FDA Approves Trikafta, Symdeko and Kalydeco for CF Patients With Certain Rare Mutations – PharmaLive

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Danzig

BOSTON(BUSINESS WIRE)Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the eligibility for TRIKAFTA (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor) to include people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 12 years and older with certain mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene that are responsive to TRIKAFTA based on in vitro data. SYMDEKO (tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor) and KALYDECO (ivacaftor) also received approvals to include additional responsive mutations in people with CF ages 6 years and older and age 4 months and older, respectively. These approvals allow more than 600 people with CF not previously eligible for these medicines an opportunity to potentially benefit from treatment that targets the underlying cause of their disease.

The approval for expanded use of three of our CF medicines based on our well-established in vitro model is a testament to the relentless commitment of our scientists to reach our goal of developing treatments for all people with CF, said Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and President, Vertex. We remain as committed today to reaching every patient who might benefit from our medicines as when we first started out on this journey 20 years ago, and this important milestone now enables hundreds of people with CF access to a treatment option to address the underlying cause of their disease many for the first time.

TRIKAFTA was previously approved for people with at least one F508del mutation and is now approved for 177 additional mutations; SYMDEKO is now approved for 127 additional mutations, for a total of 154 SYMDEKO-responsivemutations; and KALYDECO is now approved for an additional 59 mutations, for a total of 97 KALYDECO-responsivemutations. In addition, for certain people with CF who are currently eligible for KALYDECO, this approval allows them to also be eligible for SYMDEKO or TRIKAFTA; and similarly, for those who are currently eligible for SYMDEKO, this approval allows them to also be eligible for TRIKAFTA.

The full list of mutations for TRIKAFTA, SYMDEKO and KALYDECO can be found within the updated full Prescribing Information for each respective product. In addition, people with CF and their families can search eligibility for Vertex CF medicines through vertextreatments.com.

About Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a rare, life-shortening genetic disease affecting approximately 75,000 people worldwide. CF is a progressive, multi-system disease that affects the lungs, liver, GI tract, sinuses, sweat glands, pancreas and reproductive tract. CF is caused by a defective and/or missing CFTR protein resulting from certain mutations in the CFTR gene. Children must inherit two defective CFTR genes one from each parent to have CF. While there are many different types of CFTR mutations that can cause the disease, the vast majority of all people with CF have at least one F508del mutation. These mutations, which can be determined by a genetic test, or genotyping test, lead to CF by creating non-working and/or too few CFTR proteins at the cell surface. The defective function and/or absence of CFTR protein results in poor flow of salt and water into and out of the cells in a number of organs. In the lungs, this leads to the buildup of abnormally thick, sticky mucus that can cause chronic lung infections and progressive lung damage in many patients that eventually leads to death. The median age of death is in the early 30s.

INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR KALYDECO (ivacaftor), SYMDEKO(tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor), and TRIKAFTA (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor)

What is KALYDECO?

KALYDECO is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients

age 4 months and older who have at least one mutation in their CF gene that is responsive to KALYDECO. Patients should talk to their doctor to learn if they have an indicated CF gene mutation. It is not known if KALYDECO is safe and effective in children under 4 months of age.

What is SYMDEKO?

SYMDEKO is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients age 6 years and older who have two copies of the F508delmutation, or who have at least one mutation in the CF gene that is responsive to treatment with SYMDEKO. Patients should talk to their doctor to learn if they have an indicated CF gene mutation.It is not known if SYMDEKO is safe and effective in children under 6 years of age.

What is TRIKAFTA?

TRIKAFTA is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients aged 12 years and older who have at least one copy of the F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene or another mutation that is responsive to treatment with TRIKAFTA. Patients should talk to their doctor to learn if they have an indicated CF gene mutation. It is not known if TRIKAFTA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age.

Patients should not take KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA if they take certain medicines or herbal supplements, such as: the antibiotics rifampin or rifabutin; seizure medications such as phenobarbital, carbamazepine, or phenytoin; or St. Johns wort.

Before taking KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA, patients should tell their doctor about all of their medical conditions, including if they: have kidney problems;have or have had liver problems; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant because it is not known if KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA will harm an unborn baby; or are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed because it is not known if KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA passes into breast milk. Before taking KALYDECO, patients should tell their doctor if they drink grapefruit juice or eat grapefruit.

KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA work. Therefore, the dose of KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA may need to be adjusted when taken with certain medications. Patients should especially tell their doctor if they take antifungal medications such as ketoconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, or fluconazole; or antibiotics such as telithromycin, clarithromycin, or erythromycin.

KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA can cause dizziness in some people who take it. Patients should not drive a car, use machinery, or do anything that needs them to be alert until they know how KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA affects them.

Patients should avoid food or drink containing grapefruit while taking KALYDECO, SYMDEKO or TRIKAFTA.

KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, and TRIKAFTA can cause serious side effects, such as:

High liver enzymes in the blood have been reported in patients receiving KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA. The patients doctor will do blood tests to check their liver before starting treatment with KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA, every 3 months during the first year of treatment, and every year while on treatment. Patients should call their doctor right away if they have any of the following symptoms of liver problems: pain or discomfort in the upper right stomach (abdominal) area; yellowing of their skin or the white part of their eyes; loss of appetite; nausea or vomiting; or dark, amber-colored urine.

Abnormality of the eye lens (cataract) in some children and adolescents treated with KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA. If the patient is a child or adolescent, their doctor should perform eye examinations before and during treatment with KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA to look for cataracts.

The most common side effects of KALYDECO include headache; upper respiratory tract infection (common cold), which includes sore throat, nasal or sinus congestion, and runny nose; stomach (abdominal) pain; diarrhea; rash; nausea; and dizziness.

The most common side effects of SYMDEKO include headache, nausea, sinus congestion, and dizziness.

The most common side effects of TRIKAFTA include headache, diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) including stuffy and runny nose, stomach (abdominal) pain, inflamed sinuses, increase in liver enzymes, increase in a certain blood enzyme called creatine phosphokinase, rash, flu (influenza), and increase in blood bilirubin.

These are not all the possible side effects of KALYDECO, SYMDEKO, or TRIKAFTA. Please click product link to see the full Prescribing Information for KALYDECO, SYMDEKO or TRIKAFTA.

About Vertex

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) a rare, life-threatening genetic disease and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule medicines in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including pain, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. In addition, Vertex has a rapidly expanding pipeline of genetic and cell therapies for diseases such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertexs global headquarters is now located in Bostons Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industrys top places to work, including 11 consecutive years on Science magazines Top Employers list and a best place to work for LGBTQ equality by the Human Rights Campaign. For company updates and to learn more about Vertexs history of innovation, visit http://www.vrtx.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements made by Dr. Reshma Kewalramani in this press release, statements regarding the eligible patient population for TRIKAFTA, SYMDEKO and KALYDECO, our expectations regarding the number of patients newly eligible for TRIKAFTA, SYMDEKO and KALYDECO, and statements regarding the potential benefits of TRIKAFTA, SYMDEKO and KALYDECO. While Vertex believes the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are accurate, these forward-looking statements represent the companys beliefs only as of the date of this press release and there are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that data from the companys development programs may not support registration or further development of its compounds due to safety, efficacy or other reasons, and other risks listed under the heading Risk Factors in Vertexs most recent annual report and subsequent quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and available through the companys website at http://www.vrtx.com and on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Vertex disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in this press release as new information becomes available.

(VRTX-GEN)

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FDA Approves Trikafta, Symdeko and Kalydeco for CF Patients With Certain Rare Mutations - PharmaLive

NeuBase Therapeutics Announces Positive Preclinical In Vivo Data for PATrOL-enabled Anti-gene for the Treatment of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 -…

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Danzig

In vivo data after single-dose IV administration demonstrate engagement with DMPK mRNA and broad rescue of mis-splicing across key transcripts

Findings provide support for hypothesized mechanism of action of anti-gene, which is designed to not degrade the DMPK transcript

Data further validate the potential of the PATrOL platform to develop highly targeted therapies that increase, decrease or change causal protein function

NeuBase management to hold conference call and webcast today, December 16, at 8:00 a.m. EST

PITTSBURGH, Pa., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBSE) ("NeuBase" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company accelerating the genetic revolution using a new class of synthetic medicines, today announced positive in vitro and in vivo preclinical data for its PATrOL-enabled anti-gene therapies for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). These new data show that PATrOL-enabled Compound A can rapidly resolve mis-splicing without negatively impacting DMPK protein levels. They also support the potential of NeuBases anti-gene approach to comprehensively treat the underlying cause of DM1.

Despite the fact that the genetic basis of DM1 is well understood today, there is still an urgent need to find the first genetically-targeted, disease-modifying treatment option for affected patients, said Curt Bradshaw, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of NeuBase. DM1 is caused by a genetic mutation in the DMPK gene leading to mis-splicing of a broad spectrum of genes and DMPK protein insufficiency. A treatment option that addresses mis-splicing while retaining functional DMPK protein levels may be key to treating all aspects of DM1.

Dietrich A. Stephan, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of NeuBase, added, Using our proprietary PATrOL platform, we have designed a first-in-class anti-gene candidate that selectively binds mutant DMPK mRNA and opens its hairpin secondary structure, as opposed to a mechanism of action that explicitly degrades the mutant and wild-type transcripts indiscriminately, making it a unique option for the treatment of DM1. These in vitro and in vivo data both support our hypothesized mechanism of action and demonstrate rapid and broad resolution of the mis-splicing that is the primary cause of DM1.

This is the second set of positive data that weve announced in 2020 for our PATrOL-enabled therapies, which we believe serves as proof of concept that further validates our technologic foundation. With a single unified platform, we believe we can increase, decrease or change protein function of potentially any nucleic acid target, unique among genetic medicine approaches. We are excited by the progress we have made and look forward to providing additional updates on our platform and pipeline of programs at an R&D day in the first half of 2021.

In vitro data highlights in DM1 patient-derived fibroblasts:

In vivo data highlights in the HSALR transgenic mouse model of DM1 that expresses high levels of mutant CUG-repeat-containing mRNA (HSA) in skeletal muscle:

DM1 is a rare, autosomal dominant repeat expansion disorder characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. It also affects the central nervous system (CNS) and heart. DM1 is caused by CTG nucleic acid repeats in the DMPK gene that produce a hairpin structure in the transcribed DMPK mRNA. The hairpin structure sequesters critical splice regulators and results in the mis-splicing of multiple gene transcripts. Furthermore, the binding of splice regulators traps the mutant DMPK mRNA in the nucleus, resulting in DMPK protein haploinsufficiency, or half the level of protein that is needed for normal function, which is thought to exacerbate the CNS and cardiac symptoms that are characteristic of DM1 (as knock-out mice for Dmpk show both severe cardiac conduction defects as well as issues with neuronal cytoskeletal remodeling manifesting in aberrant long-term potentiation). The prevalence of DM1 is >5/100,000 in the general population. There are currently no approved treatments for DM1.

Conference Call and Webcast Details

NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. will discuss these data during a webcasted conference call with slides today, December 16, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. EST. To access the webcast, please click here. An archived recording of this presentation will be available following the call through the IR Calendar page on the Investors section of the Companys website, http://www.neubasetherapeutics.com.

About NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc.NeuBase is accelerating the genetic revolution using a new class of synthetic medicines. NeuBase's designer PATrOL therapies are centered around its proprietary drug scaffold to address genetic diseases at the source by combining the highly targeted approach of traditional genetic therapies with the broad organ distribution capabilities of small molecules. With an initial focus on silencing disease-causing mutations in debilitating neurological, neuromuscular and oncologic disorders, NeuBase is committed to redefining medicine for the millions of patients with both common and rare conditions. To learn more, visit http://www.neubasetherapeutics.com.

Use of Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by use of words such as "will," "would," "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "designed," "plan," or "intend," the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These forward-looking statements include, among others, those related to the potential significance and implications of the Companys positive in vitro and in vivo preclinical data for its PATrOL-enabled anti-gene therapies for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy. These views involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, accordingly, our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events that we cannot predict, including those risk factors contained in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause our actual results to differ from those expressed in forward-looking statements. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on the Company's current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results, performance or achievements of the Company could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release, including: the Company's plans to develop and commercialize its product candidates; the timing of initiation of the Company's planned clinical trials; the risks that prior data will not be replicated in future studies; the timing of any planned investigational new drug application or new drug application; the Company's plans to research, develop and commercialize its current and future product candidates; the clinical utility, potential benefits and market acceptance of the Company's product candidates; the Company's commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy; global health conditions, including the impact of COVID-19; the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property position; and the requirement for additional capital to continue to advance these product candidates, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all, as well as those risk factors contained in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

NeuBase Investor Contact:Dan FerryManaging DirectorLifeSci Advisors, LLCdaniel@lifesciadvisors.com OP: (617) 430-7576

NeuBase Media Contact:Cait Williamson, Ph.D.LifeSci Communicationscait@lifescicomms.com OP: (646) 751-4366

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3 Questions: Phillip Sharp on the discoveries that enabled RNA vaccines for Covid-19 – MIT News

Posted on December 12, 2020 by Danzig

Some of the most promising vaccines developed to combat Covid-19 rely on messenger RNA (mRNA) a template cells use to carry genetic instructions for producing proteins. The mRNA vaccines take advantage of this cellular process to make proteins that then trigger an immune response that targets SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

Compared to other types of vaccines, recently developed technologies allow mRNA vaccines to be rapidly created and deployed on a large-scale crucial aspects in the fight against Covid-19. Within the year since the identification and sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, companies such as Pfizer and Moderna have developed mRNA vaccines and run large-scale trials in the race to have a vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a feat unheard of with traditional vaccines using live attenuated or inactive viruses. These vaccines appear to have a greater than 90 percent efficacy in protecting against infection.

The fact that these vaccines could be rapidly developed within these last 10 months rests on more than four decades of study of mRNA. This success story begins with Institute Professor Phillip A. Sharps discovery of split genes and spliced RNA that took place at MIT in the 1970s a discovery that would earn him the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Sharp, a professor within the Department of Biology and member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, commented on the long arc of scientific research that has led to this groundbreaking, rapid vaccine development and looked ahead to what the future might hold for mRNA technology.

