Hemangiosarcoma

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Diakonos Oncology Corp. (“Diakonos”), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company, announced today that Anthony Baldor has been appointed Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Baldor brings 20 years of financial management experience in the biotech industry including fundraising, business development, and corporate strategy. Mr. Baldor comes to Diakonos from 4D Molecular Therapeutics where he played critical leadership roles in the Series C, IPO and partnership activities as Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development. “Anthony Baldor is a critical and timely addition to the Diakonos management team,” said Diakonos Chief Executive Officer Mike Wicks. “With his impressive track record in financing and business operations, Anthony will play a key leadership role as Diakonos moves toward developing its unique pipeline of dendritic cell vaccines for cancer.” Before working at 4D Molecular, Mr. Baldor was at Jefferies, LLC, where he covered 22 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the Equity Research group, and supported the raise of over $2 billion, including 8 IPOs. Mr. Baldor also was a Principal at BioInnovation Capital, LLC, an Associate at RMI Partners, Director of Business Development at ViThera Pharmaceuticals, and Director of Business Development at Cambridge Biolabs. Mr. Baldor holds an MBA and Master of Data Science from the University of California, Berkley, and a BA from Vassar College. "I am excited to join Diakonos and help advance its robust pipeline of ground breaking cancer immunotherapies based on a revolutionary technology,” said Mr. Baldor. “I am also impressed with the management’s personal commitment to helping cancer patients.” Diakonos is unlocking the full potential of dendritic cell vaccines based on a highly differentiated technology that solves challenges faced by historical attempts. This unique approach allows targeting of the complete cancer antigen pro requiring any genetic modification of the patient’s immune cells. Based on a discovery of how dendritic cells detect viral threats, the vaccines harness a natural immune response that targets and eliminates cancer cells as if they were virally infected. About Diakonos Oncology Corp. Based out of Houston, TX, Diakonos Oncology is at the forefront of developing dendritic cell vaccines that leverage a patient's immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells, mimicking the body's natural response to viral infections. Initiating a natural immune response without any genetic modification of the patient’s immune cells, Diakonos has seen both encouraging efficacy and safety in its clinical trials to date. With its leading candidate, DOC1021, Diakonos recently completed its Phase 1 trial for glioblastoma (NCT04552886) at MD Anderson Cooper and UTHealth Houston. Diakonos is underway with additional trials for pancreatic cancer at Baylor College of Medicine (NCT04157127) and angiosarcoma at MD Anderson (NCT05799612). View source version on businesswire.com: Contacts Jay Hartenbach pr@diakonosoncology.com Source: Diakonos Oncology Corp. View this news release online at:

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Diakonos Oncology Corp. (“Diakonos”), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company, announced today that Paul Lammers, M.D., M.Sc., a distinguished executive with over 35 years of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, has been named to its Board of Directors. "Dr. Lammers' success in leading both private and public biopharma companies, combined with his extensive experience in fundraising, will provide critical experience in guiding our clinical development and commercialization of Diakonos’ unique cancer immunotherapies," said Mike Wicks, Chief Executive Officer of Diakonos. "His pivotal role in advancing cell therapies for cancer perfectly aligns with our mission to revolutionize the treatment landscape for patients facing the most challenging cancers." Dr. Lammers is recognized for his strategic leadership and successful fundraising efforts, notably as President and CEO of Triumvira Immunologics, where he raised substantial venture funding focusing on CAR T-cell therapies for solid tumors. Before Triumvira, he led Mirna Therapeutics as President and CEO, taking the company public on NASDAQ in 2015. His earlier roles include Chief Medical Officer and Head of US Product Development at EMD Serono, where he oversaw a large team of professionals, and various executive positions that showcased his expertise in clinical development, medical, and regulatory affairs across the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. “I am deeply honored to join the Diakonos team and contribute to their groundbreaking work in developing dendritic cell vaccines. This technology represents a significant leap forward in cancer treatment, promising a new era of personalized and effective immunotherapies for patients in dire need," Dr. Lammers said. About Diakonos Oncology Corp. Based out of Houston, TX, Diakonos Oncology is at the forefront of developing dendritic cell vaccines that leverage a patient's immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells, mimicking the body's natural response to viral infections. Initiating a natural immune response without any genetic modification of the patient’s immune cells, Diakonos has seen both encouraging efficacy and safety in its clinical trials to date. With its leading candidate, DOC1021, Diakonos recently completed its Phase 1 trial for glioblastoma (NCT04552886) at MD Anderson Cooper and UTHealth Houston. Diakonos is underway with additional trials for pancreatic cancer at Baylor College of Medicine (NCT04157127) and angiosarcoma at MD Anderson (NCT05799612). View source version on businesswire.com: Contacts Jay Hartenbach pr@diakonosoncology.com Source: Diakonos Oncology Corp. View this news release online at:

