Optimism for the potential of a bifunctional fusion protein complex in development at HCW Biologics Inc. for the potential treatment of pancreatic cancer jolted company shares (NASDAQ:HCWB) skyward to $4.73 on Oct. 28, up 62%, though still far short of the company's $8 per share summer market debut. The company, founded and led by former Altor Bioscience Corp. CEO Hing Wong, gained FDA clearance to start a first-in-human phase Ib trial of the candidate, HCW-9218.
A phase III trial of Rafael Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s devimistat in pancreatic cancer has failed, sending shares in its publicly listed holding company through the floor. Shares in Rafael Holdings (NYSE:RFL) closed Oct. 28 down 73% to $8.09, for a loss of $22.08 after an independent data monitoring committee also recommended a separate phase III trial of devimistat in acute myeloid leukemia should be stopped due to lack of efficacy.
Diacarta Inc.’s diagnostic assay, Coloscape, could be the first to meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS)’s strict standards for Medicare coverage of a liquid biopsy for colorectal cancer screening if results seen in a Plos One study are borne out in larger trials and the test gets the nod from the FDA. That is a lot of ifs, but the study posted strong results: 100% specificity and 92.2% sensitivity for cancer and 95% specificity and 62.5% sensitivity for precancerous lesions.
Antengene Corp. Ltd. has formed a partnership with Legochem Biosciences Inc. to jointly develop new antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) primarily for cancer. The partners will integrate antibodies from Antengene with Legochem’s ADC technology.
The Cancer Grand Challenges Mutographs study, a combined genetic and epidemiological analysis of data from eight countries with widely different incidences of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC), has unexpectedly failed to identify mutational signatures indicating DNA damage that could account for global ESCC incidence variations.
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