Final European Commission Decision on Marketing Approval Anticipated in Q4 2020 Final European Commission Decision on Marketing Approval Anticipated in Q4 2020

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Aimmune Receives Positive CHMP Opinion on PALFORZIA® for the Treatment of Patients with Peanut Allergy in Europe

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CHMP recommends approval of Dupixent® (dupilumab) for children aged 6 to 11 years with severe atopic dermatitis

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CHMP recommends approval of Dupixent® (dupilumab) for children aged 6 to 11 years with severe atopic dermatitis

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GARDEN CITY, N.Y., Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beyond Air, Inc. (NASDAQ: XAIR), a clinical-stage medical device and biopharmaceutical company focused on developing inhaled nitric oxide (NO) for the treatment of patients with respiratory conditions, including serious lung infections and pulmonary hypertension, and gaseous NO (gNO) for the treatment of solid tumors, today announced new in vitro and in vivo preclinical data that suggest the Company’s innovative gNO-based treatment may treat lung cancer locally and its metastases systemically, potentially via stimulation of an anti-tumor immune response. These data were included in a presentation by Hila Confino, PhD of Beyond Air at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s (IASLC) North America Conference on Lung Cancer 2020 (NACLC 2020), which is being held from October 16th to 17th.

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Beyond Air® Presents Positive New Preclinical Data for the Use of a Single Injection of Gaseous Nitric Oxide as a Novel In situ Cancer Vaccination

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EMERYVILLE, Calif., Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zogenix (NASDAQ: ZGNX), a global biopharmaceutical company developing rare disease therapies, today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), a part of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), has adopted a positive opinion recommending the marketing authorization of FINTEPLA® (fenfluramine) oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome, a rare and devastating infant- and childhood onset epilepsy, as an add-on therapy to other antiepileptic medicines for patients two years of age and older. The European Commission (EC) is expected to make a final decision on the company’s Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) by the end of the year.

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Zogenix Receives Positive CHMP Opinion for FINTEPLA® (Fenfluramine) Oral Solution for the Treatment of Seizures in Patients with Dravet Syndrome

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15 data presentations cover each of Spero’s three pipeline programs and include a late breaker oral presentation on the Phase 3 ADAPT-PO clinical trial 15 data presentations cover each of Spero’s three pipeline programs and include a late breaker oral presentation on the Phase 3 ADAPT-PO clinical trial

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Spero Therapeutics to Present Data for All Pipeline Programs at IDWeek 2020

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NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NetworkNewsAudio -- Cybin Corp. announces the availability of a broadcast titled, “Multi-Billion-Dollar Market Forecast in Psychedelic Therapeutics.”

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Psychedelics Experiencing Renaissance, Offer Tremendous Treatment Potential

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NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NetworkNewsAudio -- 180 Life Sciences Corp. announces the availability of a broadcast titled, “Blockbuster Year and Bright Horizons for SPACs.”

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SPACs Show Investors Faster, Simpler Way to Go Public

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NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company” or “Y-mAbs”) (Nasdaq: YMAB) a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel, antibody-based therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer, today announced clinical updates on naxitamab for the treatment of relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma and omburtamab for CNS/leptomeningeal metastasis from neuroblastoma. Data was presented at the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (“SIOP”) Virtual Annual Congress held October 14 through October 17, 2020 in Ottawa, Canada. The naxitamab data was presented by Dr. Jaume Mora from SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital, and the omburtamab data was presented by Dr. Kim Kramer from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (“MSK”).

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Y-mAbs Announces Update on Naxitamab and Omburtamab in Neuroblastoma

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German Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) Issues Nationwide Reimbursement Decision for EndoPredict® Breast Cancer Prognostic Test

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IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biomerica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRA), a global provider of advanced medical products, today reported financial results for the fiscal quarter ended August 31, 2020.

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Biomerica Reports Fiscal 2021 1st Quarter Financial Results

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherus BioSciences, Inc. (“Coherus” or the “Company”, Nasdaq: CHRS), today announced that effective October 15, 2020, the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors granted a newly hired Executive Vice President an option to buy 150,000 shares of the Company’s common stock with a per share exercise price of $18.09, the closing trading price on the grant date, and 10,000 restricted stock units.

