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Newly developed ultra-low radiation cables reduce background noise for neutrino and dark matter detectors. Imagine trying to tune a radio to a single station but instead encountering static noise and interfering signals from your own equipment. That is the challenge facing research teams searching for evidence of extremely rare events that could help understand the origin and nature of matter in the universe. It turns out that when you are trying to tune into some of the universe's weakest signals, it helps to make your instruments very quiet. Around the world more than a dozen teams are listening for the pops and electronic sizzle that might mean they have finally tuned into the right channel. These scientists and engineers have gone to extraordinary lengths to shield their experiments from false signals created by cosmic radiation. Most such experiments are found in very inaccessible places -- such as a mile underground in a nickel mine in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, or in an abandoned gold mine in Lead, South Dakota -- to shield them from naturally radioactive elements on Earth. However, one such source of fake signals comes from natural radioactivity in the very electronics that are designed to record potential signals. Radioactive contaminants, even at concentrations as tiny as one part-per-billion, can mimic the elusive signals that scientists are seeking. Now, a research team at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, working with Q-Flex Inc., a small business partner in California, has produced electronic cables with ultra-pure materials. These cables are specially designed and manufactured to have such extremely low levels of the radioactive contaminants that they will not interfere with highly sensitive neutrino and dark matter experiments. The scientists report in the journal EPJ Techniques and Instrumentation that the cables have applications not only in physics experiments, but they may also be useful to reduce the effect of ionizing radiation interfering with future quantum computers. "We have pioneered a technique to produce electronic cabling that is a hundred times lower than current commercially available options," said PNNL principal investigator Richard Saldanha. "This manufacturing approach and product has broad application across any field that is sensitive to the presence of even very low levels of radioactive contaminants." An ultra-quiet choreographed ballet Small amounts of naturally occurring radioactive elements are found everywhere: in rocks, dirt and dust floating in the air. The amount of radiation that they emit is so low that they do not pose any health hazards, but it's still enough to cause problems for next-generation neutrino and dark matter detectors. "We typically need to get a million or sometimes a billion times cleaner than the contamination levels you would find in just a little speck of dirt or dust," said PNNL chemist Isaac Arnquist, who co-authored the research article and led the measurement team. For these experiments, Saldanha, Arnquist, and PNNL colleagues Maria Laura di Vacri, Nicole Rocco and Tyler Schlieder evaluated the amount of uranium, thorium and potassium at each step of the dozen or so processing steps that ultimately produce a detector cable. The team then developed special cleaning and fabrication techniques to reduce the contamination down to insignificant levels. Working in an ultraclean, dust and contaminant-free laboratory, the PNNL researchers meticulously plan out their every move. "I almost think of us as performance athletes because everything, every movement we make, is extremely thought out. It's almost like we're choreographed dancers," said Arnquist. "When we handle a detector sample material, there's no wasted extraneous motion or interaction with the sample because that interaction could impart some contamination that limits how well we can measure the materials." After several years of work and hundreds of measurements, the resulting cables are now so free of contaminants that they will not impact the operation of next-generation dark matter and neutrino experiments such as DAMIC-M, OSCURA, and nEXO. The research team points out in their study that low-radioactivity cables can increase the sensitivity of the experiments and even allow more flexibility in detector design. Getting closer to the a-ha moment So, exactly what are the researchers looking for in these experiments? In the case of both dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay, they are hoping to record extremely rare events that could solve two key mysteries of the universe. Both of these mysteries pose fundamental questions about why the universe looks the way it does. The galaxies that fill our universe would not have formed without the existence of dark matter. Dark matter makes up around 85 percent of the matter of the universe, and yet, we have never observed dark matter directly, only its gravitational imprint on the universe. Perhaps more intriguing, the question of why there is matter in the universe at all may hinge on a unique property of the smallest known particles of matter -- the neutrino. Unlike all other fundamental particles, neutrinos could possibly interact as both matter and anti-matter. If true, this could result in an extremely rare nuclear decay called neutrinoless double beta decay. Scientists are building large experiments consisting of many tons of sensitive material with the hope of finding the first evidence of neutrinoless double beta decay within the next decade. "Every step we take to eliminate interfering radioactivity gets us closer to finding evidence for dark matter or neutrinoless