Latest news with #CML
Mint
10-08-2025
- Business
- Mint
For retail investors, unlisted shares may prove to be a dangerous gamble
Recent months have seen a rush for the unlisted shares of the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) among retail investors, causing a more than fourfold surge in the number of such shareholders at India's largest bourse. The count has jumped from 33,896 as of 31 March 2024 to 146,208 as of 30 June this year. But it's not just the NSE. Tata Capital, the Metropolitan Stock Exchange and the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange are among the companies that have seen investor appetite for their unlisted shares grow. However, investing in unlisted shares is not as straightforward as buying and selling listed stocks. The intermediaries include dealers working offline and online platforms. While investors hope to exit with large gains when such companies eventually list, the unlisted space is also fraught with risks. Here is a look at how investors can deal in unlisted shares. How it works To invest in unlisted shares, you must have a demat account to get the securities credited after the transfer. Platforms or dealers collect these stocks from a mix of shareholders—employees owning the company shares, early-stage investors looking for exit or, in some cases, from the promoters themselves. The process starts with identifying a credible digital platform or an offline dealer. Once an investor selects a stock to buy, the dealer will ask for documents such as PAN, Aadhaar, client market list (CML) and a cancelled cheque of your bank account. CML contains all the details of your demat account and can be procured from the broking platform that holds the account. You then need to sign the deal confirmation letter (DCL) or an agreement with the dealer. The investor then has to transfer funds to the platform of the dealer buying shares. Once the platform receives the shares in its demat account, those are transferred to the investor's demat account. To ensure there is no lag in this process, the platform will also add the investor's demat account to the list of beneficiaries. 'Registering a new beneficiary and activation also takes 24 hours. So, initiating that process simultaneously reduces the lag time for the investors," said a dealer, requesting anonymity. Pricing problem While retail investors may expect to make a quick gain once the unlisted company launches its initial public offering (IPO) and gets listed, they need to be wary of several risks. 'The prices of unlisted shares may not always be a fair picture of the underlying valuation of the company. As the supply of unlisted shares is limited, irrational investor demand can easily move up the prices. Similarly, these prices can see a sudden collapse," said Vijay Kuppa, chief executive officer of InCred Money. 'However, this mismatch between the prices and underlying valuation is not unique to the unlisted market. It is quite common in the listed space as well." Sidhoji Sawant, who is an insights provider on unlisted shares, said this market 'operates in a price vacuum, where volatility thrives and transparency is scarce". 'Without robust research and clear price discovery, investors are often left navigating blind." Investors should also avoid dealers or platforms that require long lag times to settle the trade. 'Investors should opt for platforms that can settle the trade in a short frame of time. Prefer platforms or dealers that offer a settlement period of not more than T+3 or T+5," said the dealer quoted above. If the intermediary needs longer to source the shares and credit to an investor's account and prices change in the interim period, the original seller could back out. 'It is not uncommon for a seller to back out if the price of the unlisted share rises suddenly before the trade is finally settled," the dealer said. Other risks and costs 'The other point to remember is that unlike listed companies, which are bound by regular disclosure requirements on exchanges, unlisted companies have no such requirements. So, for investors, there is no clarity on the fundamentals of the company, whether it is improving or deteriorating," Kuppa said. The unlisted market is not regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), so it is important to pick a credible dealer or platform to avoid the risk of default by a broker. Since it's not an exchange-settled trade, it is important that investors work with reputed names to mitigate counterparty risk. As far as commissions are concerned, buyers may be charged hidden costs via markups. The platforms also charge commissions from sellers for providing liquidity to exit these shares. Taxation If the stock is sold after two years of holding, the capital gains are treated as long-term capital gains—taxed at 12.5%. If the unlisted shares are sold within two years, the appreciation in their price is treated as short-term capital gains, and the investors are taxed at their slab rate. However, if the stock is sold after the company's IPO, the tax treatment changes to that of a listed share. The holding period is still calculated from the original purchase, but long-term rates apply after a one-year holding period. For less than a year, the short-term capital gains tax rate of 20% is applicable, as is the case for listed stocks. Not for everyone Experts advise retail investors avoid unlisted markets despite their increasing popularity in recent months. The lack of disclosures makes it difficult to keep track of an unlisted company's performance. Making a quick return in an IPO is also not straightforward as there is a six-month lock-in after going public, which many retail investors may not be aware of. 'Unlisted shares do not have a mechanism to be valued appropriately and are also not regulated by Sebi. There have also been multiple instances where the IPO price has been significantly lower than the price of the unlisted securities," said Vishal Dhawan, founder of Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors. 'Additionally, investors may not be aware of the risk of the delay in the company going public as well as the lock-ins post IPO," he said. 'For retail investors with limited resources, assessing the fundamentals of an unlisted company can be a challenge. Investors are therefore better off investing in listed businesses where regulations and liquidity are superior."
