Surging Stock Market Reverses After Cautious Fed & Righteous RFK Healthcare Shockwaves Hit – $BE $PLTR $RKLB $VIX Rise!

By John F. Heerdink, Jr.

The stock market experienced a pullback in the week ending November 15, 2024, with the S&P 500 closing 2.1% lower despite hitting a record high above 6,000 earlier in the week. The decline was influenced by various factors, including cautious remarks from the Federal Reserve chair and unexpected developments in the healthcare sector.

S&P 500 Performance

Despite reaching a new milestone by closing above 6k for the first time, the S&P 500 settled 2.1% lower for the week ending November 15, 2024. The index maintained a 1.5% gain since the recent election results, showcasing resilience amidst market fluctuations. Selling pressure was broad-based, affecting chipmakers and mega-cap stocks, with the equal-weighted S&P 500 closing 1.7% lower than the previous Friday. Only two S&P 500 sectors managed to close higher, while eight sectors logged losses ranging from 1.1% to 5.5%.

Health Care Sector Impact

The health care sector took a significant hit, registering the largest loss at 5.5% for the week. This downturn was exacerbated on Friday following the announcement that President-elect Trump had nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The news sent shockwaves through pharmaceutical stocks, causing them to tumble faster than a patient’s fever after a dose of antibiotics.

Fed’s Interest Rate Signals

On November 7, 2024, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) unanimously voted to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 4.50-4.75%. This week, we saw the 10-year Treasury yield briefly touch 4.50% before settling at 4.43%, 12 basis points higher than the previous Friday. Meanwhile, the 2-year yield inched up 5 basis points to 4.30%. This upward movement in yields was partly attributed to Federal Reserve Chair Powell’s remarks, indicating that the economy wasn’t signaling an urgent need for rate cuts. The cautious tone from the Fed, coupled with stronger-than-expected economic data, led to speculation that the central bank might be more hesitant to cut rates than previously anticipated by the market.

Dow vs. Nasdaq Performance

For the week ending November 15, 2024, both major U.S. stock indexes experienced declines, with the Nasdaq composite showing a more pronounced drop compared to the Dow Jones Industrial Average:

* The Dow fell 544 points (1.2%) over the week, closing at 43,444.99 on Friday and up up 15.3% year-to-date
* The Nasdaq decreased by 606.71 points (3.1%), ending at 18,680.12, and up up 24.4% year-to-date
* Friday’s performance saw the Dow lose 0.7% while the Nasdaq fell 2.2%

The Nasdaq’s weekly decline was more than twice that of the Dow, indicating a particularly challenging period for technology and growth stocks that comprise a significant portion of the Nasdaq index. The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist, as health secretary by President-elect Donald Trump negatively impacted biotech and pharmaceutical stocks, which are heavily represented in the Nasdaq.

Economic Data Insights

Inflation indicators showed a slight uptick, with total CPI rising to 2.6% Y/Y from 2.4% in September, while core CPI remained steady at 3.3%. The Producer Price Index (PPI) also increased, reaching 2.4% Y/Y vs. 1.9% in September. These figures, along with robust retail sales in October and low jobless claims, suggest a resilient economy that may not require immediate rate cuts. The strong labor market and consumer spending patterns could potentially exert additional inflationary pressure, aligning with Fed Chair Powell’s cautious stance on lowering interest rates.

VIX Pops

The fear index or the CBOX Volatility Index surged higher Friday by +12.79% to close at $16.14

VP Watchlist Updates

Now let’s check out how these nuggets progressed below!

Analytics software firm Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares grabbed the top performance of any S&P 500 component on Friday, flying up 11.14% after confirming that it would move its stock listing to the Nasdaq from the NYSE. PLTR stocks is up +283.05% YTD.

Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE $21.14, +60.52% over the last 5-days), the world leader in stationary fuel cell power generation, announced on Nov. 14 that it has signed a supply agreement with American Electric Power (AEP) for up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of its products, the largest commercial procurement of fuel cells in the world to date. As part of this agreement, AEP has placed an order for 100 megawatts (MW) of fuel cells with further expansion orders expected in 2025. The company highlighted the following:

Deployment at scale will help meet data center customers’ sharply increasing AI loads
Bloom’s clean and reliable fuel cell solution will be co-located at customer sites to rapidly enable AEP to meet the energy and economic development goals of its customers and stakeholders

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals (EPRX, $3.13.07, -2.62% over the last 5-days and +28.84% over the last month) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of locally delivered, extended-release products that have the potential to address therapeutic areas with high unmet medical need. The Company strives to provide improved patient benefit and has developed technology designed to deliver targeted, long-lasting activity with fewer side effects. DiffuSphere™, a proprietary, polymer-based micro-sphere technology, is designed to facilitate targeted drug delivery, with extended duration of effect, and offers multiple, highly tuneable pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles. This investigational technology can be engineered for use with multiple active pharmaceutical ingredients and delivery methods.

