Wednesday, June 08, 2022

PDS Biotechnology Corp (PDSB)
Conference Call Clarifies Data and Mechanism of PDS0101

PDS Biotech is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a growing pipeline of molecularly targeted cancer and infectious disease immunotherapies based on the Company’s proprietary Versamune® and Infectimune™ T-cell activating technology platforms. Our Versamune®-based products have demonstrated the potential to overcome the limitations of current immunotherapy by inducing in vivo, large quantities of high-quality, highly potent polyfunctional tumor specific CD4+ helper and CD8+ killer T-cells. PDS Biotech has developed multiple therapies, based on combinations of Versamune® and disease-specific antigens, designed to train the immune system to better recognize diseased cells and effectively attack and destroy them. The Company’s pipeline products address various cancers including HPV16-associated cancers (anal, cervical, head and neck, penile, vaginal, vulvar) and breast, colon, lung, prostate and ovarian cancers.

Robert LeBoyer, Vice President, Research Analyst, Life Sciences , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

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

PDS Held A Conference Call Following ASCO Data Presentations.  On June 7, PDS management held a conference call to discuss the full data from its presentations at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting on June 5 and 6.  The presentations were from the Phase 2 VERSATILE-002 trial testing PDS0101 in head and neck cancer and the Phase 2 Triple Combination trial testing PDS0101 with two immune modulating drugs in multiple tumor types.

Two Trials Presented Data At ASCO.  PDS0101 was developed using the PDS Versamune technology to stimulate an immune response to HPV16, an immune marker found on human papilloma virus (HPV) related cancers.  The VERSATILE-002 trial tested PDS0101 the combination with Merck’s pembrolizumab (Keytruda), using the checkpoint inhibitor to make the tumor recognizable to the immune system along with PDS0101 to improve the immune response and kill the tumor cells….

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. 

Tuesday, June 07, 2022

Ayala Pharmaceuticals (AYLA)
AL101 ACCURACY Trial Data Presented At ASCO

Ayala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing and commercializing small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from rare and aggressive cancers, primarily in genetically defined patient populations. Ayala’s approach is focused on predicating, identifying and addressing tumorigenic drivers of cancer through a combination of its bioinformatics platform and next-generation sequencing to deliver targeted therapies to underserved patient populations. The company has two product candidates under development, AL101 and AL102, targeting the aberrant activation of the Notch pathway with gamma secretase inhibitors to treat a variety of tumors including Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL), Desmoid Tumors and Multiple Myeloma (MM) (in collaboration with Novartis). AL101, has received Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. FDA and is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial for patients with ACC (ACCURACY) bearing Notch activating mutations. AL102 is currently in a Pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trials for patients with desmoid tumors (RINGSIDE) and is being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in combination with Novartis’ BMCA targeting agent, WVT078, in Patients with relapsed/refractory Multiple Myeloma. For more information, visit www.ayalapharma.com.

Robert LeBoyer, Vice President, Research Analyst, Life Sciences , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

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

AL101 Responders Had Significantly Improved Survival.   Ayala Pharmaceuticals presented data from the Phase 2 ACCURACY trial testing AL101 in recurrent or metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), a rare tumor of the secretory glands.  AL101 is an inhibitor of gamma secretase, an enzyme that activates the NOTCH signaling pathway.  Tumors that have mutations in the NOTCH pathway are associated with a more aggressive course of disease and poor outcomes.  About 20% of the ACC tumors have NOTCH mutations.

Data Included High and Low Dose Cohorts.  The presentation included a data update from the first cohort receiving the low dose (4mg) and the second cohort receiving the high dose (6mg).  The study enrolled 87 patients, with 77 evaluable.  The 4mg cohort showed a 70.7% disease control rate, with 56% showing evidence of tumor regression.  There were 6 (14.6%) partial responses and 23 (56.1%) with stable disease.  The 6mg cohort showed 66.7% disease control, with 36% showing evidence of tumor regression.  In this group, 3 (8.8%) patients showed partial responses and 21 (58.3%) showed stable disease. …

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. 

Image Credit: Cynthia Hajal, Chris Straehla, Roger Kamm (MIT)

Engineers Develop Nanoparticles that Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier

Anne Trafton | MIT
News Office

There are currently few good treatment options for glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer with a high fatality rate. One reason that the disease is so difficult to treat is that most chemotherapy drugs can’t penetrate the blood vessels that surround the brain.

A team of MIT researchers is now developing drug-carrying nanoparticles that appear to get into the brain more efficiently than drugs given on their own. Using a human tissue model they designed, which accurately replicates the blood-brain barrier, the researchers showed that the particles could get into tumors and kill glioblastoma cells.

Many potential glioblastoma treatments have shown success in animal models but then ended up failing in clinical trials. This suggests that a better kind of modeling is needed, says Joelle Straehla, the Charles W. and Jennifer C. Johnson Clinical Investigator at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, and a pediatric oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“We are hoping that by testing these nanoparticles in a much more realistic model, we can cut out a lot of the time and energy that’s wasted trying things in the clinic that don’t work,” she says. “Unfortunately, for this type of brain tumor, there have been hundreds of trials that have had negative results.”

Straehla and Cynthia Hajal SM ’18, PhD ’21, a postdoc at Dana-Farber, are the lead authors of the study, which appears this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Paula Hammond, an MIT Institute Professor, head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and a member of the Koch Institute; and Roger Kamm, the Cecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor of Biological and Mechanical Engineering, are the senior authors of the paper.

 

Modeling the Blood-Brain Barrier

Several years ago, Kamm’s lab began working on a microfluidic model of the brain and the blood vessels that make up the blood-brain barrier.

Because the brain is such a vital organ, the blood vessels surrounding the brain are much more restrictive than other blood vessels in the body, to keep out potentially harmful molecules.

To mimic that structure in a tissue model, the researchers grew patient-derived glioblastoma cells in a microfluidic device. Then, they used human endothelial cells to grow blood vessels in tiny tubes surrounding the sphere of tumor cells. The model also includes pericytes and astrocytes, two cell types that are involved in transporting molecules across the blood-brain barrier.

