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Lecture to focus on engineering strategies applied to design safe and efficacious bispecific drug candidates, utilizing our proprietary platform technologies SEATTLE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:APVO), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel immune-oncology therapeutics based on its proprietary ADAPTIR™ and ADAPTIR-FLEX™ platform technologies, today announced a presentation at The Essential Protein & Antibody Engineering Summit (PEGS) conference in Boston MA. The session, being offered today, Tuesday May 14, 2023 at 8:30 AM Eastern time and entitled "Development of Target Activated ADAPTIRs for Tumor Immunotherapy," will be led by Dr. Peter Pavlik, PhD, Senior Director of Protein Engineering at Aptevo and will focus on the strategic deployment of early functional screening of a diverse group of binding domains against a given target, combined with screening in multiple possible final formats to elicit varied functional activity, exemplified by preclinical and clinical data supporting predictive outcomes. "As a Company, Aptevo is focused on innovations in bispecific cancer therapeutics. We are excited to present at PEGS and share key learnings and expertise with a like-minded community," said Peter Pavlik, PhD, Senior Director, Protein Engineering at Aptevo. He continued, "As we have developed our portfolio of two clinical (APVO436 and ALG.APV-527) and three preclinical candidates (APVO603, APVO711 and APVO442), we have purposefully deployed engineering strategies intended to produce safe and efficacious drug candidates and our outcomes in both the clinic and the lab to date suggest that this approach is successful." Aptevo continues to add to a growing body of clinical evidence that supports the preclinical predications of safety, conditional activation, and clinical activity of its portfolio of assets. Recent news from the Company's two clinical programs includes: A heavily pretreated breast cancer patient, enrolled in the ALG.APV-527 Phase 1 open-label, multi-center, multi-cohort trial for the treatment of multiple solid tumor types, entered the trial and improved from progressive disease to long-lasting stable disease (SD) while on therapy. The patient has remained on study for more than eleven months and been successfully transitioned to a higher dose level, with no new adverse events since the transition, which may allow for increased clinical benefit. The trial is more than 50% enrolled and we are dosing cohort 5 The Company is on track to initiate part 1 of its upcoming dose optimization trial in 2Q 2024. The study will further evaluate APVO436 for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Aptevo has partnered with premier CRO, Prometrika, for the upcoming study. The first part is a dose optimization trial evaluating standard of care venetoclax + azacitidine along with APVO436 as a frontline treatment for AML patients. It is planned as an open-label, multi-center, multi-cohort study. The trial will evaluate safety/tolerability and efficacy of the triplet combination at multiple dose levels About Dr. Pavlik Peter Pavlik is Senior Director of Protein Engineering at Aptevo Therapeutics. He has been working on bispecific antibody development at Aptevo for the last 8 years, focusing on discovery of new binding domains, their engineering into bispecific molecules, optimization of developability, and engineering of manufacturing cell lines. Before joining Aptevo, Peter worked for 8 years at MedImmune/AstraZeneca on antibody discovery and protein engineering and for 10 years at Los Alamos National Labs developing antibody discovery technologies at a genome scale. Peter obtained M.Sc. in Biochemistry from Comenius University in Slovakia and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Vienna in Austria. About Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel immuno-oncology therapies for the treatment of cancer. Aptevo is seeking to improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients. For more information, please visit . Safe Harbor Statement This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, Aptevo's expectations about the activity, efficacy, safety, tolerability and durability of its therapeutic candidates and potential use of any such candidates, including in combination with other drugs, as therapeutics for treatment of disease, its expectations regarding the effectiveness of its ADAPTIR and ADAPTIR-FLEX platforms, statements related to the preclinical and clinical outcomes of Aptevo's engineering strategies, statements related to the progress of Aptevo's clinical programs, including statements related to anticipated clinical and regulatory milestones such as Phase 1b/2 trial initiation for APVO436 in frontline, venetoclax naïve AML patients, whether further study of APVO436 in a Phase 1b dose optimization trial focusing on multiple doses of APVO436 in combination with venetoclax + azacitidine on a targeted patient population will continue to show clinical benefit, whether Aptevo's final trial results will vary from its earlier assessment, whether further study of ALG.APV-527 across a cross section of multiple tumor types will continue to show clinical benefit, whether higher dose ranges for ALG.APV-527 will result in increased signs of clinical activity, the possibility and timing of interim data readouts for ALG.APV-527, whether Aptevo's final trial results will vary from its preliminary or interim assessments, the possibility and timing of preliminary or interim data readouts for ALG.APV-527, statements related to the progress of and enthusiasm for Aptevo's clinical programs, statements related to Aptevo's ability to generate stockholder value, whether Aptevo will continue to have momentum in its business in the future, and any other statements containing the words "may," "continue to," "believes," "knows," "expects," "optimism," "potential," "designed," "promising," "plans," "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Aptevo's current intentions, beliefs, and expectations regarding future events. Aptevo cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be accurate. Investors should realize that if underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could differ materially from Aptevo's expectations. Investors are, therefore, cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. There are several important factors