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Syros Announces Proposed Concurrent Public Offerings of Common Stock with Warrants to Purchase Common Stock and Preferred Stock with Warrants to Purchase Common Stock

On April 4, 2019 Syros Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SYRS), a leader in the development of medicines that control the expression of genes, reported that it is offering to sell, subject to market and other conditions, (i) shares of its common stock and Class A warrants to purchase common stock, and (ii) shares of its Series A convertible preferred stock and Class A warrants to purchase common stock, in two concurrent but separate underwritten public offerings (Press release, Syros Pharmaceuticals, APR 4, 2019, View Source [SID1234534991]). The offerings are being made by means of separate preliminary prospectus supplements and are not contingent upon each other. The offerings are subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offerings may be completed or as to the actual size or terms of the offerings.

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Cowen and Piper Jaffray & Co. are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. JMP Securities is acting as lead manager and Roth Capital Partners is acting as co-manager.

The securities are being offered by Syros pursuant to a shelf registration statement that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on July 20, 2017 and declared effective by the SEC on July 31, 2017. The offerings of securities will be made only by means of the prospectuses and prospectus supplements that form a part of the registration statement. Preliminary prospectus supplements relating to, and describing the terms of, each offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.

Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplements and the accompanying prospectuses relating to the securities being offered can be obtained from Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Services, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by telephone at (631) 274-2806; or Piper Jaffray & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, MN 55402, or by telephone: 800-747-3924, or by email: [email protected]. The final terms of the offerings will be disclosed in final prospectus supplements to be filed with the SEC.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, 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.

Sutro Biopharma to Present at the 18th Annual Needham Healthcare Conference

On April 4, 2019 Sutro Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: STRO) reported that Bill Newell, Chief Executive Officer, will present at the 18th Annual Needham Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, April 9 at 4:50 p.m. ET at the Westin Grand Central Hotel in New York (Press release, Sutro Biopharma, APR 4, 2019, View Source [SID1234534990]).

A live webcast of the presentation will be accessible through the Events and Presentations page of the Investor Relations section of the company’s website at www.sutrobio.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for approximately 30 days following the event.

Theodora Harold to be appointed new CEO at Crescendo Biologics

On April 4, 2019 Crescendo Biologics Ltd (Crescendo), the drug developer of novel, targeted T-cell enhancing therapeutics, reported that Theodora Harold, the current CFO, will be appointed as CEO (Press release, Crescendo Biologics, APR 4, 2019, View Source [SID1234534982]). She will be succeeding Peter Pack who will be stepping down from the position of CEO on 1 May 2019.

Theodora joined Crescendo in October 2016 and has worked in close partnership with Peter in the day-today running of the Company ever since. She was central to the recent $70 million fund raising and has had responsibility not only for finance and operations but also, more recently, for business development. She has established strong relationships with Crescendo’s development partners.

Before joining the Company, she held both industry and corporate finance roles with private and listed biotech SMEs including PsiOxus Therapeutics Ltd, MISSION Therapeutics Ltd, OrthoMimetics Ltd and Cytomyx Holdings plc. Prior to this, Theodora qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and read Classics at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Peter remains in his executive position until 1 May 2019 to allow for an orderly succession between him and Theodora, and with the Company. He will continue to support Crescendo as a senior advisor.

Kevin Johnson, Non-Executive Chairman of Crescendo Biologics, said:
"Theodora has been a driving force for the Company since she joined. Not only has she made a significant difference to the day-to-day running of the Company, but she has been a major contributor to the corporate, business development and operational strategies.

"The decision to appoint Theodora to succeed Peter was a straightforward and a unanimous one because of her in-depth knowledge of the business and industry as a whole. She has worked tirelessly to build the business so far and she has exciting ambitions for the Company in the longer term."

Kevin added: "On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Peter for his significant contribution to Crescendo over the years, both as an investor advising the Board and as CEO, where he successfully transitioned the Company from a platform company to a developer of multifunctional therapeutics and also steered the $790 million deal with Takeda. In that time, he has built a strong team around him – with one of the key elements being Theodora – and he has transformed the business. We wish him the best for the future."

Theodora Harold, incoming CEO, commented: "We have made strong progress over the past few years, with the successful Series B fundraising, rapid advancements in the Takeda collaboration and progress of our lead programme CB307 towards the clinic. We are on track to enter Phase I next year and have a number of programmes following behind. I am excited to be working with such an experienced Board and management team to take Crescendo to the next stage of its development."

Peter Pack said: "I have been extremely fortunate to work at such an extraordinary Company and with the great team at Crescendo. It is now a very different business to the one I joined back in 2015 and I am very proud of what we have achieved together. I believe the time is right to step down but I will keep tight links with the British biotech industry. It is now my pleasure to hand over the stewardship of the Company to Theodora who has been a significant driver of the business since she joined."