While Hajal was working on this model as a graduate student in Kamm’s lab, she got connected with Straehla, then a postdoc in Hammond’s lab, who was interested in finding new ways to model nanoparticle drug delivery to the brain. Getting drugs across the blood-brain barrier is critical for improving treatment for glioblastoma, which is usually treated with a combination of surgery, radiation, and the oral chemotherapy temozolomide. The five-year survival rate for the disease is less than 10 percent.

Hammond’s lab pioneered a technique called layer-by-layer assembly, which they can use to create surface-functionalized nanoparticles that carry drugs in their core. The particles that the researchers developed for this study are coated with a peptide called AP2, which has been shown in previous work to help nanoparticles get through the blood brain barrier. However, without accurate models, it was difficult to study how the peptides helped with transport across blood vessels and into tumor cells.

When the researchers delivered these nanoparticles to tissue models of both glioblastoma and healthy brain tissue, they found that the particles coated with the AP2 peptide were much better at penetrating the vessels surrounding the tumors. They also showed that the transport occurred due to binding a receptor called LRP1, which is more abundant near tumors than in normal brain vessels.

The researchers then filled the particles with cisplatin, a commonly used chemotherapy drug. When these particles were coated with the targeting peptide, they were able to effectively kill glioblastoma tumor cells in the tissue model. However, particles that didn’t have the peptides ended up damaging the healthy blood vessels instead of targeting the tumors.

“We saw increased cell death in tumors that were treated with the peptide-coated nanoparticle compared to the bare nanoparticles or free drug. Those coated particles showed more specificity of killing the tumor, versus killing everything in a nonspecific way,” Hajal says.

 

More Effective Particles

The researchers then tried delivering the nanoparticles to mice, using a specialized surgical microscope to track the nanoparticles moving through the brain. They found that the particles’ ability to cross the blood-brain barrier was very similar to what they had seen in their human tissue model.

They also showed that coated nanoparticles carrying cisplatin could slow down tumor growth in mice, but the effect wasn’t as strong as what they saw in the tissue model. This might be because the tumors were in a more advanced stage, the researchers say. They now hope to test other drugs, carried by a variety of nanoparticles, to see which might have the greatest effect. They also plan to use their approach to model other types of brain tumors.

“This is a model that we could use to design more effective nanoparticles,” Straehla says. “We’ve only tested one type of brain tumor, but we really want to expand and test this with a lot of others, especially rare tumors that are difficult to study because there may not be as many samples available.”

The researchers described the method they used to create the brain tissue model in a recent Nature Protocols paper, so that other labs can also use it.

The research was funded, in part, by a Cooperative Agreement Award from the National Cancer Institute, a Horizon Award from the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program, a Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Award, a Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology Graduate Fellowship, the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research/The Truth 365, the Helen Gurley Brown Presidential Initiative, and the Koch Institute Support (core) Grant from the National Cancer Institute.

 

Reprinted with permission of MIT News  ( http://news.mit.edu/)

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Ayala Pharmaceuticals Announces Data on AL101 in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC) at 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting

Research, News, and Market Data on Ayala Pharmaceuticals

— Presentation at ASCO features updated
results from Phase 2 ACCURACY study —

— AL101 demonstrated anti-tumor activity by
achieving an overall disease control rate of 69% —

— Patients achieving partial responses had
higher progression-free survival —

REHOVOT, Israel & WILMINGTON, Del., June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ayala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AYLA), a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing and commercializing small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from rare and aggressive cancers, primarily in genetically defined patient populations, today is announcing data on AL101 from the Phase 2 ACCURACY study in a poster at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting taking place June 3-7, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.

The poster at ASCO provides updated data from the 4mg and 6 mg AL101 cohorts in the ACCURACY study of the AL101, a selective gamma-secretase inhibitor, in subjects with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) harboring Notch activating mutations (Notchmut) (NCT03691207). The most recent safety efficacy, PK, and PD data from the study is presented. The abstract from this study has been released on the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting website (https://conferences.asco.org).

“We are excited to have AL101 featured in the 2022 ASCO meeting and are pleased with the very promising safety and efficacy data from ACCURACY,” said Gary Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Ayala. “ACC is an orphan disease with no approved therapies and patients with Notch mutations have a more aggressive disease course and poorer survival outcomes as compared to patients with Notch wild-type. If approved, we see strong potential for AL101 to provide a much needed treatment option for R/M ACC patients and look forward to further advancing this clinical program.”

ACCURACY is an open-label, single-arm, multicenter Phase 2 study to assess the clinical activity of AL101 using radiographic assessments of patients with R/M ACC demonstrating disease progression within 6 months prior to dosing. It is the first ACC study selecting subjects with ACC bearing defined NOTCH-activating mutations. A total of 87 patients were enrolled (all with RECIST v1.1 evaluable disease or bone exclusive disease deemed evaluable by MD Anderson Bone Response criteria) and of these, 77 were evaluable for efficacy. Approximately 90% of the patients had metastatic disease at screening. This was a heavily pretreated patient population with over half having previously received some form of systemic therapy. Preliminary data from the study were announced by Ayala in 2021.

Efficacy Results

• In the 4mg dose group, 6 patients (14.6%) had a partial response, 23 (56.1%) had stable disease, for an overall disease control rate of 70.7%
• In the 6mg dose group, 3 patients (8.3%) had a partial response, 21 (58.3%) had stable disease and for an overall disease control rate of 66.7%
• Fifty six percent of the 4mg cohort patients and 36% of the 6mg cohort patients experienced some degree of tumor regression.
• The median progression free survival (PFS) in each of the 4mg and 6mg dose cohorts was 3.7 months but was 6.7 months among the patients who had a partial response
• Median overall survival (OS) was 9.3 months in the overall group but 12.1 months among the patients who had a partial response.
• Both dose regimens demonstrated substantial inhibition of the NOTCH pathway consistent with previous studies, but the higher dose did not improve the observed outcomes

Safety

• AL101 was adequately tolerated with most adverse events being Grade 1 or 2
• Among all 87 patients, 54 or 62% had treatment related grade 3 or 4 AEs (49% in the 4mg cohort and 76% in the 6mg cohort).