that could cause Aptevo's actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including a deterioration in Aptevo's business or prospects; further assessment of preliminary or interim data or different results from later clinical trials; adverse events and unanticipated problems, adverse developments in clinical development, including unexpected safety issues observed during a clinical trial; and changes in regulatory, social, macroeconomic and political conditions. For instance, actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the uncertainties inherent in the results of preliminary or interim data and preclinical studies being predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials, initiation, enrollment and maintenance of patients, and the completion of clinical trials, the availability and timing of data from ongoing clinical trials, the trial design includes combination therapies that may make it difficult to accurately ascertain the benefits of APVO436, expectations for the timing and steps required in the regulatory review process, expectations for regulatory approvals, the impact of competitive products, our ability to enter into agreements with strategic partners or raise funds on acceptable terms or at all and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of Aptevo's product candidates, business or economic disruptions due to catastrophes or other events, including natural disasters or public health crises such as the coronavirus (referred to as COVID-19), geopolitical risks, including the current war between Russia and Ukraine and the rising conflict in the Middle East, and macroeconomic conditions such as economic uncertainty, rising inflation and interest rates, continued market volatility and decreased consumer confidence. These risks are not exhaustive, Aptevo faces known and unknown risks. Additional risks and factors that may affect results are set forth in Aptevo's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from Aptevo's expectations in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and, except as required by law, Aptevo does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect new information, events, or circumstances. CONTACT: Miriam Weber Miller Head, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Aptevo Therapeutics Email: IR@apvo.com or Millerm@apvo.com Phone: 206-859-6628 SOURCE: Aptevo Therapeutics View the original press release on accesswire.com

SAN DIEGO--( BUSINESS WIRE )--Escient Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage company advancing novel small molecule therapeutics for the potential treatment of a broad range of neurosensory-inflammatory disorders, today announced the addition of three key new members to its leadership team. Aaron Mishel has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer, David Houck as Vice President of CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing & Controls), and Greg Balani as Director of Business Development. “ We are pleased to welcome Aaron, David, and Greg to Escient Pharmaceuticals” said CEO Joshua Grass. “ These new hires will help drive our growth and transition to an innovative clinical development company. In 2023 we plan to initiate five clinical trials, all while retaining our leading drug discovery capabilities. Our pipeline includes two novel, first-in-class small molecule product candidates to treat an array of neurosensory-inflammatory diseases: EP262 (MRGPRX2 antagonist) for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), chronic inducible urticaria (CindU) and atopic dermatitis (AD) and EP547 (MRGPRX4 antagonist) for cholestatic pruritus.” Aaron Mishel – Chief Financial Officer Mr. Mishel brings over twenty years of experience in the life sciences and financial services sectors to the company. Prior to Escient, he served as CFO or head of finance for several venture-backed private healthcare companies including GenEdit, Magnetic Insight, and Modis Therapeutics. Previously, he worked in business and corporate development at BioMarin Pharmaceutical, spent six years in Equity Research at Deutsche Bank and Thomas Weisel Partners, and held positions of increasing responsibility in finance at CV Therapeutics. He holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and a B.A. in Economics from Brown University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Dr. David Houck – Vice President of CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing & Controls) Dr. Houck has over 35 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience in regulatory affairs, formulation development, manufacturing, and quality control of pharmaceutical products. Previously, Dr. Houck was Chief Development Officer at Aptinyx Inc. and held various senior R&D positions at Merck, Sterling Winthrop, Sanofi, OSI Pharmaceuticals, and Scynexis. He has led CMC programs for a variety of dosage forms which contributed to the advancement of several clinical and marketed pharmaceutical products. He was trained in biochemistry and medicinal chemistry, completed degrees at Alma College (B.S.), Purdue University (M.S.), and Ohio State University (Ph.D.), and served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Greg Balani – Director of Business Development Prior to Escient, Mr. Balani served as Director of Business Development at Zogenix, where he was instrumental in the company’s sale to UCB. Before Zogenix, Mr. Balani held positions of increasing responsibility at Bayer in the U.S. Business Development & Licensing and the Global Mergers, Acquisitions & Licensing groups, where he worked on in-licensing assets, acquisitions, and asset divestitures. Prior to Bayer, he worked as a management consultant at Huron within its Corporate and Operational division. He received a PharmD from the University of California San Francisco and a B.S. from DePaul University. About Escient Pharmaceuticals Escient Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage company focused on developing novel therapeutics to address a broad range of neurosensory-inflammatory disorders. The company’s pipeline includes two first-in-class small molecule antagonists targeting MRGPRX2 for the treatment of various mast cell mediated disorders and MRGPRX4 for cholestatic pruritus. Based in San Diego, California, Escient is led by an experienced management and scientific team and funded by top-tier life science investors. Visit www.escientpharma.com to learn more.