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Terns Pharmaceuticals Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Updates
Phase 1 trial of TERN-701 in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) enrolling well; efficacy and safety data including 6-month major molecular response (MMR) rates expected in 4Q25 Phase 2 trial of TERN-601 for obesity completed enrollment; 12-week efficacy, safety and tolerability data expected in early 4Q25 Cash runway into 2028 focused on advancing CML program internally and partnering metabolic assets Terns to host a TERN-701-focused educational webinar in September 2025 FOSTER CITY, Calif., Aug. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Terns or the Company) (Nasdaq: TERN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of small-molecule product candidates to address serious diseases, including oncology and obesity, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025, and provided corporate updates. 'The Terns team continues to advance our clinical programs with strong momentum, a clear focus on execution and a strong balance sheet,' said Amy Burroughs, chief executive officer of Terns. 'We are on track for two key clinical readouts in CML and obesity by year-end. The fourth quarter data readout from the Phase 1 CARDINAL trial in 2L+ CML will enable comparison of the efficacy and safety results of TERN-701 with data from other Phase 1 CML trials, including asciminib's.' 'We are focusing the company in oncology and on rapidly advancing TERN-701 towards a pivotal trial, with the goal of ultimately bringing a potential best-in-class therapy to people living with CML. The company seeks to partner our portfolio of potentially best-in-class metabolic assets and does not plan to invest in clinical development in metabolic disease beyond year end 2025.' 'We are encouraged by the rapid enrollment in the CARDINAL trial of TERN-701 in CML and initiation of dose expansion at the high end of the dose range based on the safety and efficacy data to date. The recently presented preclinical data at the European Hematology Association Congress (EHA) further supports TERN-701's enhanced potency compared to asciminib across multiple clinically relevant BCR-ABL variants, including those with resistance mutations. These findings build upon previously reported data from the early dose escalation portion of the CARDINAL trial, which showed compelling molecular responses observed in heavily pre-treated patients, including those with treatment failure to asciminib. We look forward to sharing a CARDINAL data set in the fourth quarter that will provide a read through to the primary endpoint in a registrational trial – the achievement of a major molecular response at six months,' concluded Ms. Burroughs. Recent Pipeline Developments and Anticipated Milestones TERN-701: Oral, small-molecule next-generation allosteric BCR-ABL inhibitor for CML Terns plans to report efficacy and safety data from the Phase 1 CARDINAL trial in the fourth quarter of 2025, including 6-month MMR achievement rate, and to inform the potential for a best-in-class product profile and path to a pivotal trial In April 2025, Terns enrolled the first patient in the dose expansion portion of the CARDINAL trial in which patients are randomized to one of two dose cohorts (320 mg or 500 mg QD) with up to 40 patients per arm Doses were selected based on the totality of safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data from the dose escalation portion of the trial Terns to host an educational webinar in September 2025 detailing the unmet need in CML, how TERN-701 is building a potential best-in-class profile and relevant benchmarks for Phase 1 data. Webcast details will be available prior to the event Early interim data released in December 2024 from the TERN-701 dose escalation portion of the CARDINAL trial showed: Compelling molecular responses in heavily pre-treated CML patients with high baseline BCR-ABL transcript levels, starting at the lowest doses Encouraging safety profile with no dose limiting toxicities, adverse event-related treatment discontinuations or dose reductions at any dose In addition, supportive preclinical data presented at EHA 2025 highlighted greater potency of TERN-701 compared to asciminib against several resistance mutations in the active-site and allosteric domains TERN-601: Oral, small-molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP1-RA) for obesity Key objectives of the Phase 2 FALCON trial in patients with obesity or overweight are to demonstrate competitive weight loss at 12-weeks, a class-leading safety/tolerability profile, and the simplest dose titration among GLP1-RA therapies The Phase 2 FALCON trial enrollment completed in the second quarter of 2025 and top-line 12-week data is expected in the early fourth quarter of 2025 U.S.