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Thursday, December 8, 2022

Revolution Medicines Regains Global Rights To Mid-Stage Cancer Program As Sanofi Ends Collaboration

 

  • Revolution Medicines Inc (NASDAQ: RVMD) announced that Sanofi SA (NASDAQ: SNY) has terminated global SHP2 development and commercialization collaboration.

  • Following termination, Revolution Medicines will regain all global rights granted to Sanofi under the agreement, including decision-making regarding R&D and rights to all commercial proceeds from RMC-4630, an SHP2 inhibitor drug candidate in development for certain RAS-addicted cancers.

  • The companies plan to collaborate to transition Sanofi's rights and obligations related to RMC-4630 back to Revolution Medicines over the first half of 2023.

  • Revolution Medicines is enrolling patients in its global Phase 2 RMC-4630-03 trial assessing RMC-4630 in combination with Amgen Inc's (NASDAQ: AMGN) Lumakras (sotorasib) in non-small cell lung cancer harboring KRASG12C mutation.

  • The company expects to provide topline data from this study in the second half of 2023.

  • With current cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, Revolution Medicines expects that it can fund planned operations through 2024.

  • The company is updating its projected FY22 2022 GAAP net loss of $(245)-$(265) million versus $(260)-$(280) million expected previously.

CBS knew of Brittney Griner swap early but WH urged them to hold story

 CBS News said it learned last week of the US-Russian prisoner swap that set WNBA star Brittney Griner free on Thursday but held off on reporting it at the request of the White House.

Margaret Brennan, the moderator of the Sunday morning show “Face the Nation,” appeared on the network’s morning show on Thursday to break the news of Griner’s release from Russian captivity.

Griner, 32, returns to the US after the Biden administration agreed to send back Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer known as the “Merchant of Death” who was serving a sentence in federal prison.

“CBS first learned that this swap was going to happen last Thursday,” Brennan said. “CBS News agreed that the Briner-for-Bout swap, which we knew was underway … that we would not report the details of it.”

“This was at the request of the White House, which asked us not to make it public because officials expressed grave concern about the fragility of the emerging deal and feared it would impede the safety — perhaps put those Americans at risk,” Brennan added.

Griner, the 32-year-old WNBA star, was released into US custody on Thursday morning.
Brittney Griner, the 32-year-old WNBA star, was released into US custody on Thursday morning.
Griner spent nine months in a Russian prison after she was convicted of drug possession.
Griner spent nine months in a Russian prison after she was convicted of drug possession.

Gayle King, the host of “CBS This Morning,” told Brennan: “It is so exciting, and, of course, we kept our word on that.”

Brennan said President Joe Biden “authorized this swap just last week.”

A US government plane carrying Bout flew to the United Arab Emirates, which was an “agreed-upon neutral point,” according to Brennan. A Russian plane carrying Griner also flew to the UAE.

The White House released a photo showing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris with Griner's wife, Cherelle, in the Oval Office.
The White House released a photo showing President Biden and Vice President Harris in the Oval Office with Griner’s wife, Cherelle.
White House via Reuters

Griner was then taken to a US military base, where she will undergo medical evaluations after her 10-month captivity on drug charges.

According to Brennan, the proposed prisoner swap gained momentum in the past few weeks after a long period during which there was no movement.

The exchange is a “one-for-one swap” that does not include Paul Whelan, a Marine Corps veteran who remains imprisoned in Russia, according to Brennan.

The US agreed to release Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout as part of the swap.
The US agreed to release Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout as part of the swap.
AFP via Getty Images

The prisoner swap comes despite US-Russian relations reaching their lowest point since the Cold War following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

https://nypost.com/2022/12/08/cbs-news-knew-last-week-of-brittney-griner-swap-but-held-story-at-urging-of-white-house/

CNS: Positive Results in Recurrent Glioblastoma Trial

Data recently presented at the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) 27th Annual Meeting

Preliminary results showcase updated patient population profile and safety

Continued progress toward planned interim analysis when 30-50% of subjects are evaluable at 6 months after enrollment on the study, expected mid-year 2023

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cns-pharmaceuticals-announces-preliminary-results-140800610.html

GreenLight started at Buy by Canaccord

 Target $4

https://finviz.com/quote.ashx?t=GRNA&ty=c&ta=1&p=d

Ginkgo's Enzyme Services, Enabling Applications in Pharma, Diagnostics, Food, Ag

 Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, today announced the launch of Ginkgo Enzyme Services. Ginkgo Enzyme Services is powered by ultra high throughput screening and machine learning-guided protein design, as well as optimized proprietary bacterial and fungal host strains. Ginkgo Enzyme Services solves challenges for R&D teams developing enzymes, from discovery of novel enzyme activity through optimization of enzyme function and large scale manufacturing. virtual event on Dec. 15 will give an overview of Ginkgo's Enzyme Intelligence approach to machine learning-guided enzyme engineering, a core element of this offering.