On Nov. 12, Eupraxia announced additional positive clinical data from its RESOLVE Phase 1b/2a trial, which is evaluating the safety and efficacy of EP-104GI as a treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis (“EoE”). EoE is an inflammatory-mediated disease in which white blood cells migrate into and become trapped in the esophagus, creating pain and difficulty with swallowing food. According to market research from Clearview Healthcare Partners, EoE affects more than 450,000 people in the United States and has been identified by the American Gastroenterological Association as rapidly increasing in both incidence and prevalence. Impacts from both symptoms and interventions frequently lead to mental health issues, compounding the disease burden of EoE for both the healthcare system and the individual. Eupraxia highlighted the following:

One of three patients in Cohort 5 achieved complete histological remission at 12 weeks.
Consistent improvement in patient-reported outcomes with six of six evaluable patients in the fourth and fifth cohorts experiencing a reduction in symptom (SDI1) scores at 12 weeks.
At 24 weeks, the fourth cohort experienced the largest average reduction in SDI scores of all cohorts to date.
The fifth cohort continued to show improved patient outcomes with the greatest percentage change in histology (EoEHSS2) scores of any cohort to date.
Both the mean reduction in Peak Eosinophil Counts (PEC3)at four biopsy sites and the percent change in histology (EoEHSS2) scores showed a clear dose response across Cohorts 3 to 5, with Cohort 5 showing the greatest response. No serious adverse events reported in any of the five cohorts to date.
Cohort 6 is now fully enrolled and dosed, with 12-week data anticipated in Q1 2025.

On Nov. 7, Eupraxia announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2024. they highlighted the following:

On September 11, 2024, the Company announced additional positive clinical data from its RESOLVE Phase 1b/2a trial which is evaluating the safety and efficacy of EP-104GI as a treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis (“EoE”).
Presented RESOLVE clinical trial data at the Controlled Release Society 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo in Italy in July, and at the 20th International Symposium on Digestive Endoscopy World Congress for Esophageal Diseases in Scotland in September.
Subsequent to quarter end, on October 2, 2024, the Company announced the appointment of Dr. Amanda Malone as the Chief Operating and Scientific Officer of the Company. In addition, the Company announced the appointment of Dr. Rahul Sarugaser as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development.
Subsequent to quarter end, on October 15, 2024, the Company announced that Phase 2b data from its SPRINGBOARD trial evaluating EP-104IAR for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis was published in leading peer reviewed medical journal The Lancet Rheumatology.
Subsequent to quarter end, on October 31, 2024, the Company announced the closing of a non-brokered private placement of C$44.5 million, the appointment of Mr. Joseph Freedman to its Board of Directors and the termination of its new C$12 million convertible debt facility.

On Oct. 31 Eupraxia announced that it has completed a non-brokered private placement of 8,905,638 Series 1 Preferred shares of the Company (the “Preferred Shares”), at a price of C$5.00 per Preferred Share for aggregate gross proceeds of C$44,528,190, by way of a non-brokered private placement (the “Private Placement”). The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement towards the funding of clinical trials for EP104GI, initiating research programs for new candidates and general corporate and working capital purposes of the Company and its affiliates. In connection with the closing of the Private Placement, the Company has appointed Mr. Joseph Freedman to its board of directors. Mr. Freedman is a private equity investor and corporate director with more than 25 years industry experience including, most recently, 18 years at Brookfield Asset Management, one of the world’s leading private equity and alternative asset management firms. Over his career at Brookfield, Mr. Freedman has held a number of positions, including Vice Chair of Private Equity, General Counsel and the Partner responsible for M&A transaction execution, fund formation and fund operations. Prior to joining Brookfield, he was a lawyer in the corporate finance group at a Toronto law firm, specializing in private equity transactions and public company mergers and acquisitions. Now retired from Brookfield, Mr. Freedman is a director of several private and public companies and non-profit organizations including the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (co-chair), Bridgemarq Real Estate Services (TSX:BRE) and Total Containment Inc. Mr. Freedman holds a joint MBA/LL.B from the Schulich School of Business at York University and Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

