Market Newsdesk

CORAL GABLES, Fla., Dec. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Catalyst” or “Company”) (Nasdaq: CPRX), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on in-licensing, developing, and commercializing novel medicines for patients living with rare and difficult-to-treat diseases, today announced that Richard J. Daly, President and CEO of Catalyst will present at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference taking place January 13-16, 2025 in San Francisco, CA.

43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Presentation Details

The webcast will be available under the Investors section on the Company’s website at www.catalystpharma.com, and a replay will be available for at least 30 days.

About Catalyst Pharmaceuticals

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPRX) is a biopharmaceutical company committed to improving the lives of patients with rare diseases. With a proven track record of bringing life-changing treatments to the market, we focus on in-licensing, commercializing, and developing innovative therapies. Guided by our deep commitment to patient care, we prioritize accessibility, ensuring patients receive the care they need through a comprehensive suite of support services designed to provide seamless access and ongoing assistance. Catalyst maintains a well-established U.S. presence while actively seeking to expand its global commercial footprint through strategic partnerships. Catalyst, headquartered in Coral Gables, FL., was recognized as one of North America’s Fastest-Growing Companies on the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ List.

For more information, please visit Catalyst’s website at www.catalystpharma.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Catalyst’s actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. A number of factors, including those factors described in Catalyst’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 2023 and its other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), could adversely affect Catalyst. Copies of Catalyst’s filings with the SEC are available from the SEC, may be found on Catalyst’s website, or may be obtained upon request from Catalyst. Catalyst does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date.

Source: Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

BOCA RATON, Fla., Dec. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FlexShopper (NASDAQ: FPAY), a leading provider of lease-to-own payment solutions, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Tire Agent. Tire Agent currently originates over $100 million in lease-to-own transactions annually and is a two-time honoree on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in 2023 and 2024. This new collaboration integrates FlexShopper’s payment solutions directly onto Tire Agent’s website and establishes Tire Agent as the preferred online tire retailer on the FlexShopper marketplace. The partnership also launches flexshopper.tireagent.com as the combination of Tire Agent’s top-tier tire and wheel inventory with FlexShopper’s flexible payment options.

This partnership is tailored to support near-prime credit consumers—individuals who may not qualify for traditional prime financing but still need access to flexible payment solutions for essential purchases. Tire Agent’s dedication to making tire purchases more accessible aligns perfectly with FlexShopper’s mission to offer affordable payment alternatives.

“We are excited to partner with Tire Agent, a company that shares our commitment to improving consumer access to vital products,” said Russ Heiser, CEO of FlexShopper. “Our lease-to-own payment solution provides Tire Agent with the perfect option for near-prime credit customers, allowing them to afford high-quality tires that are essential for their safety and the reliability of their vehicles.”

Through this partnership, Tire Agent customers can access FlexShopper’s payment option by selecting PayPair at checkout and choosing FlexShopper. This allows customers to spread payments over time without the need for traditional credit approvals. Alternatively, customers can visit flexshopper.tireagent.com to take direct advantage of this flexible payment option, giving near-prime credit consumers the confidence to purchase the tires they need to keep their vehicles safe and operational.

“At Tire Agent, we’re dedicated to helping hardworking individuals who rely on their vehicles for everyday tasks—whether it’s commuting to work, driving children to school, or running errands—get the tires they need at an affordable price,” said Jared Kugel, CEO of Tire Agent. “We’re thrilled to partner with FlexShopper, as their payment solution helps us further our mission of providing customers of all credit types with access to safe, reliable, and high-quality tires.”

FlexShopper continues to expand its network of partners to bring flexible payment options to underserved credit tiers. This collaboration with Tire Agent underscores both companies’ shared goal of ensuring consumers have access to the essential products they need to thrive.

For more information about FlexShopper, visit www.FlexShopper.com. To explore Tire Agent’s tire inventory and payment options, visit www.TireAgent.com.