Q: Professor Sharp, take us back to the fifth floor of the MIT Center for Cancer Research in the 1970s. Were you and your colleagues thinking about vaccines when you studied viruses that caused cancer?

A: Not RNA vaccines! There was a hope in the 70s that viruses were the cause of many cancers and could possibly be treated by conventional vaccination with inactivated virus. This is not the case, except for a few cancers such as HPV causing cervical cancer.

Also, not all groups at the MIT Center for Cancer Research (CCR) focused directly on cancer. We knew so little about the causes of cancer that Professor Salvador Luria, director of the CCR, recruited faculty to study cells and cancer at the most fundamental level. The centers three focuses were virus and genetics, cell biology, and immunology. These were great choices.

Our research was initially funded by the American Cancer Society, and we later received federal funding from the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation as well as support from MIT through the CCR, of course.

At Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in collaboration with colleagues, we had mapped the parts of the adenovirus genome responsible for tumor development. While doing so, I became intrigued by the report that adenovirus RNA in the nucleus was longer than the RNA found outside the nucleus in the cytoplasm where the messenger RNA was being translated into proteins. Other scientists had also described longer-than-expected nuclear RNA from cellular genes, and this seemed to be a fundamental puzzle to solve.

Susan Berget, a postdoc in my lab, and Claire Moore, a technician who ran MITs electron microscopy facility for the cancer center and would later be a postdoc in my lab, were instrumental in designing the experiments that would lead to the iconic electron micrograph that was the key to unlocking the mystery of this heterogeneous nuclear RNA. Since those days, Sue and Claire have had successful careers as professors at Baylor College of Medicine and Tufts Medical School, respectively.

The micrograph showed loops that would later be called introns unnecessary extra material in between the relevant segments of mRNA, or exons. These exons would be joined together, or spliced, to create the final, shorter message for the translation to proteins in the cytoplasm of the cell.

This data was first presented at the Cancer Center fifth floor group meeting that included Bob Weinberg, David Baltimore, David Housman, and Nancy Hopkins. Their comments, particularly those of David Baltimore, were catalysts in our discovery. Our curiosity to understand this basic cellular mechanism drove us to learn more, to design the experiments that could elucidate the RNA splicing process. The collaborative environment of the MIT Cancer Center allowed us to share ideas and push each other to see problems in a new way.

Q: Your discovery of RNA splicing was a turning point, opening up new avenues that led to new applications. What did this foundation allow you to do that you couldnt do before?

A: Our discovery in 1977 occurred just as biotechnology appeared with the objective of introducing complex human proteins as therapeutic agents, for example interferons and antibodies. Engineering genes to express these proteins in industrial tanks was dependent on this discovery of gene structure. The same is true of the RNA vaccines for Covid-19: By harnessing new technology for synthesis of RNA, researchers have developed vaccines whose chemical structure mimics that of cytoplasmic mRNA.

In the early 1980s, following isolation of many human mutant disease genes, we recognized that about one-fifth of these were defective for accurate RNA splicing. Further, we also found that different isoforms of mRNAs encoding different proteins can be generated from a single gene. This is alternative RNA splicing and may explain the puzzle that humans have fewer genes 21,000 to 23,000 than many less complex organisms, but these genes are expressed in more complex protein isoforms. This is just speculation, but there are so many things about biology yet to be discovered.

I liken RNA splicing to discovering the Rosetta Stone. We understood how the same letters of the alphabet could be written and rewritten to form new words, new meaning, and new languages. The new language of mRNA vaccines can be developed in a laboratory using a DNA template and readily available materials. Knowing the genetic code of the SARS-CoV-2 is the first step in generating the mRNA vaccine. The effective delivery of vaccines into the body based on our fundamental understanding of mRNA took decades more work and ingenuity to figure out how to evade other cellular mechanisms perfected over hundreds of millions of years of evolution to destroy foreign genetic material.

Q: Looking ahead 40 more years, where do you think mRNA technology might be?

A: In the future, mRNA vaccine technology may allow for one vaccine to target multiple diseases. We could also create personalized vaccines based on individuals genomes.

Messenger RNA vaccines have several benefits compared to other types of vaccines, including the use of noninfectious elements and shorter manufacturing times. The process can scaled up, making vaccine development faster than traditional methods. RNA vaccines can also be moved rapidly into clinical trials, which is critical for the next pandemic.

It is impossible to predict the future of RNA therapies, such as the new vaccines, but there are some signs that new advancements could happen very quickly. A few years ago, the first RNA-based therapy was approved for treatment of lethal genetic disease. This treatment was designed through the discovery of RNA interference. Messenger RNA-based therapies will also likely be used to treat genetic diseases, vaccinate against cancer, and generate transplantable organs. It is another tool at the forefront of modern medical care.

But keep in mind that all mRNAs in human cells are encoded by only 2 percent of the total genome sequence. Most of the other 98 percent is transcribed into cellular RNAs whose activities remain to be discovered. There could be many future RNA-based therapies.

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Bayer and Tempus Initiate Collaboration to Advance Patient Access to Genomic Testing and Precision Medicine – Business Wire

Posted on December 12, 2020 by Danzig

WHIPPANY, N.J. & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bayer and Tempus, leaders in precision medicine and artificial intelligence (AI), announced a new collaboration designed to provide broader access to genomic testing and tailored treatment approaches for the oncology community. The collaboration will include an initiative to help facilitate patient identification for precision oncology by providing testing, via the Tempus xT broad-panel genomic sequencing assay, for a subset of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), as well as those with radioactive iodine refractory differentiated metastatic thyroid carcinoma (RAIR thyroid cancers). Looking ahead, Bayer and Tempus will continue to implement data-enriched initiatives dedicated to supporting patients.

Bayer's commitment to precision oncology is currently supported by its approach to research that prioritizes targets and pathways that impact the way cancer is treated. The Tempus xT broad-panel genomic sequencing assay is designed to detect actionable driver alterations, including BRAF, KRAS, RET, and NTRK gene fusions.1 NTRK gene fusions are genomic alterations that drive tumor growth regardless of where they originate in the body.2-4 These genomic alterations typically occur following DNA damage, which results in structural changes to the DNA either through biological changes or from environmental factors (e.g. ultraviolet light damage).2-4 During the DNA damage repair mechanism, the NTRK gene can fuse with an unrelated gene resulting in an altered TRK fusion protein, which causes a constant signaling cascade, driving tumor growth and its metastasis (progression).2-4 Studies suggest NTRK gene fusions are present in approximately 3% of patients with mCRC with prior high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) status and 2.4%-12% of patients with RAIR thyroid cancers.5-7

Testing early and utilizing comprehensive genomic profiling is critical, as it helps physicians understand the underlying driver of DNA alterations for tumor progression (growth).8,9 When actionable alterations are detected, they aid physicians in the treatment decisions appropriate for their patients.10 The Tempus xT broad-panel genomic sequencing assay detects these alterations by sequencing tumor samples with matched normal saliva or blood samples, when available, covering 648 genes.1 The test is used by many oncologists across a diverse set of clinical settings, including leading academic centers, NCI designated cancer centers, hospital networks and community hospitals.

Bayers strong focus in precision medicine combined with Tempus unique testing offering has culminated in this collaboration to bring genomic testing to cancer patients, said Bhavesh Ashar, Senior Vice President, Head of U.S. Oncology at Bayer. "We are excited for the potential of this initiative to identify patients who may benefit from tailored treatment options.

"This strategic collaboration aims to provide eligible colorectal and thyroid cancer patients with broad based access to our genomic test to help their physicians make treatment decisions," said Ryan Fukushima, Chief Operating Officer of Tempus.

Healthcare professionals with eligible patients from the above tumor types can receive additional information by learning more at Tempus.com/bayerprogram and contacting Tempus at support@tempus.com.

About Oncology at Bayer

Bayer is committed to delivering science for a better life by advancing a portfolio of innovative treatments. The oncology franchise at Bayer now expands to six marketed products and several other assets in various stages of clinical development. Together, these products reflect the companys approach to research, which prioritizes targets and pathways with the potential to impact the way that cancer is treated.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.3 billion euros. For more information, go to http://www.bayer.us.

About Tempus

Tempus is a technology company advancing precision medicine through the practical application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. With one of the worlds largest libraries of clinical and molecular data, and an operating system to make that data accessible and useful, Tempus enables physicians to make real-time, data-driven decisions to deliver personalized patient care and in parallel facilitates discovery, development and delivery of optimal therapeutics. The goal is for each patient to benefit from the treatment of others who came before by providing physicians with tools that learn as the company gathers more data. For more information, visit tempus.com.

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2020 Bayer

BAYER and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayers public reports which are available on the Bayer website at http://www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

______________________________________________________________________________

References

PP-PF-ONC-US-1620-1

12/20

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enGene Receives Funding Through Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Path to a Cure for the Discovery of Novel Gene Therapies to Treat Cystic Fibrosis -…

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

BOSTON and MONTRAL, Oct. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -enGeneInc.,abiotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies for local administration into mucosal tissues enabled by its proprietary DDX platform, announced today an award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for the discovery of genetic medicines to treat patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

The award was made as a part of the CF Foundation's $500 million Path to a Cure initiative to accelerate the discovery and development of treatments that address the underlying cause of the disease.

Affecting over 75,000 patients worldwide, CF is a genetic disease caused by mutations in a gene known as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) that render a non-functional CFTR protein. Consequently, multiple organs are affected by disease, chief among them the lungs, where chronic infections and a worsening ability to breathe leads to progressive lung damage and premature death. Patients with nonsense and other rare mutations in both copies of the CFTR gene currently have no therapies that treat the underlying cause of the disease.

"Gene therapy holds promise for the treatment of CF by delivering a functional copy of the CFTR gene to the lungs to restore function and alleviate disease. enGene is developing a DDX-based inhalable formulation to carry DNA to the airways with the goal of functional complementation of CFTR mutations. We are thrilled to have the support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to discover novel gene therapy candidates for patients with CF," commented Jose Lora, CSO of enGene.

In developing an inhalable gene therapy for CF, enGene is coupling a non-viral DNA payload to its biocompatible DDX carrier in an effort to create genetic medicines that allow repeatable and titratable dosing to achieve meaningful efficacy.

"Gene therapies have made a remarkable impact in many fields of medicine, but unlocking their full potential in mucosal tissues such as the lung has been elusive, leaving many patients with CF without available treatment options. We are honored to be working with the CF Foundation to accelerate our research and development efforts towards improving and extending the lives of all CF patients," said Jason Hanson, enGene's President and CEO.

About enGene Inc.enGene Inc. is a biotechnology company developing a proprietary non-viral gene therapy platform for localized delivery of nucleic acid payloads to mucosal tissues. The dually derived chitosan (DDX) platform has a high-degree of payload flexibility including DNA and various forms of RNA with broad tissue and disease applications. In addition to developing gene therapies for the lungs, enGene has developed a unique dual-immune activator for patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer which has completed IND-enabling studies. The company is evolving its technology to enable applications in multiple mucosal tissues with areas of high unmet medical need.www.engene.com/

Note regarding forward-looking statementsThis press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that reflect the Company's beliefs and assumptions based on currently available data and information. These forward-looking statements fall within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "target," "believe," "expect," "will," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "would," "positioned," "future," and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on enGene's current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions that by definition involve risks, uncertainties, that are difficult to predict and are subject to factors outside of management's control and that could cause actual results to differ substantially from statements made including but not limited to: risks associated with the success of preclinical studies, clinical trials, research and development programs, as well as regulatory approval processes. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. enGene has no approved drugs available for sale marketing at this time and may never have an approved drug. You are cautioned not to rely on enGene's forward looking statements, which are only made as of the date hereof. The Company is under no obligation to update these statements.

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Increased Attention on Testing for Oncogenic Drivers in NSCLC Advances the Promise of Precision Medicine – Targeted Oncology

Posted on December 12, 2020 by Danzig

Identification of key oncogenic drivers and the development of targeted therapies with clinical activity in patients harboring actionable mutations have revolutionized the treatment paradigm in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), redirecting attention toward advances in biomarker testing methodologies. This new focus is poised to foster granular refinement of precise, targeted treatment of lung tumors.

Advances in NSCLC research have enabled an understanding of the disease as a collection of molecular subgroups. The proliferation of alteration-matched therapies specific to these subgroups is a prime example of a precision medicine approach. In addition to oncogenic driver mutations, therapeutic response biomarkers have been identified, such as PD-L1 expression as a predictor of immunotherapy efficacy.

Underscoring the importance of biomarker-guided treatment approaches, guidelines for molecular testing in NSCLC include an extensive list of alterations, such as sensitizing EGFR mutations and ALK gene fusions.1,2 The list continues to expand beyond these established canonical markers, with the addition of variants such as MET exon 14 skipping mutations and tumor mutational burden. In fact, the FDA recently approved therapies specific for tumors with these molecular characteristics.3,4

The rapid pace of biomarker discovery, characterization of molecular subtypes of NSCLC, development of matched targeted therapies, and regulatory approval of companion diagnostic tests has accelerated progress in the delivery of optimal care for patients with advanced NSCLC. Areas where continued optimization is particularly emphasized include determining which type of sample(s) should be tested, which biomarkers should be analyzed in different patient subsets, and which assays are most appropriate for specific (sets of) markers, as well as logistical and administrative factors, such as turnaround times and cost/reimbursement considerations.1,5,6

As biomarker testing in NSCLC evolves, investigators continue to evaluate testing approaches with the goal of standardizing the process of oncogenic driver identification.

At the 2020 Molecular Analysis for Precision Oncology (MAP) Virtual Congress, held October 9 to 10, 2020, presentations focused on recent developments in molecular testing, including the results of studies comparing testing methods for aberrations in the MET and NTRK genes.

