Astellas Pharma, Inc.

Total spending for March was $188 million, up from $168.4 million in February. This is still some way off the $200 million-plus we saw tallied up for most months toward the end of 2023. It’s as you were at the top of the pharma drug ad spending list in March as AbbVie’s immunology blockbusters Rinvoq and Skyrizi stay first and second, respectively. This is the same order as we saw in February, according to data from real-time ad trackers at iSpot.TV, with spending also barely moving across both drugs and their spots. However, the third position saw a significant shift. This spot is usually reserved for Sanofi and Regeneron’s rival immunology giant Dupixent, but, in March, Otsuka and Lundbeck's Rexulti took its place. After spending just under $11 million in February and not being listed, Rexulti ads jumped right into the final podium position in March as the pair spent $24.8 million on three spots. Bristol Myers Squibb’s moderate to severe plaque psoriasis drug Sotyktu also jumped into the top 10 after not being in the listing at all the month before, more than doubling spending from $8.6 million in February to $19 million in March. Dupixent has dropped down to fifth place from its usual ranking, while Merck's Gardasil HPV vaccine has made an unexpected appearance at No. 6 on the list of ad spending. Gardasil's ad spending saw a major boost from $7,600 to $14.7 million month over month. In seventh place is Astellas’ hot flash treatment Veozah, down three places, while BMS makes its second entry into the top 10 with its skin, lung and many other cancers immunotherapy Opdivo. Opdivo has over time been in these top 10 lists—but never consistently—and it remains unusual to see any cancer med in these listings, given that it’s not a general drug for common conditions like psoriasis or asthma. BMS was, however, clearly feeling flush as it also splashed out $14 million on ads for a third drug, namely its obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treatment Camzyos. Rounding off the top 10 is UCB’s moderate to severe plaque psoriasis therapy Bimzelx, which saw exactly $0 spent in February and rose to $13.6 million in March, as it launched its first DTC campaign in time for the Oscars. Total spending for March was $188 million, up from $168.4 million in February. This is still some way off the $200 million-plus we saw tallied up for most months toward the end of 2023, but still a strong showing so early in the year, when overall spending numbers tend to be lower.   Check out the top 10 pharmaceutical drug ad spenders as compiled for Fierce Pharma Marketing by iSpot.TV below.     1. Rinvoq Movement: No change What is it? AbbVie’s JAK inhibitor immunology drug Est. national TV ad spend: $31 million (up from $30.1 million in February) Number of spots: Six (one eczema, two arthritis, three UC/Crohn’s) Biggest-ticket ad: “Mountains” (est. $8.6 million)   2. Skyrizi Movement: No change What is it? AbbVie’s immunology drug Est. national TV ad spend: $24.8 million (down from $24.9 million in February) Number of spots: Eight (four psoriasis, one Crohn’s, three psoriatic arthritis) Biggest-ticket ad: “Sailing” (est. $12.5 million)   3. Rexulti Movement: Not listed last month What is it? Otsuka and Lundbeck’s atypical antipsychotic Est. national TV ad spend: $23.4 million (up from $10.8 million in February) Number of spots: Three (two Alzheimer’s, one depression) Biggest-ticket ad: “Still Masking” (est. $18.8 million)   4. Sotyktu Movement: Not listed last month What is it? Bristol Myers Squibb’s moderate to severe plaque psoriasis drug Est. national TV ad spend: $19 million (up from $8.6 million in February) Number of spots: Three Biggest-ticket ad: “Live Unfiltered” (est. $16 million)   5. Dupixent Movement: Down two spots What is it? Sanofi and Regeneron’s immunology drug. Est. national TV ad spend: $18.7 million (down from $20.3 million in February) Number of spots: Seven (three eczema, three asthma, one gastrointestinal) Biggest-ticket ad: “DU More: Diving Board, Soccer and Playground” (est. $7.7 million)   6. Gardasil Movement: Not listed last month What is it? Merck's HPV vaccine Est. national TV ad spend: $14.7 million (up from $7.6K in February) Number of spots: One Biggest-ticket ad: “Numbers Move You” (est. $14.7 million)   7. Veozah Movement: Down three spots What is it? Astellas’ hot flash treatment Est. national TV ad spend: $14.4 million (down from $16.2 million in February) Number of spots: One Biggest-ticket ad: “Not Flash” (est. $14.4 million)   8. Opdivo Movement: Up one spot What is it? Bristol Myers Squibb’s cancer medicine Est. national TV ad spend: $14.4 million (up from $11.3 million in February) Number of spots: One Biggest-ticket ad: “Advanced Lung Cancer” (est. $14.4 million)   9. Camzyos Movement: Down four spots What is it? Bristol Myers Squibb’s symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treatment Est. national TV ad spend: $14 million (down from $16 million in February) Number of spots: Two Biggest-ticket ad: “Mike” (est. $7.9 million)   10. Bimzelx Movement: Not listed last month What is it? UCB’s moderate to severe plaque psoriasis therapy Est. national TV ad spend: $13.6 million (up from $0 in February) Number of spots: Three Biggest-ticket ad: “Born With Wings” (est. $12 million)