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Coherus BioSciences Announces New Employment Inducement Grants

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Orphazyme A/SCompany announcement                                                                                       No. 66/2020                                                                                                           Company Registration No. 32266355

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Stabilization measures taken

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MYDECINE INNOVATIONS GROUP, INC., (CSE: MYCO) (OTC: MYCOF) (FSE: 0NFA) (“Mydecine” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of UK-based Boustead Capital Markets LLP (“Boustead”) to commence the dual listing process on the London Stock Exchange (“LSE” or the “Exchange”) for the admission of the Company’s common shares to the Standard Segment of the Official List’s Main Market.

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Mydecine Innovations Group Appoints Boustead Capital Markets LLP as Financial Advisor for its Planned Dual Listing on the London Stock Exchange

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– Agios Continues to Advance Two Phase 3 Combination Trials of TIBSOVO® in Newly Diagnosed AML Patients –

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Agios Announces Withdrawal of European Marketing Authorization Application for TIBSOVO® as a Treatment for Relapsed or Refractory IDH1-mutant Acute...

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DEER PARK, Ill., Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eton Pharmaceuticals, Inc (Nasdaq: ETON), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative treatments for rare pediatric diseases, today announced the closing of its previously announced offering of 3,220,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $7.00 per share. The total offering included 420,000 shares sold as a result of the underwriter’s exercise of its overallotment option in full.

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Eton Pharmaceuticals Announces Closing of Public Offering

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A one-year-old girl donated her bone marrow to her brother. (Representational)

A one-year-old girl, conceived by her parents through IVF technology specifically for the purpose of donating her bone marrow to their thalassemic son, has succeeded in saving her six-year-old brother's life.

Baby Kavya was born a year ago through In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technique in Ahmedabad, under the concept known as "saviour sibling".

Her bone marrow was successfully transplanted to her brother Abhijeet Solanki in March this year and the boy is now "risk-free", doctors said on Thursday.

Abhijeet, the second child of Sahdev Singh Solanki and Alpa Solanki, was diagnosed with Thalassemia-major, a blood disorder, and was dependent on blood transfusion every month, they said.

Thalassemia-major patients require frequent blood transfusions and their life expectancy is also less.

His parents were advised bone marrow transplant as the last resort to treat the child, but they could not find the required HLA (human leukocyte antigen) match.

"Due to unavailability of matching HLA donors for the transplant, we opted for IVF with HLA matching," city-based Nova IVF Fertility's medical director Dr Manish Banker told PTI.

This process of HLA typing is an established method for conceiving a child, who may donate cord blood or hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation to save a sibling with a critical illness.

Abhijeet's father approached Mr Banker after he found that the bone marrow of his family members, including the boy's elder sister, was not matching.

"Bone marrow transplant from an HLA-identical donor is the best therapeutic option for thalassemia major patients. We took the challenge and created a healthy savior sibling to save her elder brother," Mr Banker said.

With the help of IVF, Abhijeet's mother delivered a healthy baby girl Kavya a year ago, who was found to be the HLA match for the sibling.

In March this year, after Kavya gained the required weight, a successful bone marrow transplant was done for Abhijeet at the CIMS Hospital, Mr Banker said.

"Now, Abhijeet is risk-free and doesn't require blood transfusion," Mr Banker said.

"This is the first case in India when an HLA matching baby was born through IVF specifically to save the thalassemia-major sibling," he said.

The siblings' father, who himself researched well about this technique, thanked Mr Banker and other expert doctorsfor saving his son.

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Child Conceived To Donate Bone Marrow Saves 6-Year-Old Brother's Life - NDTV

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Child Conceived To Donate Bone Marrow Saves 6-Year-Old Brother’s Life – NDTV | October 17th, 2020

India just conducted its first successful experiment with savior sibling therapy, in which a baby was conceived through in-vitro fertilization for the purposes of donating bone marrow to an older ailing brother struggling with thalassemia, a condition characterized by low levels of hemoglobin in the blood that requires frequent blood transfusions. While the doctors involved in the therapy celebrated their success this week, some on social media challenged the ethics of such a therapy, in which a baby was essentially birthed to save her sibling.

In this case, the child with the genetic disorder needed a bone marrow transplant to cure his disease, and the chances of a successful cure are higher if coming from a person whose proteins (human leukocyte antigens, or HLA) exactly match those of the child. None of the childs existing family members was a match, further complicating the process of getting a bone marrow transplant an already difficult process to execute. The parents, in an effort to create a perfect bone marrow match for their child, underwent three cycles of in-vitro fertilization, out of which 18 embryos were created, and one perfectly matched that of the child, and was disease-free, using a technique called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). The embryo was then implanted in the mothers uterus, carried to term, and a baby girl was born.

