University of Zurich

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Balixafortide, a potent CXCR4 inhibitor, to be evaluated for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)Spexis closed capital commitments totaling USD $7.5 million supporting Phase 3 ColiFin® program in cystic fibrosis (CF) infectionsCOPILOT study expected to initiate in fourth quarter 2023Appointed Gonçalo Bernardes, PhD, as acting Head of Chemical BiologyAnnounced strong safety and pharmacokinetics results from first-in-human study with inhaled murepavadin, a novel macrocycle compoundEngaged Maxim Group LLC as M&A advisor to evaluate strategic transactions of which Spexis would be the surviving companyBusiness update conference call to be held in October ALLSCHWIL, Switzerland, Sept. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spexis AG (SIX: SPEX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on macrocycle therapeutics for rare diseases and oncology, today announced its financial results for the first half of 2023 and provided a strategic business update. “Spexis remains on track to deliver on the potential of our robust pipeline with multiple clinical development milestones on the horizon,” said Jeff Wager, M.D., Chairman & CEO of Spexis. “We anticipate initiating our Phase 3 ColiFin® program beginning with the COPILOT study in the fourth quarter supported by our financial partner on this program, SPRIM Global Investments. In addition, we have completed our initial analysis of further indication development potential for balixafortide. Based on our analysis, we are excited to announce balixafortide’s new focus on the treatment of PDAC where patients have long faced bleak and limited treatment options. Balixafortide’s well-documented and encouraging selective antagonism of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor and the new preclinical research illustrating its potential in PDAC have encouraged the company to focus our resources on the clinical development of balixafortide in this indication. We look forward to providing additional updates as our novel macrocycle derived pipeline continues to advance.” Pipeline status and plans The plans outlined below regarding the further development of various programs are subject to Spexis raising additional funds and/or entering into partnering agreements. Lead Program, ColiFin®: Spexis is committed to progressing its lead program ColiFin®, which is currently being developed to treat chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients, but which also has strong therapeutic potential in non-CF bronchiectasis (nCFBE) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as these patients also suffer from chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) lung infections. ColiFin® has been approved in the EU as an inhaled therapeutic and holds Orphan Drug and QIDP designations in the U.S. The company has worldwide rights to ColiFin® ex-Europe and is preparing a Phase 3 program in CF patients which includes the COPILOT safety and tolerability trial, and the COPA efficacy trial. COPILOT is expected to initiate prior to the end of 2023. Capital commitments from SPRIM Global Investments (SGI) and additional institutional investors totaling USD $7.5 million to-date will enable the near-term initiation of COPILOT. The company’s clinical trial partnership with SGI, which includes debt facilities, is expected to provide Spexis with up to half of the Phase 3 clinical development costs of ColiFin®. Future milestones are contingent on securing additional capital and/or partnering agreements. Balixafortide: Today Spexis announced plans to pursue the clinical development of balixafortide, the Company’s potent and selective macrocyclic CXCR4 inhibitor, in PDAC, an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer with a poor survival rate. Balixafortide has been well-studied in clinical trials and has demonstrated a promising safety profile both as a monotherapy as well as in combination with other therapies. PDAC has been traditionally resistant to immunotherapy due to a combination of tumor microenvironment features unique to PDAC, but recent preclinical studies have shown the successful modulation of these factors using anti-CXCR4 antibodies, anti-programmed cell death protein 1 antibodies (anti-PD-1) and focal adhesion kinase inhibitors (FAKi). The combination of anti-CXCR4 antibodies, anti-PD-1 antibodies and FAKi led to a significantly decreased metastatic rates in a well-validated PDAC murine liver metastasis model. These results were subsequently validated substituting anti-CXCR4 antibodies for balixafortide. The synergistic effects of targeting PDAC with this regimen represents a unique opportunity for balixafortide to address the significant unmet need that has persisted in the fight against pancreatic cancer. PDAC accounts for more than 90% of pancreatic cancer diagnoses, and its poor survival rate is due to limited treatment options and the absence of an early diagnosis in many patients. The average 5-year survival rate is less than 10%, and pancreatic cancer represents an increasing and worrying proportion of cancer deaths. In 2023, the American Cancer Society projects over 50,000 patients will die of pancreatic cancer in the United States, the third-leading cause of cancer deaths. Despite a growing patient population, treatment options have remained limited, increasing the demand for novel therapeutics and approaches. Inhaled murepavadin (iMPV): Earlier in 2023, Spexis announced safety and pharmacokinetics results from the company’s first-in-human study with inhaled murepavadin, its novel