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Curis, Inc. (CRIS) Receives US Patent for Anti-tumor Compound

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Curis recently received a US patent (US Patent Number 8,324,240) entitled ‘Fused Amino Pyridine as HSP90 Inhibitors.’ It covers a genus of compounds that includes Debio 0932, an orally-administered Heat Shock Protein 90, or HSP90, inhibitor, which is being developed by Curis’s licensee Debiopharm:

• HSP90 is a chaperone protein that controls the folding and processing of certain client proteins. HSP90 clients include many proteins that drive tumor development and progression, such as EGFR, HER2, c-MET, AKT, KIT, FLT3, and VEGFR. Inhibition of HSP90 leads to degradation of client proteins targeting multiple oncogenic signaling pathways.

• Debio 0932 is an oral second-generation HSP90 inhibitor, which has shown extended tumor retention, blood-brain-barrier penetration, and promising anti-tumor activity both as monotherapy and in combination against a broad range of tumors in preclinical models. Debiopharm presented data from the dose escalation portion of an ongoing Phase I clinical trial study. Debio 0932 was generally well tolerated in this study and showed promising signs of anti-tumor activity in patients with advanced solid tumors, especially lung cancer.

“We believe that this patent issuance recognizes the novelty of Debio 0932, a molecule that was invented internally by Curis scientists,” stated Dan Passeri, Curis’ president and CEO.

“We have been pleased with Debiopharm’s development efforts and the clinical data generated to-date. We look forward to additional data from this promising molecule, as Debiopharm is currently testing Debio 0932 in a Phase I/II clinical trial in combination with chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as well as in a Phase Ib clinical study in patients with solid tumors, including NSCLC. Debiopharm also intends to initiate a separate Phase I/II clinical trial with Debio 0932 in combination with Everolimus in patients with renal cell carcinoma in the second half of 2013.”

In preclinical testing Debio 0932 demonstrated potent anti-proliferative activity against a broad range of cancer cell lines, including many NSCLC cell lines which are resistant to SOC agents. Debio 0932 potently inhibits tumor growth in subcutaneous xenograft models of a number of solid and hematological malignancies, including models of NSCLC which harbor mutations conferring acquired or primary erlotinib resistance.

Curis is a drug development company committed to leveraging its innovative signaling pathway drug technologies to develop new targeted small molecule drug candidates for cancer. Curis is building upon its current portfolio and targeting signaling pathways, including in the Hedgehog pathway, to develop proprietary targeted cancer programs.

For more information, visit www.curis.com

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Top 3 Gainers: Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA), Eros International (NYSE:EROS), Borqs Technologies’ (BRQS)

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Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) is up 2.5% after Benchmark reiterated its Buy rating in a look-ahead at Q2 earnings. The firm’s expecting a beat and solid guidance for Q3, and it’s raising its guidance for the fiscal year.

Tailwinds from the pandemic won’t dissipate easily, Benchmark suggests, and the videogame maker’s acquisition of Peak (and with it new “forever franchises” in Toon Blast and Toy Blast) will drive audience, bookings, margins and free cash flow, it says. The firm has an $11 price target, now implying 14% upside.

Eros International (NYSE:EROS) is up 5.8% today, making up the last week’s lost ground, after news that its streaming service Eros Now is partnering with Sony India (SNE +2.3%).

That will mean Eros Now’s app is pre-installed on selected Sony smart televisions in India, along with availability on a large base of existing models (Bravia E series and newer).

The country over the past year has seen a 25% growth in demand for smart TVs, fueled by overall industry growth of 15%, to a record 15M units/year.

Borqs Technologies’ (BRQS) personal safety tracker sees strong market with increased orders from the electronics retail chain in the US.

The boost in product demand comes ahead coronavirus pandemic that provides company to expect delivery of 250K units this year. It reflects over 3x the volume delivered in 2019, the year of its launch.

Borqs’ mobile personal safety devices designed particularly for senior citizens come with panic button, location tracking, and fall detection.

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Biotech

Biotech movers: Pfizer Inc. (PFE), Celgene Corporation (CELG)

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Pfizer Inc. (PFE) said on Thursday it received a request for documents as part of a U.S. investigation related to quality issues involving the manufacture of auto-injectors at its Meridian Medical Technologies site.

Pfizer, in a regulatory filing, said it would be producing records in response to the civil investigative demand from the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.

Why ASDN Could Massively Outperform PFE in 2019

Meridian, a unit of Pfizer that manufactures EpiPen injectors used to deliver an emergency allergy antidote, has been hit by a series of manufacturing problems in recent years. Mylan NV, which markets EpiPens, has recalled tens of thousands of the devices after complaints that some had failed to activate.

Bristol-Myers Squibb has been meeting with shareholders in Boston and New York over the last two weeks to try to salvage its $74 billion purchase of cancer drugmaker Celgene Corporation (CELG), the biggest acquisition announced so far this year.

Why Investors Are Calling ASDN the CELG of the Sky!

The deal, announced in January, was hard sell to Bristol shareholders from the start. The acquisition adds about $32 billion in fresh debt to Bristol’s balance sheet while assuming $20 billion in Celgene’s debt, the companies said at the time. After factoring in debt, the acquisition was the largest health-care deal on record, according to data compiled by Refinitiv.

Now, hedge funds Wellington Management and Starboard Value say the deal doesn’t sit well with them. Bristol has sent executives to New York to meet with institutional investors several times over the last two weeks and met with investors in Boston on Wednesday and Thursday, according to a person who briefed on the meetings.

Bristol-Myers declined to comment.

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Biotech

Big Losers: Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (CRBP), Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (PBR)

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Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (CRBP)’s shares slumped as much as 16% to $6.94 on huge volume. The stock has been showing intense sell off suddenly after a bearish article on seekingalph.com by Alpha Exposure.

The article stated that Corbus has ties to investors convicted of or alleged to have committed securities fraud. We believe lenabasum has failed its major trials in SSc and CF. Lenabasum was also denied Breakthrough Therapy Designation in SSc. We believe lenabasum will fail in its pivotal SSc and Phase 2b CF trials. We are short Corbus with a price target of $0.50.

Wow the future of Autonomous flight is finally here with the launch of ASDN passenger drone Elroy

Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (PBR) is expanding its ambitious divestment program and has “bold” plans for sales, the Brazilian state-run oil company’s chief executive said after the firm posted its first annual profit in five years.

On a conference call with analysts to discuss fourth-quarter results, CEO Roberto Castello Branco said selling non-core assets will be key to deleveraging.

Petrobras, as the company is known, can reduce its ratio of net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, to 1.5 or even to 1, he added.

The University of Chicago-educated CEO, who took the reins in early January, has long been vocal about the need to slim down the sprawling firm and focus on core activities such as exploration and production. Thursday’s comments were some of his most assertive on the matter.

Why Investors Are Calling ASDN the TPC of the Sky!

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