We had to wait for the baby to grow. She had to weigh 10 kg before we could draw bone marrow, Deepa Trivedi, program director of Sankalp Bone Marrow Unit in Ahmedabad, told The Hindu. Its been approximately seven months since the transplant, and the older sibling has not needed any more blood transfusions, indicating he has been cured of his thalassemia, his doctors announced.

Savior sibling therapy has already been used in countries such as the United Kingdom, the U.S.A., New Zealand, and France. Its mainly used to cure genetic blood disorders in children, such as sickle cell anemia or as seen in the Indian case, thalassemia major. The main way this is done, which is a departure from the Indian case, is by harvesting stem cells from a newborns umbilical cord, which are then injected into the bone marrow of the sibling with the disease, a practice that works 90% of the time. In case it doesnt, doctors can take bone marrow from the savior sibling as they grow, in a process that is painful but not known to be dangerous.

Related on The Swaddle:

Designer Babies Are Far From Reality, Even After the Gene-Edited Babies in China

The first ethical concern with this practice is treating a baby as a source for spare parts, as a means to an end, as a commodity. A study of the bioethics of savior sibling therapy, published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, surmised that treating a baby as a means to an end was not by itself a concern that devalued the utility of savior sibling therapy, as long as theyre also treated as human beings. Bioethicists surmise that using cord blood, something that is frequently discarded after birth, cannot endanger a newborn, or prove to be an ethical quandary used against the therapy.

But what has happened in the most recent case in India actually complicates the issue, because its not the umbilical cord blood that was harvested from the savior sibling at birth, but bone marrow 10 months into her life, which makes her an organ donor. This traverses thorny territory, as governments strictly regulate organ donation by minors due to issues related to consent. Can a baby consent to donating bone marrow to their sibling, or a 10-year-old consent to donating a kidney to their parent? It depends on where the individual resides, and how old the person being asked to donate is. In India, for example, it was only recently that the Delhi High Court ruled that minors could donate organs or tissues, as long as the procedure didnt pose a danger to their lives, and only in exceptional circumstances. However, where minors are mostly dependent upon their families, an element of coercion can also manifest. Also, determining whether a child rationally consented to donate an organ to their parent, for example, becomes difficult when we factor in the emotional element of their relationship that can perhaps override their judgments about their own safety.

Another concern is the well-being of the savior sibling throughout their life, both physical and psychological. Whats to stop a parent from asking the savior sibling to be on standby for their entire lives for their siblings health, available to be tapped for tissues and organs at any point in their lives? This is the plot of Jodi Picoults My Sisters Keeper (also turned into a film of the same name starring Cameron Diaz), but it is an unlikely scenario in real life, ethics experts have said. The aforementioned organ donation rules can prevent such an exploitative situation from arising, they say, with governments around the world tasked with ensuring the consent of the donor remains at the forefront of organ donation.

The third issue with savior sibling therapy arises out of the process itself if a parent can select an embryo that perfectly matches their child, whats to stop them from selecting an embryo for intelligence, or athleticism? This wades into the territory of the production of designer babies, which is an ethical slippery slope that critics have said goes against the natural reproductive order. However, the bioethics study asserts that the connection between savior sibling therapy and the production of designer babies is less of a slippery slope and more of a reach, as the technology might be similar, but the utility of both poles apart the former is used to save childrens lives, while the latter is a superficial, hypothetical fantasy.

For now, the world of savior sibling therapy, and its perception, remains similar to when parents first selected an embryo to create a savior sibling in the U.S. in 2000. As appeared in a New York Times article at the time, It is the kind of talk heard with every scientific breakthrough, from the first heart transplant to the first cloned sheep. We talk like this because we are both exhilarated and terrified by what we can do, and we wonder, with each step, whether we have gone too far. But though society may ask, How could you? the only question patients and families ask is, How could we not? 20 years later, savior sibling therapy still centers the children that can be saved, while government stipulations around the world try to ensure the savior siblings are protected, cared for, and treated as human beings, like any other child.

While a few critics argue for a ban, the bioethics study sums up the dilemma, and perhaps a solution to this ethical debate given that a ban will be fatal for a section of the population, the onus of proof rests clearly with the prohibitionists who must demonstrate that these childrens deaths are less terrible than the consequences of allowing this particular use of PGD.

You have got to have a very powerful reason to resist the means by which a childs life can be saved.