macrocycle compound. Results indicated that iMPV was well tolerated at all dose levels and no serious adverse events were reported in the Phase 1 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. iMPV was derived from Spexis’ macrocycle platform, validating its potential to generate clinically relevant therapeutics capable of drugging specific targets across a variety of rare diseases. The study was supported by the European Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), with iMPV successfully targeting the outer membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, showing activity against highly resistant strains of bacteria. Spexis remains committed to addressing antibiotic resistance and progressing iMPV through the clinic. Macrocycle platform: Macrocycles remain a key differentiator at Spexis as this burgeoning area of drug discovery yields additional promise. The company’s leadership in the space represents an opportunity to yield novel therapeutics and the potential to combine macrocycles with a wide variety of complementary technologies, including, but not limited to, molecular glues and degraders. Spexis possesses two distinct, highly diverse and very well characterized macrocycle libraries, together with deep data on each: PEMfinder®, which is comprised of peptidomimetic macrocycles, and MACROfinder®, which are small molecule macrocycles. Each library has distinct applications depending on the targets involved, with several pre-clinical characterized leads for various indications having already been identified and characterized. As one example of the power of Spexis’ macrocycle platform, in June of this year, Spexis announced the publication of promising results for a novel class of macrocyclic, peptidomimetic antibiotics in Science Advances demonstrating potent in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity against MDR and XDR Enterobacteriaceae, including carbapenem-resistant and colistin-resistant strains. The novel antibiotics were developed by Spexis in close collaboration with Professor Oliver Zerbe’s group at the University of Zurich with substantial funding by Innosuisse and CARB-X. Corporate updates Spexis announced the appointment of Gonçalo Bernardes, Ph.D., as acting Head of Chemical Biology. Dr. Bernardes is a Full Professor of Chemical Biology and a Fellow of Trinity Hall College, Cambridge. He has co-founded companies using technologies developed in his lab and has been awarded three European Research Council grants, as well as awards from the Royal Society of Chemistry, International Chemical Biology Society, European Federation of Medicinal Chemistry and The Blavatnik Family Foundation. Dr. Bernardes also serves as a Senior Fellow at Flagship Pioneering, the largest global venture incubator. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Oxford, U.K., and his postdoctoral work at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich. Multiple discoveries made in his lab have been translated into leading biopharmaceutical companies. At Spexis Dr. Bernardes will focus his efforts on the company’s leading and proprietary macrocycle platform to produce novel therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and rare diseases. The Company expects to announce specific programs already in development in collaboration with Prof. Bernardes in the coming weeks and months. Financial results In the first half of 2023, Spexis’ total loss was CHF 3.9 million, primarily driven by research and development (R&D) expenditures of CHF 2.7 million. The total cash position was CHF 0.9 million (cash and cash equivalents) as of June 30, 2023. In August, Spexis closed additional capital commitments from SPRIM Global Investments and institutional investors totaling USD $2.5 million supporting the Phase 3 ColiFin® program in cystic fibrosis (CF) infections. Key figures1 CHF million Income Statement 30.06.2023 30.06.2022Total revenue0.00.0Research and development expenses-2.7-6.8Other operating expenses2-1.6-2.8Net loss for the period-3.9-10.0 Balance Sheet30.06.202330.06.2022Cash and cash equivalents0.91.8Total assets29.730.0Total equity17.319.4Average net cash burn30.51.0Number of FTEs2028Equity ratio in %5865 1based on consolidated IFRS financial statements 2net of other income 3represents the average monthly cash used in operating and investing activities The half year report 2023 is available for download on our website: Reporting* – Spexis (spexisbio.com) Spexis business update call to take place in October Management will provide a business and financial update, followed by a Q&A session. The specific date and time of said update shall be announced shortly. About Spexis Spexis (SIX: SPEX) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Allschwil, Switzerland, focused on macrocycle therapeutics for rare diseases and oncology. For further information please visit: www.spexisbio.com. For further information please contact: For Investors: Hernan LevettChief Financial OfficerSpexis AG.+41 61 567 16 00IR@spexisbio.com Or Stephen Jasper Managing DirectorGilmartin Groupstephen@gilmartinir.com For Media: Dr. Stephan FeldhausFeldhaus & Partner+41 79 865 92 56feldhaus@feldhaus-partner.ch Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current assumptions and forecasts of Spexis management. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could lead to material differences between the forward-looking statements made here and the actual development, in particular Spexis’ results, financial situation, and performance. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only of the date of this communication. Spexis disclaims any intention or obligation to update and revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