Dr. Renata Ferrarotto, Associate Professor and Director of Head and Neck Oncology Clinical Research at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the principal investigator of the study commented “The anti-tumor activity of AL101 in the ACCURACY study suggests that it is providing benefit to a subset of patients with ACC carrying Notch-activating mutations. We are presenting data for the first time showing that subjects who had a partial response to AL101 had progression free survival that was approximately double that of the group as a whole. This result, together with the high disease control rate observed, underscores the clinical relevance of the outcomes, given the aggressive disease course associated with Notch mutations and the fact that the majority of subjects in this trial were heavily pretreated.”

Poster presentation details:

Abstract Title:		Results of ACCURACY: A phase 2 trial of AL101, a selective gamma secretase inhibitor, in subjects with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) harboring Notch activating mutations (Notchmut)
Abstract Number:		6046
Session Title:		Head and Neck Cancer
Session Date and Time:		Monday, June 6, 2022, 1:15 PM-4:15 PM CDT

A copy of the poster will be available on the Ayala corporate website, following the presentation at ASCO on June 6.

About Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC)

ACC is a rare malignancy of the secretory glands including salivary glands, accounting for about 10% of all salivary gland tumors with an annual incidence of 3,400 in the U.S. There is currently no approved standard of care for patients with recurrent/metastatic ACC. Patients with locoregional disease undergo surgery and radiation therapy, with recurring disease treated by chemotherapy. ACC is an immunologically “cold” tumor that is refractory to chemotherapy, with a recurrence rate of about 60% after initial surgery. The Notch pathway has been determined to be an oncogenic driver of ACC and its dysregulation plays a key role in tumorigenesis and correlates with a distinct pattern of metastasis and a poor prognosis.

About AL101

AL101 is an investigational small molecule Gamma Secretase Inhibitor (GSI) that is designed to potently and selectively inhibit Notch 1, 2, 3 and 4, and is currently being evaluated in the Phase 2 ACCURACY clinical studies in patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). AL101 is designed to inhibit the expression of Notch gene targets by blocking the final cleavage step by the gamma secretase required for Notch activation. Ayala obtained an exclusive, worldwide license to develop and commercialize AL101 from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in November 2017. AL101 was granted U.S. FDA Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of ACC.

About Ayala Pharmaceuticals
Ayala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing and commercializing small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from rare and aggressive cancers, primarily in genetically defined patient populations. Ayala’s approach is focused on predicating, identifying and addressing tumorigenic drivers of cancer through a combination of its bioinformatics platform and next-generation sequencing to deliver targeted therapies to underserved patient populations. The company has two product candidates under development, AL101 and AL102, targeting the aberrant activation of the Notch pathway with gamma secretase inhibitors to treat a variety of tumors including Desmoid Tumors, Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma and T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL). AL101, has received Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. FDA and is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial for patients with ACC (ACCURACY) bearing Notch activating mutations. AL102 is currently in a Pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trials for patients with desmoid tumors (RINGSIDE). For more information, visit www.ayalapharma.com.

Contacts:

Investors:
Joyce Allaire
LifeSci Advisors LLC
+1-617-435-6602

jallaire@lifesciadvisors.com

Ayala Pharmaceuticals:
+1-857-444-0553

info@ayalapharma.com 

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including statements relating to our development of AL101 and AL102, the promise and potential impact of our preclinical or clinical trial data, the timing of and plans to initiate additional clinical trials of AL101 and AL102, the timing and results of any clinical trials or readouts, the sufficiency of cash to fund operations, and the anticipated impact of COVID-19, on our business. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. The words ”may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “estimate,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.

These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: we have incurred significant losses since inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future. We are not currently profitable, and we may never achieve or sustain profitability; we will require additional capital to fund our operations, and if we fail to obtain necessary financing, we may not be able to complete the development and commercialization of AL101 and AL102; we have a limited operating history and no history of commercializing pharmaceutical products, which may make it difficult to evaluate the prospects for our future viability; we are heavily dependent on the success of AL101 and AL102, our most advanced product candidates, which are still under clinical development, and if either AL101 or AL102 does not receive regulatory approval or is not successfully commercialized, our business may be harmed; due to our limited resources and access to capital, we must prioritize development of certain programs and product candidates; these decisions may prove to be wrong and may adversely affect our business; the outbreak of COVID-19, may adversely affect our business, including our clinical trials; our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations; our product candidates are designed for patients with genetically defined cancers, which is a rapidly evolving area of science, and the approach we are taking to discover and develop product candidates is novel and may never lead to marketable products; we were not involved in the early development of our lead product candidates; therefore, we are dependent on third parties having accurately generated, collected and interpreted data from certain preclinical studies and clinical trials for our product candidates; enrollment and retention of patients in clinical trials is an expensive and time-consuming process and could be made more difficult or rendered impossible by multiple factors outside our control; if we do not achieve our projected development and commercialization goals in the timeframes we announce and expect, the commercialization of our product candidates may be delayed and our business will be harmed; our product candidates may cause serious adverse events or undesirable side effects, which may delay or prevent marketing approval, or, if approved, require them to be taken off the market, require them to include safety warnings or otherwise limit their sales; the market opportunities for AL101 and AL102, if approved, may be smaller than we anticipate; we may not be successful in developing, or collaborating with others to develop, diagnostic tests to identify patients with Notch-activating mutations; we have never obtained marketing approval for a product candidate and we may be unable to obtain, or may be delayed in obtaining, marketing approval for any of our product candidates; even if we obtain FDA approval for our product candidates in the United States, we may never obtain approval for or commercialize them in any other jurisdiction, which would limit our ability to realize their full market potential; we have been granted Orphan Drug Designation for AL101 for the treatment of ACC and may seek Orphan Drug Designation for other indications or product candidates, and we may be unable to maintain the benefits associated with Orphan Drug Designation, including the potential for market exclusivity, and may not receive Orphan Drug Designation for other indications or for our other product candidates; although we have received Fast Track designation for AL101, and may seek Fast Track designation for our other product candidates, such designations may not actually lead to a faster development timeline, regulatory review or approval process; we face significant competition from other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and our operating results will suffer if we fail to compete effectively; we are dependent on a small number of suppliers for some of the materials used to manufacture our product candidates, and on one company for the manufacture of the active pharmaceutical ingredient for each of our product candidates; any future collaborations will be, important to our business. If we are unable to maintain our existing collaboration or enter into new collaborations, or if these collaborations are not successful, our business could be adversely affected; enacted and future healthcare legislation may increase the difficulty and cost for us to obtain marketing approval of and commercialize our product candidates, if approved, and may affect the prices we may set; if we are unable to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for our technology and products or if the scope of the patent or other intellectual property protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize products and technology similar or identical to ours, and we may not be able to compete effectively in our markets; we may engage in acquisitions or in-licensing transactions that could disrupt our business, cause dilution to our stockholders or reduce our financial resources; and risks related to our operations in Israel could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