double beta decay," said Saldanha. "These flexible cables have many conductive pathways, which are needed to read out complicated signals," added Arnquist. "When, say, dark matter interacts with the detector or a neutrinoless double beta decay occurs, it's going to create an event that needs to be accurately recorded -- read out -- to make the discovery. We need to put a complex electronic part that is extremely clean of radioactive elements into the heart of the detector." "Next generation searches for neutrinoless double beta decay will be among the lowest radioactivity experiments ever constructed," said David Moore, a Yale University physicist and PNNL collaborator. "These detectors use such pure materials that even a small amount of normal cabling materials would overwhelm the radioactivity from the entire rest of the detector, so developing ultra-low-background cables to read out such detectors is a major challenge. This recent work from PNNL and Q-Flex is key to enabling these detectors and will reduce the cabling background to a small fraction of what was possible with previous technologies." Planning is already underway to upgrade the highly sensitive DAMIC-M dark matter experiment and the new ultra-pure cables are one of the key improvements scheduled for installation in the detector. "One component that we can't avoid in our detector are the cables that transmit the signals, which must be of very low radioactivity," said Alvaro E Chavarria, a physicist at the University of Washington and a collaborator on the DAMIC-M project. "Prior to this recent PNNL development, the best solution was microcoax cables, which carry too few signals and would have required a significant redesign of our detector. This development is super exciting, since it enables the use of the industry-standard flex-circuit technology for low-background applications." Recent research findings by PNNL scientists and other collaborators indicate that the performance of some quantum computing devices can be affected by the presence of trace radioactive contaminants. While radioactivity is not currently what limits the capabilities of existing quantum computers, it is possible that quantum devices of the future might need low-radioactivity cables to enhance their performance. "We see the potential for these cables to find applications in a wide range of sensitive radiation detectors and perhaps other applications such as quantum computing," Saldanha said. The research was supported by the Department of Energy, Office of Science, under its Early Career Research and Small Business Innovation Research programs.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Endeavor BioMedicines, a clinical-stage company targeting the drivers of fibrosis and oncology, today announced that the company has completed enrollment in its Phase 2a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ENV-101 (taladegib) for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). ENV-101 is a small-molecule inhibitor of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, which plays a critical role in IPF disease pathology. “Completing enrollment in the ENV-101 IPF study brings us one step closer to delivering an urgently needed therapy with the potential to treat the underpinnings of the disease and halt the progression of fibrosis,” said John Hood, Ph.D., Co-Founder, CEO and Chairman, Endeavor BioMedicines. “This enrollment milestone is an important achievement, and we look forward to reporting topline results in Q1 of 2024. I would like to thank the patients participating and the clinical trial sites for working tirelessly to advance the study to this point.” The Phase 2a clinical trial is a randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-center study, designed to assess the efficacy and safety of ENV-101 as a monotherapy in subjects with mild to moderate IPF. The study is being conducted in the Asia-Pacific region as well as Canada and Mexico and enrolled 41 participants. The primary endpoints of the trial include change from baseline in frequency and severity of adverse events, as well as change in key vital sign measurements. Secondary endpoints include change in forced vital capacity (FVC) and other measures of lung function. Additional information on the trial can be found at using the identifier NCT04968574. ENV-101: Targeting the Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Pulmonary Disease ENV-101 is an agent originally developed to target Hedgehog driven cancers that has been evaluated in approximately 200 subjects and yielded best in class safety and target inhibition in man. The Hedgehog pathway is a developmental pathway not normally active in adults. In IPF, as part of the tissue remodeling process, the Hedgehog pathway is upregulated inducing the appearance of myofibroblasts via epithelial mesenchymal transition. Myofibroblasts are the cells that deposit fibrotic matrix and contract the lung leading to the inelastic, contracting, poorly perfused lungs responsible for IPF patient morbidity and mortality. Selectively inhibiting this pathway in lung tissue induces myofibroblast apoptosis, thereby eliminating the key cellular driver of IPF. About Endeavor BioMedicines Endeavor BioMedicines is a clinical stage company targeting the drivers of fibrosis and oncology. We combine best-in-class therapeutics with an evolving understanding of terminal diseases to develop medicines with the potential to reverse severe health conditions. Our lead program, ENV-101, is a Hedgehog signaling inhibitor with demonstrated clinical activity that we are investigating in IPF. At Endeavor, we are an innovative and focused team that has come together to live up to our name and bold mission: to help patients feel better and live longer. Please visit us on our website at and on our LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) pages.

