Chugai Files for Additional Indication of Tecentriq for the Treatment of Adjuvant Therapy for MRD-Positive Bladder Cancer

On January 27, 2026 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 4519) reported that it filed a regulatory application with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the anti-cancer agent/humanized anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody Tecentriq 840mg Intravenous Infusion [generic name: atezolizumab (genetical recombination)] for an additional indication of adjuvant therapy for MRD*-positive bladder cancer (MIBC).
* Minimal Residual Disease

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"Muscle-invasive bladder cancer has a high recurrence rate after surgery, underscoring the need to optimize adjuvant treatment based on each patient’s individual risk. Tecentriq offers a new adjuvant treatment option for patients identified as having a high risk of recurrence through the detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood tests. By advancing the personalization of cancer care, we remain committed to securing approval so that every patient can receive the most appropriate treatment for their condition," said Chugai’s President and CEO, Dr. Osamu Okuda.
** circulating tumor DNA

This filing is based on the results from a global phase III IMvigor011 study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of Tecentriq monotherapy or placebo, as adjuvant therapy in patients with ctDNA MRD-positive MIBC. In this study, both the primary endpoint, disease-free survival (DFS), and the main secondary endpoint, overall survival (OS), showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements. The safety profile observed in this study was consistent with the well-established safety profile of Tecentriq in previous studies.

Chugai Pharmaceutical, a leading company in the oncology field, remains committed to addressing unmet medical needs in cancer treatment with innovative medicines, supporting patients and healthcare professionals.

About IMvigor011 study
The IMvigor011 study is a global Phase III clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Tecentriq monotherapy or placebo as adjuvant therapy in patients with ctDNA MRD positive muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). The primary endpoint was disease-free survival, and the secondary endpoints included overall survival and safety.

About muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC)
Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a type of bladder cancer, and about 25% of bladder cancers are MIBC.1) The annual incidence of MIBC in Japan is estimated to be approximately 6,000 cases as of 2021.2) MIBC has a high risk of recurrence after radical cystectomy and remains an area of unmet medical need, amid concerns about unnecessary treatment. More personalized development of new therapeutic options is desired.

About Tecentriq
Tecentriq is a cancer immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting PD-L1, which is a protein expressed on tumor and tumor-infiltrating immune cells. PD-L1 blocks T cell activity by binding with PD-1 and B7.1 receptors on T cell surface. By inhibiting PD-L1, Tecentriq may enable the activation of T cells and boost immune response against cancer cells. In Japan, Tecentriq was launched in April 2018 and has obtained approval for 7 tumour types (extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, alveolar soft part sarcoma, extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma nasal type, and thymic carcinoma).

(Press release, Chugai, JAN 27, 2026, View Source;category= [SID1234662298])

Altimmune Announces Pricing of $75 Million Registered Direct Offering of Common Stock

On January 27, 2026 Altimmune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALT), a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing pemvidutide to address serious liver diseases, reported that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with a new fundamental institutional investor for the purchase and sale of 17,045,454 shares of its common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) pursuant to a registered direct offering. The offering is expected to result in gross proceeds of approximately $75 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses. All of the shares and pre-funded warrants in the offering are being offered by Altimmune. The offering is expected to close on or about January 29, 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

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Altimmune intends to use the net proceeds to fund preparation for its upcoming Phase 3 trial in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes. Pemvidutide is a balanced glucagon/GLP-1 dual agonist and has the potential to be a highly differentiated therapy for patients with MASH, as demonstrated by the recently-announced Phase 2b 48-week topline data and the Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. FDA. The Company continues to focus on delivering meaningful impact for patients and long-term value for shareholders.

Titan Partners, a division of American Capital Partners, is acting as the sole placement agent for the offering.

The securities are being offered by Altimmune pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement that was previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which was declared effective by the SEC on December 5, 2025. The offering is made only by means of a prospectus supplement, which will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the prospectus supplement may be obtained, when available, by contacting Titan Partners Group LLC, a division of American Capital Partners, LLC, 4 World Trade Center, 49th Floor, New York, NY 10007, by phone at (929) 833-1246 or by email at [email protected].

This press release shall 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.

