Keytruda and Cabometyx Are Both Winners Keytruda failed to meet co-primary endpoints in Pivotal Phase 3 trial The pivotal Phase 3 KEYNOTE-240 trial evaluating Keytruda, Merck’s (MRK) checkpoint inhibitor anti-PD-1 therapy plus best supportive care, for the treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were previously treated with systemic therapy, did not meet its co-primary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival …

Today, at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (GU) held at Moscone West in San Francisco, CA, Nektar (NKTR) will present preliminary efficacy, safety and immune monitoring data from the ongoing metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) patient cohort in the PIVOT-02 study evaluating NKTR-214 in combination with Bristol-Myers immunotherapy product OPDIVO (nivolumab). NKTR-214 is a CD122-biased agonist designed to provide sustained …

RegenxBio (RGNX), a clinical-stage gene therapy firm with a proprietary NAV® Technology Platform, will host an analyst and investor event focused on its ophthalmology program; including its lead product candidate RGX-314, on Thursday, February 21, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST in New York City. A live webcast will be available on the company’s website. The agenda will include discussion on RegenxBio’s NAV® Technology Platform; a review of the market landscape and unmet …

Exelixis’ (EXEL) financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2018 are as inspiring as they are outstanding compared to many other small biotech firms that succeeded in putting products on the market. Revenues  Exelixis total revenues for the quarter ended December 31, 2018 were $228.6 million, compared to $120.1 million for the comparable period in 2017. Total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2018 were $853.8 million, compared to $452.5 million for the comparable period in 2017. The …

Portola Pharmaceuticals (PTLA) announced full results from ANNEXA-4, Phase 3b/4 trial of its Factor Xa inhibitor antidote Andexxa®  in patients experiencing acute major bleeding while taking a Factor Xa inhibitor. The data were presented at the International Stroke Conference 2019 and published simultaneously online by The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).  Full data from 352 patients showed that Andexxa rapidly, and significantly, reversed anti-Factor Xa activity when administered as a bolus and sustained …

The United States FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to AMT-061. The European Medicines Agency gave it access to the Priority Medicine (PRIME) regulatory initiative. Gene therapy firm, uniQure (QURE), announced updated clinical data in patients treated in the ongoing Phase 2b study of AMT-061; an investigational AAV5-based gene therapy containing a patent-protected  FIX9-Padua (Factor 9) for the treatment of patients with severe and moderately severe hemophilia B. The announced data, which …

ImmunoGen & Biogen News About ImmunoGen ImmunoGen (IMGN) is a creator and developer of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) aimed at improving cancer treatments. ImmunoGen aims to disrupt the progression of cancer through its conjugated targeted monoclonal antibodies. ImmunoGen’s lead ADC product candidate mirvetuximab soravtansine is in a Phase 3 study for folate receptor alpha (FRα)-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, and in Phase 1b/2 trial in combination regimens.

Halozyme Therapeutics (HALO) and argenx (ARGX) announced a global collaboration and license agreement offering argenx the right to use Halozyme's ENHANZE® drug delivery technology to develop multiple subcutaneous product formulations for current or future argenx product candidates. The agreement provides argenx exclusive access to ENHANZE® for any product targeting the human neonatal Fc receptor, FcRn, including argenx's lead asset efgartigimod (ARGX-113) and up to two additional targets, potentially shortening …

FDA Granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for RegenxBio’s Product RGX-181 for CLN2 RegenxBio RegenxBio (RGNX), a development-stage firm that focuses on designing and developing gene therapy based on its proprietary NAV® Technology Platform, announced that the U.S. FDA granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to its RGX-181 therapy. RegenxBio is a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company that promises to cure genetic-derived diseases with its gene therapy. RegenxBio’s NAV Technology Platform is …

Merck (MRK) announced its Q4 2018 financial results. The firm outperformed itself and delighted us with regard to picking its stock on time. Merck compensated those who bet on it the day it was added to the Prohost Portfolio that comprises only the biotech and bio-pharmaceutical companies with solid scientific fundamentals. The press release issued regarding Merck's financial results started with Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman and …

