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Friday, June 19, 2020

Sanofi RNAi drug shows sustained benefit in hemophilia patients

Sanofi (SNY +2.1%) announces preliminary results from a 34-subject Phase 2 open-label extension study evaluating RNAi candidate fitusiran in patients with moderate-to-severe hemophilia A or B with or without inhibitors. The data were presented at the World Federation of Hemophilia Virtual Summit.
Patients receiving monthly subcutaneous doses of fitusiran and followed for as long as 4.7 years (median exposure of 2.6years) experienced sustained lowering of antithrombin (~75% from baseline) resulting in median peak thrombin values at the lower end of the normal range. Thrombin is an enzyme that causes the blood to clot. Antithrombin is an antibody that binds to (inactivates) thrombin thereby interfering with clotting.
Median annualized bleed rate (ABR) overall was 0.84. Median ABR in the non-inhibitor subgroup was 1.01 and 0.44 in the inhibitor subgroup.
Overall, the rate of spontaneous bleeds was a median of 0.38. Median rates in the non-inhibitor and inhibitor groups were 0.33 and 0.39, respectively.
No cases of anti-fitusiran antibody formation were observed.
On the safety front, the most common adverse events were: increase in ALT (29%) (enzyme biomarker of liver stress/damage), injection site erythema (reddening of the skin) (21%), nasopharyngitis (21%), upper respiratory tract infection (18%), diarrhea (18%), arthralgia (joint pain) (18%), back pain (18%) and increased transaminases (liver enzymes) (15%).
Results from Phase 3 studies should be available in H1 2021.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3584552-sanofi-rnai-drug-shows-sustained-benefit-in-hemophilia-patients

Biotech to test if medical device removes coronavirus from blood

San Diego biotech Aethlon Medical announced Thursday that it plans to test a device it believes could remove the novel coronavirus from the blood of COVID-19 patients and, ultimately, help them recover sooner.
There are hundreds of experimental COVID-19 treatments in the works that target the novel coronavirus or symptoms triggered by its infection. But Aethlon is taking a different tack — removing the virus from a patient’s blood and reinfusing virus-free blood.
The device, which Aethlon calls a Hemopurifier, looks a bit like a dialysis cartridge. Inside are a bundle of narrow tubes for blood to pass through. These tubes are porous, but the pores are so small that only viruses slip out. Blood cells stay within the tubes and get pumped back into the patient. But viruses get caught by a part of the device that gloms onto sugary molecules that coat many viruses.
The company has tested the Hemopurifier about 100 times on more than 30 patients with Hepatitis C, Ebola and other viral infections. Aethlon also has laboratory data showing that the device can remove the virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, a genetic cousin of the new coronavirus.

Aethlon’s device may seem an odd fit for COVID-19. After all, the novel coronavirus mostly spreads through coughing and sneezing and its main targets are the lungs. But Timothy Rodell, CEO of Aethlon and a pulmonologist by training, points out that some patients get symptoms that suggest the virus can also spread through the blood, including blood clots.
The company has received permission from the Food and Drug Administration to enroll 40 patients with severe COVID-19 in a study testing Hemopurifier.
“There are two things that we can look at that are really important. The first one is, are we clearing the virus?” Rodell said. “The second is, are people doing better?”
The initial study’s focus will be filtering out the virus. If all goes well, Rodell says, the company will conduct a larger follow-up study to look in detail at whether COVID-19 patients on the Hemopurifier have shorter stays in the intensive care unit and spend less time on ventilators.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/biotech/story/2020-06-19/san-diego-biotech-to-test-if-medical-device-removes-coronavirus-from-blood

Genetron prices upsized IPO at $16, trading kicks off today

Genetron Holdings Limited (GTH) prices its IPO of 16.0M (from 13.0M) American Depositary Shares (ADSs), each representing five ordinary shares, at $16.00 per ADS.
Underwriters’ over-allotment is an additional 2.4M ADSs.
The Beijing-based company provides next-gen sequencing (NGS)-based molecular testing services in oncology.
Trading on the Nasdaq Global Market commences today.
2019 Financials: Revenue: $45.7M (+44%); Net Loss: ($95.5M) (-45%); Cash Consumption: ($27.8M) (+2%).

Progenity prices IPO at $15, trading kicks off today

Progenity (PROG) has priced its IPO of ~6.7M common shares at $15.00 per share. Underwriters’ over-allotment is an additional 1.0M shares. Closing date is June 23.
Trading on the Nasdaq Global Market commences today.
The San Diego, CA-based molecular testing services provider’s lineup consists of a non-invasive prenatal test for fetal chromosomal disorders, an expanded carrier screen (preconception or early in pregnancy) for genetic diseases, a hereditary cancer screen, a prenatal test for monogenic disease and a portfolio of anatomic and molecular pathology tests.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3584525-progenity-prices-ipo-15-trading-kicks-off-today

Ovid nabs Rare Pediatric Disease tag for OV101 for Angelman Syndrome

The FDA has granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to Ovid Therapeutics’ (NASDAQ:OVID) OV101 (gaboxadol) for the treatment of Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic condition characterized by a variety of signs and symptoms, including delayed development, intellectual disability, speech impairment, problems with movement and balance, seizures, sleep disorders and anxiety.
Rare Pediatric Disease Designation provides for the issuance of a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher following FDA approval. The voucher can be used for accelerated approval of a future application or it can be sold to a third party.
With this designation, the company may be eligible to receive a priority review voucher from the FDA.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3584512-ovid-nabs-rare-pediatric-disease-designation-for-ov101-for-angelman-syndrome

Perrigo jettisons UK unit for £156M to PE firm

Perrigo Company plc (NYSE:PRGO) has agreed to sell UK-based unit Rosemont Pharmaceuticals, a maker of generic medicines focused on liquid formulations, to an unnamed private equity shop for £156M (~$195M) in cash.
The company says the deal was signed and closed on the same day.
Rosemont contributed $53M in sales and $0.12 in non-GAAP EPS to Perrigo’s 2019 results.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3584501-perrigo-jettisons-uk-unit-for-156m-to-pe-firm

Merck completes Themis buy, coronavirus vaccine trials on tap

Merck (NYSE:MRK) has finalized its takeover of privately held Themis, a Vienna, Austria-based developer of vaccines and immunomodulation therapies for infectious diseases, including COVID-19, announced last month.
Clinical trials testing a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate should launch later this year.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3584503-merck-completes-themis-buy-coronavirus-vaccine-trials-on-tap