OSAKA, Japan, April 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RegCell, a leader in epigenetic reprogramming of disease-causing effector T-cells to create antigen-specific regulatory T-cells, today announced the appointment of Steven B. Kanner, Ph.D., to the company's Board of Directors. Dr. Kanner's wealth of expertise in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, spanning more than three decades and with a deep focus on immunology, brings invaluable leadership to RegCell as it advances the promising potential of its regulatory T-cell platform toward the clinic in 2024. Continue Reading Steven B. Kanner, Ph.D. "I am thrilled to be part of a company at the forefront of regulatory T-cell therapies with a robust pipeline that holds promise in addressing a myriad of diseases without compromising the body's immune system integrity," said Dr. Kanner. "I am eager to help drive forward RegCell's innovative cell reprogramming platform that harnesses the natural biology of regulatory T cells (Tregs) to ultimately offer enhanced therapeutic solutions to patients in dire need." "We are honored to have Steve Kanner join our Board of Directors," remarked Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, co-founder of RegCell. "Dr. Kanner's profound understanding of immunology comes at a pivotal juncture for RegCell as we advance our clinical development and expand our Precision Epigenetic Reprogramming Platform. His expertise will undoubtedly be instrumental in helping us make significant progress in our mission." Dr. Kanner currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at Caribou Biosciences, Inc., where he is responsible for the company's therapeutic discovery, research, translational, and development activities. Prior to joining Caribou, Steve was Vice President and Head of Biology at Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, leading a department in the discovery of RNAi therapeutics for oncology. Preceding Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, he served in various positions of increasing responsibility in both oncology and inflammation drug discovery at Astex Pharmaceuticals, Agensys/Astellas, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Steve currently serves on the Board of Directors at Specific Biologics. He has authored over 90 publications in both peer-reviewed journals and books and is an inventor of numerous U.S. and foreign patents. Steve received his bachelor's degree in genetics from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned his Ph.D. in immunology and microbiology from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. His post-doctoral studies at the University of Virginia were funded by a National Institutes of Health fellowship award grant. Backed by leading institutional and corporate investors hailing from Japan, RegCell emerges as the next-generation global life science enterprise at the forefront of regulatory T-cell therapies. Founded on the groundbreaking discovery of regulatory T-cells by esteemed scientist Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, RegCell embodies his visionary quest to translate this breakthrough into a pioneering therapeutic platform. Central to RegCell's innovation is its 'Precision Epigenetic Reprogramming' platform, which entails the epigenetic reprogramming of CD4+ T-cells into regulatory T-cells. These reprogrammed cells mirror crucial epigenetic traits of natural regulatory T-cells and harbor T-cell receptors inherently predisposed towards disease-causing antigens, including unidentified antigens, which are fundamental elements in numerous autoimmune disorders. About RegCell RegCell is a biotechnology company at the forefront of developing advanced therapies that redefine the management of autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection. Based on pioneering science, RegCell's innovative 'Precision Treg Reprogramming' technology embodies the future of personalized medicine. RegCell proprietary best-in-class platform allows the generation of epigenetically reprogrammed antigen-specific regulatory T-cells (Tregs) that are stable in vivo and maintain a high degree of functionality (S/F-Epigen-Tregs) to restore immune tolerance and ultimately reverse autoimmune disorders as well as the limitations with transplantation. With its roots in Japan and a global vision, RegCell is committed to becoming a leader in the life sciences industry, bringing transformative treatments to patients around the world. For additional information, please contact: Media Contact: Ignacio Guerrero-Ros, Ph.D. Russo Partners LLC [email protected] SOURCE RegCell

- Achievement of latest clinical candidate triggers additional $5 million milestone payment to CytomX and is the third milestone achieved in the collaboration to date - - CytomX-retains US co-commercialization and economic rights for select programs - SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the achievement of a second clinical candidate nomination under the companies’ TCB collaboration with Astellas Pharma US, Inc., triggering a $5 million milestone payment to CytomX. CytomX and Astellas are collaborating on multiple conditionally activated TCB programs with CytomX eligible to receive additional future preclinical, clinical and commercial milestones. CytomX retains a cost share and co-commercialization option on a select number of targets. “The achievement of clinical candidate nomination for the second Probody® TCB program in our broad collaboration