Avid Bioservices Inc (CDMO)

[cjgaddy]

Known Upcoming Events (incl. AACR’17 New PPHM+MSK/Wolchok Study) => 4-3-17 #1651, “PSTargeting+Adoptive TCell Transfer (ACT) Eliminates Adv. Tumors w/o Off-Target Toxicities in Melanoma” (J.Wolchok, T.Merghoub, PPHM). Also added 2 new Avid events.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Feb20-22: CHI’s 5th Translational Models in Oncology & I-O, SanFran http://www.triconference.com/Pre-Clinical-Oncology-Models
...Feb21 11:15-11:45am: Michael Gray(Sr.Res.Sci.), “Blockade of PS-Mediated Tumor Immune Suppression to Enhance Immune Checkpoint Therapies”

Feb27-Mar2/Avid Booth #816: BioProcess Intl. West, SanFran https://lifesciences.knect365.com/bpi-west

~Mar8: FY'17Q3 (qe 1-31-17) Financials & Conf. Call - http://ir.peregrineinc.com/events.cfm

Apr1-5: AACR 2017, WashDC http://tinyurl.com/jxfm3hb (Abstract Summaries pub. 3-1-17)
...MSKCC+PPHM: 4-2-17/1pm #574, “PSTargeting+RAD+AntiPD1 Promotes Anti-Tumor Activity, Melanoma”
...MSKCC+PPHM: 4-3-17/8am #1651, “PSTargeting+Adoptive TCell Transfer (ACT) Elims. Adv. Tumors w/o Off-Target Toxicities, Melanoma” <=NEW MSK STUDY$$$
…...$$$SEE: More on the Significance of the New MSK/Wolchok+PPHM “ACT” study: http://tinyurl.com/h3ylrku
...PPHM: 4-4-17/8am #3652, “PSTargeting+LAG3+AntiPD1 Significantly Enhances Anti-Tumor Activity, Triple- MBC”
...IMMUNOVACCINE+PPHM: 4-4-17/8am #3657, ”PSTargeting Enhances Anti-Tumor Activity of a Tumor Vaccine(DepoVax), HPV-Induced Tumor”

Apr10-12: Immune Profiling World Congress 2017, WashDC (part of “World Vaccine Congress 2017”) http://tinyurl.com/zlr5cyj
...4-11-17 12:10pm: Dr. Jeff Hutchins***(VP/PreClinRes.), “Increasing the Benefits of Immune Checkpoint Therapies Thru Increased Tumor Infiltrating Activated T-Cells”
***Note: 1-4-17: Dr. Hutchins left Peregrine to become CSO of Heat-Biologics.

??Jun2-6: ASCO 2017, Chicago https://am.asco.org (Abstracts: Titles/MidAPR, Full=May17)

Jun19-22/Avid Booth #1411: BIO Intl. Convention, SanDiego http://www.convention.bio.org/2017

~Jul13: FY'17Q4 (fye 4-30-17) Financials & Conf. Call - http://ir.peregrineinc.com/events.cfm
.
.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
MORE AACR’17 DETAILS (4 Abstracts):