MET Exon 14 Skipping

Gain-of-function alterations in MET, which encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase, drive oncogenesis. One such alteration with important implications for NSCLC is MET exon 14 skipping, resulting from several types of mutation in either exon 14 itself, the adjacent introns, or the flanking splice sites. Regardless, the effect is the same: a critical ubiquitination site is lost, which leads to MET protein accumulation and activation, enhancing MET pathway signal transduction and culminating in tumorigenesis. Previously, immunohistochemistry was typically performed to detect MET overexpression due to copy number changes. However, next-generation sequencing (NGS) is now the preferred testing method because it can also identify MET exon 14 skipping mutations, the primary driver of oncogenesis.7

MET exon 14 skipping mutations are actionable because the resultant protein is responsive to MET inhibition using tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as capmatinib (Tabrecta),7 which was approved in May 2020 for use in adult patients with metastatic NSCLC harboring a MET exon 14 skipping mutation.3 Compared with their sensitivity to specific TKIs, this subset of patients has exhibited lower rates of response to immunotherapy despite frequent tumor expression of PD-L1,8 suggesting a dual predictive role for the MET exon 14 skipping mutation as a biomarker.

In a study presented at MAP 2020, tumor samples from patients with NSCLC and no other driver mutations were tested for MET exon 14 skipping mutations over a period of 14 months. The investigators compared 2 DNA-based methods: NGS on the Ion Proton platform using AmpliSeq technology and fragment analysis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and size-based electrophoretic separation of the amplicons for detection of large deletions.9

Of the 87 patient samples tested, 13 were determined to have a MET exon 14 skipping alteration, with 5 harboring splice variants and 8 carrying deletions affecting the splice site. Two of these deletions were large, spanning 41 and 66 base pairs; they were detected by fragment analysis but not NGS. Although NGS is widely considered superior to single-gene assays, these data indicate that it may have limitations in detecting specific alterations and that complementary methods or large-coverage intron screening could be an alternative for optimal detection of MET alterations to inform selection of first-line treatment, according to lead study author Romain Loyaux, from the Molecular Oncology Department of Georges-Pompidou European HospitalAPHP in Paris, France.

Commenting on the failure of the NGS assay to detect large MET exon 14 deletions, Loyaux stated that fragment analysis is a cheap and robust method to detect large deletions, especially when no RNA is available (FIGURE).9-11 He noted that anchored, multiplex, targeted RNA-based NGS, like the technology developed by the Archer company, may be a good alternative when RNA is available; however, it has a 20% failure rate.12

NTRK Fusion Detection

Fusions involving the NTRK genes, which encode a family of receptor tyrosine kinases, result in a constitutively activated chimeric protein that promotes oncogenesis and therefore, can be therapeutically targeted with TKIs.7 Two FDA-approved TKIs, entrectinib (Rozlytrek) and larotrectinib (Vitrakvi), have activity in NTRK fusionpositive solid tumors.13,14

Broad, hybrid-capture DNA-based NGS, with RNA-based anchored multiplex PCR as an adjunct, are currently the primary methods of detecting NTRK gene fusions in patients with lung cancer.7 The availability of entrectinib and larotrectinib will likely foster further development of NTRK fusion detection methods for use in routine clinical practice.

A recent study presented at MAP 2020 evaluated the analytical performancenamely, sensitivity, specificity, and precisionof 3 commonly available RNA-based NGS assays. The assays examined were TruSight Oncology 500 (TSO500) by Illumina, Oncomine Focus Assay (OFA) by Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Fusion- Plex Lung (AFL) by Archer.15

The limits of sensitivity and precision were assessed using droplet digital PCR with admixtures of both NTRK fusionpositive and negative samples, whereas specificity was evaluated using NTRK fusionnegative clinical samples. The data showed that all 3 NGS assays successfully detected NTRK fusions; however, technical differences between the assays may impact their performance. For instance, although all tested assays demonstrated strong specificity, the sample metrics were variable. Quality control (QC) success rates for OFA and TSO500 were 83% and 77%, respectively, but only 43% of samples on AFL passed all assay QC metrics. Notably, the different assays missed specific NTRK fusions; OFA failed to detect NTRK1-LMNA, NTRK1-TFG, and NTRK2- PAN3, and TSO500 failed to report NTRK3-ETV6 (E5N14) and NTRK3-ETV6 (E5N15).15

Clinical Utility of NGS Panels of Different Sizes

It has been established that multigene panels are superior to single-gene assays for biomarker testing in NSCLC2; however, data to inform clinicians selection of specific NGS gene panels have been lacking.

In a recent study presented at MAP 2020, a literature review was conducted to compare 2 commercially available DNA-based NGS gene panels: the Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel, covering hotspots in 50 genes (Panel 50); and the FoundationOne panel, covering the complete exons of 315 genes (Panel 315). The clinical utility of each panel was determined based on the number of detectable actionable alterations in various solid tumor types that it contained. The data showed a substantial gain in actionability using the larger gene panel, which matched more actionable genetic mutations to FDA-approved or experimental drugs; the number of actionable alterations in various solid tumor types using Panel 315 was a median 50% higher compared with Panel 50 (t test, P <.001). The authors attributed this gain to the inclusion of more genes related to homologous recombination repair deficiency and microsatellite instability/immunotherapy response in the larger panel.16

In the current era of precision medicine in lung cancer, defined histological subtyping, oncogenic driver testing, and analysis of tumor PD-L1 expression/immunotherapy sensitivity are crucial steps prior to therapeutic decision-making in NSCLC. As additional targeted agents are investigated in clinical trials and the incidence of their molecular targets are characterized in patient populations, expanded molecular testing may become necessary.

Molecular pathologists will continue to play an integral role in the continuum of care in NSCLC, from diagnosis to clinical decision-making based on biomarker detection. Molecular testing is likely to expand rapidly, and additional molecular subtypes will be identified that help match more patients with the optimal targeted therapies, providing highly personalized treatment plans.

Details of analytical procedures and assays will continue to be refined.17 By combining defined sets of biomarkers with appropriate protocols for collecting NSCLC samples and optimized methods for assessing specific changes, clinicians will be able to actualize the promise of precision medicine for patients with this challenging malignancy.

References:

1. Lindeman NI, Cagle PT, Aisner DL, et al. Updated molecular testing guideline for the selection of lung cancer patients for treatment with targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors: guideline from the College of American Pathologists, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2018;142(3):321-346. doi:10.5858/arpa.2017-0388-CP

2. NCCN. Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. Non-small cell lung cancer, version 8.2020. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://bit.ly/2TKomAj

3. FDA grants accelerated approval to capmatinib for metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer. FDA. May 6, 2020. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://bit.ly/360o7Xg

4. FDA approves pembrolizumab for adults and children with TMB-H solid tumors. FDA. June 16, 2020. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://bit.ly/2HWB64q

5. Smeltzer MP, Wynes MW, Lantuejoul S, et al. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer global survey on molecular testing in lung cancer. J Thorac Oncol. 2020;15(9):1434-1448. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2020.05.002

6. Wempe MM, Stewart MD, Glass D, et al. A national assessment of diagnostic test use for patients with advanced NSCLC and factors influencing physician decision-making. Am Health Drug Benefits. 2020;13(3):110-119

7. Sabari JK, Santini F, Bergagnini I, Lai WV, Arbour KC, Drilon A. Changing the therapeutic landscape in non-small cell lung cancers: the evolution of comprehensive molecular profiling improves access to therapy. Curr Oncol Rep. 2017;19(4):24. doi:10.1007/s11912-017-0587-4

8. Sabari JK, Montecalvo J, Chen R, et al. PD-L1 expression and response to immunotherapy in patients with MET exon 14-altered non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). J Clin Oncol. 2017;35(suppl 15):8512. doi:10.1200/JCO.2017.35.15_suppl.8512

9. Loyaux R, Blons H, Garinet S, Urban P, Leger C, Bastide M. MET exon 14 screening strategy: how not to miss large deletions. Ann Oncol. 2020;31(suppl 5): S1217-S1239. doi:10.1016/j.annonc.2020.08.2163

10. Pruis MA, Geurts-Giele WRR, von der TJH, et al. Highly accurate DNAbased detection and treatment results of MET exon 14 skipping mutations in lung cancer. Lung Cancer. 2020;140:46-54. doi:10.1016/j.lungcan.2019.11.010

11. Davies KD, Lomboy A, Lawrence CA, et al. DNA-based versus RNAbased detection of MET exon 14 skipping events in lung cancer. J Thorac Oncol. 2019;14(4):737-741. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2018.12.020

12. Cohen D, Hondelink LM, Solleveld-Westerink N, et al. Optimizing mutation and fusion detection in NSCLC by sequential DNA and RNA sequencing. J Thorac Oncol. 2020;15(6):1000-1014. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2020.01.019

13. FDA approves entrectinib for NTRK solid tumors and ROS-1 NSCLC. FDA. Published August 15, 2019. Accessed October 28, 2020. https://bit.ly/3mPhUEB

14. FDA approves larotrectinib for solid tumors with NTRK gene fusions. FDA. Published November 26, 2018. Accessed October 28, 2020. https://bit.ly/381dXZe

15. Bormann Chung C, Lee J, Barritault M, et al. Evaluating targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays and reference materials for NTRK fusion detection. Ann Oncol. 2020;31(suppl 5):S1221. doi:10.1016/j.annonc.2020.08.2172

16. zdemir B, Charrier M, Gerard CL, et al. Comparison of the clinical utility of two different size next generation sequencing (NGS) gene panels for solid tumours. Ann Oncol. 2020;31(suppl 5):S1219. doi:10.1016/j.annonc.2020.08.2166

17. Pennell NA, Arcila ME, Gandara DR, West H. Biomarker testing for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: real-world issues and tough choices. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2019;39:531-542. doi:10.1200/EDBK_237863

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Increased Attention on Testing for Oncogenic Drivers in NSCLC Advances the Promise of Precision Medicine - Targeted Oncology

ETFs in Focus on Bayer’s Bet on Gene Therapy – Yahoo Finance

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

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America goes to the polls on Tuesday (well, actually, America has been early voting for a few weeks, now), and while Democrat Joe Biden has a solid lead in the polls, there is some of evidence that President Trump may still win a second term. Finally, with all of the early voting, mass absentee ballots, and possible extended counting deadlines, we might not know on Tuesday night who the winner is.Its a situation made of uncertainty, and financial markets dont like that. Which brings us to dividend stocks. Investors want a pad, something to protect their portfolio in case of a market drop, and dividends offer just that. These profit-sharing payments to stockholders provide a steady income stream, that typically stays reliable even in a modest downturn. Wall Streets analysts have been doing some of the footwork for us, pinpointing dividend-paying stocks that have kept up high yields, at least 8% to be exact. Opening up theTipRanks database, we examine the details behind those payments to find out what else makes these stocks compelling buys.Altria Group, Inc. (MO)Well start with Altria Group, the tobacco company best known for its iconic Marlboro cigarettes. Altria, like many of the so-called sin stocks, is one of the markets dividend champions, with a long history of reliable, high-yielding payments. The company has benefited from a psychological quirk of human nature during such a wild year as 2020: People will hunker down if necessary, but they wont give up their small pleasures.Cigarettes are exactly that, and even though overall smoking rates have been declining in recent years, Altria saw stable financial results in the last few quarters. The first and second quarters both showed $1.09 in earnings, well above the 97 cents expected in Q1 and modest beat against Q2s $1.06 forecast. Revenues hit $5.06 billion in Q2, in-line with the two previous quarters.Looking ahead, analysts expect Altria to post $1.15 per share in earnings on $5.5 billion in revenues when it reports Q3 results. That report is due out tomorrow morning. Meeting those results will help Altria maintain its dividend although the company has a long-standing, very public, commitment to do just that. Altria has kept its dividend reliable for the past 12 years, and for the last payment, made it September, the company even slightly raised the payout by 2.4%. The current dividend is 86 cents per common share, or $3.44 annualized, and yields an impressive 8.8%.Looking at Altria in the lead-up to the Q3 report, Deutsche Bank analyst Stephen Powers writes, [We] are positively biased on company fundamentals as we approach MO's results next weekreinforced by healthy scanned channel demand intraquarter across MO's core tobacco businesses, with particular strength in cigarettes driven by the Marlboro brand we believe continued operational execution in its core business will enable MO to more credibly position itself as a stable core tobacco investmentPowers rates the stock as a Buy, and his $51 price target implies a 37% upside for the coming year. (To watch Powers track record, click here)Overall, Altria has a Moderate Buy rating from the analyst consensus, based on 3 Buys and 2 Holds set in recent weeks. The stocks current share price is $37.04, and the average price target of $46 suggests a 24% one-year upside. (See MO stock analysis on TipRanks)American Finance Trust (AFIN)Next on our list is a Real Estate Investment Trust, a REIT. These companies are known for their high dividends, a fact resulting from a quirk of tax regulation. REITs are required to return a certain percentage of profits directly to shareholders, and dividends are one of the surest means of compliance. AFIN, which focuses its portfolio on single- and multi-tenant service-retail properties, is typical for its niche.And its niche has been solid. AFIN boasts major companies like Home Depot, Lowes, and Dollar General among its top ten tenants, and announced earlier this month that it has collected over 91% of its third quarter rents. Looking ahead to Q3 results next week, EPS is expected at 23 cents, a 15% increase from Q2. The company offers a monthly dividend, at a rate of 7.1 cents per common share, instead of the more common quarterly payments. The monthly format allows some flexibility in managing adjustments to the payout rate; in April, AFIN reduced the dividend from 9 cents to 7.1 as part of efforts to manage the corona crisis effects on business. The current payment annualizes to 85.2 cents per share, and yields a robust 14.7%. This is more than 7x higher than the average dividend yield found among S&P 500 companies.B. Riley analyst Bryan Maher notes the difficulties that AFIN has faced, as a property owner and manager during an economic downturn, but is confident in the companys ability to meet the challenges.Like most REIT's, AFIN has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is not surprising given its portfolio has a large number of service retail assets. However, 71% of the portfolio is necessity-focused retail, with the balance being distribution and office properties. As such, AFIN collected 84% of cash rents due in 2Q20, including 96% of the cash rent due from its top 20 tenants. Cash rent collection for July improved to 88%. AFIN has been proactive in working with certain tenants to negotiate rent deferrals/credits Maher noted. To this end, Maher rates AFIN stock a Buy, and gives it a $10 price target. At current trading levels, this implies a strong one-year upside potential of 76%. (To watch Mahers track record, click here)AFIN is priced at $5.69, and its average target matches Mahers, at $10. The stock has a Moderate Buy from the analyst consensus, based on an even split between Buy and Hold reviews. (See AFIN stock analysis on TipRanks)Golub Capital BDC (GBDC)Last but not least is Golub Capital, a business development company and asset manager. Golub works with middle market companies, providing solutions for financing and lending. The company boasts a market cap of $2.2 billion, as well as over $30 billion in capital under management.In the months since the corona virus crisis hit the economy, Golub has seen a depressed share price and high volatility in its earnings. The stock is down 28% year-to-date. Earnings, which collapsed in 4Q19, have been bouncing in 2020. The first quarter showed 33 cent per share, while the Q2 figure came in at 28 cents. Looking ahead, the forecast expects a repeat of the second quarter EPS figure, 28 cents. Revenues have been just as volatile; the first quarter saw a deep net loss, but Q2 saw the top line bounce back to $145 million. This was the highest quarterly revenue figure in the past year.Golub believes in keeping up the dividend for investors, offering not only a reliable regular payment but also periodic special dividends. The company adjusted the payment earlier this year, both to keep it affordable during the coronavirus crisis and to keep the yield from getting too high. The result was a 12% cut, making the current payment 29 cents per common share quarterly. This still gives a high yield of 9.16%, which compares well to the 2.5% average found among finance sector peers.Finian OShea, from Well Fargo, notes that Golub has recently announced a $2 billion unsecured debt issue, a move that gives the company plenty of liquidity in a difficult time. He writes, GBDC isnt paying a hefty premium for unsecureds to begin with... We think the improved flexibility and longer tenor of unsecureds make them an attractive addition to the right side of the balance sheet, and see it as a vote of confidence in GBDCs underlying portfolio.OShea reiterates his Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating on this stock. His price target, at $13.50, indicates room for a modest 6% upside. (To watch OSheas track record, click here)Like AFIN above, Golub Capital has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, with 1 each Buy and Hold reviews. The stocks average price target matches OSheas, at $13.50. (See Golubs stock analysis at TipRanks)To find good ideas for dividend stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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ETFs in Focus on Bayer's Bet on Gene Therapy - Yahoo Finance