With the potential to better understand neurodevelopmental disorders, this year's Nikon Small World in Motion winning video has universal applications MELVILLE, N.Y., Sept. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nikon Instruments Inc. today unveiled the winners of the 13th annual Nikon Small World in Motion Video Competition. This year's first place prize was awarded to Dr. Alexandre Dumoulin for his 48-hour time-lapse video of developing neurons connecting to the opposite side of the central nervous system in a chick embryo. Developed at the University of Zurich, Dumoulin's video plays a significant role in understanding the potential deviations in neurodevelopmental disorders that occur in the central nervous system, such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Continue Reading Nikon Small World in Motion Video Competition (PRNewsfoto/Nikon Instruments Inc.) Neurons are responsible for carrying information throughout the human body. They are connected with long extensions known as axons and these axons traverse the nervous system before eventually forming synapses. Dumoulin's video showcases these lengthy axons projecting across the midline, which serves as a boundary between the two hemispheres of the central nervous system. In neurological disorders, axons are impaired and unable to make their intended journeys. "My research focuses on investigating the developmental processes of neurons in chick and mouse embryos," said Dumoulin. "By studying these organisms, I aim to enhance our comprehension of how the nervous system functions and identify potential factors contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders." He went on to say, "The nervous system is an immensely complex and intricate system composed of a myriad of units that are connected to one another. In this video, we see single units and how they behave." To capture the video, Dumoulin applied a new imaging method to visualize the live transfer of information from cells. "The biggest challenge was to discover a feasible method to access these neurons and capture images over an extended period of time," said Dumoulin. "A combination of precise dissection skills and adapted microscopy techniques proved to be the key." In Dumoulin's eyes, the competition provides an opportunity to share his research efforts and passion for microscopy with the world, "I wanted to share these mesmerizing developing neurons with the public. To me, that's the essence of this competition, highlighting the beauty of nature through the lens of scientific research." Eric Flem, Senior Manager, CRM and Communications at Nikon Instruments, could not agree more. "For nearly half a century, we've received awe-inspiring entries that are not only visually stunning but scientifically groundbreaking," said Flem. "This year's winning video is no different; while beautiful, Dumoulin's entry can carry significant meaning for the advancement of potential treatments for neurodevelopmental diseases." Second place was awarded to Fabian J. Weston with Protist Lab Films for his video of blood flow in the tail fin of a small fish. To capture the video, Weston worked with a live organism on a 1 mm deep slide and administered filtered sample water with oxygen throughout the filming process. Third place was awarded to Nell Saunders with the Institut Pasteur for her video of human cells fusing and dying upon infection by SARS-CoV-2. The 2023 judging panel included: Ed Cara, Science and Health Reporter at Gizmodo James Cutmore, Picture Editor at BBC Science Focus Magazine Dr. Gary Laevsky, Director of the Confocal Imaging Facility at Princeton University Dr. Igor Siwanowicz, Research Scientist at Howard Hughes Medical Institute Dr. Clare Waterman, Cell Biologist and Member of the National Academy of Sciences For additional information, please visit , or follow the conversation on Facebook, Twitter @NikonSmallWorld and Instagram @NikonInstruments. NIKON SMALL WORLD IN MOTION WINNERS 1st Place Dr. Alexandre Dumoulin University of Zurich Department of Molecular Life Sciences Zurich, Switzerland 48-hour time-lapse of developing neurons connecting the opposite side of the central nervous system in a chick embryo Confocal 40X (Objective Lens Magnification) 2nd Place Fabian J. Weston Protist Lab Films Pennant Hills, New South Wales, Australia Blood flow in the tail fin of a small fish Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) 10X (Objective Lens Magnification) 3rd Place Nell Saunders Institut Pasteur Department of Virology Paris, France Human cells fuse and die upon infection by SARS-CoV-2 Holotomography 60X (Objective Lens Magnification) 4th Place Benedikt Pleyer Kirchberg, Bavaria, Germany Pond creatures (in order of appearance): Hydra, Volvox, Daphnia, Spirostomum, Synura, Hydra Darkfield 2.5X - 3.5X (Objective Lens Magnifications) 5th Place Dr. Michael Weber Georg-August-University Göttingen Multiscale Biology Göttingen, Niedersachsen, Germany The beating heart of a 5-day-old zebrafish Light Sheet 20x (Objective Lens Magnifications) HONORABLE MENTIONS HM Álmos Becz Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Szigetszentmiklós, Hungary Prostoma sp. attacking prey Polarized Light 4X -10X (Objective Lens Magnifications) HM Taylor Bell Gustometry + SF Micro Society Norwalk, Connecticut, USA Potato starch gelatinization (microscopic depiction of the culinary technique of sauce thickening) Interference Contrast 25X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Dr. Robert Berdan Science & Art