-based, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TERN-601 as a treatment for obesity Once-daily dosing with or without food in adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes (BMI ranges from ≥30 to <50 kg/m2 or ≥27 to <30 kg/m2 with at least one weight-related comorbidity) Patients randomized to one of four active cohorts (n=30 per cohort): 250 mg, 500 mg, 500 mg slow titration, 750 mg or placebo Primary endpoint is percent change from baseline in body weight compared to placebo over 12 weeks Secondary endpoints include safety, tolerability and proportion of patients achieving 5% weight loss or greater Doses and titration schema for Phase 2 were selected based on positive results from the Phase 1 trial, announced in September 2024, which demonstrated weight loss over 28-days up to 5.5% and favorable safety and tolerability despite rapid dose titration every three days In June 2025, Terns presented additional data from the completed 28-day Phase 1 trial of TERN-601 for obesity at the 85th Annual American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, which further demonstrated its differentiated profile among oral GLP1-RAs Pipeline and Partnering Programs TERN-800 Series: Oral, small-molecule glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) modulators Terns is prioritizing its discovery efforts on nominating a GIPR antagonist development candidate based on in-house discoveries and growing scientific rationale supporting the potential of GLP-1 agonist/GIPR antagonist combinations for obesity. Terns is seeking a strategic partner to advance this program TERN-501: Oral, thyroid hormone receptor-beta (THR-β) agonist Based on non-clinical studies, THR-β is a complementary mechanism to GLP-1, potentially providing broader metabolic and liver benefits in addition to increased weight loss. Terns is seeking a strategic partner to advance this program Corporate Updates Members of the Terns' senior leadership team will participate in the Morgan Stanley 23rd Annual Global Healthcare Conference, taking place in New York City, New York, September 8-10th, 2025. Webcasts can be accessed at Terns' IR website: Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results Cash Position: As of June 30, 2025, cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $315.4 million, as compared with $358.2 million as of December 31, 2024. Based on its current operating plan, Terns expects these funds will be sufficient to support its planned operating expenses into 2028 Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: R&D expenses were $20.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, as compared with $18.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses: G&A expenses were $7.0 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, as compared with $7.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 Net Loss: Net loss was $24.1 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, as compared with $22.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 Financial Tables Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited; in thousands except share and per share amounts) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 2024 2025 2024 Operating expenses: Research and development $ 20,353 $ 18,352 $ 39,073 $ 36,939 General and administrative 7,030 7,185 15,737 14,044 Total operating expenses 27,383 25,537 54,810 50,983 Loss from operations (27,383 ) (25,537 ) (54,810 ) (50,983 ) Interest income 3,350 2,876 6,993 6,058 Other income (expense), net 4 (14 ) (32 ) (26 ) Loss before income taxes (24,029 ) (22,675 ) (47,849 ) (44,951 ) Income tax expense (64 ) (61 ) (152 ) (158 ) Net loss $ (24,093 ) $ (22,736 ) $ (48,001 ) $ (45,109 ) Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.26 ) $ (0.31 ) $ (0.52 ) $ (0.61 ) Weighted average common stock outstanding, basic and diluted 91,575,039 74,459,774 91,524,772 74,429,576 Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Selected Balance Sheet Data (Unaudited; in thousands) June 30, 2025 December 31, 2024 Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities $ 315,445 $ 358,164 Total assets 320,415 363,929 Total liabilities 15,186 18,059 Total stockholders' equity 305,229 345,870About Terns Pharmaceuticals Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of small-molecule product candidates to address serious diseases, including oncology and obesity. Terns' pipeline contains three clinical stage development programs including an allosteric BCR-ABL inhibitor, a small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, a THR-β agonist, and a preclinical GIPR modulator discovery effort, prioritizing a GIPR antagonist nomination candidate. For more information, please visit: Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements about the Company within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements related to or in connection with expectations, timing and potential results of the clinical trials and other development activities of the Company and its partners, including with respect to the CARDINAL and FALCON trials, as well as enabling and non-clinical studies of the TERN-800 Series and TERN-501; the potential indications to be targeted by the Company with its small-molecule product candidates; the therapeutic potential of the Company's small-molecule product candidates; the potential for the mechanisms of action of the Company's product candidates to be therapeutic targets for their targeted indications; the potential utility and progress of the Company's product candidates in their targeted indications, including the clinical utility of the data from and the endpoints used in the Company's clinical trials; the