Published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA), a PetDx® study shows that the company's novel OncoK9® Screen "liquid biopsy" blood test provides high sensitivity for seven common cancer types that are often difficult to detect in dogs by physical exam alone. By integrating cell-free DNA quantification and next-generation sequencing using a proprietary method, the new test can be performed faster and at lower cost than the company's flagship OncoK9® Dx test, allowing for broader access to blood-based cancer screening in dogs. SAN DIEGO, Feb. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PetDx® – The Liquid Biopsy Company for Pets™ published a clinical validation study this week showing that its new OncoK9® Screen test has a high detection rate across seven predefined, clinically relevant cancer types that represent a large proportion of all cancers found in dogs and are often difficult to detect by physical exam alone due to their anatomic location and/or lack of specific clinical signs. These cancer types are often aggressive, requiring prompt intervention, and have typically been associated with improved outcomes when detected and treated early. Appearing in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the study evaluated nearly 2,000 dogs with and without cancer across independent training and testing cohorts (to mitigate the risk of data overfitting), making it by far the largest clinical validation study ever published for a cancer detection test in veterinary medicine. It demonstrated a sensitivity of over 70% for the OncoK9® Screen test across seven cancer types (lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, leukemia, histiocytic sarcoma, primary lung tumors, and urothelial carcinoma), with a low false positive rate of <1.5% in cancer-free dogs. The OncoK9® Screen test's proprietary algorithm analyzes cell-free DNA (cfDNA) quantification data to generate a final result of High or Low Probability of Cancer for approximately 90% of samples tested; the remaining samples are automatically reflexed to additional testing by next-generation sequencing (NGS) to arrive at a final result. Dogs do not have to be fasted prior to blood collection, and samples are sent directly to the PetDx lab in specialized tubes provided by the company, without any requirements for in-clinic processing. "Previously published research has shown that only around 10% of cancer cases are currently detected in dogs prior to the onset of clinical signs. The OncoK9® Screen test can act as a complement to the physical exam to increase the number and types of cancers detectable during routine wellness visits," said Andi Flory, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), Chief Medical Officer at PetDx and the study's lead author. "The availability of comprehensively validated blood-based cancer detection tools that can be readily incorporated into preventive care protocols opens the door to the development of cancer screening guidelines for early cancer detection in dogs." PetDx President and CEO Alejandro Bernal, DVM, MS, MBA, added that using only cfDNA quantification analysis for the vast majority of samples allows the OncoK9® Screen test to be performed at a much lower cost and with a shorter turnaround time than the company's flagship test, which is now designated as OncoK9® Dx. "The addition of OncoK9® Screen to our portfolio of non-invasive liquid biopsy tests is intended to make early cancer detection more accessible to veterinarians and pet owners and highlights the company's relentless commitment to innovation in an area of considerable unmet need in veterinary medicine," he said. About PetDx PetDx® – The Liquid Biopsy Company for Pets™ is a San Diego-based molecular diagnostics company dedicated to unleashing the power of genomics to improve pet health. The company's portfolio of "liquid biopsy" multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood tests includes two pioneering solutions (OncoK9® Screen and OncoK9® Dx) that have been extensively validated in large clinical studies published by leading peer-reviewed journals. Both tests enable veterinarians to detect cancer in dogs with a simple blood draw. To learn more, visit PetDx.com, OncoK9.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. SOURCE PetDx