WESTCHESTER COUNTY BIOSCIENCES UPDATE
Featuring news, events and industry trends
Oligomerix Announces Series B Extension Raise of $2.7 Million to Support Phase 1 Clinical Development


Oligomerix will also use a portion of the Series B funding to conduct early characterization research on the Company’s multiple second generation series of assets, which will be focused on disease modification in dementia.
Sapience Therapeutics Announces $41 Million Series B Financing to Advance Pipeline of Peptide Therapeutics Targeting Protein-Protein Interactions

Harrison headquartered, Sapience Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of peptide therapeutics to address difficult-to-treat cancers, announced the completion of a $41 million Series B financing. The financing was led by new investor NexPoint and included participation from existing investors Bristol Myers Squibb, Eshelman Ventures and Kingdon Capital. As part of the financing, a convertible note provided by NexPoint in December 2021 was converted into Series B shares.

Sapience intends to use the proceeds from the financing to accelerate the advancement of its pipeline of peptide therapeutics designed to disrupt protein-protein interactions and drug well-validated cancer pathways. The proceeds will support the advancement of its lead program, ST101, which is currently in Phase 2 for patients with advanced solid tumors, and progress its second program, ST316, from IND-enabling studies to the commencement of a Phase 1 study. In addition, the financing will support the advancement of Sapience's platform to discover new therapies against high-value targets for difficult-to-treat oncology indications.
IN THE NEWS
Regeneron Winners Get Red Carpet Treatment from Elected Officials

A few of our best and brightest young minds are now officially recognized as Westchester County's leading citizens.
 

Westchester students received more than $25,000 total in scholarship money for their innovative research projects.


Elicio Inks Deal with Regeneron to Evaluate ELI-002 in Combination with Libtayo

Clinical-stage biotech Elicio Therapeutics has entered into a clinical supply agreement with Tarrytown’s Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Elicio’s lead asset, ELI-002, an investigational KRAS-targeted cancer vaccine, in combination with Regeneron’s Libtayo (cemiplimab), a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the immune checkpoint receptor PD-1 on T cells, in patients with KRAS-driven tumors.

The combination therapy will be studied in KRAS-driven tumors including Stage III and IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) and unresectable, locally advanced or oligometastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The study, which is expected to begin in 2023, will be conducted by Elicio. Each party will provide their respective agent for the trial. Libtayo is being jointly developed by Regeneron and French pharma major Sanofi.


Sanofi, Regeneron's Libtayo Scores UK Watchdog's Approval in Common Form of Skin Cancer

England’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) signed off on Sanofi and Tarrytown headquartered Regneron’s Libtayo for the tough-to-treat skin cancer, allowing patients in the U.K. fully funded access to the drug.

Libtayo has been available in the U.K. since 2019 under the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF). Officials established that program to quickly give patients access to new treatments under spending limitations. Real-world data gathered since has justified the cost-effectiveness of the drug, NICE said.


FDA Approves Dupixent® (dupilumab) as First Treatment for Adults and Children Aged 12 and Older with Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Tarrytown headquartered, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Dupixent® (dupilumab) 300 mg weekly to treat patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) aged 12 years and older, weighing at least 40 kg. With this approval, Dupixent becomes the first and only medicine specifically indicated to treat EoE in the United States. A regulatory filing for EoE is under review by the European Medicines Agency, and submissions to regulatory authorities in additional countries are planned by the end of 2022.

EoE is a chronic inflammatory disease driven by type 2 inflammation that damages the esophagus and prevents it from working properly. For people with EoE, swallowing even small amounts of food can be a painful and worrisome choking experience. They are often left to contend with the frustration and anxiety of a constantly evolving list of foods to avoid, a poor quality of life and a higher risk of depression. In cases where EoE causes the esophagus to narrow, forced and potentially painful dilation (physical expansion) of the esophagus may be needed. In severe cases, a feeding tube may be the only option to ensure proper caloric intake and adequate nutrition. About 160,000 patients are living with EoE in the U.S. These individuals are currently treated with therapies not specifically approved for the disease, of whom approximately 48,000 continue to experience symptoms despite multiple treatments.
Akeso Therapeutics, Inc. Announces Appointment of Steven A. Porcelli, MD, to Scientific Advisor Board

Yorktown Heights-based, Akeso Therapeutics, Inc., an early-stage biotechnology company developing engineered natural killer T (NKT) cells for the treatment of cancer, announced the appointment of Steven A. Porcelli, MD to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Porcelli is among the world’s leading experts in NKT cell biology and joins Akeso Therapeutics, Inc. in advising the company’s research and development.

Dr. Porcelli is Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Department of Medicine (Rheumatology), Chair of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, and Murray and Evelyne Weinstock Chair in Microbiology and Immunology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. Dr. Porcelli has over 30 years of research experience and more than 230 peer-reviewed publications on NKT cell biology and other relevant topics in immunology. Dr. Porcelli received his B.A. from Columbia University and M.D. from Yale University and completed his Fellowship in Rheumatology and Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Cognition Therapeutics to Host Virtual KOL Symposium on Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration and the Potential for Sigma-2 Modulation
 
Purchase headquartered, Cognition Therapeutics, Inc. announced plans to hold a virtual KOL symposium on June 9, 2022, from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. ET to discuss dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD). Cognition plans to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study with CT1812, its lead sigma-2 (σ-2) receptor modulator, in patients with dry AMD in the second half of 2022.
 
Dr. Mary Hamby, Cognition’s vice president of research will review the proteomic and preclinical findings recently presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting, which support the company’s proposed clinical plans. Dr. Karl Csaky will provide an overview of dry AMD pathology, disease drivers and patient burden. Dr. Stella Robertson will then lead a panel of scientific and clinical experts in a moderated discussion of experimental approaches and the current dry AMD treatment landscape.

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