Company's clinical development plans and activities, including the results of any interactions with regulatory authorities on its programs; the Company's expectations regarding the profile of its product candidates, including efficacy, tolerability, safety, metabolic stability and pharmacokinetic profile and potential differentiation as compared to other products or product candidates; the Company's plans for and ability to continue to execute on its current development strategy, including potential combinations involving multiple product candidates; the process, timing or potential to establish a strategic partnership or similar arrangement for future development and/or potential commercialization of any of its product candidates; the potential commercialization of the Company's product candidates; and the Company's expectations with regard to its cash runway and sufficiency of its cash resources. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding the Company's strategy, future financial condition, future operations, future trial results, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as 'aim,' 'anticipate,' 'assume,' 'believe,' 'contemplate,' 'continue,' 'could,' 'design,' 'develop,' 'due,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'goal,' 'intend,' 'may,' 'objective,' 'plan,' 'positioned,' 'potential,' 'predict,' 'seek,' 'should,' 'target,' 'will,' 'would' and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events and financial trends that it believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results and the implementation of the Company's plans to vary materially, including the risks associated with the initiation, cost, timing, progress, results and utility of the Company's current and future research and development activities and preclinical studies and clinical trials. These risks are not exhaustive. For a detailed discussion of the risk factors that could affect the Company's actual results, please refer to the risk factors identified in the Company's SEC reports, including but not limited to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. Contacts for Terns InvestorsKaytee Bockinvestors@ MediaJenna UrbanCG Life media@
Cision Canada
30-07-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
Health Canada expands approval of Scemblix®, making it an option for newly diagnosed and previously treated chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients Français
Scemblix ® is first to show superior efficacy and a favourable safety and tolerability profile in a Phase III trial vs. all standard of care (SoC) therapies 1,2 Fifty percent of CML patients do not meet efficacy milestones (MMR) with current SoC and almost 25% discontinue or switch therapies within one year of treatments 2 Scemblix ®, a new first-line option for adults with CML, is now approved for newly diagnosed and previously treated CML MONTREAL, July 30, 2025 /CNW/ - Novartis Canada is pleased to announce that Health Canada has granted a Notice of Compliance for Scemblix ® (asciminib tablets) for adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in chronic phase (CP) who are newly diagnosed or who have previously received one or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). 1 In Canada, Scemblix ® was previously approved for the treatment of adult patients with Ph+ CML-CP previously treated with two or more TKIs. Newly diagnosed patients will now have access to a treatment that has shown superior efficacy versus all standard of care (SoC) therapies and a favourable safety and tolerability profile. "The approval of a new treatment option for newly diagnosed and previously treated Canadians living with CML is an important milestone," said Lisa Machado, founder, Canadian CML Network. "As a person living with CML and an advocate, I am hopeful that expanded access to this innovative treatment option will offer patients not only continued positive outcomes, but also provide the opportunity to maintain a quality of life that meets their expectations as they and their families navigate the complexities of CML management." CML that is diagnosed in the chronic phase has a more favourable prognosis than CML that is diagnosed in the accelerated or blast phase. Although the Ph chromosome is present in everyone with CML, in rare cases it can't be found during testing. In general, Ph+ CML has a more favourable prognosis than Ph- CML. 3 While TKIs have transformed CML into a chronic disease, efficacy, safety and tolerability challenges continue to hinder long-term treatment success for many patients. Many patients do not meet molecular response goals, and many discontinue or change treatment due to intolerance. 