

Webcast URL (archived for 6 months):

https://78449.themediaframe.com/dataconf/productusers/clxt/mediaframe/26097/indexl.html

On August 22, 2018 Calyxt, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLXT) and Cellectis S.A. (Paris:ALCLS) (NASDAQ:CLLS) reported its Board of Directors has appointed Yves Ribeill, Ph.D., as Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately (Press release, Cellectis, AUG 22, 2018, View Source [SID1234530610]). Dr. Ribeill replaces Federico Tripodi, who is leaving the Company to pursue other opportunities. Currently a member of Calyxt’s Board of Directors, Dr. Ribeill will work closely with the executive management team to promote the development of the Company’s products to benefit consumers, including the commercial launch of Calyxt’s high-oleic soybean oil.

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Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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In addition, the Board of Directors of Calyxt appointed Jonathan Fassberg, founder of the Trout Group and currently Co-Chief Executive Officer of Solebury Trout, as a member of the Board of Directors and a member of the Audit Committee.

"Given Yves’ extensive prior experience in healthcare, coupled with his strategic abilities, business development experience and broad network, the Board is confident he will bring the right combination of skills necessary to succeed during this pivotal period for Calyxt," said Dr. André Choulika, Chairman of Calyxt’s Board of Directors. "The Company is making significant strides to develop healthy food products for consumers, and we expect Dr. Ribeill to solidify Calyxt’s position as a leader in the field." Dr. Choulika added, "the Company would like to thank Mr. Tripodi for his service as CEO and wishes him the very best in his future endeavors".

"Healthy eating and healthy living go hand-in-hand," added Dr. Ribeill. "I strongly believe that Calyxt will play a vital role in keeping people healthy across the world, and the Company has enormous potential to create foods that exhibit healthy characteristics. At Calyxt, we have the unique opportunity to lead an important trend in agriculture towards creating healthier crops and food ingredients. We view it as our duty to address the health and nutrition concerns of today’s society by developing better, more nutritious foods for consumers."

Yves Joseph Ribeill, Ph.D., founded SCYNEXIS, Inc (NASDAQ: SCYX) and served as President and CEO from 1999 to 2015. Dr. Ribeill has more than 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry, with an expertise in anti-infective diseases including bacterial, fungal, viral and parasiticidal and in microbiome-centric diseases. Prior to moving to the U.S. 21 years ago, Dr. Ribeill held several management positions during his international career with Rhône-Poulenc and Aventis in France and in the UK. Dr. Ribeill was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the World Health Organization, the Medicines for Malaria Venture and is currently Vice Chairman of the Triangle Global Health Consortium in North Carolina.

Conference Call Details
Calyxt to hold a conference call for investors Wednesday, August 22, 2018 at 8:30a.m. ET – 7:30a.m. CT.
The live dial-in information for the conference call is:
US & Canada only: 877-407-9747
International: 412-902-0044

Replay Information
Conference ID #: 13673206
Replay Dial-In (Toll Free US & Canada): 877-660-6853
Replay Dial-In (International): 201-612-7415
Expiration Date: 9/5/18

Webcast URL (archived for 6 months):
https://78449.themediaframe.com/dataconf/productusers/clxt/mediaframe/26097/indexl.html

On August 22, 2018 Exact Sciences Corp. (Nasdaq: EXAS) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) reported an agreement through 2021 to co-promote Cologuard, the first and only FDA-approved non-invasive stool DNA screening test for colorectal cancer (Press release, Exact Sciences, AUG 22, 2018, View Source [SID1234529022]). Pfizer will join Exact Sciences’ sales representatives in reaching both physicians and health systems and will also actively participate in extending and deepening the Cologuard marketing campaign.

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Colorectal cancer is recognized as the most preventable yet least prevented form of cancer and remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., with more than 50,000 deaths each year. Nine out of 10 people survive more than five years when colorectal cancer is diagnosed in Stages I or II, but only one out of 10 people survive more than five years when the disease is diagnosed in Stage IV. While patient outcomes can be improved through early detection, fewer than two-thirds of people are up-to-date with recommended colorectal cancer screening guidelines.

"This partnership marks a turning point in the fight to end colorectal cancer," said Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences. "Pfizer is joining Exact Sciences’ mission of eradicating colorectal cancer by helping detect the disease at its earliest, most treatable stages. Together we can help reduce the prevalence of colorectal cancer by combining the power of Cologuard and the talented Exact Sciences team with Pfizer’s experience, relationships and resources."