Calgary, Alberta, Canada Single celled ciliates (Nassulids) Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) 20X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM John-Oliver Dum Medienbunker Produktion Bendorf, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany Goldeyefly (Chrysops relictus) cleaning its proboscis after a blood meal Reflected Light 5X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Dr. Pau Guillamat, Dr. Stephen Decamp & Prof. Dr. Zvonimir Dogic Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) Department of Integrative Cell and Tissue Dynamics Barcelona, Spain Active gel composed of fluorescent microtubules and kinesin motor proteins Fluorescence 60X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Blake Hernandez University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Cell division in an early mouse embryo. Chromosomes (blue) and centromeres (orange) are labeled. Confocal 40X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Bre Hewitt Drexel University Department of Biology Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Fibroblast migrating through 3D cell derived matrix marking the actin cytoskeleton and nucleus Confocal, Fluorescence, Image Stacking 60X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Dr. Chih-Wei Logan Hsu Baylor College of Medicine Department of Integrative Physiology and Department of Education, Innovation and Technology Houston, Texas, USA Vasculature in the adult mouse eye Light Sheet 5X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Dr. Akanksha Jain ETH Zurich Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) Basel, Switzerland A human brain organoid imaged every half an hour, for one week, showing lumen morphogenesis and emergence of forebrain progenitors and neurons Light Sheet 25X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Linda Veronique Kazandjian Munich, Bayern, Germany A dense culture of a freshwater ciliate (Spirostomum sp.) commonly found in ponds and lakes Polarized Light 10X and 20X (Objective Lens Magnifications) HM Martin Kaae Kristiansen My Microscopic World Aalborg, Nordjylland, Denmark A tardigrade (Milnesium) with visible muscle fibers Polarized Light 20X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Jay McClellan Saranac, Michigan, USA Thin-film interference colors from naturally-occurring oxidation on pahoehoe lava Image Stacking 4X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Dr. Alvaro Migotto Centro de Biologia Marinha São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil Syllid worm with sections packed with gametes, each of which break off and release eggs or sperm in the water Darkfield 4X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Dr. Andrew Moore Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus Ashburn, Virginia, USA Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dynamics in a cultured animal cell Confocal 63X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Dr. Eric Peterman University of Washington Department of Biology Seattle, Washington, USA Immune cell response to a scratch in the zebrafish epidermis Confocal 25X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Benedikt Pleyer Kirchberg, Bavaria, Germany Bioluminescent crustaceans. When threatened they release a cloud of bluish glowing substance to fend off attackers. Darkfield 1.5X - 2.5X (Objective Lens Magnifications) HM Sebastian Sparenga McCrone Research Institute Chicago, Illinois, USA Cholesteryl acetate recrystallizing from a melt Polarized Light 5X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Wim van Egmond Micropolitan Museum Berkel en Rodenrijs, Zuid Holland, Netherlands Bacteria colonies (Lactobacillus paracasei) Image Stacking 10X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Wim van Egmond Micropolitan Museum Berkel en Rodenrijs, Zuid Holland, Netherlands Bell animalcules (Vorticella) seen through an original Leeuwenhoek microscope Brightfield 266X HM Dr. Jubina Balan Venghateri Weizmann Institute of Science Department of Immunology and Regenerative Biology Rehovot, Israel Human lung cancer cells dividing Phase Contrast 20X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Dr. Melanie White & Jianxiong Wang University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Early nervous system formation in a quail embryo, resulting in the development of the brain and spinal cord Confocal, Fluorescence 40X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Dr. Joost Willemse, Dr. Maurijn van der Zee, Shixiong Cheng & Gerda Lamers Leiden University Microscopy Department Leiden, Zuid Holland, Netherlands Depth encoded embryonal development of a red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) Confocal 10X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Yen Fook Chew Woodend, Waimakiriri, New Zealand Zooplankton (Simocephalus sp.) releasing their young. Compilation video of six different specimens. Darkfield 2X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Yen Fook Chew Woodend, Waimakiriri, New Zealand Copulating water fleas (Daphnia pulex) Darkfield 2X (Objective Lens Magnification) HM Dr. Zhigang Zheng Zhuhai Photographers Association Zhuhai, GuangDong, China The birth of a caterpillar Brightfield 5X (Objective Lens Magnification) About Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition The Nikon Small World Competition is open to anyone with an interest in photography or video. In 2024, the competition will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Ahead of the celebration, participants may upload digital images and videos directly at . For additional information, contact Nikon Small World, Nikon Instruments Inc., 1300 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY 11747, USA, or phone (631) 547-8569. Entry forms for Nikon's 2024 Small World and Small World in Motion Competitions are available at About Nikon Instruments Inc. Nikon Instruments Inc. is the US microscopy arm of Nikon Healthcare, a world leader in the development and manufacture of optical and digital imaging technology for biomedical applications. For more information, visit or contact us at 1-800-52-NIKON. SOURCE Nikon Instruments Inc.