Columbus State President Dr. Stuart Rayfield travels to South Korea
SEOUL, South Korea () — Dr. Stuart Rayfield has taken plenty of business trips in her time as Columbus State University President, but this was her first time travelling to South Korea on behalf of CSU.
'I'm here from June 1st, we left on the 1st and arrived on the 2nd and we leave on the 11th. And I'm already thinking about what it's like when I'm come back to South Korea,' said Rayfield.
Her mission in South Korea was to expand CSU's relationship with multiple South Korean institutes. President Rayfield met with two universities and the K-Entrepreneur Institute. K-Entrepreneur actually has a unique story, because it was once an elementary school. The school became a business school because some of the country's most successful alumni.
'The founders of LG, Samsung and GS all went to the same elementary school at around the same time,' said Rayfield.
While South Korea and Columbus are worlds apart, Dr. Rayfield explained there are some powerful lessons she's learned about leadership.
'They're really all founded on servant leadership,' said Rayfield. 'That has been really meaningful conversations to be able to connect what we do in Columbus, Georgia and the values of what's important to us.'
Several students and CSU faculty also travelled to South Korea along with Dr. Rayfield. The group has visited multiple cultural stops that included Buddhist temples, national landmarks and schools. It was also undeniable to see how the CSU students world view expanded on this trip.
'So the students got to talk about what we're some of their expectations coming to Korea and what have their experiences been like since they've been here,' Rayfield said. 'It's one of the most powerful things of this trip…was sitting there during this trip during that hour long bus ride and hearing from students.'
Dr. Rayfield realized in just these few days in South Korea how important the international relationship is between the Peach State and South Korea.
'South Korea is the 3rd largest foreign investor in the state of Georgia,' Rayfield said. 'We have an opportunity to build some great relationships and I look forward to that.'
Dr. Rayfield ends her visit in South Korea on June 11th.
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Seven months after the completion of dosing: 41% of patients (150 mg Q4W) continue to experience complete response (UAS7=0) 48% of patients (150 mg Q4W) report that CSU no longer impacts their quality of life (DLQI=0/1) KIT related tolerability events demonstrated to be reversible Enrollment to Phase 3 CSU trials ongoing Company to host webcast today at 6:00 pm ET HAMPTON, N.J., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Celldex (NASDAQ:CLDX) announced today new data demonstrating profound, sustained complete response and improved quality of life at 76 weeks, 7 months after the completion of dosing with barzolvolimab in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), an immune-related condition driven by mast cell activation. Barzolvolimab specifically targets mast cells by binding the receptor tyrosine kinase KIT with high specificity and potently inhibiting its activity, which is required for mast cell function and survival. 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UAS7 mean change from baseline at Week 76 was -20.42 for patients treated with 150 mg Q4W and -21.10 for patients treated with 300 mg Q8W. 41% of patients treated with barzolvolimab 150 mg Q4W and 35% of patients treated with 300 mg Q8W had a complete response (no itch/hives; UAS7=0) at Week 76. 56% of patients treated with barzolvolimab 150 mg Q4W and 47% of patients treated with 300 mg Q8W had well controlled disease (UAS7≤6) at Week 76. 48% of patients treated with barzolvolimab 150 mg Q4W and 40% of patients treated with 300 mg Q8W reported that CSU had no impact on their quality of life at 76 weeks as measured by the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Current clinical guidelines recommend complete response (UAS7=0) as the goal of treatment1 and achieving complete response is directly correlated to the greatest improvements in quality of life for patients2. These robust responses and improvements in quality of life were observed regardless of prior omalizumab experience. 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Young, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Celldex. 'On behalf of Celldex, I want to thank the patients and physicians who participated in this study. We remain diligently focused on executing across our clinical trials to bring this potential important new medicine to patients.' Results presented at the EAACI Congress 2025 are available on the "Publications' page of the "Science" section of the Celldex website. 