About FlexShopper

FlexShopper is a leading provider of lease-to-own payment solutions, offering consumers a flexible alternative to traditional credit through its LTO program. With a focus on providing access to durable goods and other essential products, FlexShopper empowers customers with payment plans tailored to fit their budgets.

About Tire Agent

Tire Agent is a rapidly growing online tire retailer offering a wide variety of tire brands at competitive prices. Recognized as a two-time honoree on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies, Tire Agent is committed to delivering a seamless and customer-friendly shopping experience for drivers of all credit types.

Company Contact:

FlexShopper, Inc.
Investor Relations
[email protected]

Investor and Media Contact

Andrew Berger
Managing Director
SM Berger & Company, Inc.
Tel (216) 464-6400
[email protected]

WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Upstream Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: UPB), a clinical-stage company developing treatments for inflammatory diseases, with an initial focus on severe respiratory disorders, today announced that the Company will be added to the Russell 2000® index as part of the planned fourth quarter initial public offering (IPO) additions effective at the open of the U.S. equity markets on December 23, 2024.  

Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies. According to the data as of the end of December 2023, about $10.5 trillion in assets are benchmarked against the Russell US indexes, which belong to FTSE Russell, a prominent global index provider.

The Russell 2000^® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the US equity market. The Russell 2000^® Index is a subset of the Russell 3000^® Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. IPOs are added to the Russell US indexes on a quarterly basis. For more information, go to the “Russell US Index IPO additions and reports” section on the FTSE Russell website.

About Upstream Bio

Upstream Bio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for inflammatory diseases, with an initial focus on severe respiratory disorders. The Company is developing verekitug, the only known antagonist currently in clinical development that targets the receptor for thymic stromal lymphopoietin, a cytokine which is a clinically validated driver of inflammatory response positioned upstream of multiple signaling cascades that affect a variety of immune mediated diseases. The Company has advanced this highly potent monoclonal antibody into separate Phase 2 trials for the treatment of severe asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and plans to initiate development in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Upstream Bio’s team is committed to maximizing verekitug’s unique attributes to address the substantial unmet needs for patients underserved by today’s standard of care. To learn more, please visit www.upstreambio.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended. These statements may be identified by words such as “aims,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “goal,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seeks,” “should,” “target,” “will” and variations of these words or similar expressions. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, express or implied statements regarding the expected addition of the Company to the Russell 2000® index. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on Upstream’s current expectations, estimates and projections only as of the date of this release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that actual results, levels of activity, safety, efficacy, performance or events and circumstances could differ materially from those expressed or implied in Upstream’s forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to: Upstream’s ability to advance verekitug through clinical development, and to obtain regulatory approval of and ultimately commercialize verekitug on the expected timeline, if at all; the initiation, timing, progress and results of clinical trials; Upstream’s ability to fund its development activities and achieve development goals; Upstream’s dependence on third parties to conduct clinical trials and manufacture verekitug, and commercialize verekitug, if approved; Upstream’s ability to attract, hire and retain key personnel, and protect its intellectual property; Upstream’s financial condition and need for substantial additional funds in order to complete development activities and commercialize verekitug, if approved; regulatory developments and approval processes of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and comparable foreign regulatory authorities; Upstream’s competitors and industry; and other risks and uncertainties described in Upstream’s current and future filings with the SEC, including those described from time to time under the caption “Risk Factors.” Upstream explicitly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in its expectations or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based except to the extent required by law, and claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Improved median overall survival (OS) for Mec-V treated patients with treatment-refractory non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) expressing mutated KRAS (mKRAS) as compared to Mec-V treated patient with treatment-refractory NSCLC expressing wild-type KRAS (wtKRAS)

One-year OS was 58% for patients with NSCLC expressing mKRAS versus 23% for wtKRAS

Mec-V antitumor activity observed across 9 different mKRAS variants

Strong association of AXL expression by mKRAS NSCLC confirmed

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BioAtla, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCAB), a global clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of Conditionally Active Biologic (CAB) antibody therapeutics for the treatment of solid tumors, presented a poster entitled “Characterization of Mutated KRAS Genotype and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Advanced NSCLC Treated With Mecbotamab Vedotin, a CAB-AXL-ADC” at the IASLC 2024 Hot Topic in Basic & Translational Science Meeting on December 14, 2024.

