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NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The DeGregorio Family Foundation with the support of the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association has awarded $75,000 to R. Taylor Ripley, MD, Associate Professor at the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and a thoracic surgeon. The Grant is named in memory of Michael F. Price, the noted value investor and philanthropist, who was an early supporter of the Foundation. Dr. Ripley, along with Yuan Xu, MD, PhD, Instructor at Baylor College of Medicine, will continue to evaluate whether targeting the portion of the tumor cell responsible for energy production will improve treatment responses in esophageal adenocarcinoma. This funding is in addition to $75,000 awarded in 2023 and could increase, depending on results. Continue Reading Dr. R. Taylor Ripley Normally, the tumor cell 'energy center', called the mitochondria, protect the tumor cell from treatment with either chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Dr. Ripley and Dr. Xu have reported that esophageal tumors resisted cancer cell death through a protein on the mitochondria called Myeloid Leukemia Cell-1 (McI-1). This protein increases in tumor mitochondria to further resist treatment so that treatment does not work well. They are evaluating whether targeting McI-1 will improve the effects of standard treatments. Importantly, Mcl-1 is part of a 'pathway' that may block treatment responses. Dr. Ripley's team found that certain proteins in that pathway are responsible for Mcl-1 production. Therefore, if these newer proteins are targeted, then Mcl-1 will not be present to prevent tumor cells from dying during treatment. To test the hypothesis that targeting Mcl-1 or its regulatory proteins will improve treatment response, Dr. Ripley and his team have established two models. In the first model, they generate 'patient-derived explants' in which a tumor is directly removed during surgery. This approach enables evaluation within three days, which is important to decide about treatment for each patient. In the second model, they developed 'patient-derived xenografts' in which tumors from patients were implanted in mice, which allows longer-term treatment evaluation. These mice are treated with drugs that block Mcl-1 in combination with chemotherapy. Together, these two models will confirm the new approach of targeting the mitochondria to help patients respond to therapy. In 2020, gastric and esophageal cancers combined killed over 1.3 million people worldwide. Patients continue to face poor prognoses following gastroesophageal cancer diagnoses due to their chemo-resistant behavior and ability to metastasize. "The support of the DeGregorio Family Foundation is critical to the success of our research; we very much appreciate it," said Dr. Ripley. "Esophageal adenocarcinoma has been growing exponentially in the last four decades in the U.S. and is the most common subtype of esophageal cancer found here," concluded Lynn DeGregorio, President and Founder. "We are proud of Dr. Ripley and his team for their pioneering research." The DeGregorio Family Foundation, founded in 2006 after a 10th member of the DeGregorio family died of stomach cancer, has raised more than $8 million to fund innovative research to cure gastric and esophageal cancers. It is the only public foundation focused on funding research grants for both of these cancers. Click here to donate. For high-res. images: SOURCE DeGregorio Family Foundation

Additional Pharmacodynamic Data on Abelacimab Released at the 2022 Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Anthos Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative therapies for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, announced that four new research updates were presented on abelacimab during the Venous Thromboembolism poster session at the ongoing International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis 2022 Congress in London, UK. "Coagulation is a complex multilayered process and the potential benefits of inhibiting Factor XI are becoming increasingly clear. These preclinical studies add important information characterizing the pharmacodynamic effects of abelacimab and further extend our understanding of the biological effects of Factor XI inhibition," said Dan Bloomfield, Chief Medical Officer at Anthos Therapeutics. "With a growing body of evidence from ongoing studies both in the clinic and the lab, and a recent FDA Fast Track designation granted for abelacimab in thrombosis associated with cancer, we are becoming increasingly confident about the potential of our novel dual-acting Factor XI/XIa inhibitor may offer in the future as a treatment advance." The details of each poster presentation are provided below: PB0927 - Abelacimab does not influence the effects of two commonly used antiplatelet agents in vitro This study investigated the effects of clinically relevant doses of abelacimab on the