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An Indian Baby 'Savior Sibling' Just Gave Her Brother Bone Marrow. But Is It Ethical? - The Swaddle

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on An Indian Baby ‘Savior Sibling’ Just Gave Her Brother Bone Marrow. But Is It Ethical? – The Swaddle | October 17th, 2020

Cecelia Ahern, the author of P.S. I love you, once beautifully said: Moments are precious; sometimes they linger and other times theyre fleeting, and yet so much could be done in them; you could change a mind, you could save a life and you could even fall in love.

Helping save lives is what we decided to dedicate some of our lives to at Manchester Marrow.More specifically, we are the student-ran arm of the charity Anthony Nolan, which signs up students/young people (aged 16-30 years) to the stem cell register. This is required in finding matches for patients suffering from blood cancers and blood disorders who desperately need transplants. The more people we sign up for this register, the higher the chance of finding a blood stem cell or bone marrow match.

Anthony Nolan was initially founded by Shirley Nolan in 1974, realising the hardships associated with requiring an urgent bone marrow transplant. This was due to her three-year-old son suffering from a rare blood disorder known as Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome. This inspired her to set up the worlds first register to match donors with people in desperate need. Today, there are over 800,000 people on Anthony Nolans UK register list, and each of these people could be a potential donor and save a life.

Although there are many resources at hand, without you, theres no cure! In Marrow, we have three important missions: raise awareness of Anthony Nolan and blood cancer within UK universities through our events, encourage every student to join stem cell register through our donor recruitment opportunities, and lastly, raise funds to help support this vital work.

As a student, in addition to signing up to the register, you have the amazing opportunity of volunteering for us and to save a life! One of our most outstanding achievements is signing up over 100,000 people to the Anthony Nolan register and raising over 92,000 in a year. Additionally, 1 in 4 people who go on to donate stem cells is recruited via Marrow!

Being a volunteer for us is no hard work. You could do many things, including spreading the word and talking to people about why they should sign up to the register. Furthermore, you need to inform them what the donation involves if they ever found a match, checking medical backgrounds for donor eligibility, assisting them with cheek swabs, and filling out an application form.

If youre interested in this opportunity, there will be several volunteer training sessions held throughout the year. Unfortunately, due to the current situation, all these events will be held online. We can assure you, however, that were doing our best to make the most of it.

To sign up to the register visit the Anthony Nolan website!

Make sure to follow Manchester Marrows social media accounts to keep updated with all the news and events:

Facebook: @ManchesterMarrow

Facebook: Manchester Marrow Volunteers Group

Instagram: @manchestermarrow

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Looking to save lives? Here's how - The Mancunion

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DetailsCategory: DNA RNA and CellsPublished on Friday, 16 October 2020 14:20Hits: 301

First therapy recommended for full marketing authorization in the EU for eligible patients with confirmed diagnosis of late infantile or early juvenile MLD variants

One-time treatment with Libmeldy has been shown to preserve cognitive and motor function in most patients

Libmeldy is backed by data across 35 patients with follow-up of up to 8 years post-treatment, demonstrating the potential durability of HSC gene therapy

BOSTON, MA, USA and LONDON, UK I October 16, 2020 I Orchard Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ORTX), a global gene therapy leader, today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending full, or standard, marketing authorization for Libmeldy (cryopreserved autologous CD34+ cells encoding the arylsulfatase-A, or ARSA, gene), an investigational gene therapy for the treatment of metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), characterized by biallelic mutations in the ARSA gene leading to a reduction of the ARSA enzymatic activity in children with i) late infantile or early juvenile forms, without clinical manifestations of the disease, or ii) the early juvenile form, with early clinical manifestations of the disease, who still have the ability to walk independently and before the onset of cognitive decline.

The CHMPs positive opinion will now be reviewed by theEuropean Commission(EC), which has the authority to grant marketing authorization for Libmeldy in theEuropean Union(EU). A final decision by the EC for Libmeldy is anticipated before the end of 2020. If approved, Libmeldy would be the first commercial therapy and first gene therapy for eligible patients with early-onset MLD.

MLD is a very rare, severe genetic condition caused by mutations in the ARSA gene which lead to neurological damage and developmental regression. In its most severe and common forms, young children rapidly lose the ability to walk, talk and interact with the world around them. A majority of these patients pass away in childhood, with palliative care often as their only option.