Exact Sciences and Pfizer seek to increase colorectal cancer screening rates by accelerating adoption of Cologuard, an accurate, easy-to-use test that’s fully covered by Medicare and most major health insurance plans. Exact Sciences brings a sales force with expertise in colorectal cancer, the innovative science of Cologuard and a recognizable direct-to-consumer marketing campaign. Pfizer brings a large and experienced sales force and relationships integrating with the leading health systems, two areas where Cologuard is most often prescribed, along with deep marketing expertise.

"There is a significant patient need to increase colorectal cancer screening, and our field force has long established relationships with providers who prescribe first-line preventative treatments to patients," said Nick Lagunowich, regional president, North America, Pfizer Internal Medicine. "By joining forces with Exact Sciences to bring this non-invasive colorectal cancer screening option to more providers and their patients, we hope to substantially increase the early detection of colorectal cancer."

Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will co-promote Cologuard with Exact Sciences beginning in the fourth quarter of 2018. Exact Sciences will maintain responsibility for all aspects of manufacturing and laboratory operations of Cologuard. Pfizer will share gross profits and marketing expenses equally above an agreed upon baseline.

More information about the agreement is available here, in a form 8-K that Exact Sciences will file in compliance with Securities and Exchange Commission rules.

Exact Sciences Conference Call & Webcast

Exact Sciences will host a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss the agreement. The webcast will be available at www.exactsciences.com. Domestic callers should dial 877-201-0168 and international callers should dial +1 (647) 788-4901.

An archive of the webcast will be available at www.exactsciences.com. A replay of the conference call will be available by calling 800-585-8367 domestically or 416-621-4642 internationally. The access code for the replay of the call is 5278277. The webcast, conference call and replay are open to all interested parties.

About Cologuard

Cologuard was approved by the FDA in August 2014 and results from Exact Sciences’ prospective 90-site, point-in-time, 10,000-patient pivotal trial were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2014. Cologuard is included in the American Cancer Society’s (2018) colorectal cancer screening guidelines and the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2016) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (2016). Cologuard is indicated to screen adults of either sex, 50 years or older, who are at typical average-risk for CRC. Cologuard is not for everyone; not for high risk individuals, including those with a family history of colorectal cancer, a personal history of cancer or advanced adenoma, IBD, and certain hereditary syndromes. Positive Cologuard results should be referred to diagnostic colonoscopy. A negative Cologuard test result does not guarantee absence of cancer or advanced adenoma. Following a negative result, patients should continue participating in a screening program at an interval and with a method appropriate for the individual patient. Cologuard performance when used for repeat testing has not been evaluated or established. Medicare and most major insurers cover Cologuard. For more information about Cologuard, visit www.cologuardtest.com. Rx only.

On August 21, 2018 AstraZeneca reported that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has approved Tagrisso (osimertinib) for the 1st-line treatment of patients with inoperable or recurrent epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), following priority review (Press release, AstraZeneca, AUG 21, 2018, View Source [SID1234529010]). The approval is based on results from the global Phase III FLAURA trial which included Japanese patients and which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President, Head of the Oncology Business Unit, said: "Tagrisso is already approved in Japan for the treatment of patients with EGFR T790M mutation-positive inoperable or recurrent NSCLC that is resistant to existing 1st-line EGFR-inhibitor medicines. Today’s approval moves the use of Tagrisso to the 1st-line setting, replacing older medicines which, given the high prevalence of the EGFR mutation in Japan, offers an important new treatment option for these patients."

The FLAURA trial compared Tagrisso to current 1st-line EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), erlotinib or gefitinib in previously-untreated patients with locally-advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated (EGFRm) NSCLC. In the trial, Tagrisso demonstrated superior progression-free survival (PFS) of 18.9 months compared with 10.2 months for the comparator arm (see table below), and this benefit was consistent across all subgroups including in patients with or without central nervous system (CNS) metastases, an important benefit for lung cancer patients.