These and other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 28, 2022 and our other filings with the SEC, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Announces Presentation at the 2022 BIO International Convention

Research, News, and Market Data on Tonix Pharmaceuticals

CHATHAM, N.J., June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: TNXP) (Tonix or the Company), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that Seth Lederman, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Tonix Pharmaceuticals, will present at the 2022 BIO International Convention being held June 13-16, 2022 in San Diego, CA. The presentation will take place on Monday, June 13, 2022 at 3:45 p.m. PT in Theater 4 of the San Diego Convention Center.

 

To schedule a meeting with the Company’s management at the convention, please submit a meeting request through the BIO One-on-One Partnering™ system or contact brandon.weiner@westwicke.com.

 

About Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.¹

Tonix is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, licensing, acquiring and developing therapeutics to treat and prevent human disease and alleviate suffering. Tonix’s portfolio is composed of central nervous system (CNS), rare disease, immunology and infectious disease product candidates. Tonix’s CNS portfolio includes both small molecules and biologics to treat pain, neurologic, psychiatric and addiction conditions. Tonix’s lead CNS candidate, TNX-102 SL (cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablet), is in mid-Phase 3 development for the management of fibromyalgia with a new Phase 3 study launched in the second quarter of 2022 and interim data expected in the first quarter of 2023. TNX-102 SL is also being developed to treat Long COVID, a chronic post-acute COVID-19 condition. Tonix expects to initiate a Phase 2 study in Long COVID in the second quarter of 2022. TNX-1300 (cocaine esterase) is a biologic designed to treat cocaine intoxication that is expected to start a Phase 2 trial in the second quarter of 2022. TNX-1300 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA. Finally, TNX-1900 (intranasal potentiated oxytocin), a small molecule in development for chronic migraine, is expected to enter the clinic with a Phase 2 study in the second half of 2022. Tonix’s rare disease portfolio includes TNX-2900 (intranasal potentiated oxytocin) for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome. TNX-2900 has been granted Orphan-Drug Designation by the FDA. Tonix’s immunology portfolio includes biologics to address organ transplant rejection, autoimmunity and cancer, including TNX-1500 which is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CD40-ligand being developed for the prevention of allograft and xenograft rejection and for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. A Phase 1 study of TNX-1500 is expected to be initiated in the second half of 2022. Tonix’s infectious disease pipeline consists of a vaccine in development to prevent smallpox and monkeypox called TNX-801, next-generation vaccines to prevent COVID-19, and a platform to make fully human monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19. Tonix’s lead vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are TNX-1840 and TNX-1850, which are live virus vaccines based on Tonix’s recombinant pox live virus vector vaccine platform.

¹All of Tonix’s product
candidates are investigational new drugs or biologics and have not been
approved for any indication.

This press release and further information about Tonix can be found at www.tonixpharma.com.

Forward Looking
Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “expect,” and “intend,” among others. These forward-looking statements are based on Tonix’s current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, risks related to the failure to obtain FDA clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA regulations; delays and uncertainties caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic; risks related to the timing and progress of clinical development of our product candidates; our need for additional financing; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; uncertainties of government or third party payor reimbursement; limited research and development efforts and dependence upon third parties; and substantial competition. As with any pharmaceutical under development, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of new products. Tonix does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 14, 2022, and periodic reports filed with the SEC on or after the date thereof. All of Tonix’s forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by all such risk factors and other cautionary statements. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date thereof.

Contacts

Jessica Morris
(corporate)
Tonix Pharmaceuticals
investor.relations@tonixpharma.com

(862) 799-8599

Olipriya Das, Ph.D.
(media)
Russo Partners
Olipriya.Das@russopartnersllc.com

(646) 942-5588

Peter Vozzo (investors)
ICR Westwicke
peter.vozzo@westwicke.com

(443) 213-0505 

 

Source: Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.

Released
June 6, 2022

Friday, June 03, 2022

Avivagen Inc. (VIVXF)
A New Vietnamese Distributor

Avivagen is a life sciences corporation focused on developing and commercializing products for livestock, companion animal and human applications that, by safely supporting immune function, promote general health and performance. It is a public corporation traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol VIV and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, based in partnership facilities of the National Research Council of Canada. For more information, visit www.avivagen.com. The contents of the website are expressly not incorporated by reference in this press release.

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

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

New Distributor. Avivagen’s management recently announced the Company has signed a new distribution agreement with Nong San Viet Co. to support the continued expansion of Avivagen’s OxC-beta feed additive. No details were given on the length of the agreement. We believe that this new distribution, along with the recent China approval and the exclusive distribution agreement with AB Vista, will bring the Company closer to large revenue growth.

Vietnamese Market. Vietnam is home to the largest feed market in Southeast Asia, with total annual feed consumption of over 32 million metric tons in 2020, according to the US Grains Council. The Grain Council reports that Vietnam is a strong growth market for the industry, and is expected to surpass 35 million metric tons within the next few years, with production being dominated by swine, accounting for approximately 38% of total feed, followed by poultry at 21.6%. Swine and poultry are two target markets for Avivagen, so we believe that it bodes well for continued growth for the Company over the next few years….

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. 

Ayala Pharmaceuticals to Present at the 2022 Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference

Research, News, and Market Data on Ayala Pharmaceuticals

REHOVOT, Israel and WILMINGTON, Del., June 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ayala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AYLA), a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing and commercializing small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from rare and aggressive cancers, primarily in genetically defined patient populations, today announced that it will participate in a “Fireside Chat” presentation at the Jefferies Healthcare Conference, to take place June 8-10, 2022, in New York, NY. The company will also be available for one-on-one meetings with institutional investors at the conference.