Todays positive CHMP opinion for marketing authorization of Libmeldy is a remarkable achievement that we share with the MLD community, as it brings us closer to delivering a one-time, potentially transformative therapy for eligible children suffering from this devastating disease, said Bobby Gaspar, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer, Orchard Therapeutics. Data from the Libmeldy clinical program have demonstrated the potential for long-term positive effects on cognitive development and maintenance of motor function, translating to individual preservation of motor milestones such as the ability to sit, stand and/or walk without support, as well as attainment of cognitive skills like social interactions and school attendance, at ages at which untreated patients show severe motor and cognitive impairments.

Libmeldy is designed as a one-time gene therapy, developed in partnership with the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) in Milan, Italy, in which the patients own hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are selected, and functional copies of the ARSA gene are inserted into the genome of the HSCs using a lentiviral vector before these genetically modified cells are infused back into the patient. The ability of the gene-corrected HSCs to migrate across the blood-brain barrier into the brain, engraft, and express the functional enzyme has the potential to persistently correct the underlying genetic condition with a single treatment.

This is an important milestone toward making the availability of HSC gene therapy a reality for more patients, and it also is extremely rewarding for our multi-disciplinary team at SR-Tiget who has worked relentlessly along this 15-year journey to move the seminal proof of principle studies to the first in-human testing of this therapy, said SR-Tiget director Luigi Naldini, M.D, Ph.D. The robust and durable clinical benefits observed in early-onset MLD patients who received HSC gene therapy are compelling, especially when compared to the natural history of the disease. These results also further illustrate our view that the HSC gene therapy approach has the potential to deliver transformative effects in other storage diseases as well, especially when the cells are designed to overexpress the functional enzyme and provide an enhanced supply of it to the affected tissues.

As a parent, watching your child start down a seemingly normal developmental path only to suddenly and rapidly lose some or all of his or her abilities is heart-wrenching, and the agony is even more acute knowing no approved therapies currently exist for MLD, said Georgina Morton, Chair of ArchAngel MLD Trust. Todays decision to advance Libmeldy to the final EC approval stage represents a huge step forward for the parents of these young children and for all of us in the MLD community.

We are extremely appreciative of the EMAs expedited and thorough review of Libmeldys marketing authorization application, considering the severity of MLD coupled with the limited treatment options available today for young patients, said Anne Dupraz, chief regulatory officer, Orchard Therapeutics. The Agencys collaboration on this assessment is a testament to their broader public health commitment to ensure timely evaluation of new medicines for diseases where a pressing unmet need exists.

Data Supporting the Clinical Profile of Libmeldy

The positive CHMP opinion is supported by clinical studies of Libmeldy in both pre- and early- symptomatic, early-onset MLD patients. Early-onset MLD encompasses the disease variants traditionally referred to as late infantile (LI) and early juvenile (EJ).

Clinical efficacy was based on the integrated analysis of results from 29 patients with early-onset MLD who were all treated with Libmeldy prepared as a fresh (non-cryopreserved) formulation:

Clinical safety was evaluated in 35 patients with early-onset MLD:

Co-primary endpointsThe co-primary endpoints of the integrated efficacy analysis were Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) total score and ARSA activity, both evaluated at 2 years post-treatment. Results of this analysis indicate that a single-dose intravenous administration of Libmeldy is effective in modifying the disease course of early-onset MLD in most patients.

Pre-symptomatic LI and EJ patients treated with Libmeldy experienced significantly less deterioration in motor function at 2 years and 3 years post-treatment, as measured by GMFM total score, compared to age and disease subtype-matched untreated patients (p0.008). The mean difference between treated pre-symptomatic LI patients and age-matched untreated LI patients was 71.0% at year 2 and 79.8% at year 3. Similarly, the mean difference between treated pre-symptomatic EJ patients and age-matched untreated EJ patients was 52.4% at year 2 and 74.9% at year 3. Although not statistically significant, a clear difference in GMFM total score was also noted between treated early-symptomatic EJ patients and age-matched untreated EJ patients (28.7% at year 2; p=0.350 and 43.9% at year 3; p=0.054).

A statistically significant increase in ARSA activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was observed at 2 years post-treatment compared to pre-treatment in both pre-symptomatic patients (20.0-fold increase; p<0.001) and early-symptomatic patients (4.2-fold increase; p=0.004).

At the time of the integrated data analysis, all treated LI patients were alive with a follow-up post-treatment up to 7.5 years and 10 out of 13 treated EJ patients were alive with a follow-up post-treatment of up to 6.5 years. No treatment-related mortality has been reported in patients treated with Libmeldy.