4,5,6 "The approval of asciminib represents a significant step forward, expanding treatment options for CML patients," said Dr. Dennis Kim, Professor of Medicine, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. "Having a diverse range of therapies available allows care teams to keep the unique needs of the patient at the centre of treatment plans, optimizing outcomes. The ability to prescribe asciminib to newly diagnosed and previously treated patients offers a promising new pathway in our efforts to manage this complex disease effectively and safely." "We are proud that Health Canada has expanded its approval of Scemblix ®, making it a new option for all Canadians with chronic myeloid leukemia, whether they are newly diagnosed or have been previously treated," said Mark Vineis, Country President, Novartis Canada. "This approval means patients and their physicians now have more choices when deciding on the best course of treatment, offering renewed hope for individuals living with CML, their families, and the healthcare teams dedicated to their care." The clinical effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of Scemblix ® is currently under review by Canada's Drug Agency (CDA) and Institut National d'Excellence en Santé et Services Sociaux (INESSS). Novartis looks forward to communicating their recommendations with the CML community, when available. About Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a type of cancer that develops in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow. In 95% of patients with CML, a genetic mutation produces an abnormal chromosome in bone marrow stem cells known as the Philadelphia chromosome ("Ph chromosome"). When the Ph chromosome is present, CML is classified as Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+). 7 The Ph chromosome produces the BCR-ABL1 protein, which causes bone marrow to make too many abnormal white blood cells. These cells overcrowd healthy blood cells, which can be fatal if untreated. 7 CML has three stages: chronic, accelerated, and blast phases. Most patients are diagnosed in the chronic phase, and with proper treatment, can often stay in this early stage without advancing further. 7 According to the most recently available data, 665 Canadians were diagnosed with CML in 2019 and 140 Canadians died from CML in 2022. 8 About Scemblix ® (asciminib tablets) Scemblix ® is the first CML treatment that works by Specifically Targeting the ABL Myristoyl Pocket (referred to as a STAMP inhibitor in scientific literature). 9,10 The current approved CML treatments are TKIs that target the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding site (ATP-competitive). 10 About the ASC4FIRST Trial The approval of Scemblix ® is based on results from the ongoing Phase III ASC4FIRST trial in patients newly diagnosed with Ph+ CML-CP. 1 Data has shown: Nearly 20% more patients treated with Scemblix ® achieved MMR versus investigator-selected (IS) SoC TKIs (imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib and bosutinib) (68% vs. 49%, p < 0.001) and nearly 30% more patients achieved MMR versus imatinib alone (69% vs. 40%, p < 0.001) at week 48. 1,2 Scemblix ® is the first CML treatment to show superior efficacy along with a favourable safety and tolerability profile verus imatinib and second generation TKIs. 1,2 In newly diagnosed Ph+ CML-CP patients, the most common adverse reaction (≥ 20%) was musculoskeletal pain. Serious adverse events occurred in 11% of patients who received Scemblix ®. Serious adverse reactions in ≥ 1% included pancreatitis (1%). 1, 2 About Novartis Novartis is a focused innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people's lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach more than 250 million people worldwide. In Canada, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. employs approximately 600 people to serve the evolving needs of patients and the healthcare system and invests over $30 million in R&D yearly in the country. For more information visit SCEMBLIX ® is a registered trademark. SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Battling cancer, H'bag woman seeks blood stem cell donation
Ranchi: A 27-year-old woman from Hazaribag, identified as Kriti Kumari, is racing against time while battling Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML), a type of blood cancer, since the age of 13. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With over a decade of treatment through medication, her condition has now reached a critical stage where only a blood stem cell transplant can save her life. She said, "My chances of survival now hinge on finding a genetically matched unrelated donor." She is undergoing treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi. "I am told that a stem cell transplant is my only hope. I was first diagnosed in 2010 after suffering persistent fever and an enlarged spleen. With no oncologist available in my area then, I was referred to Ranchi and then to Jamshedpur. For several years, I was treated with oral chemotherapy at the Tata Main Hospital. In 2016, I went to Delhi for advanced care at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, where my treatment has continued since. " Dr Dinesh Bhurani with the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre added, "Every five minutes, someone in the country is diagnosed with blood cancer or a severe blood disorder. Most require a stem cell transplant to survive. But due to the lack of Indian representation in global donor registries, the chances of finding a match for patients like Kriti are alarmingly low." The DKMS Foundation said they have issued an appeal to Indians aged between 18 and 50 to register as potential blood stem cell donors. "The registration process is simple and non-invasive, involving a cheek swab. To register as a donor, visit it added.