“Mutations in KRAS are present in approximately 30% of lung cancer patients and we have now confirmed a strong correlation with expression of AXL, the target of our CAB- AXL-ADC, Mec-V. Among all 78 patients treated with Mec-V, 58% of those with tumors harboring mKRAS were alive at one year compared to only 23% lacking the mutation,” said Jay M. Short, Ph.D., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of BioAtla, Inc. “The observed and unprecedented one-year survival among such a heavily pretreated NSCLC population suggests that Mec-V may be a promising treatment option for NSCLC patients across all KRAS mutation variants. Based on these findings and previous discussions with the FDA, a randomized trial of Mec-V in patients with treatment-refractory mKRAS NSCLC is planned for initiation in 2025.”

Data highlights:

• Phase 2 trial of Mec-V, CAB-AXL-ADC (NCT04681131) in NSCLC
  • 78 patients were enrolled and received either Mec-V monotherapy (n=59) or Mec-V + nivolumab (n=19).
  • Patients received a median of 3 prior lines of therapy.
  • Among the 78 treated patients, 24 (30.7%) had mKRAS NSCLC.
  • Overall survival analyses:
    • Landmark OS at one year: 58% for patients with mKRAS NSCLC vs. 23% for patients with wtKRAS NSCLC.
    • Median OS was not yet reached (6.5-Not Estimable) for patients with mKRAS NSCLC vs. 8.7 (5.8–10.2) months for patients with wtKRAS NSCLC.
  • Among 21 efficacy-evaluable patients with mKRAS NSCLC:
    • 6 responses (ORR=28.6%; including 1 patient previously treated with sotorasib).
    • Antitumor activity observed across 9 different mutated KRAS (mKRAS) variants
    • 1 patient treated with Mec-V + nivolumab Q2W continues in Complete Response (CR) after >2 years of follow-up.
  • Treatment with Mec-V was well tolerated with a manageable safety profile.
  • No new safety signals were observed.
• AXL is highly expressed in mKRAS NSCLC
  • 113 screening tissue samples were evaluated for KRAS mutation status and AXL expression by immunohistochemistry assay.
  • Among 27 NSCLC samples harboring any KRAS mutation, AXL was highly expressed (tumor membrane expression of AXL ≥ 1% of tumor cells):
    • 19 of 27 (70.3%).
    • 9 of 11 (81.8%), among the mKRAS G12C variant subset of the 27 total.

The poster is available on BioAtla’s website at https://www.bioatla.com under the “Publications” section.

About Mecbotamab Vedotin

Mecbotamab vedotin, CAB-AXL-ADC, is a conditionally and reversibly active antibody drug conjugate targeting the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL. This Phase 2 stage clinical asset is targeting multiple solid tumor indications, including the treatment of soft tissue and bone sarcoma, as well as patients with mKRAS NSCLC who have previously progressed on PD-1/L1, epidermal growth factor receptor or ALK inhibitor therapies. The Office of Orphan Products Development at the Food and Drug Administration granted Orphan Drug Designation to mecbotamab vedotin for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma.