PDUFA VII: FDA and industry set priorities in first round of negotiations – Regulatory Focus

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

After kicking off the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) reauthorization process in July, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the first set of meeting summaries in its ongoing negotiations with industry that will shape its prescription drug review program from FY2023-2027.The meeting summaries, while brief, provide insights into what FDA and industry hope to get out of the multi-billion-dollar agreement, with representatives from government and industry alike agreeing that the exploding field of advanced biologic therapies must be a priority. In some other areas, though, the wish lists diverged. (RELATED: PDUFA VII: FDA, industry preview their reauthorization wish lists, Regulatory Focus 23 July 2020).Steering committeeThe PDUFA reauthorization steering committee met three times in September to hash out the ground rules for the negotiations and review the major topics and proposals both sides will work through via designated working groups.FDA and industry both noted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the agency and the reauthorization process at the first meeting on 15 September.Despite historic workload and operating challenges in the time period, the steps taken in PDUFA VI to protect the program from financial uncertainty have proven critical and important to maintaining FDAs operations, FDA said.During the meeting, FDA pitched six areas it wants to focus on for PDUFA VII: digital health and informatics, postmarket, CBER-specific enhancements, pre-market, regulatory decision tools and finance.Industry, on the other hand, expressed interest in build[ing] upon past user fee agreements and to ensure FDA and industry can mutually keep pace with scientific development. Topics presented by industry include: strengthening scientific dialogue, enhancing patient-centric drug review, supporting the next wave of advanced biologic therapies, modernizing regulatory evidence generation, advancing digital and IT technologies, enhancing innovation in quality and manufacturing, and optimizing FDA infrastructure, staffing, and resources.Industry also said it was keen on adopting some of the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and translating them into improved processes going forward.During the next steering committee meeting on 22 September, FDA and industry reviewed the overall timeline for reauthorization and the two sides sought clarification on each others proposed topics. The following week the committee met again and reviewed the timeline for communicating with Congress, agreed to topic assignments and looked at some of the overlap between the agencys COVID-19 response and PDUFA interests.CBER subgroupIncreased support for FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) is set to be a focus for both FDA and industry in the negotiations.FDA told industry at the first CBER breakout meeting that it would like to see enhanced resources for its cell and gene therapy program, which has been overwhelmed by an influx of applications and meeting requests in recent years.FDA noted that its new regenerative medicine advanced therapy (RMAT) designation program has seen exponential growth and is now outpacing breakthrough therapy designations in the Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies (OTAT), despite not receiving any dedicated resources for the fledgling program.With more resources, FDA told industry that it could spend more time on cell and gene therapy submissions, provide more opportunities for engagement and develop policy and guidance for sponsors. FDA also said it will seek dedicated resources for the RMAT program under PDUFA VII.Industry suggested three CBER-related commitments it would like to work into the reauthorization agreement, including workshops and guidance on the use of sponsor-specific prior knowledge in gene therapy submissions, evidentiary standards for RMAT designation and gene therapy manufacturing issues.Industry would like a public workshop to focus on key learnings from the RMAT program resulting in an update to the RMAT guidance, including potential uses of Real World Evidence (RWE) for regulatory decision making, FDA writes, noting that meaningful guidance on the matter may be difficult to develop due to the limited number of approved cell and gene therapy products and the fact that there have not been any products approved to date with RMAT designation.For gene therapy manufacturing, industry specifically said it would like to explore whether submitting portions of a chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) module could facilitate biologics license approval (BLA) review. FDA said it has concerns that a partial submission could actually slow approval down if development is ongoing but agreed to carry the discussion forward.Regulatory decision toolsOn 29 September, the regulatory decision tools subgroup met for the first time, with FDA and industry reviewing potential areas of enhancement and agreeing to a schedule for the next several meetings.FDA raised four topics it would like to tackle in PDUFA VII, including model-informed drug development (MIDD), complex innovative trial designs (CID), patient-focused drug development (PFDD), and advancing translational models and tools for drug development (ATMT).For MIDD, FDA said its goal is to build on the lessons learned during PDUFA VI and to ensure the programs sustainability. Doing so would require public engagement and the development of comprehensive end-to-end guidance, which FDA said would necessitate increased staffing.Digital health and informaticsFDA and industry began discussions aimed at enhancing the use of digital health and informatics technologies under PDUFA VII on 30 September.FDA pitched three topics for discussion at the meeting, including a proposal for an integrated cloud-based technology environment, a framework for leveraging digital health technology-generated data in submissions, and CBER IT modernization.PremarketFDA and industry addressed several premarket issues in the first meeting of the premarket subgroup, including user related risk analysis (URRA) and human factor (HF) protocol review and developing efficacy endpoints for rare diseases.FDA proposed increasing the user fee timeline for reviewing HF protocols and said the current goals will be unsustainable in the future due to increasing volume and complexity of HF submissions. The two sides discussed the creation of a new user fee goal and timeline for review of URRA.FinanceAt the first of two finance subgroup meetings, FDA presented a host of goals for PDUFA VII: To enhance the operational capabilities, efficacy, and agility of the PDUFA program. FDA proposed continuing to advance resource capacity planning, updating the inflation adjustment to accurately account for program costs, enhancing flexibility in the operating reserve, eliminating a problematic limitation on allowable expenditures, streamlining annual reporting requirements, and implementing technical fixes.Industry representatives, however, stressed that their goal is to build on the enhancements made in PDUFA VI and to improve on user fee resource management, hiring and retention of review staff and performance reporting.During the second finance meeting, FDA and industry looked at a proposal to clarify the maximum and minimum amount of operating reserves to be maintained each year and a proposal to further implement the resource capacity planning (RCP) capability instituted in PDUFA VI.Stakeholder meetingFDA also released a meeting summary from the first round of stakeholder discussions. More than 60 stakeholder organizations, including patient groups, consumer representatives, public health advocates and medical associations, registered to attend the meeting, though a third of those registered did not attend.Some of the themes frequently cited by stakeholders included enhancing the incorporation of patient voice in drug development and regulatory decision making, modernizing FDAs infrastructure, ensuring FDA has adequate resources to recruit and retain qualified staff including in the areas of cell and gene therapy, increasing the strength and reach of patient and rare disease programs including improving diversity in clinical trials and patient engagement, enhancing FDAs use of regulatory science (e.g. COAs, MIDD, RWE), and improving the integration of and guidance for the use of real-world evidence (RWE), FDA reported. Stakeholders also raised decentralized trials and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic as topics for future discussions.FDA tasked stakeholders with identifying their top issues for further discussion and said it would survey them to rank the topics on the agreed to shortlist.FDA

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PDUFA VII: FDA and industry set priorities in first round of negotiations - Regulatory Focus

Sarepta Therapeutics to Announce Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Recent Corporate Developments on November 5, 2020 – Yahoo Finance

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

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Sarepta Therapeutics to Announce Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Recent Corporate Developments on November 5, 2020 - Yahoo Finance

Integrity and Trust – Harvard Medical School

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

Leaders from across academia, government and industry gathered to discuss regulatory science at the 2020 Global Conference on Regulatory Science. Top row, left to right: Peter Sorger, Amy Abernathy, George Daley, Norman Sharpless. Bottom row, left to right: Adam Palmer, Helga Gadarsdottir, Peter Mol, Steve Goodman.

Speakers and panelists from across academia, government and industry convened to discuss the future of the evaluation and regulation of new medicines at the first annual Global Conference on Regulatory Science, held virtually on Oct. 20 and 21.

While machine learning and data science were the conference themes, fundamental issues of integrity, transparency and patient trust were a refrain.

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The importance of these underlying issues has been starkly illuminated by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Margaret Hamburg, former commissioner of the FDA and one of the events keynote speakers.

Even with all the best science, we can't generate the change we hope for if people don't trust it. Even a safe and effective vaccine won't help control the COVID-19 pandemic if people won't take it, said Hamburg.

For me, and I suspect or most of you, this is just enormously worrisome,"she added. "It's a powerful reminder that integrity and the trust it generates is such an essential foundation of everything else.

Scientific discoveries and technologies with the potential to transform human health emerge almost daily, and regulatory agencies like the FDA and its peers around the world have faced mounting challenges as they strive to keep up with the accelerating pace of innovationchallenges that have been amplified by the urgent need for therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19.

Building trust among patients, balancing careful testing with timely approvals for potentially life-saving medicines, and other key topics were addressed over the course of the two-day conference, which was hosted by the Harvard-MIT Center for Regulatory Science (CRS), a partnership between Harvard University, MIT and the FDA that aims to further develop and improve the science of how drugs and other products are evaluated and brought to market.

Regulatory science is an increasingly compelling opportunity for fundamental innovation and real-world impact in creating safe and effective medicines, diagnostics and devices, said Peter Sorger, the Otto Krayer Professor of Systems Pharmacology at HMS.

Our goal is to try and improve these processes, make them more efficient, and critically, bring needed innovation to unmet medical needs, said Sorger, who co-directs the CRS with Florence Bourgeois, HMS associate professor of pediatrics at Boston Childrens Hospital, and Laura Maliszewski, executive director of the Harvard Program in Therapeutic Science and the Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology.

More than 650 attendees from around the world joined in the virtual discussions, which centered on the theme of how machine learning, data science and new technologiesincluding telemedicine and wearable devicesare changing drug development, clinical trials, medical care and more.

Speakers and panelists included Norman Sharpless, director of the National Cancer Institute; George Q. Daley, dean of HMS; Amy Abernathy, principle deputy commissioner of the FDA; and a broad range of leaders from academia, hospitals, government and industry.

The process of regulating new medicines and biotechnologies begins with scientists themselves, noted Daley.

Scientists bear the responsibility to participate in a shared governance model that invites transparent and independent oversight, he said, highlighting the Asilomar conference in 1975, when an international group of scientists came together to create voluntary guidelines for the manipulation of DNA, then a novel technology.

This established a precedent for self-regulation by scientists, which then informed subsequent regulation by government agencies.

The need for the scientific community to engage in self-governance has only increased in urgency, with the remarkably rapid emergence of CRISPR gene-editing approaches that can make permanent, heritable changes to an individuals DNA. At a meeting in 2015, Daley joined a cohort of scientists, including Jennifer Doudna, now a Nobel laureate, to strongly discourage germline genome editing.

We knew that this would have to be a prohibition that would be practiced by scientists and clinicians themselves, because the knowledge was emerging so rapidly it wasn't clear that the regulators were going to be ready to catch up, said Daley.

But in 2018, a rogue scientist illicitly edited the genomes of two embryos that were carried to term in China, sparking international controversy. If there is ever to be a possible safe and ethical path forward for emerging technologies such as germline editing, it must be paved by the open cooperation and collaboration of scientists, regulators, and importantly, the public, Daley said.

The payoff for this kind of cooperation can be enormous, and perhaps the best examples can be found in recent successes in the development and approval of new cancer medicines, said Sharpless.

I predict that 2020 will be the best year thus far for cancer drug approvals, said Sharpless. That progress has occurred during a time when the FDA has been besieged by a global pandemic.

A historic surge of new cancer medicines has entered the U.S. market in recent years, Sharpless added, a windfall that stems from decades of productive research on cancer biology and therapeutics.

An improved scientific understanding of cancer has led to the development of new medicines that have prompted new approaches to regulation by the FDA. Some cancer drugs demonstrate such efficacy in small-scale clinical trials, he noted, that it can become essentially unethical to withhold them while waiting for large phase III trials to finish.

This has been a change for the regulatory thinking of the FDA, and I would argue has been a change for the good of the patients, Sharpless said. It has made agents available to patients at a sooner date and led the pharmaceutical industry to develop cancer drugs knowing that they can get approval at an earlier stage.

The recent successes of cancer drugs are to be celebrated, but the question of how to replicate these successes in other diseases, such as neurodegeneration and other intractable diseases, remains a pressing concern, he said.