Details on the presentation can be found below:

Date:	Friday, June 10, 2022
Time:	12:15 – 12:40 PM EST
Format:	Fireside Chat
Location:	Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, NYC

A webcast of the presentation will be available on the “Events and Presentations” section of the Ayala Pharmaceuticals website.

About Ayala Pharmaceuticals
Ayala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing and commercializing small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from rare and aggressive cancers, primarily in genetically defined patient populations. Ayala’s approach is focused on predicating, identifying and addressing tumorigenic drivers of cancer through a combination of its bioinformatics platform and next-generation sequencing to deliver targeted therapies to underserved patient populations. The company has two product candidates under development, AL101 and AL102, targeting the aberrant activation of the Notch pathway with gamma-secretase inhibitors to treat a variety of tumors including Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL), Desmoid Tumors and Multiple Myeloma (MM) (in collaboration with Novartis). AL101, has received Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. FDA and is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial for patients with ACC (ACCURACY) bearing Notch activating mutations. AL102 is currently in a Pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trials for patients with desmoid tumors (RINGSIDE) and is being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in combination with Novartis’ BMCA targeting agent, WVT078, in patients with relapsed/refractory Multiple Myeloma. For more information, visit 
www.ayalapharma.com.

Contacts:

Investors:
Joyce Allaire
LifeSci Advisors LLC
+1-617-435-6602

jallaire@lifesciadvisors.com

Ayala Pharmaceuticals:
+1-857-444-0553

info@ayalapharma.com

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Regains Compliance with Nasdaq Minimum Bid Price Requirement

Research, News, and Market Data on Tonix Pharmaceuticals

CHATHAM, N.J., June 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: TNXP), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today that it has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market. On June 1, 2022, Tonix received a letter from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC stating that because Tonix’s shares had a closing bid price at or above $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Tonix’s stock had regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), and the matter is now closed.

About Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.¹

Tonix is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, licensing, acquiring and developing therapeutics to treat and prevent human disease and alleviate suffering. Tonix’s portfolio is composed of central nervous system (CNS), rare disease, immunology and infectious disease product candidates. Tonix’s CNS portfolio includes both small molecules and biologics to treat pain, neurologic, psychiatric and addiction conditions. Tonix’s lead CNS candidate, TNX-102 SL (cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablet), is in mid-Phase 3 development for the management of fibromyalgia with a new Phase 3 study launched in the second quarter of 2022 and interim data expected in the first quarter of 2023. TNX-102 SL is also being developed to treat Long COVID, a chronic post-acute COVID-19 condition. Tonix expects to initiate a Phase 2 study in Long COVID in the second quarter of 2022. TNX-1300 (cocaine esterase) is a biologic designed to treat cocaine intoxication that is expected to start a Phase 2 trial in the second quarter of 2022. TNX-1300 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA. Finally, TNX-1900 (intranasal potentiated oxytocin), a small molecule in development for chronic migraine, is expected to enter the clinic with a Phase 2 study in the second half of 2022. Tonix’s rare disease portfolio includes TNX-2900 (intranasal potentiated oxytocin) for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome. TNX-2900 has been granted Orphan-Drug Designation by the FDA. Tonix’s immunology portfolio includes biologics to address organ transplant rejection, autoimmunity and cancer, including TNX-1500 which is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CD40-ligand being developed for the prevention of allograft and xenograft rejection and for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. A Phase 1 study of TNX-1500 is expected to be initiated in the second half of 2022. Tonix’s infectious disease pipeline consists of a vaccine in development to prevent smallpox and monkeypox called TNX-801, next-generation vaccines to prevent COVID-19, and a platform to make fully human monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19. Tonix’s lead vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are TNX-1840 and TNX-1850, which are live virus vaccines based on Tonix’s recombinant pox live virus vector vaccine platform.

¹All
of Tonix’s product candidates are investigational new drugs or
biologics and have not been approved for any indication.

This press release and further information about Tonix can be found at www.tonixpharma.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “expect,” and “intend,” among others. These forward-looking statements are based on Tonix’s current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, risks related to the failure to obtain FDA clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA regulations; delays and uncertainties caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic; risks related to the timing and progress of clinical development of our product candidates; our need for additional financing; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; uncertainties of government or third party payor reimbursement; limited research and development efforts and dependence upon third parties; and substantial competition. As with any pharmaceutical under development, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of new products. Tonix does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 14, 2022, and periodic reports filed with the SEC on or after the date thereof. All of Tonix’s forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by all such risk factors and other cautionary statements. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date thereof.

Contacts

Jessica Morris (corporate)
Tonix Pharmaceuticals
investor.relations@tonixpharma.com

(862) 799-8599

Olipriya Das, Ph.D. (media)
Russo Partners
Olipriya.Das@russopartnersllc.com

(646) 942-5588

Peter Vozzo (investors)
ICR Westwicke
peter.vozzo@westwicke.com

(443) 213-0505

Thursday, June 02, 2022

Tonix Pharmaceuticals (TNXP)
Monkeypox Patent Issuance, Share Buyback, and Data Presentation Attract Attention

Tonix is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, licensing, acquiring and developing therapeutics and diagnostics to treat and prevent human disease and alleviate suffering. Tonix’s portfolio is composed of immunology, rare disease, infectious disease, and central nervous system (CNS) product candidates. Tonix’s immunology portfolio includes biologics to address organ transplant rejection, autoimmunity and cancer, including TNX-15001 which is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CD40-ligand being developed for the prevention of allograft and xenograft rejection and for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. A Phase 1 study of TNX-1500 is expected to be initiated in the second half of 2022. Tonix’s rare disease portfolio includes TNX-29002 for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome. TNX-2900 has been granted Orphan-Drug Designation by the FDA. Tonix’s infectious disease pipeline includes a vaccine in development to prevent smallpox and monkeypox called TNX-8013, next-generation vaccines to prevent COVID-19, and an antiviral to treat COVID-19. Tonix’s lead vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are TNX-1840 and TNX-18504, which are live virus vaccines based on Tonix’s recombinant pox vaccine (RPV) platform. TNX-35005 (sangivamycin, i.v. solution) is a small molecule antiviral drug to treat acute COVID-19 and is in the pre-IND stage of development. TNX-102 SL6, (cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablets), is a small molecule drug being developed to treat Long COVID, a chronic post-acute COVID-19 condition. Tonix expects to initiate a Phase 2 study in Long COVID in the second quarter of 2022. The Company’s CNS portfolio includes both small molecules and biologics to treat pain, neurologic, psychiatric and addiction conditions. Tonix’s lead CNS candidate, TNX-102 SL, is in mid-Phase 3 development for the management of fibromyalgia with a new Phase 3 study launched in the second quarter of 2022. Finally, TNX-13007 is a biologic designed to treat cocaine intoxication that is expected to start a Phase 2 trial in the second quarter of 2022. TNX-1300 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA.