About BioAtla®, Inc.
BioAtla is a global clinical-stage biotechnology company with operations in San Diego, California, and in Beijing, China through our contractual relationship with BioDuro-Sundia, a provider of preclinical development services. Utilizing its proprietary CAB technology, BioAtla develops novel, reversibly active monoclonal and bispecific antibodies and other protein therapeutic product candidates. CAB product candidates are designed to have more selective targeting, greater efficacy with lower toxicity, and more cost-efficient and predictable manufacturing than traditional antibodies. BioAtla has extensive and worldwide patent coverage for its CAB technology and products with greater than 780 active patent matters, more than 500 of which are issued patents. Broad patent coverage in all major markets include methods of making, screening and manufacturing CAB product candidates in a wide range of formats and composition of matter coverage for specific products. BioAtla has two first-in-class CAB programs currently in Phase 2 clinical testing, mecbotamab vedotin, a novel conditionally active AXL-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (CAB-AXL-ADC), and ozuriftamab vedotin, a novel conditionally active ROR2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (CAB-ROR2-ADC). The Phase 2 stage CAB-CTLA-4 antibody, evalstotug, is a novel CTLA-4 inhibitor designed to reduce systemic toxicity and potentially enable safer combination therapies with checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-PD-1 antibody. The company’s first dual CAB bispecific T-cell engager antibody, BA3182, is currently in Phase 1 development. BA3182 targets EpCAM, which is highly and frequently expressed on many adenocarcinomas, while engaging human CD3 expressing T cells. To learn more about BioAtla, Inc. visit www.bioatla.com. 

Forward-looking Statements

Statements in this press release contain “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “plan,” “may,” “design,” ”potential,” “promising,” or other similar words. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding BioAtla’s plan and timing to initiate a randomized trial of Mec-V in patients with treatment-refractory mKRAS NSCLC; Mec-V’s potential to treat NSCLC patients across all KRAS mutation variants; and potential efficacy of our CAB product candidates. Forward-looking statements are based on BioAtla’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions, many of which are beyond our control, difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from what we expect. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, among others: potential delays in clinical and preclinical trials; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, or regulatory approval dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from the clinical studies or take favorable regulatory actions based on results from the clinical studies; our dependence on the success of our CAB technology platform; our ability to enroll patients in our ongoing and future clinical trials; the successful selection and prioritization of assets to focus development on selected product candidates and indications; our ability to form collaborations and partnerships with third parties and the success of such collaborations and partnerships; our reliance on third parties for the manufacture and supply of our product candidates for clinical trials; our reliance on third parties to conduct our clinical trials and some aspects of our research and preclinical testing; potential adverse impacts due to any resurgence of COVID-19 and its variants; and those other risks and uncertainties described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 26, 2024, in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 14, 2024, August 8, 2024 and November 7, 2024 and our other reports as filed with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of this date, and BioAtla undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable laws. 

Internal Contact:

Richard Waldron
Chief Financial Officer
BioAtla, Inc.
[email protected]
858.356.8945

External Contact:

Bruce Mackle
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
[email protected]

SEATTLE, Dec. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Accolade, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACCD) today announced that it will release fiscal third quarter 2025 financial results on Thursday, January 9, 2024 after the market closes. In conjunction, the company will host a conference call to review results at 4:30 p.m. E.T. on the same day.

Conference Call Details

To Listen via Telephone: Pre-registration is required by the conference call operator. Please pre-register by clicking here. (https://register.vevent.com/register/BI0dce2f02ed2f44c8901127623aa788c3) Upon registering, you will be emailed a dial-in number, direct passcode and unique PIN.

To Listen via Internet: The conference call can be accessed via a live audio webcast that will be available online at http://ir.accolade.com .

Replay: A replay of the call will be available for one year via webcast for on-demand listening shortly after the completion of the call, at http://ir.accolade.com.

About Accolade, Inc.

Accolade (Nasdaq: ACCD) is a Personalized Healthcare company that provides millions of people and their families with exceptional healthcare experiences so they can live their healthiest lives. Accolade’s employer, health plan, and consumer solutions combine virtual primary care and mental health, expert medical opinion, and best-in-class care navigation. These offerings are built on a platform that is engineered to care through predictive engagement of population health needs, proactive care that improves outcomes and cost savings, and by addressing barriers to access and continuity of care. Accolade consistently receives consumer satisfaction ratings of over 90%. For more information, visit accolade.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Investor Contact:

Todd Friedman, Investor Relations, [email protected]

Media Contact:

Media Inquiries, [email protected]

Source: Accolade

This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.