Cocrystal Pharma to Discuss Progress with COVID-19 Antiviral Programs and Clinical Strategy During Noble Capital Markets’ Channelchek Virtual Roadshow

BOTHELL, Wash., Dec. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: COCP) (“Cocrystal” or the “Company”) announces that President and interim CEO Sam Lee, Ph.D. and CFO and interim CEO James Martin will present a company overview in the Noble Capital Markets Virtual Roadshow Series presented by Channelchek. The live presentation will be by webcast on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time (10:00 a.m. Pacific time). Registration for the webcast presentation is available here.

The Cocrystal company overview will be followed by a question-and-answer session moderated by Noble Capital Markets Senior Research analyst Robert LeBoyer and will feature questions submitted by the audience. A replay of the webcast will be available within three business days of the live presentation.

“We are working diligently toward initiating clinical studies in 2022 with two promising COVID-19 protease inhibitors,” said Dr. Lee. “Our antiviral inhibitors have shown broad-spectrum activity in vitro against COVID-19 and its variants, including the now predominant Delta variant. We further intend to use our unique structure-based technology platform to demonstrate antiviral activity against newly emerging variants such as Omicron, which is more complex given its many mutations.”

Cocrystal is waiting for response from the FDA on its pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) briefing packaging for CDI-45205, its COVID-19 protease inhibitor for intranasal/pulmonary delivery. The company plans to submit a second briefing package to the FDA, this one for its orally administered COVID-19 protease inhibitor, in the first half of 2022. In a third COVID-19 program, Cocrystal is using its unique structure-based technology platform to discover COVID-19 replication inhibitors for oral administration.

About Noble Capital Markets
Noble Capital Markets, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 as a full-service SEC / FINRA registered broker-dealer, dedicated exclusively to serving underfollowed small / microcap companies through investment banking, wealth management, trading & execution, and equity research activities. Over the past 36 years, Noble has raised billions of dollars for these companies and published more than 45,000 equity research reports. More information is available at www.noblecapitalmarkets.com or via email at contact@noblecapitalmarkets.com.

About Channelchek
Channelchek (www.channelchek.com) is a comprehensive investor-centric portal featuring more than 6,000 emerging growth companies that provides advanced market data, independent research, balanced news, video webcasts, exclusive c-suite interviews, and access to virtual road shows. The site is available to the public at every level without cost or obligation. Research on Channelchek is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., an SEC / FINRA registered broker-dealer since 1984. For more information email contact@channelchek.com.

About Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.
Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics that target the replication process of influenza viruses, coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2), hepatitis C viruses and noroviruses. Cocrystal employs unique structure-based technologies and Nobel Prize-winning expertise to create first- and best-in-class antiviral drugs. For further information about Cocrystal, please visit www.cocrystalpharma.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our goals of initiating clinical studies and submitting a briefing package to the FDA in 2022, our attempts to discover replication inhibitors, and the potential efficacy of antiviral inhibitors against existing and new variants of COVID-19. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events. Some or all of the events anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks arising from supply chain disruptions on our ability to obtain products including raw materials and test animals as well as similar problems with our vendors and our current CRO and future CROs and CMOs, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic including new variants on the national and global economy, the cooperation of the FDA in accelerating development in our COVID-19 program, our collaboration partners’ technology and software performing as expected, the results of future preclinical and clinical trials, general risks arising from clinical trials, receipt of regulatory approvals, regulatory changes, and development of effective treatments and/or vaccines by competitors, including as part of the programs financed by the U.S. government. Further information on our risk factors is contained in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Investor Contact:
LHA Investor Relations
Jody Cain
310-691-7100
jcain@lhai.com

Source: Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.

	Image: Judge Terry Doughty (USA Today Network Video)  

Understanding the HealthCare Vaccine Mandate Injunction

Judge Terry A. Doughty, a federal Judge sitting in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, issued a NATIONWIDE injunction on President Biden’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers yesterday, November 30, 2021. 

Some are heralding Judge Doughty a hero in the war waging worldwide between governments and those opposing mandatory vaccination.

The issue before the Louisiana Court was whether “the Plaintiff States” (fourteen U.S. states comprised of Louisiana, Montana, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio) are entitled to a preliminary injunction against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate (“Mandate”) implemented by “the Government Defendants” (made up of Xavier Becerra, in his official capacity as Secretary of Health and Human Services, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“DHH”), Chiquita Brooks–Lasure, in her official capacity as Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”)) on November 5, 2021.  The Mandate requires the staff of twenty-one types of Medicare and Medicaid healthcare providers to receive one vaccine by December 6, 2021, and the second vaccine by January 4, 2022. The failure to comply can result in penalties up to and including “termination of the Medicare/Medicaid Provider Agreement.”

According to the CMS, the Mandate regulates over 10.3 million health care workers in the United States. Of those 10.3 million, 2.4 million healthcare workers are currently unvaccinated.