This question was discussed by conference speakers and panelists in many different contexts, particularly the potential of emerging technologies to reshape how clinical trials are conducted in the future.

A wealth of new technologies, from telemedicine to wearable devices, are allowing physicians and scientists to engage with patients in unprecedented ways. This could have a transformative impact in medicine in many ways, including by augmenting clinical trials, speakers said.

Such technologies could enable more frequent physician-patient interaction and the continuous monitoring of real-world data and evidenceproviding far more information than the intermittent site visits that most current trials use to collect data.

In addition, new technologies could help reduce disparities in access to clinical trials, panelists said, and allow for vastly improved patient recruitment, which would help ensure that new medicines are being evaluated on patients who have the best chance of benefiting.

If this potential is to be realized, patients must have confidence that their privacy and data are protected, said conference speakers and panelists.

In many ways, trust in data security and privacy are as important as any innovations in technology itself, panelists noted. This is a key issue for new digital medicine technologies and approaches, they added, and thoughtful and transparent regulation are critical.

Conference speakers also addressed a wide and diverse range of other issues, including how new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and digital pathology, are transforming clinical care and how large data sources like electronic medical records are linked and mined for insights into improving health.

The rapid growth of these and many other new technologies in health care present myriad complex issues for those tasked with evaluation and regulation, speakers and panelists said. And in many cases, as with genetic engineering, decision-making will require societal discourse.

As such, neutral forums to consider and debate new innovations, policies and regulationsone of the key functions of the CRS and its annual conferenceplay an increasingly important role in moving the complex discipline of regulatory science forward.

Central to this process is the ability to effectively collaborate around stakeholders, across academia, industry and regulatory agencies, said Bourgeois.

This is where the center comes in, serving as a platform to foster interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder conversation, she said.

The remarkable discoveries and the acceleration and advances we are seeing in our understanding of diseases and how to treat themthese will most benefit patients if we have an efficient, rigorous and adaptable approach to the evaluation of the many rapidly emerging biotechnologies, Bourgeois said.

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Integrity and Trust - Harvard Medical School

Scout Bio Advances Novel Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Feline Diabetes – BioSpace

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Danzig

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scout Bio, a biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing pet medicine by delivering a pipeline of one-time therapeutics for major chronic pet health conditions, today announced it has initiated two pilot clinical studies to demonstrate effectiveness of an AAV expressing a GLP-1 analog (SB-009) in treating diabetic felines.

Scout Bio envisions two potential therapeutic applications for SB-009. First, to replace daily insulin injections with a single injection of SB-009 to treat feline diabetes and second to significantly increase the percentage of cats entering remission when SB-009 is given with insulin.

The two initiated pilot clinical studies will investigate each of these two potential treatment paradigms.

Mark Heffernan, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Scout Bio remarked, This one-time injectable therapy for feline diabetes has the potential to provide a convenient single treatment that is an alternative to the burden of twice daily insulin injections. We believe SB-009 has the potential to be a blockbuster product for animal health and that our pipeline of gene therapy products for pets will disrupt and grow major markets.

SB-009 was developed under a collaboration between scientists at Scout Bio and the University of Pennsylvanias Gene Therapy Program, where the protein was engineered to improve potency, circulating accumulation kinetics and manufacturability. The design of SB-009 makes the clinical dose both affordable and commercially attractive.

Matthew Wilson, VP Product Discovery and External Innovation said, This is a further example of our strong collaborative relationship with UPenns Gene Therapy Program and Scouts internal capabilities of executing preclinical research to rapidly identify highly potent AAV gene therapies. In less than 12 months after initiating a discovery program, we are now in a position to transition into patients.

Scout Bio has conducted robust preclinical studies with various GLP-1 constructs in rodents and healthy cats. Key findings include:

Dr. Anne Traas, Scout Bios Chief Development Officer reflected, Owners can be devastated to learn their pet has this life-threatening disease and unfortunately, many are unable to give twice daily insulin injections and have to make the difficult choice to euthanize their beloved pet. A one-time safe and efficacious therapy, given by a veterinarian, that eliminates the need for insulin and worry of hypoglycemia, would greatly improve the current treatment paradigm and result in an improved quality of life for diabetic cats and their owners.

Feline diabetes, a severe disease lacking recent innovation, remains a major challenge for veterinarians and owners to safely and effectively manage. Diabetes in most cats is similar to type 2 diabetes in people. Insulin resistance, caused by factors such as obesity, leads to Beta-cell disfunction (the cells that produce insulin). Cats become insulin dependent when blood sugar levels rise, commonly 3-10 times normal, leading to the development of clinical signs which can seriously and negatively impact both the owner and the cat. The most common signs are increased drinking, increased urination and weight loss despite ravenous appetite.

About SB-009 SB-009 is a recombinant AAV gene therapy viral vector utilizing a novel capsid expressing an engineered feline GLP-1 agonist for the treatment of feline diabetes. GLP-1 has been shown to be a safe and highly efficacious molecule in the treatment of humans with type 2 diabetes and SB-009 is the first gene-therapy delivered GLP-1 to be studied in clinical studies in cats with a view to treat the disease.

The expressed feline GLP-1 analog protein functions by stimulating the beta-cells in the pancreas to produce more insulin and may also have an effect in decreasing insulin resistance. GLP-1 receptor agonists do not decrease glucose levels in animals with normal blood glucose, so there is expected to be a very low, or no risk of hypoglycemia.

About Feline DiabetesMost diabetic cats appear to have disease similar to human type 2 diabetes, which is primarily defined as a combined problem with insulin production by the beta-cells in the pancreas, as well as a decrease in the sensitivity to the normal action of insulin (insulin resistance). In cats, one of the most common factors contributing to insulin resistance is obesity which reduces insulin sensitivity.

Lack of insulin production and decreased sensitivity to insulin causes the glucose (sugar) in the blood to become very high leading to the clinical signs. Very high levels of blood glucose also hurt the beta-cells in the pancreas, leading to further reductions in insulin production.

Substantial progress has been made in the treatment of human type 2 diabetes, even in the early stages of the disease. However, insulin therapy remains the only FDA-approved treatment for diabetes in cats.

About Current Treatment | Feline DiabetesCurrent therapy aims to replace the insulin that the cats body no longer makes by injecting insulin twice daily. Giving insulin in the right amounts may bring the blood sugar levels down. If the blood glucose can be brought under control for the majority of a 24-hour period each day, then the clinical signs will be reduced to manageable levels. Too much insulin can cause the blood sugar to drop to dangerous levels (hypoglycemia), so there has to be a careful balance made between maintaining ideal blood glucose levels andadministering too much insulinwhich may result in life threatening low blood sugar levels.

Often owners find the prospect of administering injections to their cats daunting and the strict regimen of twice daily injections and feedings can be difficult to fit into a busy lifestyle. Unfortunately, not treating the cats is simply not a viable option and usually results in a rapid decline in physical health. Even with insulin treatment, some cats diabetes is not well controlled, resulting in the continuation of clinical signs and/or euthanasia.

About Diabetic RemissionGood control of blood glucose may also allow the beta-cells to rest. That rest may increase their capacity to regain some of their insulin-secreting ability. Insulin administration helps to decrease and control the excess blood glucose levels and complement whatever insulin producing ability the cat has left. In some cases, cats regain enough function to allow the insulin injections to stop. This is called diabetic remission. A cat is determined to be in remission when blood sugar is normal and there is complete correction of clinical signs once insulin has been discontinued.

About Scout BioScout Bio is a biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing pet medicine by delivering a pipeline of one-time therapeutics for major chronic pet health conditions. Scout Bios therapeutics are designed to induce long-term expression of therapeutic proteins in pet patients using AAV vector technology. Scout Bio has an exclusive research and development collaboration with the University of Pennsylvanias Gene Therapy Program. Scout Bios innovative partnerships build on a 20-year history with AAV leaders and is complemented by Scout Bios global leaders in gene therapy research and development. Scout Bio is a private company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, see http://www.scoutbio.coFor further information, please contact:

Investors:Sarah McCabeStern Investor Relations, Inc.212-362-1200sarah.mccabe@sternir.com

Media:Fran Gaconnier214.417.4142Fran.gaconnier@scoutbio.co

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Scout Bio Advances Novel Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Feline Diabetes - BioSpace

Novartis expands Kymriah manufacturing footprint with first-ever approved site for commercial CAR-T cell therapy manufacturing in Asia – GlobeNewswire

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

Basel, October 30, 2020 Novartis today announced the receipt of marketing authorization from Japans Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) for Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe ("FBRI") to manufacture and supply commercial Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) for patients in Japan. This approval makes FBRI the first and only approved commercial manufacturing site for CAR-T cell therapy in Asia.

Behind our efforts to reimagine medicine with CAR-T cell therapy lies a commitment to build a manufacturing network that brings treatment closer to patients, commented Steffen Lang, Global Head of Novartis Technical Operations. The expertise and infrastructure of FBRI, a world-leading manufacturing organization, allows us to bring CAR-T manufacturing to Asia. With the Japan MHLW commercial manufacturing approval, the recent capacity expansion in the US and our ongoing efforts to optimize and evolve our processes, we are well-positioned to deliver this potentially curative treatment option to more patients around the world.

Novartis has the largest geographical CAR-T cell therapy manufacturing network in the world, including seven CAR-T manufacturing facilities, across four continents. Commercial manufacturing for Kymriah now takes place at five sites globally including at the Morris Plains, New Jersey facility, where the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a further increase in manufacturing capacity.

Kymriah is the first-ever FDA-approved CAR-T cell therapy, and the first-ever CAR-T to be approved in two distinct indications. It is a one-time treatment designed to empower patients immune systems to fight their cancer. Kymriah is currently approved for the treatment of r/r pediatric and young adult (up to 25 years of age) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and r/r adult diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)1. Kymriah, approved in both indications by the Japan MHLW in 2019, is currently the only CAR-T cell therapy approved in Asia. Clinical manufacturing began at FBRI in 2019 and will continue alongside commercial manufacturing.

Kymriah was developed in collaboration with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, a strategic alliance between industry and academia, which was first-of-its-kind in CAR-T research and development.

About Novartis Commitment to Oncology Cell & Gene Novartis has a mission to reimagine medicine by bringing curative cell & gene therapies to patients worldwide. Novartis has a deep CAR-T pipeline and ongoing investment in manufacturing and supply chain process improvements. With active research underway to broaden the impact of cell and gene therapy in oncology, Novartis is going deeper in hematological malignancies, reaching patients with other cancer types and evaluating next-generation CAR-T cell therapies that focus on new targets and utilize new technologies.

Novartis was the first pharmaceutical company to significantly invest in pioneering CAR-T research and initiate global CAR-T trials. Kymriah, the first approved CAR-T cell therapy, developed in collaboration with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, is the foundation of Novartis commitment to CAR-T cell therapy. Kymriah is currently approved for use in at least one indication in 26 countries and at more than 260 certified treatment centers, with the ambition for further expansion to help fulfill the ultimate goal of bringing CAR-T cell therapy to every patient in need.

The Novartis global CAR-T manufacturing footprint spans seven facilities, across four continents. This comprehensive, integrated footprint strengthens the flexibility, resilience and sustainability of the Novartis manufacturing and supply chain. Commercial and clinical trial manufacturing is now ongoing at Novartis-owned facilities in Stein, Switzerland, Les Ulis, France and Morris Plains, New Jersey, USA, as well as at the contract manufacturing sites at Fraunhofer-Institut for cell therapy and immunology (Fraunhofer-Institut fr Zelltherapie und Immunologie) facility in Leipzig, Germany, and now FBRI in Kobe, Japan. Manufacturing production at Cell Therapies in Australia and Cellular Biomedicine Group in China is forthcoming.

ImportantSafety information from the Kymriah SmPC

EU Name of the medicinal product:

Kymriah 1.2 x 106 6 x 108 cells dispersion for infusion

Important note: Before prescribing, consult full prescribing information.

Presentation: Cell dispersion for infusion in 1 or more bags for intravenous use (tisagenlecleucel).

Indications: Treatment of pediatric and young adult patients up to and including 25 years of age with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that is refractory, in relapse posttransplant or in second or later relapse. Treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy.

Dosage and administration:

B-cell patients: For patients 50 kg and below: 0.2 to 5.0 x 106 CAR-positive viable T-cells/kg body weight. For patients above 50 kg: 0.1 to 2.5 x 108 CAR-positive viable T-cells (non-weight based).

DLBCL Patients: 0.6 to 6.0108 CAR-positive viable T-cells (non-weight based).

Pretreatment conditioning (lymphodepleting chemotherapy): Lymphodepleting chemotherapy is recommended to be administered before Kymriah infusion unless the white blood cell (WBC) count within one week prior to infusion is 1,000 cells/L. The availability of Kymriah must be confirmed prior to starting the lymphodepleting regimen.

Precautions before handling or administering Kymriah: Kymriah contains genetically modified human blood cells. Healthcare professionals handling Kymriah should therefore take appropriate precautions (wearing gloves and glasses) to avoid potential transmission of infectious diseases.

Preparation for infusionThe timing of thaw of Kymriah and infusion should be coordinated. Once Kymriah has been thawed and is at room temperature (20C 25C), it should be infused within 30minutes to maintain maximum product viability, including any interruption during the infusion.

Administration Kymriah should be administered as an intravenous infusion through latexfree intravenous tubing without a leukocyte depleting filter, at approximately 10 to 20mL per minute by gravity flow. If the volume of Kymriah to be administered is 20mL, intravenous push may be used as an alternative method of administration.

All contents of the infusion bag(s) should be infused.

Clinical assessment prior to infusion: Kymriah treatment should be delayed in some patient groups at risk (see Special warnings and precautions for use).

Monitoring after infusion: Patients should be monitored daily for the first 10 days following infusion for signs and symptoms of potential cytokine release syndrome, neurological events and other toxicities. Physicians should consider hospitalisation for the first 10 days post infusion or at the first signs/symptoms of CRS and/or neurological events. After the first 10 days following the infusion, the patient should be monitored at the physicians discretion. Patients should be instructed to remain within proximity of a qualified clinical facility for at least 4 weeks following infusion.