(Press release, Altimmune, JAN 27, 2026, View Source [SID1234662297])

Rakovina Therapeutics Announces Corporate Update Including up to $1.6 Million in New Financing, Leadership Appointments and Debt Restructuring

On January 27, 2026 Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. (TSX-V: RKV; FSE: 7JO0) ("Rakovina" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company advancing novel cancer therapies, reported a comprehensive corporate update addressing near-term financing, leadership and board changes, and the restructuring of its outstanding convertible debt, each subject to applicable regulatory and TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange") approvals.

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CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURE EXTENSION AND DEBT RESTRUCTURING

Rakovina announces that, in accordance with the terms of the Indenture (as defined below) governing the 12.0% convertible debentures of the Company in the aggregate outstanding principal amount of $1,454,000.00 (the "2023 Debentures"), holders of outstanding 2023 Debentures have consented to the extension of the maturity date from January 28, 2026 to March 11, 2026 (the "Extension").

The Extension was approved by way of the written consent of holders representing at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding principal of the 2023 Debentures in accordance with the terms of the debenture indenture dated May 29, 2023 and subsequently amended (the "Indenture") between the Company and Odyssey Trust Company, as the debenture trustee. The Company has entered into a second supplemental indenture with Odyssey Trust Company amending the terms of the Indenture to reflect the Extension. The Extension remains subject to final Exchange approval.

The Company further announces that it has undertaken the Extension with the intention of completing a proposed restructuring of the outstanding 2023 Debentures, as further described herein (the "Debenture Restructuring"). In connection with the proposed Debenture Restructuring, the Company is presenting an option for existing holders to convert all or part of their outstanding 2023 Debentures, including accrued but unpaid interest, into new convertible debentures ("Replacement Debentures") on substantially the same terms as the 2026 Debenture (as defined herein). The Company has reached an agreement in principle with one holder of 2023 Debentures to convert $1.0 million of outstanding principal, plus accrued and unpaid interest in the amount of $50,000, into Replacement Debentures, subject to receipt of all requisite approvals, including the approval of the Exchange, and the execution of definitive documentation.

Rakovina also intends to offer existing holders of 2023 Debentures the opportunity, subject to Exchange approval, to settle outstanding principal, together with accrued but unpaid interest, through a shares-for-debt conversion, at a price of $0.12 per common share, on terms to be determined in accordance with applicable Exchange rules. Upon confirming final participation in the conversion option, the Company intends to submit a formal shares-for-debt application to the Exchange. Pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws, all securities issued in connection with the proposed Debenture Restructuring will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance.

The Company emphasizes that the terms of the proposed Debenture Restructuring and the issuance of Replacement Debentures and/or common shares in connection therewith remain subject to receipt of Exchange approval, debenture holder elections, and the finalization of and entry into definitive agreements. As such, there can be no assurance that the Debenture Restructuring will be completed on the terms described herein or at all.

$1 MILLION CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURE FINANCING

Rakovina also announces that it has an agreement in principle with an existing investor in the 2023 Debentures to invest an additional $1.0 million in the Company by way of a private placement (the "Debenture Private Placement") of an unsecured convertible debenture (the "2026 Debenture").

The Company anticipates that key terms of the 2026 Debenture would include:

a maturity date of January 28, 2029;
a conversion price of $0.20 per common share; and
an interest rate of 12% per annum payable quarterly in cash or common shares as determined by the debenture holder.
For every principal amount of $50,000 issued, the Company would also issue 100,000 common share purchase warrants ("Warrants"). Each Warrant would be exercisable at $0.20 per share until January 28, 2029, subject to customary adjustments.

A subsequent news release will be issued in connection with the Debenture Private Placement once financing terms have been finalized.

$600,000 COMMON SHARE PRIVATE PLACEMENT

Concurrently with the Debenture Private Placement, the Company proposes to offer up to 5,000,000 common shares at a price of $0.12 per share for additional gross proceeds of up to $600,000 by way of a non-brokered private placement (together with the Debenture Private Placement, the "Private Placements").

The Company intends to use the aggregate gross proceeds of the Private Placements to provide near-term working capital to support ongoing corporate activities and strategic initiatives while the Company continues to evaluate longer-term financing alternatives. Closing of the Private Placements is subject to the Company obtaining all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including approval of the Exchange, and entry into definitive agreements. Pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws, all securities issued in connection with the Private Placements will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance.