Jounce Therapeutics Presents Preclinical Data from JTX-8064 Program at the 2019 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting

On April 3, 2019 Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNCE), a clinical-stage company focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer immunotherapies and predictive biomarkers, reported data on JTX-8064, its first tumor-associated macrophage program, at the 2019 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA (Press release, Jounce Therapeutics, APR 3, 2019, View Source [SID1234535370]). The poster presentation includes preclinical data demonstrating the immunotherapeutic properties of JTX-8064 to reprogram immune-suppressive macrophages within the tumor microenvironment.

"Today, we presented the characterization of JTX-8064 and the preclinical data for this novel product candidate, demonstrating its potential in re-programming tumor-associated macrophages within the tumor microenvironment to enhance anti-tumor immunity. We believe that LILRB2 functions as an immune checkpoint for macrophages and have demonstrated differentiation from other macrophage-directed approaches," said Elizabeth Trehu, M.D., chief medical officer of Jounce Therapeutics. "New insights from our Translational Science Platform continue to inform JTX-8064 development and we expect to file an Investigational New Drug application and initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial later this year."

In a poster titled "Preclinical evaluation of JTX-8064, an anti-LILRB2 antagonist antibody, for reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages," Jounce researchers describe the preclinical evaluation of JTX-8064 including:

JTX-8064 is a specific and potent antagonist antibody of LILRB2 (leukocyte immunoglobulin like receptor B2; ILT4)
LILRB2 binds to its ligands (classical MHC I molecules [e.g. HLA-A, HLA-B] and non-classical MHC I molecules [e.g. HLA-G]) and maintains an immuno-suppressive state in macrophages. JTX-8064 blocks ligand binding to LILRB2 and induces an immune activating state in macrophages that may lead to enhancement of the anti-tumor immune response
Inhibiting LILRB2 induces pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and a unique transcriptional profile suggestive of an M1-like shift in human macrophages, which is distinct from macrophage-targeted mAbs CSF1R and TIM-3
The poster is available on the "Our Approach" section of the Jounce Therapeutics website at www.jouncetx.com.

About JTX-8064
JTX-8064 is an anti-Leukocyte Immunoglobulin Like Receptor B2 (LILRB2) antibody and is the first candidate to emerge from Jounce’s Translational Science Platform efforts that focuses on tumor-associated macrophages. Preclinical data presented at the 2019 AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting supports the development of JTX-8064 as a novel immunotherapy to reprogram immune-suppressive macrophages and enhance anti-tumor immunity. JTX-8064 is currently in IND-enabling activities and Jounce anticipates filing an IND and initiating a Phase 1 clinical trial for JTX-8064 in 2019.

At AACR meeting Nerviano Medical Sciences presents new evidences on its own FLT3/KIT/CSF1R inhibitor and its activities on the identification and characterization of ATP-mimetic choline kinase inhibitors.

On April 3, 2019 Nerviano Medical Sciences reported two posters at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in, Atlanta, Georgia, USA regarding preclinical efficacy and safety of NMS-P088, a potent FLT3, KIT and CSF-1R inhibitor with in vitro and in vivo activity also in presence of the gatekeeper mutation, and about the Identification and characterization of ATP-mimetic choline kinase inhibitors (Press release, Nerviano Medical Sciences, APR 3, 2019, View Source [SID1234535098]).

During the event NMS researchers describes new data regarding NMS-P088 that is a potent and selective FLT3, KIT and CSF-1R inhibitor with in vitro and in vivo activity also in presence of the gatekeeper mutation. Based on NMS-P088 original kinase targets profile, including FLT3 and KIT gatekeeper resistance mutations as well as CSF1R, preclinical efficacy and safety, a Phase I/II clinical trial was started to potentially address unmet medical needs in AML and CMM.

The second presentation regards identification and characterization of ATP-mimetic choline kinase inhibitors. The chemical expansion of ATP-mimetic quinazoline class allowed identification of potent compounds, both in biochemical and in cellular assay, with selectivity against ChoKß and a panel of 60 tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases. Preliminary genomic analysis identified genes differentially expressed in sensitive versus resistant cell lines. Further studies are ongoing to confirm these genes as predictive biomarkers of sensitivity to compounds and to identify other sensitive cancer cell lines. A structure-based drug design optimization program is ongoing with the aim of further improving biological and ADME properties.

Both NMS-P088 and the new choline kinase inhibitors are the results of the Kinase platform in Nerviano Medical Sciences. It represents an integrated system of know-how, technologies and intellectual property developed over the years by the Campus and based on protein kinases as molecular targets. The use of this platform allows the Nerviano research Campus a conspicuous synergy in the efficient development of innovative anticancer drugs.

Presentation title: NMS-P088, a novel FLT3, KIT and CSF1R inhibitor, is a promising clinical candidate for AML and CMML treatment. Marina Ciomei et Al.
Meeting: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting March 29 – Apr 3, 2019, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (Abs. 1324)

Presentation title: Identification and characterization of ATP-mimetic choline kinase inhibitors. Paola Gnocchi et al
Meeting: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting March 29 – Apr 3, 2019, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (Abs. 4790)