A new study has measured how long it takes for several kinds of exotic nuclei to decay. The paper marks the first experimental result from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. It is just a small taste of what's to come at the facility, which will become 400 times more powerful over the coming years. Scientists used the facility to better understand nuclei, the collection of protons and neutrons found at the heart of atoms. Understanding these basic building blocks allows scientists to refine their best models and has applications in medicine, national security, and industry. A new study led by the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has measured how long it takes for several kinds of exotic nuclei to decay. The paper, published today in Physical Review Letters, marks the first experimental result from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), a DOE Office of Science user facility operated by Michigan State University. Scientists used the one-of-a-kind facility to better understand nuclei, the collection of protons and neutrons found at the heart of atoms. Understanding these basic building blocks allows scientists to refine their best models and has applications in medicine, national security, and industry. "The breadth of the facility and the programs that are being pursued are really exciting to watch," said Heather Crawford, a physicist at Berkeley Lab and lead spokesperson for the first FRIB experiment. "Research is going to be coming out in different areas that will impact things we haven't even thought of yet. There's so much discovery potential." The first experiment is just a small taste of what's to come at the facility, which will become 400 times more powerful over the coming years. "It's going to be really exciting -- mind-blowing, honestly," Crawford said. More than 50 participants from ten universities and national laboratories were involved in the first experiment. The study looked at isotopes of several elements. Isotopes are variations of a particular element; they have the same number of protons but can have different numbers of neutrons. Researchers focused on unstable isotopes near the "drip-line," the spot where neutrons can no longer bind to a nucleus. Instead, any additional neutrons drip off, like water from a saturated kitchen sponge. Researchers smashed a beam of stable calcium-48 nuclei traveling at about 60% of the speed of light into a beryllium target. The calcium fragmented, producing a slew of isotopes that were separated, individually identified, and delivered to a sensitive detector that measured how long they took to decay. The result? The first reported measurements of half-lives for five exotic, neutron-laden isotopes of phosphorus, silicon, aluminum, and magnesium. Half-life measurements (perhaps best known from applications in carbon dating) are one of the first things researchers can observe about these short-lived particles. The fundamental information about nuclei at the limits of their existence provides a useful test for different models of the atomic world. "This is a basic science question, but it links to the bigger picture for the field," Crawford said. "Our aim is to describe not only these nuclei, but all kinds of nuclei. These models help us fill in the gaps, which helps us more reliably predict things we haven't been able to measure yet." More complete theories help advance research in areas such as astrophysics and nuclear physics -- for example, understanding how elements form in exploding stars or how processes unfold in nuclear reactors. Crawford and the team plan to repeat the half-life experiment again next year, taking advantage of additional beam intensity that will increase the number of isotopes produced, including rare isotopes near the neutron drip-line. In the meantime, other groups will take advantage of the facility's many beamlines and instruments. "Bringing the facility online was a big effort by a lot of people, and something the community has been looking forward to for a long time," Crawford said. "I'm excited I am young enough to keep taking advantage of it for the next several decades." Multiple institutions collaborated on the first experiment, with researchers from Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Berkeley Lab, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Florida State University, FRIB, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Louisiana State University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mississippi State University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK). Scientists from ORNL, UTK, ANL and FRIB led the collaboration to provide the instruments used in the FRIB Decay Station initiator, the sensitive detector system that measured the isotopes. Michigan State University (MSU) operates the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) as a user facility for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC), supporting the mission of the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics. Hosting what is designed to be the most powerful heavy-ion accelerator, FRIB enables scientists to make discoveries about the properties of rare isotopes in order to better understand the physics of nuclei, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and applications for society, including in medicine, homeland security, and industry.