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help plant scientists collect and analyze unprecedented volumes of data, which would not be possible using conventional methods. Researchers have now used big data, machine learning and field observations in the university's experimental garden to show how plants respond to changes in the environment. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help plant scientists collect and analyze unprecedented volumes of data, which would not be possible using conventional methods. Researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) have now used big data, machine learning and field observations in the university's experimental garden to show how plants respond to changes in the environment. Climate change is making it increasingly important to know how plants can survive and thrive in a changing environment. Conventional experiments in the lab have shown that plants accumulate pigments in response to environmental factors. To date, such measurements were made by taking samples, which required a part of the plant to be removed and thus damaged. "This labor-intensive method isn't viable when thousands or millions of samples are needed. Moreover, taking repeated samples damages the plants, which in turn affects observations of how plants respond to environmental factors. There hasn't been a suitable method for the long-term observation of individual plants within an ecosystem," says Reiko Akiyama, first author of the study. With the support of UZH's University Research Priority Program (URPP) "Evolution in Action," a team of researchers has now developed a method that enables scientists to observe plants in nature with great precision. PlantServation is a method that incorporates robust image-acquisition hardware and deep learning-based software to analyze field images, and it works in any kind of weather. Millions of images support evolutionary hypothesis of robustness Using PlantServation, the researchers collected (top-view) images of Arabidopsis plants on the experimental plots of UZH's Irchel Campus across three field seasons (lasting five months from fall to spring) and then analyzed the more than four million images using machine learning. The data recorded the species-specific accumulation of a plant pigment called "anthocyanin" as a response to seasonal and annual fluctuations in temperature, light intensity and precipitation. PlantServation also enabled the scientists to experimentally replicate what happens after the natural speciation of a hybrid polyploid species. These species develop from a duplication of the entire genome of their ancestors, a common type of species diversification in plants. Many wild and cultivated plants such as wheat and coffee originated in this way. In the current study, the anthocyanin content of the hybrid polyploid species A. kamchatica resembled that of its two ancestors: from fall to winter its anthocyanin content was similar to that of the ancestor species originating from a warm region, and from winter to spring it resembled the other species from a colder region. "The results of the study thus confirm that these hybrid polyploids combine the environmental responses of their progenitors, which supports a long-standing hypothesis about the evolution of polyploids," says Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi, one of the study's two corresponding authors. From Irchel Campus to far-flung regions PlantServation was developed in the experimental garden at UZH's Irchel Campus. "It was crucial for us to be able to use the garden on Irchel Campus to develop PlantServation's hardware and software, but its application goes even further: when combined with solar power, its hardware can be used even in remote sites. With its economical and robust hardware and open-source software, PlantServation paves the way for many more future biodiversity studies that use AI to investigate plants other than Arabidopsis -- from crops such as wheat to wild plants that play a key role for the environment," says Kentaro Shimizu, corresponding author and co-director of the URPP Evolution in Action. The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration with LPIXEL, a company that specializes in AI image analysis, and Japanese research institutes at Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo, among others, under the Global Strategy and Partnerships Funding Scheme of UZH Global Affairs and the International Leading Research grant program of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). The project also received funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Strategic Partnership with Kyoto University Kyoto University is one of UZH's strategic partner universities. The strategic partnership ensures that high-potential research collaborations will receive the necessary support to thrive, for instance through the UZH Global Strategy and Partnership Funding Scheme. Over the last years, several joint research projects between Kyoto University and UZH have already received funding, among them "PlantServation."