FLAURA trial efficacy results according to investigator assessment

Safety data for Tagrisso in the FLAURA trial were in line with those observed in prior clinical trials. Tagrisso was generally well tolerated, with Grade 3 or higher adverse events (AEs) occurring in 34% of patients taking Tagrisso and 45% in the comparator arm. The most common adverse reactions in patients treated with Tagrisso were rash/acne (54.5%), diarrhoea (49.5%), dry skin/eczema (33.3%) and nail disorder including paronychia (32.6%) (at the time of supplementary approval).

Tagrisso has now received approval in 40 countries for the 1st-line treatment of patients with metastatic EGFRm NSCLC, including the US, Japan and in Europe. Other global health authority reviews and submissions are ongoing.

About EGFRm NSCLC

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, accounting for about one-fifth of all cancer deaths, more than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined. Lung cancer is broadly split into NSCLC and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), with 80-85% classified as NSCLC. Approximately 10-15% of NSCLC patients in the US and Europe, and 30-40% of patients in Asia have EGFRm NSCLC. These patients are particularly sensitive to treatment with EGFR-TKIs which block the cell-signalling pathways that drive the growth of tumour cells. Approximately 25% of patients with EGFRm NSCLC have brain metastases at diagnosis, increasing to approximately 40% within two years of diagnosis. The presence of brain metastases often reduces median survival to less than 8 months.

About Tagrisso

Tagrisso (osimertinib) is a third-generation, irreversible EGFR-TKI designed to inhibit both EGFR-sensitising and EGFR T790M-resistance mutations, with clinical activity against CNS metastases. Tagrisso 40mg and 80mg once-daily oral tablets have now received approval in 40 countries, including the US, Japan and in Europe, for 1st-line EGFRm advanced NSCLC, and more than 75 countries, including the US, Japan, China and in Europe, for 2nd-line use in patients with EGFR T790M mutation-positive advanced NSCLC. Tagrisso is also being developed in the adjuvant setting (ADAURA), in the locally-advanced unresectable setting (LAURA), and in combination with other treatments.

About the FLAURA trial

The FLAURA trial assessed the efficacy and safety of Tagrisso 80mg orally once daily vs. standard-of-care EGFR-TKIs (either erlotinib [150mg orally, once daily] or gefitinib [250mg orally, once daily]) in previously-untreated patients with locally-advanced or metastatic EGFRm NSCLC. The trial was double-blinded and randomised, with 556 patients across 29 countries.

On August 21, 2018 Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONTX), a Phase 3-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel products to treat cancer, with a primary focus on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), reported that its commercial partner, Pint Pharma GmbH, will assist in expanding access to clinical trials studying rigosertib, a novel and targeted anti-cancer compound currently in a Phase 3 study for the treatment of MDS, to several selected sites across South America (Press release, Onconova, AUG 21, 2018, View Source [SID1234529071]). Pint Pharma is a European-based pharmaceutical company focused on the development, registration and commercialization of specialty-based treatments for the Latin American market and has successfully participated in clinical trials for hematological cancers.

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"This assistance will help make rigosertib available to cancer patients on a fifth continent, following our ongoing clinical trials in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. We are delighted to partner with Pint Pharma, which has a wide footprint in South and Central America, with first-hand experience in running clinical trials for malignant hematological disorders," said Dr. Ramesh Kumar, CEO of Onconova Therapeutics, Inc.

"We are excited to start helping Onconova open new clinical sites in Latin America. We are hopeful that Onconova will be able to start recruiting patients as soon as possible to continue the development of IV and Oral Rigosertib," said David Munoz, Chief Executive Officer of Pint Pharma. He added, "Rigosertib is highly complementary to our comprehensive hematology oncology portfolio, and will further strengthen our mission to enable the Latin American population with life-threatening conditions to live better lives by providing early and efficient access to innovative technologies."

Dr. Steven Fruchtman, President and Chief Medical Officer of Onconova, is working closely with Dr. Valnei Canutti, General Manager, Brazil, and Chief Medical Officer of Pint. Dr. Fruchtman commented, "Completion of the INSPIRE Trial and expanding the potential utility of rigosertib for cancer patients are our core objectives and we are delighted that our commercial partner will assist us in recruiting patients in the INSPIRE trial. There is a great medical need and interest to conduct studies in patients with higher risk MDS in this geographical region."

Dr. Canutti added, "We are looking forward to working with Dr. Fruchtman on this important initiative. My prior experience in MDS and our connections with Key Opinion Leaders across this continent will be greatly helpful as we collaborate with Onconova."