Robert LeBoyer, Vice President, Research Analyst, Life Sciences , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

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

Tonix News Attracts Attention.  On June 1, Tonix stock had a significant price gain (21.9%) on volume of 169.2 million shares (compared with average trading volume of about 2.0 million shares).  This follows the issuance of a patent on the company’s monkeypox vaccine and the announcement of a share buyback program.  Also significant is the planned presentation of preclinical data at meeting of American Transplant Congress held June 4 through 8.

Share Buyback Program.  Tonix announced that it has authorized $12.5 million for repurchases of its outstanding stock.  The company reported $140.4 million in cash or $7.50 per share on March 31, 2022, with a market capitalization of only $45.6 million when announced.  At the recent prices, this could repurchase about 2.5 million to 5 million out of the 18.7 million shares outstanding.  We also believe this attracted attention to the stock’s large discount to cash on hand….

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. 

Thursday, June 02, 2022

Baudax Bio (BXRX)
BX2000 Phase I First Cohort Dosed

Baudax Bio is a pharmaceutical company focused on innovative products for acute care settings. ANJESO is the first and only 24-hour, intravenous (IV) COX-2 preferential non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) for the management of moderate to severe pain. In addition to ANJESO, Baudax Bio has a pipeline of other innovative pharmaceutical assets including two novel neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBs) and a proprietary chemical reversal agent specific to these NMBs. For more information, please visit www.baudaxbio.com.

Gregory Aurand, Senior Research Analyst, Healthcare Services & Medical Devices, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

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

Phase I Neuromuscular Blocking Agent (NMB) trial advances.  The BX2000 trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled dose escalation study with up to 10 dosing cohorts. Each cohort will enroll 8 patients and the Company yesterday announced the first cohort has been dosed.  The study will evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics, and time course of the neuromuscular blocking profile.

Baudax Bio now has two novel NMBs in the clinic. BX1000 is a rapid onset, intermediate acting agent that has completed the dose escalation Phase I and is currently moving toward Phase II. BX2000 is a rapid onset, ultra-short acting agent with Phase I dose escalation enrollment expected to be completed by early 2023.

…

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. 

Victor Segura Ibarra and Rita Serda/National Cancer Institute (Flickr)

‘Masked’ Cancer Drug Stealthily Trains Immune System to Kill Tumors While Sparing Healthy Tissues

Many cancer treatments are notoriously savage on the body. Drugs often attack both healthy cells and tumor cells, causing a plethora of side effects. Immunotherapies that help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells are no different. Though they have prolonged the lives of countless patients, they work in only a subset of patients. One study found that fewer than 30% of breast cancer patients respond to one of the most common forms of immunotherapy.

This article was republished with permission from The Conversation, a news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by and represents the research-based opinions of Aslan Mansurov, Postdoctoral Researcher in Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.

But what if drugs could be engineered to attack only tumor cells and spare the rest of the body? To that end, my colleagues and I at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have designed a method to keep one promising cancer drug from wreaking havoc by “masking” it until it reaches a tumor.

The Promise of IL-12

Cytokines are proteins that can modulate how the immune system responds to threats. One way they do this is by activating killer T cells, a type of white blood cells that can attack cancer cells. Because cytokines can train the immune system to kill tumors, this makes them very promising as cancer treatments.

One such cytokine is interleukin-12, or IL-12. Though it was discovered more than 30 years ago, IL-12 still isn’t an FDA-approved therapy for cancer patients because of its severe side effects, such as liver damage. This is in part because IL-12 instructs immune cells to produce a large amount of inflammatory molecules that can damage the body.

Scientists have since been working to reengineer IL-12 to be more tolerable while retaining its powerful cancer-killing effects.

Masking the Killer

To create a safer version of IL-12, my colleagues and I took advantage of one of the main differences between healthy and cancerous tissue: an excess of growth-promoting enzymes in cancers. Because cancer cells proliferate very rapidly, they overproduce certain enzymes that help them invade the nearby healthy tissue and metastasize to other parts of the body. Healthy cells grow at a much slower pace and produce fewer of these enzymes.

With this in mind, we “masked” IL-12 with a cap that covers the part of the molecule that normally binds to immune cells to activate them. The cap is removed only when it comes into contact with enzymes found in the vicinity of tumors. When these enzymes chop off the cap, IL-12 is reactivated and spurs nearby killer T cells to attack the tumor.

When we applied these masked IL-12 molecules to both healthy and tumor tissue donated by melanoma and breast cancer patients, our results confirmed that only the tumor samples were able to remove the cap. This indicated that masked IL-12 could potentially drive a strong immune response against tumors without causing damage to healthy organs.

We then examined how safe masked IL-12 is by measuring liver damage biomarkers in mice. We found that immune-related side effects typically associated with IL-12 were notably absent in mice treated with masked IL-12 over a period of several weeks, indicating improved safety.

In breast cancer models, our masked IL-12 resulted in a 90% cure rate, while treatment with a commonly used immunotherapy called a checkpoint inhibitor resulted in only a 10% cure rate. In a model of colon cancer, masked IL-12 showed a 100% cure rate.

Our next step is to test the modified IL-12 in cancer patients. While it will take time to bring this encouraging development directly to patients, we believe a promising new treatment is on the horizon.