Sol-Gel on track to advance Orphan Drug candidate, SGT-610 (patidegib) for Gorlin syndrome into Phase 3 testing in late 2023 Sol-Gel’s recently announced agreement with Searchlight Pharma will provide up to $11 million in upfront payments and regulatory and sales milestones for both TWYNEO® and EPSOLAY®, combined, plus additional royalties ranging from low double-digits to high-teens Sol-Gel has cash runway into the second half of 2025 NESS ZIONA, Israel, Aug. 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sol-Gel Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ: SLGL) (“Sol-Gel”), a dermatology company leveraging innovative approaches to develop pioneering treatments for patients with severe skin conditions, and with two approved large-category dermatology products, EPSOLAY and TWYNEO, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023 and provided a corporate update. “We were pleased to announce another TWYNEO and EPSOLAY partnership during the quarter which generated non-dilutive revenue for our shareholders. We are delighted to partner these first products developed by Sol-Gel with Searchlight Pharma in Canada, a leading commercial territory, over a fifteen-year term that is renewable for subsequent five-year periods,” stated Alon Seri Levy, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Sol-Gel. “Based on current discussions we expect more international licenses will follow in the future, while coverage and demand for both products in the U.S. may be approaching a plateau due to the genericization of both the acne and rosacea markets.” Dr. Seri Levy continued, “We are on track with our plans to initiate the pivotal Phase 3 trial for SGT-610 (patidegib), our recently acquired, Breakthrough-designated, Orphan Drug candidate with a market potential of over $300 million for the prevention of basal cell carcinoma in subjects having Gorlin syndrome, in late 2023. The recent clinical setback in a Phase 2b trial of a competing product with a similar indication but a different mechanism of action, presents Sol-Gel with the opportunity to be a durable market leader in Gorlin syndrome, if our own Phase III program succeeds. The potential of SGT-610 taken together with lower-than-expected future royalty streams from EPSOLAY and TWYNEO in the U.S., have led Sol-Gel to focus on this candidate in the near-term and delay the planned clinical study for SGT-210,” he concluded. Q2 2023 and Recent Corporate Developments Based on our recent assessment of expected partner licensing revenues and the delay in the development of SGT-210, Sol-Gel is adopting cost-saving measures, including a headcount reduction of about 25 employees to maintain the cash runway into the second half of 2025. In June, Sol-Gel announced the signing of exclusive license agreements for TWYNEO and EPSOLAY for the Canadian market. Partner Searchlight is to commercialize both products in Canada over a fifteen-year term that is renewable for subsequent five-year periods. As part of the agreement terms, Sol-Gel will receive up to $11 million in potential upfront payments and regulatory and sales milestones for both drugs, combined. In addition, Sol-Gel will be entitled to royalty percentages from all Canadian net sales ranging from low-double-digits to high teens. Searchlight will be responsible for obtaining and maintaining any regulatory approvals required to market and sell the drugs in Canada, with support from Sol-Gel. In connection with the acquisition from PellePharm, Inc. of topically-applied patidegib, a Phase 3-ready, Breakthrough designated Orphan Drug candidate for the treatment of Gorlin syndrome announced in January of this year, Sol-Gel raised $22.8 million through registered direct and private placement offerings. These proceeds will support the Phase 3 trial of patidegib, a hedgehog signaling pathway blocker, expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023, and for general corporate purposes. The $10 million private placement portion of the offering was approved by shareholders on March 30, 2023 and received in April 2023. Prescribers continue to report positive experiences with TWYNEO since the product launched in the U.S. in April 2022, with a high recurring base of prescribers nearly reaching 100% for the second quarter of 2023, in line with Q1, while growing the base of prescribers by 6% quarter-over-quarter. Patient refill rates have also remained consistent during the second quarter, indicating overall continued confidence and positive patient experience. According to IQVIA data, there have been over 24,000 prescriptions written for TWYNEO in the second quarter of 2023, and over 155,000 prescriptions written to date. As of Q2 2023, EPSOLAY remains the #2 position among branded topical rosacea treatments for Papulopustular Rosacea and continues to grow market share. EPSOLAY’s recurring base of prescribers increased to nearly 100% of its total prescribers in Q2 2023, from 92% in the first quarter of 2023, and there was a 14% quarter-over-quarter increase in prescribers as well as a 2% increase in patient refill rates over the same period. These increases are an indicator of positive patient experience along with the result of commercial efforts executed by Galderma in line with rosacea season. According to IQVIA data, there have been over 13,000 prescriptions of EPSOLAY written in the second quarter of 2023, and over 50,000 prescriptions written to date. Financial Results for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2023 Total revenue in the first half of the year was $0.9 