with Astellas underscores our capabilities in the exciting field of conditionally activated, masked T-cell engaging bispecifics. T-cell engagers offer new possibilities for the treatment of solid tumors and the PROBODY® platform may be ideally suited to realizing the potential of this modality,” said Sean McCarthy, D. Phil, chief executive officer and chairman of CytomX. “At Astellas, immuno-oncology is a Primary Focus of our research and development strategy, and the rapidly advancing field of masked bispecific immune cell engagers holds tremendous promise for patients,” stated Peter Sandor, M.D., Senior Vice President and Primary Focus Lead, Immuno-Oncology. “We are delighted with the progress in our broad alliance in this area with CytomX and look forward to the continued collaboration successes as we expand our next-generation immuno-oncology therapeutic pipeline to address areas of high unmet medical need.” About CytomX Therapeutics CytomX is a clinical-stage, oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel conditionally activated biologics designed to be localized to the tumor microenvironment. By pioneering a novel pipeline of localized biologics, powered by its PROBODY® therapeutic platform, CytomX’s vision is to create safer, more effective therapies for the treatment of cancer. CytomX’s robust and differentiated pipeline comprises therapeutic candidates across multiple treatment modalities including antibody-drug conjugates (“ADCs”), T-cell engagers, and immune modulators such as cytokines. CytomX’s clinical-stage pipeline includes CX-904, CX-2051 and CX-801. CX-904 is a conditionally activated T-cell-engaging antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on tumor cells and the CD3 receptor on T cells and partnered with Amgen in a global co-development alliance. CX-2051 is a conditionally activated ADC directed toward epithelial cell adhesion molecule, EpCAM, with potential applicability across multiple EpCAM-expressing epithelial cancers. CX-801 is an interferon alpha-2b PROBODY® cytokine with broad potential applicability in traditionally immuno-oncology sensitive as well as insensitive (cold) tumors. CytomX has established strategic collaborations with multiple leaders in oncology, including Amgen, Astellas, Bristol Myers Squibb, Regeneron and Moderna. For more information about CytomX and how it is working to make conditionally activated treatments the new standard-of-care in the fight against cancer, visit and follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). CytomX Therapeutics Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control, and may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in such statements, including those related to the future potential of partnerships or collaboration agreements. Accordingly, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements, including those relating to the potential benefits, safety and efficacy or progress of CytomX’s or any of its collaborative partners’ product candidates, including CX-2051, CX-801, and CX-904, the potential benefits or applications of CytomX’s PROBODY® therapeutic platform, CytomX’s or its collaborative partners’ ability to develop and advance product candidates into and successfully complete clinical trials, including the ongoing and planned clinical trials of CX-904, and the timing of the commencement of clinical trials or initial and ongoing data availability for CX-801 and CX-2051, and other development milestones. Risks and uncertainties that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: the unproven nature of CytomX’s novel PROBODY® therapeutic technology; CytomX’s clinical trial product candidates are in the initial stages of clinical development and its other product candidates are currently in preclinical development, and the process by which preclinical and clinical development could potentially lead to an approved product is long and subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including the possibility that the results of preclinical research and early clinical trials may not be predictive of future results; the possibility that CytomX’s clinical trials will not be successful; the possibility that current preclinical research may not result in additional product candidates; CytomX’s dependence on the success of CX-904, CX-801, and CX-2051; CytomX’s reliance on third parties for the manufacture of the Company’s product candidates; possible regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; and the risk that we may incur higher costs than expected for research and development or unexpected costs and expenses. Additional applicable risks and uncertainties include those relating to our preclinical research and development, clinical development, and other risks identified under the heading "Risk Factors" included in CytomX’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 11, 2024. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on information currently available to CytomX and speak only as of the date on which they are made. CytomX does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise. PROBODY is a U.S. registered trademark of CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. CytomX Investor Contact: Chris Ogden SVP, Finance and Accounting cogden@cytomx.com CytomX Investor and Media Contact: Stern Investor Relations Stephanie Ascher stephanie.ascher@sternir.com