In his Memorandum Opinion, Judge Doughty noted that “[i]mplicit in determining whether a preliminary injunction should be granted is determining whether the Government Defendants have the statutory and/or constitutional authority” to implement the Mandate. The Judge ultimately concluded that the Biden administration does not have the constitutional authority to go around Congress by issuing such a mandate. 

Doughty observed: “[i]f the executive branch is allowed to usurp the power of the legislative branch to make laws, two of the three powers conferred by our Constitution would be in the same hands.”

Quoting a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court from October of this year, he stated: “[i]f human nature and history teach anything, it is that civil liberties face grave risks when governments proclaim indefinite states of emergency” before adding “[d]uring a pandemic such as this one, it is even more important to safeguard the separation of powers set forth in our Constitution to avoid erosion of our liberties.”

Source:  STATE OF LOUISIANA ET AL CASE NO. 3:21-CV-03970 MEMORANDUM RULING (page 8)

Acknowledging that “the matter will ultimately be decided by a higher court than this one,” Doughty opined it is nonetheless ”important to preserve the status quo in this case. The liberty interests of the unvaccinated requires nothing less.”

The matter is before the Louisiana federal District Court Judge as case State of Louisiana, et al. v. Xavier Becerra,
et al. and involves fourteen states. Doughty’s ruling comes on the heels of a similar grant of a preliminary injunction by Judge Matthew Schlep in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in the matter State of
Missouri, et al. v. Biden, Jr., et al.  Schlep’s ruling was issued on November 29, 2021, the day before Doughty’s, and pertained to only ten states (Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming), but also temporarily halted the Biden administration’s implementation of the vaccine Mandate as to health care workers.  Judge Doughty’s ruling is more far-reaching as it has nationwide impact, and intentionally so, as explained by Doughty:

“[D]ue to the nationwide scope of the…[M]andate, a nationwide injunction is necessary due to the need for uniformity…Although this Court considered limiting the injunction to the fourteen Plaintiff States, there are unvaccinated healthcare workers in other states who also need protection. Therefore, the scope of this injunction will be nationwide, except for the states of Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota,” since those states were already covered by Judge Schlep’s preliminary injunction.

Doughty concluded: “[t]his preliminary injunction shall remain in effect pending the final resolution of this case, or until further orders from this Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, or the United States Supreme Court.”

Both cases are likely to be appealed.

About the Author:

Denese Venza, Esq.
is an attorney and freelance writer licensed to practice in both state and
federal courts in Florida and West Virginia. The information contained in this
article is provided for informational purposes only, is not legal advice, and
should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.

Suggested Reading:

There is More than Just a Covid Variant Weighing on Investors

Scientists Now Better Understand Viral Mutations

Omicron Variant Highlights Long-Term Vaccination Needs

Understanding the Robinhood Class Action Lawsuit

Sources:

https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/content/judge-terry-doughty

https://www.alabamaag.gov/Documents/news/CMS%20Nationwide%20Injunction.pdf

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Wednesday, December 01, 2021

Lineage Cell Therapeutics (LCTX)
OpRegen Benefits Four Out Of Four Patients With Retinal Restoration

Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cell therapies for unmet medical needs. Lineage’s programs are based on its robust proprietary cell-based therapy platform and associated in-house development and manufacturing capabilities. With this platform Lineage develops and manufactures specialized, terminally differentiated human cells from its pluripotent and progenitor cell starting materials. These differentiated cells are developed to either replace or support cells that are dysfunctional or absent due to degenerative disease or traumatic injury or administered as a means of helping the body mount an effective immune response to cancer. Lineage’s clinical programs are in markets with billion dollar opportunities and include three allogeneic (“off-the-shelf”) product candidates: (i) OpRegen®, a retinal pigment epithelium transplant therapy in Phase 1/2a development for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the developed world; (ii) OPC1, an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell therapy in Phase 1/2a development for the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries; and (iii) VAC, an allogeneic dendritic cell therapy platform for immuno-oncology and infectious disease, currently in clinical development for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. For more information, please visit www.lineagecell.com or follow the Company on Twitter @LineageCell.

Robert LeBoyer, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Data From All Four Patient Show Improvements Lineage Cell reported new data from the fourth cohort in its Phase 1/2a clinical trial for OpRegen.  The data is from the fourth patient in the cohort that received the highest quantity of OpRegen cells. The results showed restoration of cellular structure and functional improvement at 12 months. We believe this demonstrates tissue restoration and efficacy of the product.


Trial Was Designed To Show OpRegen Safety and Durability The OpRegen Phase 1/2a treated three cohorts of 12 patients to establish safety, then a fourth cohort of 12 patients to determine efficacy.  In this fourth cohort, four of the patients had the majority of their lesions covered with OpRegn cells. The new data shows all four of these patients had cellular engraftment and visual acuity …

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.