Virtual event details:

Join us for Enzyme Intelligence, a virtual event featuring Ginkgo's head of protein engineering, Emily Wrenbeck, on December 15, 2022Sign up here.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ginkgo-bioworks-launches-ginkgo-enzyme-120000526.html

Design Therapeutics (DSGN) Stock Falls Over 25%: Details

 Wedbush analysts pointed out that the preliminary DT-216 Phase 1 SAD data yielded a 2-fold increase in frataxin mRNA expression, but there were no change in protein expression. And the analysts believe that investor expectations were a bit stretched since only a single dose was administered as part of a SAD study that was a proof-of-mechanism experiment. The second MAD data will include muscle biopsies, but FXN protein expression changes will likely require longer-term DT-216 exposure.

Eiger: Weak safety data in Hep D study

 Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: EIGR), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative therapies for hepatitis delta virus (HDV) and other serious diseases, today announced topline primary Week 48 data from its landmark Phase 3 D-LIVR study (N=407) evaluating lonafarnib, a first-in-class prenylation inhibitor, in two regimens in patients with chronic HDV: lonafarnib boosted with ritonavir alone (all-oral) and in combination with peginterferon alfa (combination). The composite primary endpoint was a ≥2 log decline in HDV RNA and normalization of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at the end of 48 weeks of treatment compared to placebo.

Topline Week 48 results showed that both treatment arms achieved statistical significance over placebo in the composite primary endpoint as well as the component virologic and biochemical responses. Study participants receiving the all-oral therapy and combination therapy showed a composite response of 10.1% (p=0.0044) and 19.2% (p <0.0001), respectively, compared to those receiving placebo (1.9%). Study participants receiving the all-oral therapy and combination therapy showed statistically significant improved rates of ALT normalization of 24.7% (p=0.003) and 34.4% (p<0.0001), respectively, compared to those receiving placebo (7.7%). A peginterferon alfa comparator arm was included in the study to show contribution of effect. The composite response rate in the all-oral arm was comparable to the peginterferon alfa arm (10.1% vs 9.6%). The composite response rate in the combination arm was twice that of the peginterferon alfa arm (19.2% vs 9.6%).

The key secondary histological endpoint was defined as ≥2-point improvement in histological activity index (HAI) and no worsening of Ishak fibrosis scoring as determined by blinded assessment of paired liver biopsies (n=229) collected at baseline and Week 48. This was demonstrated in 35 of 66 patients (53%, p=0.0139) with statistical significance in the combination arm versus 8 of 30 patients (27%) receiving placebo. Response was demonstrated in 35 of 107 patients (33%, p=0.61) in the all-oral arm versus placebo. Response in the peginterferon alfa comparator arm was 10 of 26 patients (38%).

Remaining secondary endpoints including virologic, biochemical, and composite responses at Week 72 (24-weeks post-treatment) are being collected and are expected to be reported mid-2023.

"We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the patients, investigators, and clinical study sites for their participation in this well-controlled, landmark study," said David Cory, President and CEO, Eiger. "As we continue to analyze these topline data to fully understand the efficacy and safety profile of lonafarnib-based treatments in chronic HDV, we look forward to a pre-NDA meeting with FDA in the coming quarter and seeing the full dataset including the 24-week post-treatment data."

"The results of this landmark study highlight three key findings," said Ohad Etzion, MD, Director, Department of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases at Soroka University Medical Center and D-LIVR study co-lead investigator. "First, a small subset of patients with chronic HDV infection may achieve virologic and biochemical improvements with an all-oral regimen after 48 weeks of treatment. Second, combining lonafarnib and ritonavir with peginterferon alfa demonstrated the potential to nearly double the response rate. And third, and perhaps most importantly, based on these data, combination treatment may lead to significant histologic improvement, a generally accepted surrogate for improved future clinical outcomes for patients. We look forward to the 24-week post-treatment results of this study for assessment of the potential for finite therapy for chronic HDV infection."

The majority of treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were mild or moderate in severity. The most frequent TEAEs associated with lonafarnib treatment were gastrointestinal. Nine percent and 8% of patients discontinued treatment from the lonafarnib oral and combination therapy arms, respectively, compared to 2% of patients in each of the peginterferon alfa and placebo groups. In the lonafarnib treatment groups, 8% and 14% of patients, respectively, reported serious treatment-emergent adverse events, compared with 10% in the peginterferon alfa group and 4% in the placebo group. There were two deaths in the study: one patient treated with peginterferon alfa died due to decompensated cirrhosis that was attributed to drug therapy. The other death in the lonafarnib/ritonavir arm was deemed unrelated to study drug.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/eiger-announces-both-lonafarnib-based-130000774.html