Key secondary endpointsFor EJ patients who were early-symptomatic when treated with Libmeldy, meaningful effects on motor development were demonstrated when these patients were treated before entering the rapidly progressive phase of the disease (IQ85 and Gross Motor Function Classification (GMFC)1). By 4 years post-disease onset, an estimated 62.5% of treated, early-symptomatic EJ MLD patients survived and maintained locomotion and ability to sit without support compared with 26.3% of untreated early-symptomatic EJ MLD patients, representing a delay in disease progression following treatment with Libmeldy.

A secondary efficacy endpoint that measured cognitive and language abilities as quantified by Intelligence Quotient/Development Quotient (IQ/DQ) found:

Clinical safetySafety data indicate that Libmeldy was generally well-tolerated. The most common adverse reaction attributed to treatment with Libmeldy was the occurrence of anti-ARSA antibodies (AAA) reported in 5 out of 35 patients. Antibody titers in all 5 patients were generally low and no negative effects were observed in post-treatment ARSA activity in the peripheral blood or bone marrow cellular subpopulations, nor in the ARSA activity within the cerebrospinal fluid. Treatment with Libmeldy is preceded by other medical interventions, namely bone marrow harvest or peripheral blood mobilization and apheresis, followed by myeloablative conditioning, which carry their own risks. During the clinical studies, the safety profiles of these interventions were consistent with their known safety and tolerability.

About MLD and Investigational Libmeldy

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare and life-threatening inherited disease of the bodys metabolic system occurring in approximately one in every 100,000 live births. MLD is caused by a mutation in thearylsulfatase-A(ARSA) gene that results in the accumulation of sulfatides in the brain and other areas of the body, including the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, and/or spleen. Over time, the nervous system is damaged, leading to neurological problems such as motor, behavioral and cognitive regression, severe spasticity and seizures. Patients with MLD gradually lose the ability to move, talk, swallow, eat and see. Currently, there are no approved treatments for MLD. In its late infantile form, mortality at 5 years from onset is estimated at 50% and 44% at 10 years for juvenile patients.1Libmeldy (autologous CD34+ cell enriched population that contains hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) transduced ex vivo using a lentiviral vector encoding the human arylsulfatase-A (ARSA) gene), formerly OTL-200, is being studied for the treatment of MLD in certain patients. Libmeldy was acquired from GSK inApril 2018and originated from a pioneering collaboration between GSK and the Hospital San Raffaele and Fondazione Telethon, acting through their jointSan Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene TherapyinMilan, initiated in 2010.

About Orchard

Orchard Therapeutics is a global gene therapy leader dedicated to transforming the lives of people affected by rare diseases through the development of innovative, potentially curative gene therapies. Our ex vivo autologous gene therapy approach harnesses the power of genetically modified blood stem cells and seeks to correct the underlying cause of disease in a single administration. In 2018, Orchard acquired GSKs rare disease gene therapy portfolio, which originated from a pioneering collaboration between GSK and theSan Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, Italy. Orchard now has one of the deepest and most advanced gene therapy product candidate pipelines in the industry spanning multiple therapeutic areas where the disease burden on children, families and caregivers is immense and current treatment options are limited or do not exist.

Orchard has its global headquarters in London and U.S. headquarters in Boston. For more information, please visit http://www.orchard-tx.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

1 Mahmood et al. Metachromatic Leukodystrophy: A Case of Triplets with the Late Infantile Variant and a Systematic Review of the Literature.Journal of Child Neurology2010, DOI:http://doi.org/10.1177/0883073809341669

SOURCE: Orchard Therapeutics

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Orchard Therapeutics Receives Positive CHMP Opinion for Libmeldy for the Treatment of Early-Onset Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) | DNA RNA and...

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In KEYNOTE-021 (Cohort G), first-line treatment with KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy (n=60) demonstrated a significant improvement in objective response rates (58% vs. 33%), progression-free survival (HR=0.54 [95% CI, 0.35-0.83]) and a sustained, long-term survival benefit (HR=0.71 [95% CI, 0.45-1.12]) versus chemotherapy alone (n=63) in patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) regardless of PDL1 expression (Featured Poster #OFP01.02). Patients in Cohort G had no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. These findings represent the longest follow-up data for an anti-PD-1/PDL1 therapy in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of NSCLC. Additionally, updated follow-up data from a Phase 1/2 study of quavonlimab in combination with KEYTRUDA showed encouraging anti-tumor activity and an acceptable safety profile as first-line treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC (Poster #TS01.02).