AGENUS Agenus (AGEN) announced the upcoming launch of its Biotech Electronic Security Token (BEST); the first digital security offering in healthcare. Tokenization enables qualified investors to directly invest in a single biotech product while preserving shareholder equity. Garo Armen, Chairman and CEO of Agenus said, "Today, by announcing the first of its kind asset backed digital security offering in healthcare, we open the doors for a transformative …

Can a liquid biopsy test be accurate enough for physicians to rely on in differentiating between malignant and benign lung nodules in early stage lung cancer and probably other cancers?  A Yes answer has come out from OncoCyte Corporation (OCX) which announced positive results from its key R&D Validation study demonstrating the accuracy of the Company’s DetermaVu™ liquid biopsy test for lung cancer.  The R&D Validation study …

Data published in Cancer Immunology Research indicate monotherapy and combination opportunities for COM701, a first-in-class cancer immunotherapy antibody targeting PVRIG CompuGen (CGEN) announced the online publication of preclinical data demonstrating the role of PVRIG as a novel immune checkpoint and the potential of its first-in-class inhibitory antibody product COM701 targeting PVRIG, to serve as an effective cancer immunotherapy. The findings were published in two peer-reviewed papers in …

Lipocine (LPCN), a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that an approximately eight-week top-line study using LPCN 1144 in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who might have the potential to develop NASH.  Treatment results showed an absolute mean reduction from baseline of 7.6% liver fat and demonstrated a 38% relative mean liver fat reduction from baseline. Moreover, there was an 86% responder rate in which subjects experienced …

On January 8, 2019 the osteoporosis monoclonal antibody Evenity (romosozumab) developed by Amgen and UCB was granted approval by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for osteoporosis in patients at high risk of bone fracture. Yesterday, Amgen (AMGN) and UCB (Euronext Brussels: UCB) announced that 19 out of 20 members of the  U.S. FDA, Bone, Reproductive and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee (BRUDAC) voted YES for the approval of Evenity™ for osteoporosis …

More good news came  from Exelixis (EXEL). It was expected by many but not by those who ignore the good news in favor of any negative news or lack of news. The announced news is that the FDA approved Exelixis’ Cabometyx® (cabozantinib) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients who have been previously treated with sorafenib. More good news is Exelixis’ announcement that the firm is prepared to fully support the …

Exelixis collaborator, Daiichi Sankyo, Receives Regulatory Approval for MINNEBRO™ (Esaxerenone) Tablets for Hypertension in Japan Exelixis (EXEL) and Daiichi Sankyo announced that the the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved Minnebro™ (esaxerenone) tablets of ,1.25 mg, 2.5 mg, and 5 mg, for hypertension. Minnebro was identified during a prior research collaboration between Exelixis and Daiichi Sankyo, which was entered into in March 2006. The product has been subsequently developed …

Gilead Sciences (GILD) has news that begins with an announcement today that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has approved Epclusa® (sofosbuvir 400mg/velpatasvir 100mg). Epclusa is once-daily treatment for adults with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with decompensated cirrhosis, and for patients with chronic HCV infection without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis who have had prior treatment with a direct-acting antiviral therapy (DAA). In Japan, no treatment option …

Earlier this month the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track Designation for CTX001 for sickle cell disease (SCD). CTX001 is in clinical trials conducted by CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX). It is an investigational, autologous, gene-edited hematopoietic stem cell therapy for patients suffering from severe hemoglobinopathies. The FDA’s Fast Track program is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs to …

Why Loxo Oncology and Sage Therapeutics Have Occupied Today's Headline News LOXO Oncology Eli Lilly (LILY) announced its intention to acquire Loxo Oncology (LOXO) for around $8 billion in cash.  The offer translates to around $235 a share, representing a premium of 69%. Loxo Oncology is developing a pipeline of targeted medicines focused on cancers that can be detected by genomic testing. We remind that last week Bristol-Myers …