Suggested Reading

Cancer’s Predator-Prey Relationship with New Treatments and the Immune System

Pros and Cons of FDA Funded in Part by Companies

Axcella Therapeutics (AXLA) NobleCon18 Presentation Replay

Genprex (GNPX) NobleCon18 Presentation Replay

 

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PsyBio Therapeutics Initiates Commercial Biosynthetic Based Process Development for Psycho-Targeted and Psychoactive Compounds

Research, News, and Market Data on PsyBio

PsyBio Therapeutics Advances Proprietary
Patent Pending Manufacturing Towards Fully Developed GMP Production Methodology

OXFORD, Ohio and DENVER, June 2, 2022 /CNW/ – PsyBio Therapeutics Corp. (TSXV: PSYB) (OTCQB: PSYBF) (”
PsyBio” or the “Company“), a fully integrated and intellectual property driven biotechnology company developing novel, bespoke psychoactive medicinal candidates targeting the potential treatment of mental health challenges, neurological disorders and other human health conditions, today reported that it has initiated formal process development for commercially scalable, patent pending manufacturing technology expected to enable Good Manufacturing Practice (“GMP”) production. PsyBio’s manufacturing process utilizes state of the art bioreactor manufacturing technology to facilitate expansion of PsyBio’s portfolio of compounds. This process methodology is another necessary component for the Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls section (“CMC”) for its therapeutic candidate portfolio Investigational New Drug (“IND”) applications with the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”).

“This latest manufacturing milestone demonstrates PsyBio’s continued progress, maintaining our role as one of the only biotechnology companies in the psychoactive therapeutic sector developing their own compounds,” stated Evan Levine, PsyBio’s Chief Executive Officer. “PsyBio remains committed to developing effective and scalable techniques designed to enhance our ability to produce an ever-growing number of psycho-targeted therapeutic candidates in a rapid and highly cost-efficient approach.”

PsyBio retains the global, exclusive, and perpetual right to license a platform technology enabling rapid generation of tryptamines and related compounds through a biosynthetic process using genetically modified bacteria and has demonstrated the ability to manufacture one of its first promising therapeutic candidates at commercial scale. Commercial purification process development furthers the ability to manufacture compounds with predictable and reproducible purity.

“The mark of successful product development is the ability to transfer technology from the bench to full scale GMP production. PsyBio has been working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to develop commercial methodology for the manufacture of pipeline compounds using biotechnology. The initiation of GMP process development is an important step leading to clinical trial initiation,” stated Michael Spigarelli, MD, PhD, MBA, PsyBio’s Chief Medical Officer. “This is expected to allow us to reliably produce predictably pure drug product for clinical evaluation in order to determine its ability to potentially improve mental and neurological health.”

About PsyBio Therapeutics Corp.

PsyBio is an intellectual property driven biotechnology company developing new, bespoke, fully approved, psycho-targeted therapeutics to potentially improve mental and neurological health. The team has extensive experience in drug discovery based on synthetic biology and metabolic engineering as well as clinical and regulatory expertise progressing drugs through human studies and regulatory protocols. Research and development is currently ongoing for naturally occurring psychoactive tryptamines originally discovered in different varieties of hallucinogenic mushrooms, other tryptamines and phenethylamines and combinations thereof. The Company utilizes a bio-medicinal chemistry approach to therapeutic development, in which psychoactive compounds can be utilized as a template upon which to develop precursors and analogs, both naturally and non-naturally occurring, specifically because they are already known to have an effect within the brain.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking information” (“forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “believes” or “intends” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. Forward looking-statements in this press release include statements regarding: the impact of this manufacturing process achievement on the CMC section of PsyBio’s IND application with the FDA; the impact of this manufacturing process achievement on GMP production; PsyBio’s ability to develop compounds more readily and rapidly than competitive methods; PsyBio’s plans for filing IND applications with the FDA; PsyBio’s ability to develop novel formulations to potentially treat neurologic and psychologic conditions and other disorders; PsyBio’s plans to move towards clinical trials for psycho-targeted therapeutics intended to potentially improve mental and neurological health; PsyBio’s ability to launch clinical trials; PsyBio’s ability to build its intellectual property portfolio of novel drug candidates; PsyBio’s ability to achieve cost competitive synthesis with reduced environmental impact over current production methods; and PsyBio’s ability to move target candidates into scaled commercial manufacturing and regulatory application.

In disclosing the forward-looking information contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions, including that: this manufacturing process will enable GMP production and will help facilitate expansion of PsyBio’s portfolio of compounds; this manufacturing process will have a positive impact on progress toward the filing of IND applications with the FDA; PsyBio will receive approval from the FDA to launch clinical trials; PsyBio will be successful in protecting its intellectual property; PsyBio will be successful in discovering new valuable target molecules; PsyBio will be successful in submitting IND applications and will be able to obtain all necessary approvals for clinical trials; the results of preclinical safety and efficacy testing will be favourable; PsyBio’s technology will be safe and effective; a confirmed signal will be identified in PsyBio’s selected indications; and that drug development involves long lead times, is very expensive and involves many variables of uncertainty. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: compliance with extensive government regulations; domestic and foreign laws and regulations adversely affecting PsyBio’s business and results of operations; decreases in the prevailing process for psilocybin and nutraceutical products in the markets in which PsyBio operates; and the impact of COVID-19; and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise.

PsyBio makes no medical, treatment or health benefit claims about PsyBio’s proposed products. The FDA or other similar regulatory authorities have not evaluated claims regarding psilocybin and other next generation psychoactive compounds. The efficacy of such products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. There is no assurance that the use of psilocybin and other psychoactive compounds can diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Vigorous scientific research and clinical trials are needed. PsyBio has not conducted clinical trials for the use of its intellectual property. Any references to quality, consistency, efficacy and safety of potential products do not imply that PsyBio verified such in clinical trials or that PsyBio will complete such trials. If PsyBio cannot obtain the approvals or research necessary to commercialize its business, it may have a material adverse effect on the PsyBio’s performance and operations.

The TSX Venture Exchange (the
“TSXV”) has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this
news release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that
term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE PsyBio Therapeutics Corp.