Over the last five years, KEYTRUDA has become foundational in the treatment of metastatic lung cancer. The long-term data from KEYNOTE-021 (Cohort G) reinforce the use of KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy in certain advanced lung cancer patients, while data from our oncology pipeline reflect our commitment to exploring a number of new combinations with KEYTRUDA that we believe could have a meaningful impact for more lung cancer patients, said Dr. Vicki Goodman, vice president, oncology clinical research, Merck Research Laboratories. Updated data from our anti-CTLA-4 antibody quavonlimab in combination with KEYTRUDA support the continued development of this new combination and a Phase 3 study of quavonlimab coformulated with KEYTRUDA in advanced non-small cell lung cancer is planned.

Results from both studies were presented at the IASLC 2020 North America Conference on Lung Cancer hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer on Friday, Oct. 16. Follow Merck on Twitter via @Merck and keep up to date with NACLC news and updates by using the hashtag #NACLC20.

KEYTRUDA in Combination With Chemotherapy: Long-Term Data in Advanced NSCLC From KEYNOTE-021 (Cohort G) (Featured Poster #OFP01.02) New data from Cohort G of KEYNOTE-021 (NCT02039674) demonstrated a significant improvement in objective response rates (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS) and a sustained, long-term survival benefit with KEYTRUDA in combination with pemetrexed (ALIMTA) and platinum chemotherapy versus pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy alone after four years of median study follow-up (49.4 months; range, 43.5 to 55.4). Cohort G of the Phase 1/2, multi-cohort, multi-center, open-label trial evaluated KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy (n=60) versus chemotherapy alone (n=63) as first-line treatment in patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC. Patients in Cohort G had no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations.

Findings from KEYNOTE-021 (Cohort G) showed that 50% of patients treated with KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy were alive at three years versus 37% of patients who received chemotherapy alone. KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy also reduced the risk of death by 29% (HR=0.71 [95% CI, 0.45-1.12]) versus chemotherapy alone, with a median overall survival (OS) of 34.5 versus 21.1 months. The OS benefit was observed despite a 70% (n=43/61) effective crossover rate from chemotherapy to antiPD1/PDL1 therapy, including 28 patients who were treated with KEYTRUDA as part of the on-study crossover.

The ORR was 58% for KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy versus 33% for chemotherapy alone. KEYTRUDA also reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 46% (HR=0.54 [95% CI, 0.35-0.83]) versus chemotherapy, with a median PFS of 24.5 months (range, 9.7 to 36.3) versus 9.9 months (range, 6.2 to 15.2). The estimated three-year PFS rate was 37% for patients who received KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy versus 16% for those who received chemotherapy alone. The median duration of response (DOR) was more than one year longer with KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy (36.3 months; range, 1.4+ to 49.3+) versus chemotherapy alone (22.8 months; range, 2.8+ to 47.2+). Additionally, 51% of patients treated with KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy had responses lasting three years versus 47% with chemotherapy alone.

Notably, 92% of patients who completed two years of treatment with KEYTRUDA were alive at three years (n=11/12). All 12 patients experienced an objective response and the estimated three-year DOR rate was 100% (median DOR not reached [NR]; range, 11.7+ to 49.3+ months).

No new safety signals for KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy were identified with long-term follow-up. Among all those treated, 39% of those who received KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy and 31% of those who received chemotherapy alone experienced Grade 3-5 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Grade 3-5 TRAEs that led to discontinuation occurred in 17% of patients who received KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy and 16% of those who received chemotherapy alone. Grade 3-5 TRAEs that led to death occurred in 2% (n=1) of patients who received KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy and 3% (n=2) of those who received chemotherapy alone.

The KEYNOTE-021 (Cohort G) trial was conducted in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company, the makers of pemetrexed (ALIMTA).

Quavonlimab (anti-CLTA-4) in Combination With KEYTRUDA: Phase 1/2 Results in Advanced NSCLC (Poster #TS01.02) In this first-in-human, open-label, multi-arm Phase 1/2 study (NCT03179436), quavonlimab, Mercks novel anti-CTLA-4 therapy, was evaluated in combination with KEYTRUDA as a first-line treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC. In the dose-confirmation phase, patients received quavonlimab (25 mg or 75 mg) every three weeks (Q3W) or every six weeks (Q6W) in combination with KEYTRUDA (200 mg Q3W for up to 35 cycles). The primary objective of the study was safety and tolerability; secondary and exploratory objectives included ORR per RECIST v1.1 by blinded independent central review (BICR), PFS, OS and DOR. Response based on PD-L1 status was retrospectively evaluated using tumor proportion score (TPS) as a continuous variable.