Elderly (above 65 years of age): Safety and efficacy have not been established in B-cell patients. No dose adjustment is required in patients over 65 years of age in DLBCL patients.

Paediatric patients: No formal studies have been performed in paediatric patients with B-cell ALL below 3 years of age. The safety and efficacy of Kymriah in children and adolescents below 18 years of age have not yet been established in DLBCL. No data are available.

Patients seropositive for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): There is no experience with manufacturing Kymriah for patients with a positive test for HIV, active HBV, or active HCV infection. Leukapheresis material from these patients will not be accepted for Kymriah manufacturing.

Contraindications: Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients of Kymriah. Contraindications of the lymphodepleting chemotherapy must be considered.

Warnings and precautions: Reasons to delay treatment: Due to the risks associated with Kymriah treatment, infusion should be delayed if a patient has any of the following conditions: Unresolved serious adverse reactions (especially pulmonary reactions, cardiac reactions or hypotension) from preceding chemotherapies, active uncontrolled infection, active graft versus host disease (GVHD), significant clinical worsening of leukaemia burden or rapid progression of lymphoma following lymphodepleting chemotherapy. Blood, organ, tissue and cell donation: Patients treated with Kymriah should not donate blood, organs, tissues or cells.

Active central nervous system (CNS) leukaemia or lymphoma: There is limited experience of use of Kymriah in patients with active CNS leukaemia and active CNS lymphoma. Therefore the risk/benefit of Kymriah has not been established in these populations. Risk of CRS: Occurred in almost all cases within 1 to 10 days post infusion with a median time to onset of 3 days and a median time to resolution of8 days. See full prescribing information for management algorithm of CRS. Risk of neurological events: Majority of events, in particular encephalopathy, confusional state or delirium, occurred within 8 weeks post infusion and were transient. The median time to onset of neurological events was 8 days in B-cell ALL and 6 days in DLBCL; the median time to resolution was 7 days for B-cell ALL and 13 days for DLBCL. Patients should be monitored for neurological events. Risk of infections: Delay start of therapy with Kymriah until active uncontrolled infections have resolved. As appropriate, administer prophylactic antibiotics and employ surveillance testing prior to and during treatment with Kymriah. Serious infections were observed in patients, some of which were life threatening or fatal. After Kymriah administration observe patient and ensure prompt management in case of signs of infection Risk of febrile neutropenia: Frequently observed after Kymriah infusion, may be concurrent with CRS. Appropriate management necessary. Risk of prolonged cytopenias: Appropriate management necessary. Prolonged cytopenia has been associated with increased risk of infections. Myeloid growth factors, particularly granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM CSF), not recommended during the first 3 weeks after Kymriah infusion or until CRS has been resolved. Risk of secondary malignancies: Patients treated with Kymriah may develop secondary malignancies or recurrence of their cancer and should be monitored lifelong for secondary malignancies. Risk of hypogammaglobulinemia or agammaglobulinemia: Infection precautions, antibiotic prophylaxis and immunoglobulin replacement should be managed per age and standard guidelines. In patients with low immunoglobulin levels preemptive measures such as immunoglobulin replacement and rapid attention to signs and symptoms of infection should be implemented. Live vaccines: The safety of immunisation with live viral vaccines during or following Kymriah treatment was not studied. Vaccination with live virus vaccines is not recommended at least 6 weeks prior to the start of lymphodepleting chemotherapy, during Kymriah treatment, and until immune recovery following treatment with Kymriah. Risk of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS): Patients with elevated uric acid or high tumor burden should receive allopurinol or alternative prophylaxis prior to Kymriah infusion. Continued monitoring for TLS following Kymriah administration should also be performed. Concomitant disease: Patients with a history of active CNS disorder or inadequate renal, hepatic, pulmonary or cardiac function are likely to be more vulnerable to the consequences of the adverse reactions of Kymriah and require special attention. Prior stem cell transplantation: Kymriah infusion is not recommended within 4 months of undergoing an allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) because of potential risk of worsening GVHD. Leukapheresis for Kymriah manufacturing should be performed at least 12weeks after allogeneic SCT. Serological testing: There is currently no experience with manufacturing Kymriah for patients testing positive for HBV, HCV and HIV. Screening for HBV, HCV and HIV, must be performed before collection of cells for manufacturing. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation, can occur in patients treated with medicinal products directed against B cells and could result in fulminant hepatitis, hepatic failure and death. Prior treatment with anti CD19 therapy: There is limited experience with Kymriah in patients exposed to prior CD19 directed therapy. Kymriah is not recommended if the patient has relapsed with CD19 negative leukaemia after prior anti-CD19 therapy. Interference with serological testing: Due to limited and short spans of identical genetic information between the lentiviral vector used to create Kymriah and HIV, some commercial HIV nucleic acid tests (NAT) may give a false positive result. Sodium and potassium content: This medicinal product contains 24.3 to 121.5mg sodium per dose, equivalent to 1 to 6% of the WHO recommended maximum daily intake of 2g sodium for an adult. This medicinal product contains potassium, less than 1mmol (39mg) per dose, i.e. essentially potassium free. Content of dextran 40 and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO): Contains 11 mg dextran 40 and 82.5 mg dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) per mL. Each of these excipients are known to possibly cause anaphylactic reaction following parenteral administration. Patients not previously exposed to dextran and DMSO should be observed closely during the first minutes of the infusion period.

Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction

Live vaccines: The safety of immunisation with live viral vaccines during or following Kymriah treatment has not been studied. Vaccination with live virus vaccines is not recommended for at least 6 weeks prior to the start of lymphodepleting chemotherapy, during Kymriah treatment, and until immune recovery following treatment with Kymriah.

Fertility, pregnancy and lactation

Women of childbearing potential/Contraception in males and females: Pregnancy status for females of reproductive potential should be verified prior to starting treatment with Kymriah. Consider the need for effective contraception in patients who receive the lymphodepleting chemotherapy. There are insufficient exposure data to provide a recommendation concerning duration of contraception following treatment with Kymriah.

Pregnancy: There are no data from the use of Kymriah in pregnant women. It is not known whether Kymriah has the potential to be transferred to the foetus via the placenta and could cause foetal toxicity, including B cell lymphocytopenia. Kymriah is not recommended during pregnancy and in women of childbearing potential not using contraception. Pregnant women should be advised on the potential risks to the foetus. Pregnancy after Kymriah therapy should be discussed with the treating physician. Pregnant women who have received Kymriah may have hypogammaglobulinaemia. Assessment of immunoglobulin levels is indicated in newborns of mothers treated with Kymriah.

Breast feeding: It is unknown whether Kymriah cells are excreted in human milk, a risk to the breast fed infant cannot be excluded. Women who are breast feeding should be advised of the potential risk to the breast fed infant. Breast-feeding should be discussed with the treating physician.

Fertility: There are no data on the effect of Kymriah on fertility.

Effects on ability to drive and use machinesDriving and engaging in hazardous activities in the 8 weeks following infusion should be refrained due to risks for altered or decreased consciousness or coordination.

Adverse drug reactions:

B-Cell ALL patients and DLBCL patients:

Very common (10%): Infections - pathogen unspecified, viral infections, bacterial infections, fungal infections, anaemia, haemorrhage, febrile neutropenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, cytokine release syndrome, hypogammaglobulinaemia, decreased appetite, hypokalaemia, hypophosphataemia, hypomagnesaemia, hypocalcaemia, anxiety, delirium, sleep disorder, headache, encephalopathy, arrhythmia, hypotension, hypertension, cough, dyspnoea, hypoxia, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, rash, arthralgia, acute kidney injury, pyrexia, fatigue, oedema, pain, chills, lymphocyte count decreased, white blood cell count decreased, haemoglobin decreased, neutrophil count decreased, platelet count decreased, aspartate aminotransferase increased.

Common (1 to 10%): Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, leukopenia, pancytopenia, coagulopathy, lymphopenia, infusion-related reactions, graft versus host disease, hypoalbuminaemia, hyperglycaemia, hyponatraemia, hyperuricaemia, fluid overload, hypercalcemia, tumor lysis syndrome, hyperkalaemia, hyperphosphataemia, hypernatraemia, hypermagnesaemia, dizziness, peripheral neuropathy, tremor, motor dysfunction, seizure, speech disorder, neuralgia, ataxia, visual impairment, cardiac failure, cardiac arrest, thrombosis, capillary leak syndrome, oropharyngeal pain, pulmonary oedema, nasal congestion, pleural effusion, tachypnea, acute respiratory distress syndrome, stomatitis, abdominal distension, dry mouth, ascites, hyperbilirubinaemia, pruritus, erythema, hyperhidrosis, night sweats, back pain, myalgia, muscolosceletal pain, influenza-like illness, asthenia, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, alanine aminotransferase increased, blood bilirubin increased, weight decreased, serum ferritin increased, blood fibrinogen decreased, international normalized ratio increased, fibrin D dimer increased, activated partial thromboplastin time prolonged, blood alkaline phosphate increased, prothrombin time prolonged.

Uncommon: B-cell aplasia, ischaemic cerebral infarction, flushing, lung infiltration.

Packs and prices: Country-specific.

Legal classification: Country-specific.

DisclaimerThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as potential, can, will, plan, may, could, would, expect, anticipate, seek, look forward, believe, committed, investigational, pipeline, launch, or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AGs current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About NovartisNovartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend peoples lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the worlds top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 110,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at https://twitter.com/novartisnewsFor Novartis multimedia content, please visithttps://www.novartis.com/news/media-libraryFor questions about the site or required registration, please contact media.relations@novartis.com

References

1.Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), 2018.

# # #

Novartis Media RelationsE-mail: media.relations@novartis.com

Novartis Investor RelationsCentral investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944E-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com

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Novartis expands Kymriah manufacturing footprint with first-ever approved site for commercial CAR-T cell therapy manufacturing in Asia - GlobeNewswire

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate: UH Cleveland Medical Center has been selected as a clinical trial site for the Phase 3 global study -…

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

University Hospitals (UH) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) announced today that UH Cleveland Medical Center has been selected as a clinical trial site for the Phase 3 global study of an investigational vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, sponsored by AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN). The trial is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. UH is part of the NIAID-supported COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN). UH will study AZD1222 as one of approximately 80 clinical investigational sites in the U.S. that will collectively enroll up to 30,000 participants.

AZD1222 was co-invented by the University of Oxford and Vaccitech and licensed to AstraZeneca. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body.

We are pleased to be bringing our community another potential tool in our fight against the coronavirus, said Daniel I. Simon, MD, Chief Clinical & Scientific Officer and President, UH Cleveland Medical Center and the Herman K. Hellerstein Professor of Medicine at the CWRU School of Medicine. Since the beginning of the pandemic, UH physician-scientists and caregivers have worked tirelessly to secure a range of options for our patients related to the testing, treatment and prevention of COVID-19. In fact, UH currently has more than 130 interventional and observational clinical studies underway to gain understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 as well as the impact and outcome of various therapeutic treatment options.

The Phase 3 trial is designed as a 2:1 investigational vaccine candidate to placebo, randomized, double-blinded study to obtain safety, immune response, and efficacy data needed for regulatory review for this unique vaccine development approach. This method uses a defective virus to deliver the gene for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which has been demonstrated in earlier human trials to generate neutralizing antibodies and cellular immune responses against the coronavirus. This vaccine platform is a non-replicating viral vector and is expected to induce durable immune response with two doses administered four weeks apart.

UH Cleveland Medical Center is one of 12 sites in North America participating in the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), the worlds largest publicly-funded, multi-disciplinary international collaboration facilitating the development of vaccines to prevent HIV/AIDS, explained Grace McComsey, MD, Vice President of Research and Associate Chief Scientific Officer at UH and a professor at the CWRU School of Medicine. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, HVTN joined with other NIAID-funded clinical research networks to focus on clinical trials related to SARS-CoV-2, thus forming the CoVPN. Because of UHs involvement in HVTN, many UH physician-scientists have extensive knowledge in vaccine research and hence were natural choices for investigating the efficacy of the potential COVID-19 vaccines. It is a great honor to be collaborating with the scientific community and helping to find solutions for combatting the coronavirus.

The study, which aims to enroll non-pregnant adults older than 18, will be conducted at UH Cleveland Medical Center in collaboration with the CWRU School of Medicine. Jeffrey Jacobson, MD, attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, UH Cleveland Medical Center, and Professor of Medicine at CWRU School of Medicine will serve as the principal investigator. Additionally, Barbara Gripshover, MD, Medical Director of the Special Immunology Unit, UH Cleveland Medical Center, and Professor of Medicine at CWRU School of Medicine along with Leila Hojat, MD, attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, UH Cleveland Medical Center, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at CWRU School of Medicine will serve as co-investigators.

The trials primary endpoint will be prevention of COVID-19 illness after two doses in those who have not been infected by SARS-CoV-2 prior to immunization.

We are pleased to participate in an additional trial of a COVID-19 vaccine, enhancing options for potential coronavirus prevention, said Dr. Jacobson. Recently, the U.S. FDA had paused this trial in the U.S.; however, the FDA along with the Data and Safety Monitoring Board have carefully reviewed all the data from both the COVID-19 vaccine trial and all other trials using this type of vaccine and felt it was safe to continue the trial. There are numerous strict safety procedures in place during a trial to monitor the health of participants and show that the careful oversight process is working. And because of the disproportionate occurrence of COVID-19 among people of color, as well as a greater severity of disease and higher death rate, we will aim to have solid representation from this population group included in our study.

The trial has been approved by UHs Institutional Review Board and is expected to start enrolling study participants next week. Those interested in participating in the study at UH should call 216-844-4444 or emailcovid19research@UHhospitals.orgto learn more.

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AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine candidate: UH Cleveland Medical Center has been selected as a clinical trial site for the Phase 3 global study -...