Business Recorder
01-07-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
Flagship oncology summit ACCESS 1.0 hosted
KARACHI: In a major step toward transforming cancer care in Pakistan, Oncogen Pharma hosted its flagship oncology summit, ACCESS 1.0 (Affordable Cancer Care with Excellence, Sustainability, and Standards) bringing together over 100 leading oncologists, haematologists, researchers, and policymakers at a high-profile gathering. The summit aimed to drive a national conversation around ethical, affordable, and locally sustainable cancer treatment options for Pakistani patients. The event was attended by some of the country's most distinguished medical experts, including Prof Dr Adnan A Jabbar, known for his advocacy of protocol-based cancer care, Prof Dr Abdus Samad, Dr Kamran Rashid, and Prof Dr Abid Jameel, a veteran oncologist and promoter of real-world data in clinical decision-making. The collective presence and endorsement of the country's top medical minds reinforced the urgency of developing indigenous solutions to cancer care and emphasized the importance of shifting from foreign dependence to self-reliance. The summit featured detailed scientific discussions, policy recommendations, and collaborative calls to strengthen oncology services across the country. A key highlight of the event was the presentation of the interim analysis of Pakistan's first national CML (Chronic Myeloid Leukemia) study. The findings were shared by Dr Tahir Bashir in the presence of all study investigators and Prof Dr Zeba Aziz, the study's Principal Investigator. Sponsored by Oncogen Pharma, this major research initiative is generating valuable local evidence that can help oncologists across Pakistan develop more targeted, data-driven treatment strategies for CML patients. The initiative marks a significant step forward in building a culture of real-world clinical research rooted in local patient data. In his keynote remarks, Junaid Yousuf, General Manager of Oncogen Pharma, shared the company's vision for a self-sustaining oncology ecosystem. He stated that Oncogen is Pakistan's first vertically integrated oncology manufacturer — controlling the full production chain from molecule development to final product — and is committed to providing FDA-approved, internationally bioequivalent cancer medicines at affordable prices for Pakistani patients. He emphasized that the goal of ACCESS 1.0 was not corporate branding, but a deeper national mission. 'Be Pakistan. Trust Pakistan. We have in our minds, means, and the mission. ACCESS 1.0 was never about showcasing a company — it was about igniting a cause. Together, we are shaping a future where every Pakistani cancer patient has access to global-quality care, at home, without compromise,' he said. The event concluded with a strong call to action — to expand Pakistan's clinical research base, support ethical local manufacturing, and ensure that quality cancer care becomes a universal right rather than a privilege. Oncogen Pharma also reaffirmed its 'Vision 2026', an ambitious national objective to make Pakistan regionally self-reliant in oncology treatment while strengthening trust between patients, physicians, and the country's pharmaceutical sector. The summit marked what many participants described as a turning point in Pakistan's cancer care journey — from aspiration to implementation. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