Findings showed that quavonlimab in combination with KEYTRUDA had an acceptable safety profile with no unexpected toxicities and suggested encouraging anti-tumor activity. Any-grade adverse events occurred in 98% of patients; TRAEs occurred 85% of patients. Grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 36% of patients across all treatment arms and the most common TRAEs (>10% in any arm) were increased alanine aminotransferase (8%), pneumonitis (8%) and increased aspartate aminotransferase (6%).

With 16.9 months of median follow-up (range, 7.0 to 21.3), results from the study showed the effect of quavonlimab in combination with KEYTRUDA across secondary and exploratory endpoints, including ORR, PFS, OS and DOR. Responses to quavonlimab in combination with KEYTRUDA were observed regardless of PD-L1 expression with higher TPS scores significantly associated with better response (one-sided p=0.015). These safety and efficacy data support the 25 mg Q6W dose as the recommended Phase 2 dose of quavonlimab when used in combination with KEYTRUDA.

Quavonlimab25 mg Q6W + KEYTRUDAn=40

Quavonlimab25 mg Q3W + KEYTRUDAn=40

Quavonlimab75 mg Q6W + KEYTRUDAn=40

Quavonlimab75 mg Q3W + KEYTRUDAn=14

TotalN=134

ORR, %(95%, CI)

37.5(22.7-54.2)

40(24.9-56.7)

27.5(14.6-43.9)

35.7(12.8-64.9)

35.1(27.0-43.8)

PFS, median(95%, CI), mo

7.8(4.2-14.8)

6.0(2.0-8.3)

6.0(3.5-8.1)

3.4(1.8-NE)

6.1(4.2-7.3)

OS, median(95%, CI), mo

18.1(14.2-NE)

18.1(9.1-21.8)

17.1(9.0-NE)

13.7(3.5-NE)

16.5(14.2-21.8)

DOR, median(95%, CI), mo

NR(4.0 to 21.6+)

7.9(2.8 to 21.4+)

15.9(3.4 to 21.4+)

NR(8.8+ to 16.3+)

13.6(2.8 to 21.6+)

About Lung Cancer Lung cancer, which forms in the tissues of the lungs, usually within cells lining the air passages, is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than die of colon and breast cancers combined. The two main types of lung cancer are non-small cell and small cell. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for about 85% of all cases. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for about 10% to 15% of all lung cancers. Before 2014, the five-year survival rate for patients diagnosed in the U.S. with NSCLC and SCLC was estimated to be 5% and 6%, respectively.

About KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) Injection, 100 mg KEYTRUDA is an anti-PD-1 therapy that works by increasing the ability of the bodys immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells. KEYTRUDA is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, thereby activating T lymphocytes which may affect both tumor cells and healthy cells.

Merck has the industrys largest immuno-oncology clinical research program. There are currently more than 1,200 trials studying KEYTRUDA across a wide variety of cancers and treatment settings. The KEYTRUDA clinical program seeks to understand the role of KEYTRUDA across cancers and the factors that may predict a patient's likelihood of benefitting from treatment with KEYTRUDA, including exploring several different biomarkers.

About Quavonlimab (MK-1308) Quavonlimab is a novel humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to CTLA-4 and blocks interaction with its ligands, CD80 and CD86. Quavonlimab is currently being evaluated in combination with KEYTRUDA across multiple solid tumors as part of ongoing Phase 1 and 2 trials. A Phase 3 trial of quavonlimab coformulated with KEYTRUDA in advanced non-small cell lung cancer is planned.

Selected KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) Indications Melanoma KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma with involvement of lymph node(s) following complete resection.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer KEYTRUDA, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations.

KEYTRUDA, in combination with carboplatin and either paclitaxel or paclitaxel protein-bound, is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic squamous NSCLC.

KEYTRUDA, as a single agent, is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with NSCLC expressing PD-L1 [tumor proportion score (TPS) 1%] as determined by an FDA-approved test, with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations, and is stage III where patients are not candidates for surgical resection or definitive chemoradiation, or metastatic.

KEYTRUDA, as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic NSCLC whose tumors express PD-L1 (TPS 1%) as determined by an FDA-approved test, with disease progression on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving KEYTRUDA.

Link:
Merck Presents Three-Year Survival Data for KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in Combination With Chemotherapy and Updated Phase 1/2 Data for Investigational...

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Merck Presents Three-Year Survival Data for KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in Combination With Chemotherapy and Updated Phase 1/2 Data for Investigational… | October 17th, 2020