1Zuberbier T, et al. Allergy, 2022; 2Kolkhir P, et al. JACI, 2023 Webcast The Company will host a conference call/webcast today to discuss the results at 6:00 pm ET. To access the live and archived webcast, please visit the Events section on the Investor Relations page of Celldex's website. Parties interested in participating via telephone may register here to receive the dial-in numbers and unique PIN to seamlessly access the call. Otherwise please access the listen-only webcast link. The archived webcast will be available for a limited time on the Company's website. About BarzolvolimabBarzolvolimab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds the receptor tyrosine kinase KIT with high specificity and potently inhibits its activity. KIT is expressed in a variety of cells, including mast cells, which mediate inflammatory responses such as hypersensitivity and allergic reactions. KIT signaling controls the differentiation, tissue recruitment, survival and activity of mast cells. In certain inflammatory diseases, such as chronic urticaria, mast cell activation plays a central role in the onset and progression of the disease. Barzolvolimab is currently being studied in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU), prurigo nodularis (PN), eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE) and atopic dermatitis (AD), with additional indications planned for the future. About the Phase 2 CSU StudyThe randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group Phase 2 study evaluated the efficacy and safety profile of multiple dose regimens of barzolvolimab in patients with CSU who remain symptomatic despite antihistamine therapy, to determine the optimal dosing strategy. 208 patients were randomly assigned on a 1:1:1:1 ratio to receive subcutaneous injections of barzolvolimab at 75 mg every 4 weeks, 150 mg every 4 weeks, 300 mg every 8 weeks or placebo during a 16-week placebo-controlled treatment period. After 16 weeks, patients then entered a 36-week active treatment period, in which patients receiving placebo or the 75 mg dose were randomized to receive barzolvolimab 150 mg every 4 weeks or 300 mg every 8 weeks; patients already randomized to the 150 mg and 300 mg treatment arms remained on the same regimen as during the placebo-controlled treatment period. After 52 weeks, patients enter a follow-up period for an additional 24 weeks. Barzolvolimab achieved the primary efficacy endpoint of the study—a statistically significant mean change from baseline to week 12 in UAS7 (weekly urticaria activity score) compared to placebo at all dose levels. For additional information on this trial (NCT05368285), please visit About the Phase 3 ProgramCelldex is currently conducting a global Phase 3 Program for barzolvolimab in CSU, consisting of two Phase 3 trials (EMBARQ-CSU1; NCT06445023 and EMBARQ-CSU2; NCT06455202) designed to establish the efficacy and safety of barzolvolimab in adult patients with CSU who remain symptomatic despite H1 antihistamine treatment. The studies also include patients who remain symptomatic after treatment with biologics. Enrollment is underway. About Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU)CSU is characterized by the occurrence of hives or wheals for 6 weeks or longer without identifiable specific triggers or causes. The activation of the mast cells in the skin (release of histamines, leukotrienes, chemokines) results in episodes of itchy hives, swelling and inflammation of the skin that can go on for years or even decades. Current therapies provide symptomatic relief only in some patients. About Celldex Celldex is pioneering new horizons in immunology to deliver life-changing therapies. We are relentless in our pursuit of novel antibody-based treatments that engage the human immune system and directly affect critical pathways to improve the lives of patients with allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune Forward Looking StatementThis release contains "forward-looking statements" made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are typically preceded by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "will," "may," "should," or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current knowledge, assumptions, judgment and expectations regarding future performance or events. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such statements are reasonable, they give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct or that those goals will be achieved, and you should be aware that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, our ability to successfully complete research and further development and commercialization of Company drug candidates, including barzolvolimab (also referred to as CDX-0159), in current or future indications; the uncertainties inherent in clinical testing and accruing patients for clinical trials; our limited experience in bringing programs through Phase 3 clinical trials; our ability to manage and successfully complete multiple clinical trials and the research and development efforts for our multiple products at varying stages of development; the availability, cost, delivery and quality of clinical materials produced by our own manufacturing facility or supplied by contract manufacturers, who may be our sole source of supply; the timing, cost and uncertainty of obtaining regulatory approvals; the failure of the market for the Company's programs to continue to develop; our ability to protect the Company's intellectual property; the loss of any executive officers or key personnel or consultants; competition; changes in the regulatory landscape or the imposition of regulations that affect the Company's products; our ability to continue to obtain capital to meet our long-term liquidity needs on acceptable terms, or at all, including the additional capital which will be necessary to complete the clinical trials that we have initiated or plan to initiate; and other factors listed under "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. We have no obligation, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to update, revise or correct any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Company ContactSarah CavanaughSenior Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Administration(508) 864-8337scavanaugh@ Patrick TillMeru Advisors(484) 788-8560ptill@