million, which primarily consisted of licensing revenues from both Galderma and Searchlight. In the first quarter, wholesaler ordering patterns were disrupted ahead of Galderma’s implementation of a new enterprise resource planning system, which impacted its standard forecasting procedures and its quarterly assessment of rebate accruals. As a result, previously reported revenue for the first quarter and revenues for the second quarter were revised as reflected in the income statement presented below. Research and development expenses were $5.3 million compared to $2.4 million for the same period in 2022. The increase of $2.9 million was primarily attributed to an increase of $1.1 million related to the continuing development of SGT-610, an increase of $0.8 million related to professional expenses associated with a development stage generic candidate and an increase of $1.0 million related to manufacturing expenses associated with our branded products. General and administrative expenses were $1.8 million in 2023 compared to $1.6 million for the same period in 2022. The increase of $0.2 million was mainly attributed to an increase in professional expenses. Sol-Gel reported a net loss of $6.0 million for the second quarter of 2023 and a loss of $0.22 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $0.1 million and a loss of $0.01 per basic and diluted share for the same period in 2022. As of June 30, 2023, Sol-Gel had $29.1 million in cash, cash equivalents and deposits, and $17.9 million in marketable securities for a total balance of $47.0 million. The balance as of June 30, 2023 includes $10 million received in April 2023 as part of the $22.8 million raised in the recent financing. The Company expects that its cash resources will enable funding of operational and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2025. About Gorlin Syndrome and SGT-610 SGT-610, a hedgehog signaling pathway blocker, has the potential to be the first ever treatment for Gorlin syndrome, if approved. Gorlin syndrome, an autosomal dominant genetic disorder affecting approximately 1 in 27,000-31,000 people in the U.S., is mostly caused by inheritance of one defective copy of the tumor suppressor patched homolog 1 (PTCH1) gene. Normally, the PTCH1 gene blocks the smoothened, frizzle class receptor (SMO) gene, turning off the hedgehog signaling pathway when it is not needed. Mutations in the PTCH1 gene may cause a loss of PTCH1 function, release of SMO, and may allow basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tumor cells to divide uncontrollably. Patidegib, the active substance in SGT-610, is designed to block the SMO signal, thus, allowing cells to function normally and reducing the production of new tumors. About TWYNEO TWYNEO (tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide) Cream, 0.1%/3% is used for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris in adults and pediatric patients 9 years of age and older. TWYNEO utilizes a proprietary, patented technology where tretinoin and BPO are encapsulated within silica-based microcapsules to create a barrier between the medication and the skin. The patented microencapsulation technology in TWYNEO Cream segregates and envelopes the active ingredients in silica core shells (microcapsules) so that tretinoin is protected from the oxidizing effects of BPO, allowing the combination of both drugs into one product and gradual release onto the skin. Sol-Gel Technologies received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approval for TWYNEO Cream on July 27, 2021, and has granted exclusive rights to Galderma to commercialize the treatment in the U.S. About EPSOLAY EPSOLAY is a topical cream containing encapsulated benzoyl peroxide (BPO), 5%, for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of rosacea in adults. EPSOLAY utilizes a proprietary, patented technology to encapsulate BPO within silica-based microcapsules to create a barrier between the medication and the skin. The silica-based shell is designed to slowly release BPO over time to provide a tolerable and effective treatment. Sol-Gel Technologies received FDA approval for EPSOLAY Cream on April 22, 2022, and has granted exclusive rights to Galderma to commercialize the treatment in the U.S. About Sol-Gel Technologies Sol-Gel Technologies, Ltd. is a dermatology company focused on identifying, developing and commercializing or partnering drug products for the treatment of skin diseases. Sol-Gel developed TWYNEO which is approved by the FDA for the treatment of acne vulgaris in adults and pediatric patients nine years of age and older; and EPSOLAY, which is approved by the FDA for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of rosacea in adults. Both drugs are exclusively licensed to and commercialized by Galderma in the U.S. The Company’s pipeline includes Orphan Drug candidate, SGT-610 under investigation for the prevention of new basal cell carcinomas in Gorlin syndrome patients, and also includes topical drug candidate SGT-210 under investigation for the treatment of rare skin keratodermas. For additional information, please visit . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to our expected cash runway; the benefits of and projections of our future financial performance; the timing and success of any clinical studies and obtaining of regulatory approval for our product candidates, including SGT-610; the commercial acceptance, profitability and reimbursement of TWYNEO and EPSOLAY; the benefits we expect to receive under our agreement with Searchlight Pharma; our ability to out-license additional non-U.S. rights for TWYNEO and EPSOLAY; and the potential of SGT-210. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, plans and objectives. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “expect,” “predict,” “potential,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on information we have when those statements are made or our management’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the current global macroeconomic climate as well as the following factors: (i) the adequacy of our financial and other resources, particularly in light of our history of recurring losses and the uncertainty regarding the adequacy of our liquidity to pursue our complete business objectives; (ii) our ability to complete the development of our product candidates; (iii) our ability to find suitable co-development partners; (iv) our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for our product candidates in our target markets, the potential delay in receiving such regulatory approvals and the possibility of adverse regulatory or legal actions relating to our product candidates even if regulatory approval is obtained; (v) our collaborators’ ability to commercialize our pharmaceutical product candidates; (vi) our ability to obtain and maintain adequate protection of our intellectual property; (vii) our collaborators’ ability to manufacture our product candidates in commercial quantities, at an adequate quality or at an acceptable cost; (viii) our collaborators’ ability to establish adequate sales, marketing and distribution channels; (ix) acceptance of our product candidates by healthcare professionals and patients; (x) the possibility that we may face third-party claims of intellectual property infringement; (xi) the timing and results of clinical trials that we may conduct or that our competitors and others may conduct relating to our or their products; (xii) intense competition in our industry, with competitors having substantially greater financial, technological, research and development, regulatory and clinical, manufacturing, marketing and sales, distribution and personnel resources than we do; (xiii) potential product liability claims; (xiv) potential adverse federal, state and local government regulation in the United States, Europe or Israel; and (xv) loss or retirement of key executives and research scientists. These and other important factors discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 10, 2023, as amended, and our other reports filed with the SEC could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in this press release. For further information, please contact: Investors: Irina Koffler Investor relations, LifeSci Advisors ikoffler@lifesciadvisors.com +1 917 734 7387 Sol-Gel Technologies Gilad Mamlok Chief Financial Officer gilad.mamlok@sol-gel.com SOL-GEL TECHNOLOGIES LTD. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data) December 31, June 30, 2022 2023 A s s e t s CURRENT ASSETS: Cash and cash equivalents $ 12,448 $ 15,618 Bank deposits 12,500 13,500 Marketable securities 8,678 17,863 Receivables from collaborative and licensing arrangements 7,858 2,205 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1,571 2,405 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 43,055 51,591 NON-CURRENT ASSETS: Restricted long-term deposits and cash 1,288 1,293 Property and equipment, net 660 569 Operating lease right-of-use assets 876 709 Other long-term receivables - 229 Funds in respect of employee rights upon retirement 749 712 TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS 3,573 3,512 TOTAL ASSETS $ 46,628 $ 55,103 Liabilities and shareholders' equity CURRENT LIABILITIES: Accounts payable $ 251 $ 461 Other accounts payable 2,360 4,773 Current maturities of operating leases 718 433 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 3,329 5,667 LONG-TERM LIABILITIES Operating leases liabilities 54 136 Liability for employee rights upon retirement 1,032 1,004 TOTAL LONG-TERM LIABILITIES 1,086 1,140 TOTAL LIABILITIES 4,415 6,807 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY: Ordinary Shares, NIS 0.1 par value – authorized: 50,000,000 as of December 31, 2022 and June 30, 2023; issued and outstanding: 23,129,469 and 27,805,954 as of December 31, 2022 and June 30, 2023, respectively. 638 771 Additional paid-in capital 234,640 257,281 Accumulated deficit (193,065 ) (209,756 ) TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 42,213 48,296 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 46,628 $ 55,103 SOL-GEL TECHNOLOGIES LTD. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data) Three months ended Three months ended March 31 June 30 2022 2023 2022 2023 LICENSE REVENUES $ 3 $ 300 $ 3,518 $ 594 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES 4,042 9,386 2,380 5,312 GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES 1,911 1,977 1,601 1,809 OPERATING LOSS $ 5,950 $ 11,063 $ 463 $ 6,527 FINANCIAL INCOME, net (353 ) (342 ) (329 ) (557 ) LOSS FOR THE PERIOD $ 5,597 $ 10,721 $ 134 $ 5,970 BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER ORDINARY SHARE 0.24 $ 0.43 $ 0.01 $ 0.22 WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING USED IN COMPUTATION OF BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE 23,127,484 24,944,220 23,128,429 27,660,326 Six months ended June 30 2022 2023 LICENSE REVENUES $ 3,521 $ 894 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES 6,422 14,698 GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES 3,512 3,786 OPERATING LOSS $ 6,413 $ 17,590 FINANCIAL INCOME, net (682 ) (899 ) LOSS FOR THE PERIOD $ 5,731 $ 16,691 BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER ORDINARY SHARE $ 0.25 $ 0.63 WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING USED IN COMPUTATION OF BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE 23,127,958 26,306,484