BOARD AND MANAGEMENT UPDATES

Kim Oishi Appointed Chief Executive Officer and Joins Board as Director

The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Kim Oishi as Chief Executive Officer of Rakovina. Mr. Oishi brings extensive experience in public company leadership, capital markets strategy, and corporate governance. His appointment reflects the Board’s focus on strengthening execution, investor engagement, and near-term financial stability.

"I am excited to become part of the Rakovina team and to build on the strong scientific foundation already in place," said Kim Oishi, Chief Executive Officer of Rakovina. "The Company has generated compelling preclinical data, supported by recent conference presentations and high-quality AI-driven drug-discovery collaborations. I look forward to working with the Board and scientific team to advance these programs and position Rakovina for continued growth."

Mr. Oishi has also been appointed to Rakovina’s Board of Directors, subject to receipt of Exchange approval.

Jeffrey Bacha Continues as Director and Board Chair

Mr. Jeffrey Bacha, co-founder of Rakovina, will continue to serve on the Company’s Board of Directors and will continue in the role of non-executive Chair of the Board until such time as another chair is appointed by the Board, at its sole discretion.

The appointment of a Chief Executive Officer reflects, in part, Mr. Bacha’s increasing responsibilities as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Edison Oncology Holding Corp. ("Edison Oncology"), which has publicly filed for an initial public offering in the United States. Edison Oncology is currently Rakovina’s largest shareholder.

Mr. Bacha will remain actively engaged in his capacity as Board Chair, providing continuity, strategic oversight, and shareholder alignment as the Company advances its governance, financing, and strategic initiatives.

Frank Holler Joins Board as Independent Director

Mr. Frank Holler has been appointed to Rakovina’s Board of Directors as an independent director, subject to Exchange approval.

Mr. Holler is a highly regarded life sciences entrepreneur, board chair, and investor with decades of experience building and guiding innovative biotechnology companies. He is a co-founder of ID Biomedical Corp., which was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) in 2005, a founding director of Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, and a co-founder and the initial Chief Executive Officer of Xenon Pharmaceuticals, now a NASDAQ-listed company with multiple late-stage clinical programs.

Mr. Holler has also served as Chair of Sernova Corp., where he provided strategic and governance leadership during key phases of corporate and clinical development. Most recently, he served as Chair of Theratechnologies Inc., contributing to its strategic positioning and successful acquisition by CB Biotech LLC for US$254 million in September 2025.

Mr. Holler brings deep expertise in public company governance, capital markets, strategic partnerships, and the scaling of science-driven organizations. His appointment strengthens Rakovina’s Board as the Company advances its oncology pipeline and evaluates strategic and financing opportunities.

"I am pleased to be joining the Board of Rakovina and contributing to a team with world-class science and a clear market opportunity," said Frank Holler, Independent Director of Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. "The Company’s recent scientific presentations and its expanded collaboration with Variational AI, particularly around the KT-5000 series of next-generation ATR inhibitors, underscore the quality of the work being done. I look forward to supporting the Board and management as Rakovina advances its pipeline and positions the Company for sustainable growth."

Dennis Brown Transitions from Board; Continues Scientific Advisory Leadership

Dr. Dennis Brown has stepped down from Rakovina’s Board of Directors due, in part, to his increasing responsibilities as Chair of Edison Oncology.

Dr. Brown will continue to serve as Chair of Rakovina’s Scientific Advisory Committee, ensuring ongoing scientific continuity and strategic input across the Company’s research programs.

Al DeLucrezia Steps Down from Board; Continues as Advisor

Mr. Al DeLucrezia has stepped down from Rakovina’s Board of Directors.

Mr. DeLucrezia was the founder of Vincero Capital Corp., the Capital Pool Company that facilitated Rakovina’s public listing and the spin-out of certain oncology technologies in 2021. He has played a significant role in building Rakovina’s early shareholder base and corporate foundation. Mr. DeLucrezia will continue to support the Company in an advisory capacity.

"We are very pleased to welcome Kim and Frank as important additions to Rakovina at a pivotal time for the Company," said Jeffrey Bacha, Chair of the Board of Rakovina. "Kim brings the leadership and capital markets experience needed to support near-term execution, while Frank adds deep operational and governance expertise from building successful life sciences companies.

I would also like to thank Al DeLucrezia for his instrumental role in the formation of Rakovina and in establishing a strong and supportive shareholder base, and Dr. Dennis Brown for his continued leadership as Chair of our Scientific Advisory Board. Together, these contributions position Rakovina to build on its scientific momentum—including the progress demonstrated in recent conference presentations and the expansion of our collaboration with Variational AI—as we work to create long-term value for shareholders."

