Exciting and insightful biotech news was front and center at the Benzinga Biotech Small Cap Conference, a two-day event that kicked off virtually Wednesday.
Viviane Mason, a biopharma industry veteran and investor, set the ball rolling with a session on what an investor should look for when investing in biotech stocks.
Mason explained the long-winding drug approval process and the catalysts an investor needs to watch. Mason suggested looking for companies that have recently raised capital, as she said it's a signal a company has a cash runway.
The following are biotech companies that investors heard from at the Benzinga conference.
Presentations
Lantern Pharma Inc. LTRN: Lantern CEO Panna Sharma recommends leveraging data — especially on similar classes of drugs in the market and early data from the pipeline — to zero in on companies that are likely to succeed.
Sharma touched upon how Lantern leverages AI and machine learning to rescue and develop cancer therapies.
Kintara Therapeutics, Inc. KTRA: CEO Saiid Zarrabian shed light on the company's glioblastoma multiforme asset VAL-083 and cutaneous metastatic breast cancer candidate REM-001. These two compounds, Zarrabian said, have a market opportunity of over $1 billion and about $500 million, respectively.
PDS Biotechnology Corporation PDSB: PDS Biotech, which develops cancer treatments and T-cell-activating vaccine candidates, was represented by CEO Frank Bedu-Addo.
He underlined the company's Versamune platform-based immunotherapies that promote a powerful M-vivo tumor-specific CD8+ killer cell T cell response. The company also said its subunit COVID-19 vaccine candidate PDS0203 could be commercially available in 2023.
Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. LIXT: John Kovach, CEO of Lixte, with four decades of research in oncology, shed light upon its proprietary clinical-stage compound LB-100, which is a targeted cancer therapy.
Qualigen Therapeutics, Inc. QLGN: Qualigen was represented by Michael Poirier, CEO, and Amy Broidrick, EVP and chief strategy officer. Poirier projected the company will be a standout due to its novel platform technologies meant to treat cancer and viral diseases.
RedHill Biopharma Ltd.'s RDHL CEO Dror Ben-Asher gave an overview of the company's commercial products and pipeline, including COVID-19 treatment candidates that are in Phase 2/3 trials.
Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. SRNE CEO Henry Ji elaborated on multiple products in late-stage development and the company's COVID-19 portfolio.
OncoSec Medical Incorporated ONCS: CEO Daniel O'Connor explained the company's platform, which is intended to treat visceral, cutaneous and subcutaneous tumors.
Immutep Limited IMMP: Immutep CEO Marc Voigt elaborated on the company's therapeutics based on LAG-3, which is a promising immune checkpoint, and its partnerships.
Advaxis, Inc. ADXS: The immuno-oncology company's CEO Kenneth Berlin spoke on three key programs: ADXS-503 in non-small cell lung cancer, ADXS-504 in pancreatic cancer and ADXS-PSA, which is being evaluated in combination with Keytruda.
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ACRX was represented by CEO Vincent Angotti. He discussed the company's focus on the management of acute pain in medically supervised setting.
Chief Medical Officer Pamela Palmer presented on the company's FDA-approved pain medication Dsuvia and its mechanism of action.
Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. LCTX CEO Brian Culley spoke about how manufactured transplant cells are the new paradigm in therapeutics.
Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. HOTH was represented by its CEO Robb Knie. Knie shed light on the company's Biolexxa platform that combines two drugs to treat atopic dermatitis in adolescents.
Lexaria Bioscience Corp. LEXX, Alzheimer's drug company Alpha Cognition, Daxor Corporation DXR, aTyr Pharma, Inc. LIFE and Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ADIL were among the other presenters.
Panel Discussions
Cancer Immunotherapies: Fighting Cancer With the Power of Immune System: The panel included Bedu-Addo, Mark Newman, chief scientific officer of GeoVax Labs, Inc. GOVX and Snehal Patel, CEO of Greenwich LifeSciences, Inc. GLSI. The panelist shared key upcoming readouts.
How AI Is Leading The Fight Against Cancer: Lantern CEO Sharma and Kiromic BioPharma, Inc. KRBP CEO Maurizio Chiriva-Internati explained how they incorporate AI in drug development.
COVID-19's Impact: Jason Kolbert, Director of Research, Dawson James, moderated a panel comprising Sorrento's Ji, ProPhase Labs, Inc. PRPH CEO Ted Karkus and ADiTx Therapeutics, Inc. ADTX CEO Amro Albanna. The panel discussed how leveraged they are to COVID and what to know about the COVID treatment and vaccine landscape.
Coming Together to Address Unmet Medical Needs: Lineage's Culley and Hoth's Knie joined a panel discussion to give a sense of what an unmet medical need is, the regulatory incentive available for companies engaged in developing therapies for unmet medical needs and what drives the quest.
Related Link: FDA Decisions For Pfizer, Eli Lilly And Bluebird Bio, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Plus New Data And Earnings
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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