 

PDS Biotechnology Granted FDA Fast Track Designation for Lead Candidate PDS0101

Research, News, and Market Data on PDS Biotech

PDS Biotech has been granted Fast Track designation for PDS0101 in combination with KEYTRUDA^® (pembrolizumab) for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic HPV16-positive head and neck cancer

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., June 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PDS Biotechnology Corporation (Nasdaq: PDSB), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a growing pipeline of molecularly targeted cancer immunotherapies and infectious disease vaccines based on the Company’s proprietary Versamune^® and Infectimune™ T cell activating technologies, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to PDS0101 in combination with Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA^® (pembrolizumab). PDS0101 in combination with KEYTRUDA^® is being studied in the VERSATILE-002 Phase 2, open-label, multicenter trial for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic HPV16-positive head and neck cancer in collaboration with Merck (known as MSD outside the US and Canada).

The FDA’s Fast Track designation program is designed to aid in the development and to expedite the review of drug candidate applications that could potentially treat serious or life-threatening conditions. In order to receive Fast Track designation, a product must also demonstrate the potential to address an unmet medical need. Treatments granted this designation are given the opportunity to have more frequent meetings and interactions with the FDA throughout the entire drug development and review process, with the goal of moving promising new drugs more rapidly through the process. It also provides the opportunity to submit sections of a New Drug Application (NDA) on a rolling basis, where the FDA may review portions of the NDA as they are received instead of waiting for the entire NDA submission. In addition, Fast Track designated products are eligible for Priority Review at the time of NDA or Biologics License Application submission.

“We are thrilled that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation for PDS0101 in combination with KEYTRUDA^®,” said Frank Bedu-Addo, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of PDS Biotech. “The HPV-associated head and neck cancer prevalence continues to rise, leaving this affected group with limited treatment options to date. Receiving this designation underscores the potential of the Versamune^® platform and the need for a new therapy that may improve outcomes for those with this devastating disease.”

PDS Biotech’s lead candidate, PDS0101, is a T cell HPV-specific immunotherapy delivered subcutaneously that has shown the potential to stimulate high levels of HPV16-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells within patients by activating multiple immune pathways. These HPV-specific T cells have been shown to target tumors such as anal, cervical, head and neck, penile, vaginal, vulvar that are caused by HPV16 infection. The incidence of head and neck cancer cases has been increasing steadily over the last 10-15 years and over 90% of HPV-positive head and neck cancers are caused by HPV16.¹ In addition to the Phase 2 VERSATILE-002 trial, PDS Biotech is also conducting three additional Phase 2 studies in advanced HPV-associated cancers, locally advanced cervical cancer, and early-stage pre-metastatic HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Mayo Clinic, respectively.

KEYTRUDA^® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp and Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.

¹Exploring Roles of HPV16 variants
in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: current challenges and opportunities, Daniela Cochicho, Rui Gil da Costa, Ana Felix, Virology
Journal, November 2021

About PDS Biotechnology
PDS Biotech is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a growing pipeline of molecularly targeted cancer and infectious disease immunotherapies based on the Company’s proprietary Versamune^® and Infectimune™ T cell activating technology platforms. We believe our Versamune^®-based products have demonstrated the potential to overcome the limitations of current immunotherapy by inducing in
vivo, large quantities of high-quality, highly potent polyfunctional tumor specific CD4+ helper and CD8+ killer T cells. PDS Biotech has developed multiple therapies, based on combinations of Versamune^® and disease-specific antigens, designed to train the immune system to better recognize diseased cells and effectively attack and destroy them. The Company’s pipeline products address various cancers including HPV16-associated cancers (anal, cervical, head and neck, penile, vaginal, vulvar) and breast, colon, lung, prostate and ovarian cancers.

Our Infectimune™ -based vaccines have demonstrated the potential to induce not only robust and durable neutralizing antibody responses, but also powerful T cell responses including long-lasting memory T cell responses. To learn more, please visit www.pdsbiotech.com or follow us on Twitter at @PDSBiotech.

To learn more, please visit www.pdsbiotech.com or follow us on Twitter at @PDSBiotech.

Forward Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning PDS Biotechnology Corporation (the “Company”) and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, results of operations or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the Company’s management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” “forecast,” “guidance”, “outlook” and other similar expressions among others. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: the Company’s ability to protect its intellectual property rights; the Company’s anticipated capital requirements, including the Company’s anticipated cash runway and the Company’s current expectations regarding its plans for future equity financings; the Company’s dependence on additional financing to fund its operations and complete the development and commercialization of its product candidates, and the risks that raising such additional capital may restrict the Company’s operations or require the Company to relinquish rights to the Company’s technologies or product candidates; the Company’s limited operating history in the Company’s current line of business, which makes it difficult to evaluate the Company’s prospects, the Company’s business plan or the likelihood of the Company’s successful implementation of such business plan; the timing for the Company or its partners to initiate the planned clinical trials for PDS0101, PDS0203 and other Versamune^® and Infectimune™-based product candidates; the future success of such trials; the successful implementation of the Company’s research and development programs and collaborations, including any collaboration studies concerning PDS0101, PDS0203 and other Versamune^® and Infectimune™-based product candidates and the Company’s interpretation of the results and findings of such programs and collaborations and whether such results are sufficient to support the future success of the Company’s product candidates; the success, timing and cost of the Company’s ongoing clinical trials and anticipated clinical trials for the Company’s current product candidates, including statements regarding the timing of initiation, pace of enrollment and completion of the trials (including the Company’s ability to fully fund its disclosed clinical trials, which assumes no material changes to our currently projected expenses), futility analyses, presentations at conferences and data reported in an abstract, and receipt of interim or preliminary results (including, without limitation, any preclinical results or data), which are not necessarily indicative of the final results of the Company’s ongoing clinical trials; the timing of and the Company’s ability to obtain and maintain U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other regulatory authority approval of, or other action with respect to, PDS0101, PDS0203 and other Versamune^® and Infectimune™-based product candidates; any Company statements about its understanding of product candidates mechanisms of action and interpretation of preclinical and early clinical results from its clinical development programs and any collaboration studies; and other factors, including legislative, regulatory, political and economic developments not within the Company’s control, including unforeseen circumstances or other disruptions to normal business operations arising from or related to COVID-19. The foregoing review of important factors that could cause actual events to differ from expectations should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the risk factors included in the Company’s annual and periodic reports filed with the SEC. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and, except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Versamune^® is a registered trademark and Infectimune™ is a trademark of PDS Biotechnology Corporation.

Investor Contact:
Rich Cockrell
CG Capital
Phone: +1 (404) 736-3838
Email: pdsb@cg.capital