(Press release, Rakovina Therapeutics, JAN 27, 2026, View Source [SID1234662296])

New publication in Cell Death & Disease demonstrates the versatility and safety of Vartumab for cytotoxic payload delivery in oncology

On January 27, 2026 Var2 Pharmaceuticals reported the development of new, clinically-effective Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) has been hampered by a lack of suitable target antigens, particularly those which target both cancer and cancer-supporting stromal cells. Oncofetal chondroitin sulfate (ofCS) is an attractive target in this regard, as it is not only broadly expressed across many solid tumors while being largely absent from healthy adult tissues, but also because it enables selective targeting of both cancer cells and tumor stroma.

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In this study, we evaluated two clinically validated linker-payloads with bystander effect: vc–MMAE and ggfg–DXd. Vartumab ADCs using either linker-payload maintained specificity to ofCS, and showed strong and specific tumor uptake in animals. Both ADCs display potent anti-tumor activities. Importantly, ADCs equipped with membrane-permeable payloads induced efficient bystander killing, eliminating not only antigen-positive cancer cells but also antigen-negative tumor cells (genetic knockout). Repeat dosing of Vartumab ADC bearing the vc-MMAE linker payload in rats up to 5 mg/kg showed similar dose limiting toxicities to clinically approved MMAE-conjugated ADCs.

These findings further strengthen ofCS as a pan-cancer target, and provide a strong preclinical rationale for advancing Vartumab-based ADCs into clinical development.

(Press release, Var2 Pharmaceuticals, JAN 27, 2026, View Source [SID1234662295])

StarkAge Therapeutics Announces Research Collaboration with Gustave Roussy to Advance Senolytic Therapies in Digestive Cancers

On January 27, 2026 StarkAge Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing first-in-class senolytic antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) in age-related diseases, with an initial focus on oncology, reported a research collaboration with Gustave Roussy, Europe’s leading cancer center. The program is dedicated to characterize cellular senescence induced by standard of care (SoC) treatments in a large series of digestive cancers. The result will inform the clinical development of STX-01, a first-in-class senolytic ADC targeting DDP4, a specific marker of senescence, frequently constitutively expressed on primary tumors and/or overexpressed in metastases.

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Benjamin Le Calvé, Chief Executive Officer of StarkAge Therapeutics, and Eric Angevin, Chief Medical Officer, commented: "This collaboration with Gustave Roussy is an important step as we move forward to IND-enabling studies. Gustave Roussy has an exceptional expertise in digestive cancers, pathology and computational biology and the results will help us enrich the positioning of STX-1 and accelerate the development of senescence-targeted therapies for patients with high medical need."

Antoine Hollebecque, MD, Gastrointestinal cancers at the Department of drug development (DITEP) at Gustave Roussy, added: "Senescence is induced by certain anticancer treatments, and accumulation of senescent cells within tumors significantly reduces patient survival. This collaboration with StarkAge will generate high-resolution biological insights and could open new therapeutic avenues to eliminate both senescent and malignant cells in refractory cancer patients."

Conducted under a research agreement with Gustave Roussy and its technology transfer affiliate, Gustave Roussy Transfert, this collaboration will combine StarkAge’s expertise in senescence biology with Gustave Roussy’s world-class capabilities in multiplexed pathology, and computational oncology.

About senescence and cancer

Although they no longer divide and have ceased to exercise their original function, senescent cells accumulate in aged or diseased tissues and release pro-inflammatory molecules that contribute to the development of numerous associated pathologies such as cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, fibroses (renal, cardiac, pulmonary, and hepatic), and skeletal pathologies such as osteoarthritis.

In cancers, many treatments, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies, are known to induce senescence of cancer cells, contributing to drug resistance, metastatic dissemination, and local immunosuppression. Accumulation of senescent cells within tumors is strongly associated with poorer outcomes, significantly reducing patient survival.

About DPP4 and STX-1

StarkAge has identified DPP4 (CD26), a highly selective marker of cellular senescence and a relevant tumor-associated antigen, leading to the development of proprietary monoclonal antibodies. STX-1 is a first-in-class DPP4-targeted ADC, currently in preclinical development.

(Press release, StarkAge Therapeutics, JAN 27, 2026, View Source [SID1234662292])