AACR’17(4-3-17) reveals a 2nd Mem.Sloan Wolchok Lab/PPHM study.
Both PPHM+MemSloan abstracts are for Melanoma, and the lead author for both is Dr. Taha Merghoub, Co-Dir., Ludwig Collaborative Lab at MSK...
This new one, #1651, sounds exciting: “Targeting PS in Combination with Adoptive T Cell Transfer (ACT) Eliminates Advanced Tumors without Off-Target Toxicities in a Melanoma Preclinical Model”. Awaiting 3-1-17 for Full AACR abstract.
-----
AACR’17: 4-3-17 #1651 - Session: TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT & CHECKPOINTS http://tinyurl.com/z47hb2s
MemSloan Jedd Wolchok Lab+PPHM(2nd known study - revealed by AACR’17 Abstract):
“Targeting Phosphatidylserine in Combination with Adoptive T Cell Transfer Eliminates Advanced Tumors without Off-Target Toxicities in a Melanoma Preclinical Model”
Lead author: Dr. Taha Merghoub (Co-Dir., Ludwig Collaborative Lab at MSK), Co-author Jedd Wolchok, PPHM & MSKCC scientists. ( http://www.mskcc.org/research-areas/labs/jedd-wolchok )
NOTES:
“Adoptive Cell Transfer (ACT)” is the transfer of cells into a patient. The cells may have originated from the patient or from another individual. The cells are most commonly derived from the immune system, with the goal of improving immune functionality and characteristics. In cancer immunotherapy, T cells are extracted from the patient, genetically modified and cultured in vitro and returned to the same patient.
-----
**From 3-2014 Immunotherapy article: “Cancer immunotherapy, particularly adoptive cell transfer (ACT), has shown great promise in the treatment of patients with late-stage disease, including those who are refractory to std. Therapies” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4372895
-----
**Through the support from SEAN PARKER, Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) formed an Immunology Research Dream Team dedicated to cancer immunology: “Immunologic Checkpoint Blockade & Adoptive Cell Transfer in Cancer Therapy.” The Immunotherapy Dream Team is focused on 2 approaches for this translational cancer research project, which will unite laboratory & clinical efforts towards the immunological treatment, control, and prevention of cancer.
The 1st is investigating blockades (by inhibitory molecules called “checkpoints”) of T lymphocytes’ inhibitory receptors, which block immune responses; and the use of antibodies to remove the checkpoints, once again allowing white blood cells called T lymphocytes to kill the cancer cells.
Second, the Immunotherapy Dream Team is pursuing multiple Adoptive Cell Transfer (ACT) approaches, which increase immunity.”
DREAM TEAM LEADERSHIP: 10 scientists, incl. MSKCC’s Jedd D. Wolchok & Michel Sadelain.
http://parker.org/initiatives/immunotherapy
-----
**12-12-2012: MSK Researchers Jedd Wolchok & Michel Sadelain Appointed to “Stand Up To Cancer” Immunology “Dream Team”
TWO APPROACHES TO ATTACKING CANCER:
The Immunology Dream Team will pursue 2 research techniques.
The 1st, being led by Dr. Wolchok, involves studying how a type of white blood cell called a T lymphocyte, or T cell, can kill cancer cells. Sometimes, the natural function of the T lymphocyte is blocked or not activated enough to attack cancer cells, allowing the cancer to grow. Part of the Dream Team’s focus will be to investigate ways to ensure that the T lymphocytes work properly in recognizing and killing cancer cells.
The 2nd immunotherapy approach, known as Adoptive Cell Transfer (ACT), involves removing some of a patient’s T cells, enhancing their cancer-fighting abilities and growing them in the laboratory, and then infusing the enhanced cells back into the patient. This can provide a patient with an army of immune cells specifically programmed to fight against cancer. This part of the Dream Team’s research, led by Dr. Sadelain, will investigate several ways to use ACT as a cancer therapy.
https://www.mskcc.org/blog/msk-researchers-appointed-stand-immunology-dream-team

= = = = = = = = = = = = =THE 1st KNOWN PPHM+MSK STUDY:
AACR’17(4-2-17 http://tinyurl.com/jxfm3hb ), same as SITC’16(Nov2016)
SITC’16: “Phosphatidylserine Targeting Antibody in Combination with Checkpoint Blockade & Tumor Radiation Therapy Promotes Anti-Cancer Activity in Mouse Melanoma”
AACR’17: “Phosphatidylserine Targeting Antibody in Combination with Tumor Radiation & Immune Checkpoint Blockade Promotes Anti-Tumor Activity in Mouse B16 Melanoma”
AACR’17 AUTHORS: Sadna Budhu, Olivier De Henau, Roberta Zappasodi, Rachel Giese, Luis F. Campesato, Christopher Barker, Bruce Freimark, Jeff Hutchins, Jedd D. Wolchok, Taha Merghoub (same list as SITC’16, except K.Schlunegger dropped/now at Pfenex, and MSKCC’s L.Campesato & R.Geise added)
...From the SITC’16 abstract: http://tinyurl.com/js3fca4
“We found that the PS-targeting antibody synergizes with both anti-PD-1 and radiation therapy to improve anti-cancer activity and overall survival. In addition, the triple combination of the PS-targeting antibody, tumor radiation and anti-PD-1 treatment displayed even greater anti-cancer & survival benefit. This finding highlights the potential of combining these 3 agents to improve outcome in patients with advanced-stage melanoma and may inform the design of future clinical trials with PS targeting in melanoma and other cancers.”
...From PPHM’s 11-14-16 SITC’16 PR: http://tinyurl.com/js3fca4
DR. JEDD WOLCHOK: "Based on these study results, we believe that the targeting of PS is having meaningful activity within the tumor microenvironment in the B16 melanoma model. It appears that this activity creates a more immune active environment in which other treatments, including radiation, are able to have a greater anti-tumor impact."
DR. TAHA MERGHOUB (Co-Dir., Ludwig Collaborative Lab at MSK): "We have noted that the combination of PS-targeting treatment and radiation, as well as triple combination of PS-targeting treatment, radiation and anti-PD-1, resulted in clear advantages in anti-tumor activity in the mouse B16 melanoma model. We believe that these findings suggest the potential benefit of combining these agents to improve the outcomes of patients with cancer. With this in mind, we think this research may play an important role in designing future clinical trials of PS-targeting agents in melanoma and other cancers."