What We’re Reading: Restoring Eyesight; New Moderna Vaccine Indication Possible; COVID-19 Origin Investigation – AJMC.com Managed Markets Network

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Danzig

Optogenics was used to partially restore a blind mans eyesight; the FDA could soon approve Modernas COVID-19 vaccine for use among adolescents; HHS calls for a new investigation into COVID-19s origins.

Light-catching proteins were grown in the eye of a blind man in France who, with the help of special goggles, can now see blurred outlines of objects, reports an article in Nature Medicine. This novel form of gene therapy is optogenics, and these results mark its first successful use against a neurodegenerative eye disease, which rob[s] the eyes of essential proteins required for vision. The treatment transforms ganglion cells into new photoreceptor cells, with the scientists also utilizing algae-derived proteins to sensitize nerve cells to light.

Hoping to gain approval for its COVID-19 vaccine among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, Moderna will submit effectiveness data to the FDA in June, reports The New York Times. Currently only available for persons 18 years and older, the new vaccine data comprise results from 3732 participants. Most notably, efficacy was shown to be 100%, following no reports of symptomatic COVID-19 in the two-thirds who received both doses. Pfizers vaccine was similarly approved for use among adolescents aged 12 to 15 years on May 10.

Following US intelligence reports that Chinese virology experts were seriously ill before cases of COVID-19 were ever reported in December 2019, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra is seeking a more transparent phase 2 investigation into the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Reuters. This new effort should again be headed by an international team, he added. Speaking for the World Health Organization (WHO), whose previous report on the pandemics origins was met with much criticism, spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic noted that the next step will be to present a proposal to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on studies that cover early detection of cases and clusters and food chain transmission, among others.

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What We're Reading: Restoring Eyesight; New Moderna Vaccine Indication Possible; COVID-19 Origin Investigation - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network

Genes from algae helped a blind man recover some of his vision – Livescience.com

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Danzig

A blind man who could only perceive the faintest bit of light can now perceive fuzzy shapes, thanks to gene therapy and a pair of specially engineered goggles.

The man was diagnosed with a condition called retinitis pigmentosa 40 years ago, at the age of 18, according to a new report, published Monday (May 24) in the journal Nature Medicine. People with retinitis pigmentosa carry faulty genes that, due to many mutations, cause the light-sensitive cells in the retina at the back of the eye to break down, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI).

These genes would usually code for functional proteins in the retina, but instead fail to build those proteins, or make abnormal proteins that malfunction or produce substances that directly damage the retinal tissue. The condition affects roughly 1 in 4,000 people worldwide, according to the NEI, and can sometimes lead to complete blindness, as occurred in the 58-year-old patient in the new study, BBC News reported.

Related: 12 amazing images in medicine

In an attempt to treat the man's vision loss, scientists inserted genes that code for a light-sensing protein into a modified virus, then injected those genetically tweaked viral vectors into one of his eyes, the researchers reported. The protein, called ChrimsonR, is a engineered version of a light-sensitive protein found in unicellular algae, which allows the single-celled organism to detect and move toward sunlight, MIT Technology Review reported.

ChrimsonR belongs to a family of light-sensitive proteins called channelrhodopsins, hence the added "H" in crimson, and has been modified to react to colors within the reddish end of the color spectrum, namely amber light. By injecting genes for ChrimsonR into the retina specifically into retinal ganglion cells, a kind of nerve cell that sends visual signals to the brain the team hoped to make these cells sensitive to yellow-orange light, MIT Technology Review reported.

Here's where the special goggles came in. The goggles pick up changes in light intensity from the environment and then translate that signal into an intense, amber image that gets projected straight onto the patient's retina, with the aim of activating ChrimsonR. Months passed before a significant quantity of ChrimsonR accumulated in the man's eye and began to alter his vision, but eventually, he began to perceive patterns of light with help from the goggles, BBC News reported.

"The patient perceived, located, counted and touched" different objects using his treated eye, alone, and while wearing the goggles, the researchers wrote in the study. For instance, the patient could perceive a notebook and cups placed on a table in front of him, although when asked to count the cups he did not always give the correct number, according to MIT Technology Review.

Prior to receiving the therapy, the man could not detect any objects, with or without the goggles on, and following the injection, he could only see while wearing the goggles, since they convert all light into an amber hue, the researchers reported.

In addition to the notebook and cups, the patient reported being able to see the painted white lines at a pedestrian crossing, the BBC reported. "This patient initially was a bit frustrated because it took a long time between the injection and the time he started to see something," first author Dr. Jos-Alain Sahel, an ophthalmologist and scientist at the University of Pittsburgh and Institute of Vision in Paris, told the BBC. The patient began training with the goggles about 4.5 months after his injection and only started reporting improvements in his vision about 7 months after that, the team reported.

"But when he started to report spontaneously he was able to see the white stripes to come across the street you can imagine he was very excited. We were all excited," Sahel told the BBC.

Even now, the man's vision still remains fairly limited, in that he can only see monochromatic images and at a fairly low resolution. But "the findings provide proof-of-concept that using optogenetic therapy to partially restore vision is possible," senior author Dr. Botond Roska, founding director of the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel at the University of Basel, told BBC News. ("Optogenetics" broadly describes the technique of using light and genetic modification to control the activity of neurons.)

Of course, although these initial results are exciting, the study is limited in that only one patient has received the treatment so far, James Bainbridge, a professor of retinal studies at the University College London who was not involved in the study, told the BBC.

Read more about the research in BBC News and MIT Technology Review.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Genes from algae helped a blind man recover some of his vision - Livescience.com

Lexeo Therapeutics emerges with $85M, 18 gene therapy programs and a star-studded team – FierceBiotech

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Danzig

Gene therapy veteran Ronald Crystal, M.D., has seen it all.

Ive been in the gene therapy field since the beginning, 1987 or so, so Ive seen the wild period, the dark days, and now were back to the wild period, he said.

And one thing he'srealized after being in the field for so long? "Inthe academic world, we are very, very good at coming up with ideas, developing preclinical evidence and moving to the IND stages. But clinical studies much better belong in a company.

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In this virtual environment, we will look at current and future trends for ongoing virtual trials, diving into the many ways companies can improve patient engagement and trial behavior to enhance retention with a focus on emerging technology and harmonized data access across the clinical trial system.

So,he started one: Lexeo Therapeutics. Founded with National Institutes of Health small business grants in early 2018, the company is coming out of stealth with $85 million in series A cash;18 preclinical and clinical programs primarily developed at Weill Cornell Medicine, where Crystal is a professor and chairman of the department of genetic medicine;and a star-studded team to move it all forward.

RELATED: Taysha Gene Therapies hits the ground running with $30M, 15 programs

Our view is the gene therapy field today is very much focused on rare, monogenic diseases, said Lexeo CEO Nolan Townsend, who previously led rare disease work at Pfizer. The vision we have for gene therapy is it will eventually move to larger diseases, and we have the pipeline to support that vision.

Two of Lexeos lead programs are in rare diseases: Friedreichs ataxia and Batten disease. And its18 programs span rare and more prevalent monogenic diseasesi.e., those caused by a defect in a single geneas well as acquired diseases, which just means diseases that strike during a persons lifetime rather than those that affectthem from birth.

The funding, drawn from the likes of Longitude Capital, Omega Funds, the Alzheimers Drug Discovery Foundation and Alexandria Venture Investments, will push Lexeos three lead programs through the clinic. Its Friedreichs ataxia program is slated to enter phase 1 this year, and its Batten disease treatment has finished a phase 1/2 study and is set for a pivotal trial in 2022. Lexeo is developing its third program for the treatment of Alzheimers disease in people with the APOE4 gene, a variant known to increase the risk of developing the disease. It is in phase 1.

Besides bankrolling its clinical trials, Lexeo is using a meaningful portion of the funding to invest in manufacturing, a major bottleneck in gene therapy. And thats not allthe company is headquartered in New York City and hopes to play a role in building the citys life sciences network.

RELATED: Avrobio tracks improvements in first patient treated with Gaucher gene therapy

Joining Crystal and Townsend is chairmanSteven Altschuler, M.D., the managing director at Ziff Capital Investments who used to chair the board of gene therapy biotech Spark Therapeutics. The company has also recruited Jay Barth, M.D., as chief medical officer. Barth previously held the same role at Amicus Therapeutics, where he oversaw clinical development in rare disease and gene therapy, including the approval of Fabry disease med Galafold.

Lexeo isnt the only new gene therapy player on the block. A group of former AveXis executives and investors unveiled their second act in April last year: Taysha Gene Therapies, which launched with $30 million and 15 programs licensed from UT Southwestern Medical Center. The next month, Kriya Therapeutics debuted with $80.5 million and a mission to develop gene therapies for more complex and more common diseases.

Sarepta Therapeutics and Genevant Sciences Announce Research Collaboration for Lipid Nanoparticle-Based Gene Editing Therapeutics – GlobeNewswire

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Danzig

-- Alliance will assess the use of Sareptas proprietary gene editing technology and Genevants proprietary LNP delivery platform for multiple neuromuscular targets --

-- Sarepta to have options for an exclusive license to Genevants LNP technology for four neuromuscular indications --

-- Genevant may receive approximately $50 million in near-term payments and is also eligible for significant future milestones and royalties --

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., VANCOUVER, British Columbia, and BASEL, Switzerland, Jan. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRPT), the leader in precision genetic medicine for rare diseases, and Genevant Sciences, a leading nucleic acid delivery company with world-class platforms and the industrys most robust and expansive lipid nanoparticle (LNP) patent estate,today announced a research collaboration and option agreement for the delivery of LNP-gene editing therapeutics in Sareptas pipeline for neuromuscular diseases. LNPs offer the potential for a non-viral approach to gene editing and can provide both optimal uptake into desired cells and efficient release, resulting in functional delivery of gene editing cargo, such as CRISPR-Cas, to target tissues.

Gene editing has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of diseases caused by genetic mutations - including rare neuromuscular diseases - by permanently altering genes that lead to disease. Sarepta is pursuing a variety of approaches to genetic medicine including exon skipping, gene therapies and gene editing in pursuit of cures for rare diseases.

Under the terms of the agreement, Genevant will design and collaborate with Sarepta in the development of muscle targeted LNPs to be applied to gene editing targets in early stage development. Sarepta will have rights to an exclusive license to Genevants LNP technology for up to four neuromuscular indications, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Genevant may receive approximately $50 million in near-term payments and is also eligible for significant future development, regulatory and commercial milestones and tiered royalties ranging from the mid-single to low-double digits on future product sales.

As Sarepta works to advance precision genetic medicine across multiple modalities, weve invested in partnering and research efforts focused on improving the utility and benefit of gene-based medicines and providing the greatest possible outcome to patients. This includes advancing our pre-clinical gene editing program, looking at both viral and non-viral methods to produce a functional gene in order to treat a broad range of neuromuscular diseases, said Doug Ingram, president and chief executive officer, Sarepta Therapeutics.Genevants established leadership and proven LNP technology offers the potential to deliver gene editing machinery to targeted tissue through a non-viral delivery approach. Applying this science to neuromuscular diseases fits squarely within our mission to translate scientific breakthroughs into meaningful advances for patients whose lives have been impacted by rare disease.

Genevant scientists have been at the forefront of LNP delivery of nucleic acids for over 20 years. Our platform is the most clinically validated in the space and is the delivery technology behind the first nucleic acid-LNP product to have achieved FDA approval, said Pete Lutwyche, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, Genevant Sciences Corporation. Efficient, optimized delivery is often the difference between successful and unsuccessful nucleic acid drug development, and we are excited to bring our experience to Sareptas gene editing programs in neuromuscular disease where new options and new approaches are desperately needed.

About Genevant SciencesGenevant Sciences is a leading nucleic acid delivery company with world-class platforms, the industrys most robust and expansive lipid nanoparticle (LNP) patent estate, and decades of experience and expertise in nucleic acid drug delivery and development. The Companys scientists have pioneered LNP delivery of nucleic acids for over 20 years, and the Companys LNP platform, which has been studied across more than a dozen discrete product candidates and is the delivery technology behind the first and only approved RNAi-LNP (patisiran), enables a wide array of RNA-based applications, including vaccines, therapeutic protein production, and gene editing. Genevant Sciences is committed to transforming the future of human health. For more information, please visitwww.genevant.com.

AboutSarepta TherapeuticsAt Sarepta, we are leading a revolution in precision genetic medicine and every day is an opportunity to change the lives of people living with rare disease. The Company has built an impressive position in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and in gene therapies for limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs), mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA, Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), and other CNS-related disorders, with more than 40 programs in various stages of development. The Companys programs and research focus span several therapeutic modalities, including RNA, gene therapy and gene editing. For more information, please visitwww.sarepta.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements." Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," "intends," "potential," "possible" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the parties obligations and responsibilities under the agreement, potential payments and fees and Sareptas right to an exclusive license to Genevants LNP technology for up to four neuromuscular indications; the potential benefits of LNPs, including offering a non-viral approach to gene editing that can provide both optimal uptake into desired cells and efficient release, resulting in functional delivery of gene editing cargo, such as CRISPR-Cas, to target tissues; the potential for gene editing to revolutionize the treatment of diseases caused by genetic mutations including rare neuromuscular diseases by permanently altering genes that lead to disease; the goal of Genevant to design and collaborate with Sarepta in the development of muscle-targeted LNPs that can be applied to gene editing targets in early stage development; and Sareptas goal to advance its pre-clinical gene editing program, looking at both viral and non-viral methods to produce a functional gene in order to treat a broad range of neuromuscular diseases.

These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Sareptas control. Known risk factors include, among others: the expected benefits and opportunities related to the collaboration between Sarepta and Genevant may not be realized or may take longer to realize than expected due to challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development. In particular, the collaboration may not result in the discovery of any new therapeutic compounds or any viable treatments suitable for commercialization due to a variety of reasons, including any inability of the parties to perform their commitments and obligations under the agreement; Sarepta may not be able to execute on its business plans and goals, including meeting its expected or planned regulatory milestones and timelines, clinical development plans, and bringing its product candidates to market, due to a variety of reasons, many of which may be outside of Sareptas control, including possible limitations of company financial and other resources, manufacturing limitations that may not be anticipated or resolved for in a timely manner, regulatory, court or agency decisions, such as decisions by the United States Patent and Trademark Office with respect to patents that cover Sareptas product candidates and the COVID-19 pandemic; and those risks identified under the heading Risk Factors in Sareptas most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, and most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as other SEC filings made by Sarepta which you are encouraged to review.

Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect Sareptas business, results of operations and the trading price of Sareptas common stock. For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties Sarepta faces, you are encouraged to review the SEC filings made by Sarepta. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Sarepta does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Internet Posting of Information by Sarepta

We routinely post information that may be important to investors in the 'For Investors' section of our website atwww.sarepta.com. We encourage investors and potential investors to consult our website regularly for important information about us.

Source: Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.

Contacts:

Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.Investors: Ian Estepan, 617-274-4052, iestepan@sarepta.comMedia: Tracy Sorrentino, 617-301-8566, tsorrentino@sarepta.com

Genevant SciencesPete Zorn, pete.zorn@genevant.com

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Sarepta Therapeutics and Genevant Sciences Announce Research Collaboration for Lipid Nanoparticle-Based Gene Editing Therapeutics - GlobeNewswire

FDA Takes Steps to Provide Clarity on Developing New Drug Products in the Age of Individualized Medicine – FDA.gov

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Danzig

For Immediate Release: January 04, 2021 Statement From:

Statement Author

Leadership Role

Acting Director - Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

Deputy Center Director for Operations - Center for Drug Evaluation and Research | CDER

Advances in scientific knowledge and drug development technology have provided an opportunity for new approaches to drug development, including the development of drugs for the treatment of rare diseases. These advances have contributed to an increase in development and approval of drugs for the treatment of rare diseases in recent years. In fact, in the past eight years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved more than twice as many drugs for rare diseases, often referred to as orphan drugs, as in the previous eight years.

For genetic diseases, recent approaches to testing and molecular diagnosis have allowed us to pinpoint, in some cases, the exact cause of a patients disease. For a patient with a very rare genetic disease, development of a drug product that is tailored to that patients specific genetic variant may be possible. This is an important advance in treatment for those with very rare genetic diseases, especially those for which there are no adequate therapies available to treat the disease. Often, these very rare diseases are rapidly progressing, debilitating, and in many cases, can lead to premature death if left untreated.

Developing these products also referred to as n of 1 therapies by some because they are designed for a patient population of one person brings a set of challenges and considerations not seen with the typical drug development process. First, as noted above, the disease is often rapidly progressing, requiring prompt medical intervention. Therefore, development needs to proceed very quickly to have a chance at helping the individual. Second, drug discovery and development for these drug products may be carried out by academic investigators, rather than by biopharmaceutical or pharmaceutical companies. These investigators may be less familiar with FDAs regulations, policies and practices, and less experienced in interacting with the FDA.

At this time, development of individualized genetic drug products is most advanced for antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) products. Therefore, we are taking the first steps in bringing clarity to this emerging area of individualized drug development by releasing a new draft guidance on investigational new drug (IND) submissions for individualized ASO drug products.

The guidance was developed to advise those developing ASO products on an approach to interacting with, and making regulatory submissions to, the FDA. The guidance addresses the following points:

As also discussed in a New England Journal of Medicine editorial in October 2019, we are fully aware that this new drug-discovery paradigm raises many ethical and societal issues that will need to be addressed throughout the process. For example, in these situations, the individuals and their families often function more like drug development collaborators than traditional trial participants. Therefore, it is important to discuss with the individual and family members how effectiveness will be measured. It is also important to ensure that the individual and family members understand the parameters for continuing administration of the investigational drug product before emotions influence decisions, and to recognize that some investigational drug products may fail, or worse, lead to unforeseen side effects.

The FDA understands that well need to work together with the developers of these drug products to bring them safely to patients, and we are willing to engage as needed to address the challenges. For example, for those developing these drug products, it will be important to further understand the required data and information that must be submitted to the FDA so that clinical testing can begin. The FDA is continuing to consider and further develop policy to address some of these issues.

We also are optimistic that development of these individualized drug products may spur gene sequencing that leads to the development of additional individualized drug products for the same disease (though perhaps caused by a different mutation). For this approach to drug development, we need to determine collectively how to effectively bring these drug products to all who need them. If we have the scientific ability to develop drug products for these rare diseases, we need to find a way to bring them to patients while ensuring there is the right balance of risk to benefit. This guidance, which provides clarity on the early development and IND submission process, is the FDAs first step in working with those who are developing these individualized drug products.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

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Vasomune Therapeutics Announces Initiation of the First-in-Human Clinical Trial of a Potential Vascular Normalization COVID-19 Treatment – Business…

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Danzig

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vasomune Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today the first subjects have been dosed in a Phase 1 study of AV-001 in healthy subjects. AV-001 is a first-in-class therapeutic that targets the Tie2 tyrosine kinase receptor, a key regulatory protein in the vasculature responsible for maintaining normal vascular function. Should the benefit demonstrated in animal studies translate to the clinic, AV-001 has the potential to improve survival and shorten the duration of hospitalization for patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Emerging evidence suggests serious SARS-CoV-2 infection impairs vascular function in the lungs and throughout the body, which explains why patients with pre-existing vascular dysfunction (elderly, hypertension, diabetes and obesity) are at higher risk. Our therapeutic strategy focuses on normalizing the vasculature, which we believe could improve patient survival and shorten recovery time, which, in turn, would reduce the strain on healthcare resources, including medical personnel, ICU beds and ventilators, said Douglas Hamilton, President and CEO of Vasomune.

The Phase 1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled single and multiple ascending dose trial of AV-001 is currently enrolling healthy subjects. This study is a first-in-human design to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of daily administration of single and multiple doses of AV-001. Vasomune Therapeutics, Inc. plans to seek Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pending successful clinical trials for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 disease.

About AV-001

Originally discovered and designed at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, AV-001 is being developed by Vasomune Therapeutics, Inc. under a co-development agreement with AnGes, Inc. [TYO: 4563]. AV-001 is a novel investigational medicine that targets the Tie2 receptor, a transmembrane protein target most highly expressed on the surface of endothelial cells in the vasculature. AV-001 activates the Tie2-Angiopoietin pathway and restores normal vascular function and endothelial stability. Vascular dysfunction contributes to the underlying disease pathophysiology in patients with COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), especially in patients with pre-existing vascular comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Emerging evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 infects pulmonary endothelial cells and causes microvascular leaks, contributing to the initiation and propagation of respiratory distress and ARDS in COVID-19 patients by altering blood vessel barrier integrity, promoting a coagulated state and inducing vascular inflammation (endotheliitis). In preclinical studies involving a lethal RNA virus infection animal model of influenza/ARDS, AV-001 has been shown to stabilize the vasculature by enhancing endothelial cell stability, restoring normal barrier defense and blocking vascular leak. Importantly, AV-001 monotherapy significantly improved survival and lung function compared to untreated controls and showed the benefit of enhanced recovery in combination with antiviral therapy. AV-001 is being developed for the treatment of moderate to-severe COVID-19 and ARDS.

About Vasomune Therapeutics, Inc.

Vasomune Therapeutics, Inc. is a private clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing the next generation of medicines to harness the bodys ability to defend against illness. Originally founded in 2014, Vasomune discovers and develops drugs using a novel therapeutic approach focused on vascular normalization strategies. Vascular dysfunction is associated with the pathology of several disease states, including COVID-19, influenza-associated ARDS, acute lung injury, acute kidney injury, hemorrhagic shock, sepsis and stroke. Vasomunes corporate headquarters and laboratory is located in Toronto, Canada with US offices in San Mateo, CA. For more information about the company and its product candidates, please visit http://www.vasomune.com.

About AnGes, Inc.

AnGes, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company founded in December 1999, focuses on the development of gene-based medicines. In March 2019, AnGes obtained conditional and time-limited approval for its lead product, Collategene (Hepatocyte Growth Factor, HGF, plasmid gene therapy), for the treatment of lower limb ischemic ulcers. In September 2019, AnGes commenced the commercialization in Japan of Collategene. Collategene is the worlds first marketed drug using plasmid DNA. AnGes is currently focusing on the development of DNA vaccines for COVID-19 and hypertension, a Tie2 tyrosine kinase receptor agonist for COVID-19 treatment and an NF-B decoy oligonucleotide for chronic discogenic lumbar back pain. Furthermore, AnGes acquired EmendoBio in December 2020 to expand its capabilities in genome-editing technologies. For more information, visit https://www.anges.co.jp/en/.

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Vasomune Therapeutics Announces Initiation of the First-in-Human Clinical Trial of a Potential Vascular Normalization COVID-19 Treatment - Business...

Health Canada approves Zolgensma, the one-time gene therapy for pediatric patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) – Canada NewsWire

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Danzig

Zolgensma is a gene therapy designed to address the genetic root cause of SMA by replacing the missing or defectiveSMN1gene1.It is administered during an intravenous (IV) infusion, delivering a new working copy of the SMN1 gene into a patient's cells, halting disease progression and restoring production of SMN protein1.

"SMA can be a devastating diagnosis for families to receive. Without treatment, many children would not be able to meet important developmental milestones like lifting their head, sitting or walking.Even breathing and swallowing can become difficult in the severe, infant-onset form of this disease," said Dr. Hugh McMillan, Pediatric Neurologist at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa."The approval of Zolgensma in Canada offers children an opportunity to maximize their developmental potential from this one-time therapy.The decision to treat based upon weight may allow children diagnosed slightly later to also benefit from this therapy."

"When I first started diagnosing SMA, I couldn't have imagined that we would see such scientific advancements," said Dr. Nicolas Chrestian, Chief of Paediatric Neurology, specialized in neuromuscular disorders at Centre Hospitalier Mre Enfant Soleil, Universit Laval in Qubec City. "Zolgensma offers, in a single dose, the possibility of halting the progression of this degenerative condition that can rob children of regular developmental milestones."

In Canada each year, approximately one in 10,000 babies are born with SMA,a rare, genetic neuromuscular disease caused by a defective or missingSMN1gene3. Without a functionalSMN1gene, infants with SMA lose the motor neurons responsible for muscle functions such as breathing, swallowing, speaking and walking2. Left untreated, muscles become progressively weaker2,3. In the most severe form, this eventually leads to paralysis and ultimately permanent ventilation or death by age 2 in more than 90%of cases4.

"The SMA community is thrilled to have another treatment option to offer hope to families grappling with an SMA diagnosis. The approval of Zolgensma couldn't come soon enough. We will continue to advocate until everyone who needs access to treatment can benefit from innovations like this," said Susi Vander Wyk, Executive Director, CureSMA Canada.

"Today's announcement about the Canadian approval of Zolgensma is a significant milestone in our journey to reimagine medicine by changing the treatment paradigm for children with SMA." said Andrea Marazzi, Country Head, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada. "Our commitment to the SMA community truly comes to life when those that could benefit most from Zolgensma can access it. This is why we continue to work collaboratively with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, provinces and territories to make this happen as quickly as possible."

The efficacy and safety data supporting the approval of Zolgensma in treating pediatric patients with SMA are derived from completed and ongoing open-label, single-arm, clinical trials in patients with infantile-onset SMA and 2 copies of SMN2 gene; and presymptomatic genetically diagnosed SMA and 2 or 3 copies of SMN2 gene1.

Zolgensma is the only gene therapy approved by Health Canada for the treatment of SMA1. Thirteen treatment sites have been identified in leading healthcare institutions with SMA expertise. The sites are located in: Vancouver, BC; Edmonton, AB; Calgary, AB; Saskatoon, SK; Winnipeg, MB; London, ON; Hamilton, ON; Toronto, ON; Ottawa, ON; Montreal, QC; Quebec City, QC; Halifax, NS.

About Spinal Muscular AtrophySMA is the leading cause of genetic infant death2. Loss of motor neurons cannot be reversed, so SMA patients with symptoms at the time of treatment will likely require some supportive respiratory, nutritional and/or musculoskeletal care to maximize functional abilities5.This is why it is imperative to diagnose SMA and begin treatment, including proactive supportive care, as early as possible to halt irreversible motor neuron loss and disease progression6.Early diagnosis is especially critical in the most severe form, where motor neuron degeneration starts before birth and escalates quickly5. Newborn screening for SMA is currently being implemented in Ontario and piloted in Alberta7,8.

About Novartis in Gene Therapy and Rare DiseaseNovartis is at the forefront of cell and gene therapies designed to halt diseases in their tracks or reverse their progress rather than simply manage symptoms. The company is collaborating on the cell and gene therapy frontier to bring this major leap in personalized medicine to patients with a variety of diseases, including genetic disorders and certain deadly cancers. Cell and gene therapies are grounded in careful research that builds on decades of scientific progress. Following key approvals of cell and gene therapies by health authorities, new treatments are being tested in clinical trials around the world.

About Novartis in CanadaNovartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., a leader in the healthcare field, is committed to the discovery, development and marketing of innovative products to improve the well-being of all Canadians. In 2019, the company invested $51.8 million in research and development in Canada. Located in Dorval, Quebec, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. employs approximately 1,500 people in Canada and is an affiliate of Novartis AG, which provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. For further information, please consult http://www.novartis.ca.

About Novartis globallyNovartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 110,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com.

Zolgensma is a registered trademark of Novartis Gene Therapies.

Novartis Gene Therapies has an exclusive, worldwide license with Nationwide Children's Hospital to both the intravenous and intrathecal delivery of AAV9 gene therapy for the treatment of all types of SMA; has an exclusive, worldwide license from REGENXBIO for any recombinant AAV vector in its intellectual property portfolio for thein vivogene therapy treatment of SMA in humans; an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Gnthon forin vivodelivery of AAV9 vector into the central nervous system for the treatment of SMA; and a non-exclusive, worldwide license agreement with AskBio for the use of its self-complementary DNA technology for the treatment of SMA.

References

SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.

For further information: Novartis Media Relations, Julie Schneiderman, +1 514 633 7873, E-mail: [emailprotected]

Excerpt from:
Health Canada approves Zolgensma, the one-time gene therapy for pediatric patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) - Canada NewsWire

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