inhibition of platelet aggregation by commonly used antiplatelet agents, aspirin and ticagrelor, in vitro. It demonstrated that abelacimab did not affect the level of antiplatelet inhibition achieved either by aspirin or ticagrelor confirming that abelacimab will not interfere with the benefits of these antiplatelet agents. PB0925 - Abelacimab has no effect on platelet aggregation induced by TRAP-6 and collagen FXI has been identified as a ligand to platelet receptors ApoER2 and GPIbα on the surface of stimulated platelets. This study demonstrated that abelacimab did not interfere with normal platelet aggregation following stimulation with collagen or thrombin receptor activating peptide-6 (TRAP-6) and compared with vehicle and active control (abciximab, anti-GP2b3a) suggesting that the binding of FXI to the platelet surface has no effect on primary hemostasis. PB0548 - Abelacimab, a Factor XI/XIa Antibody Inhibits Clotting in Hemodialysis Circuits Ex Vivo This study compared the effect of a combination of abelacimab and enoxaparin with enoxaparin alone, in an ex vivo model of hemodialysis that is aggressive due to the frequent re-circulation of blood and a lack of endothelial cells. Inhibition of FXI/FXIa by abelacimab combined with enoxaparin (but not enoxaparin alone) reduced and prevented device malfunction. This provides support for testing abelacimab in patients on hemodialysis. PB0926 - Low concentrations of rFVIIa bypass changes in ROTEM coagulation parameters induced by abelacimab in vitro. While patients with severe factor XI (FXI) deficiency rarely have spontaneous bleeding, low doses of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) have been used and are effective in managing bleeding should it occur. This study was designed to evaluate whether low concentrations of rFVIIa could revert the changes in abelacimab-induced coagulation parameters as measured by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in whole blood in vitro assays from healthy individuals. As expected and similar to what has been observed in patients with Factor XI deficiency, these data suggest that low doses of rFVIIa can be used to manage bleeding in Factor XI inhibited patients being treated with abelacimab. About Anthos Therapeutics Anthos Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of genetically and pharmacologically validated innovative therapies to advance care for people living with cardiovascular and metabolic (CVM) diseases. Anthos Therapeutics aims to combine the agility of a biotech with the rigor of a large pharmaceutical company. Anthos Therapeutics was launched by Blackstone Life Sciences in 2019. For more information visit the website at , Twitter at , and LinkedIn at . About Abelacimab Abelacimab is a novel, highly selective, fully human monoclonal antibody designed to induce effective hemostasis-sparing anticoagulation through Factor XI inhibition. Abelacimab targets the active domain of Factor XI, demonstrating dual inhibitory activity against both Factor XI and its activated form, Factor XIa. Abelacimab can be administered intravenously (IV) to achieve rapid inhibition of Factor XI activity and then used subcutaneously (SC) monthly to maintain nearly complete inhibition in a chronic setting. In a PK/PD study, abelacimab administered IV provided profound suppression of Factor XI within one hour after the start of therapy and maintained near maximal inhibition for up to 30 days. 1,2 In a Phase 2 study whose results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2021, a single intravenous dose of abelacimab after knee surgery reduced the rate of venous thromboembolism by 80%, measured 10 days after surgery, compared to enoxaparin.1 Factor XI inhibition offers the promise of hemostasis-sparing anticoagulation for the prevention and treatment of arterial and venous thromboembolic events.3 Abelacimab is an investigational agent and has not been approved for any indication. Verhamme P et al. New Engl J Med July 2021 () Yi BA et al. J Thromb Haemost. Oct. 2021 () Hsu et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. Aug. 2021 () Forward Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the initiation, and timing, of future clinical trials and its research and development. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, including statements regarding the company's strategy, future operations, future financial position, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "become", "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the company's views as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing the company's views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. The company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the company's views to change. However, while the company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. Media Contacts: Russo Partners LLC Tony Russo, PhD (212) 845-4251 / [email protected] Olipriya Das, PhD (646) 942-5588 / [email protected] SOURCE Anthos Therapeutics