= = = = =THE OTHER 2 (of 4 total) AACR’17 PPHM ABSTRACTS:
4-4-17/8am #3652 - Session: BITES BISPECIFICS & CHECKPOINTS
“Combinational Activity of LAG3 & PD-1 Targeted Therapies is Significantly Enhanced by the Addition of Phosphatidylserine Targeting Antibodies and Establishes an Anti-Tumor Memory Response in Murine Triple Negative Breast Cancer”
=> Michael J. Gray, Jian Gong, Jeff Hutchins, Bruce Freimark (Peregrine Pharmaceuticals)

4-4-17/8am #3657 - Session: BITES BISPECIFICS & CHECKPOINTS
”Phosphatidylserine-Targeting Antibodies Enhance Anti-Tumor Activity of a Tumor Vaccine in a HPV-Induced Tumor Model”
=> Genevieve Weir 1, Tara Quinton 1, Jeff T. Hutchins 2, Bruce D. Freimark 2, Marianne Stanford (VP/Res., Immunovaccine)
1=Immunovaccine, Inc., Halifax, NS, Canada [ https://www.imvaccine.com ]
2=Peregrine Pharmaceuticals
[Note: clearly, this study is combining PPHM’s Anti-PS with ImmunoVaccine’s DepoVax Vaccine Adjuvanting Platform https://www.imvaccine.com/depovax.php ]
.
.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
5-29-15: Peregrine & Sloan Kettering Enter Collab. to “Investigate Novel PS-Targeting Immunotherapy Combos” http://tinyurl.com/o3k9ux8
...The studies at MSK will be performed under the direction of Taha Merghoub, PhD, [ http://www.mskcc.org/research-areas/labs/members/taha-merghoub-01 ] Associate Attending Biologist, Melanoma and Immunotherapeutics Service, Ludwig Collaborative and the Swim Across America Laboratory, a part of the laboratory of Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD [ http://www.mskcc.org/research-areas/labs/jedd-wolchok ], a leader in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Wolchok serves as the Chief, Melanoma and Immunotherapeutics Service, Lloyd J. Old Chair for Clinical Investigation as well as an Associate Director of the Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at MSK.
----
”The phosphatidylserine (PS) signaling pathway is a very interesting target for modulating the immune system's response to cancer. We look forward to exploring the potential of PS-targeting agents alone and with other immune modulators that may lead to novel advances in cancer therapy," said Dr. Jedd Wolchok.
–--
As part of the collaboration, researchers at MSK will conduct research to further explore the combination of PS-targeting agents, including bavituximab, that block a primary immunosuppressive pathway thereby allowing anti-tumor immune responses with other immuno-stimulatory agents that enhance immune responses. Specifically, MSK researchers will examine the combination of bavituximab alongside models of checkpoint blockade that are unresponsive to inhibition or co-stimulation given the ability of bavituximab to reprogram myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and increase tumoricidal T-cells in tumors, a mechanism of action that is complementary to checkpoint blockade and T-cell activation.
–--
"A key focus of the Wolchok Lab's research is studying novel immunotherapy combinations that work together to enable the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer. This collaboration will allow us to focus on the role and contribution of PS blockade therapy in determining which combination of the current and next generation of immune modulators is likely to increase the extent and amplitude of anti-tumor response. This important pre-clinical and translational work will potentially guide the design of the next generation of clinical studies with bavituximab," said Dr. Taha Merghoub.
–--
"We are delighted to be working with a world-renowned pioneer and leader in the immuno-oncology space, recognizing that there remains significant research in order for more cancer patients to realize the benefits of combination immune therapy," said Jeff T. Hutchins, PhD, VP of Preclinical Research at Peregrine. ”Our internal and collaborative research presented over the last year has established a robust foundation of PS-targeting activity on which to initiate this next chapter in PS research and development."
–--
"This collaboration is an important extension of our established research efforts to further explore and understand the potential of our PS-targeting platform including bavituximab our lead clinical candidate. This research will focus on better understanding how treatment with PS-targeting agents can assist other anti-tumor immunotherapies in order to work better," said Steven King, CEO of Peregrine. ”Our goal is to change the way cancer patients are treated by allowing their immune system to recognize and fight their disease. This collaboration will undoubtedly assist us in identifying potential new opportunities to better treat patients with cancer."
.
.