On October 15, Eupraxia announced that Lancet Rheumatology, a leading independent, peer-reviewed journal committed to sharing progressive content relevant to rheumatology specialists worldwide, recently published Eupraxia’s Phase 2 data from its SPRINGBOARD trial evaluating EP-104IAR for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Publication of Eupraxia’s Phase 2b data in Lancet Rheumatology, a distinguished and respected journal, raises the profile of EP-104IAR. As outlined in Lancet Rheumatology, Eupraxia’s EP-104IAR imparts clinically significant and durable pain relief, while also having minimal changes in glucose and cortisol, along with stable fluticasone proportionate concentrations in plasma. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that knee osteoarthritis affects more than 30 million people in the U.S. alone. You may read the Lancet Publication regarding Eupraxia at this link.

The global diabetes care market, valued at $18.9 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $35.8 billion by 2028, with the insulin pump segment expected to grow from $5.26 billion to $21.65 billion by 2032. As reported by Fortune Business Insights, this rapid growth is driven by increasing diabetes prevalence and technological advancements in insulin delivery devices.

Modular Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: MODD, $2.07, -6.33% over the last 5-days and is up 83.84% over the last year), an insulin delivery system technology company preparing to launch a market expansion product with a more accessible, easier to prescribe, and easier to pay for and live with technology. Using its patented technologies, the company seeks to eliminate the tradeoff between complexity and efficacy, thereby making top quality insulin delivery both affordable and simple to learn. Their mission is to improve access to the highest standard of glycemic control for people with diabetes taking it beyond “superusers” and providing “diabetes care for the rest of us.” Modular Medical was founded by Paul DiPerna, a seasoned medical device professional and microfluidics engineer. Prior to founding Modular Medical, Mr. DiPerna was the founder (in 2005) of Tandem Diabetes and invented and designed its t:slim insulin pump. More information is available at https://modular-medical.com.

On November 11, Modular Medical, Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeb Besser delivered a presentation titled “Tailoring GLP-1 Weight Loss Treatments: Innovative Approaches To Personalized Dosing.” He was also available for a 5-10 minute Q&A session at the end of the presentation.

On Nov. 7, Modular Medical announced successful results from its pre-clinical GLP-1 proof of concept study. They highlighted the following: Study showed more potent weight loss and blood glucose control with the addition of a mealtime bolus of a rapid acting GLP-1 to basal delivery, Observed weight loss was 17% at 28 days, a 25% improvement over GLP-1 delivered as basal alone, & Findings suggest that pump delivery may be a viable approach to achieve GLP-1 weight and blood glucose benefits that are comparable with current treatment standards, either as initial treatment or for maintenance, while bringing personalized dosing flexibility. “With these encouraging results, we are now planning to take this concept of a synergistic basal-bolus GLP-1 combination into a human trial using our MODD1 device. We are considering both existing fast acting GLP-1s and other peptides for this trial, as we see this as a platform technology that could be used for more personalized titration for both non-responder or non-adherent patients experiencing GI and other issues with long acting GLP-1s, as well as for other specialty applications in metabolic therapies. This type of application is well suited for our MODD1 pump, given its quick training time, simple interface, high accuracy at low flow rates, reusable low-cost electronics, and a prefill-capable 3mL reservoir,” stated Jeb Besser, CEO of Modular Medical.

In October, Modular’s CEO was interviewed by Carole Sullivan on the Today In Nashville program affiliated with Channel 4 WSMV. The segment is called “New Tools for Treating Diabetes by Modular Medical.” You may watch the video now at this link.

On September 18, Modular Medical announced the issuance of U.S. Divisional Patent Application No. 17/968,599. “The issuance of this patent and the associated claims represent a major step in our efforts to protect the intellectual property in the MODD1 pump platform,” stated Jeb Besser, CEO of Modular Medical. “Some of the key features of our novel, low-cost and accurate insulin delivery technology are now protected by this important issued U.S. patent, which we believe represents a significant new barrier to entry. Our eight families of patents around our pump are an important part of our strategic value and market positioning, and we look forward to announcing further issuances on our portfolio in the future.”

On Wednesday, September 4, Modular announced it has received U. S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) clearance to market and sell its MODD1 pump in the United States. With its commercial manufacturing infrastructure substantially established, the Company anticipates the MODD1 should be available for sale in early 2025.

James (Jeb) Besser, CEO of Modular Medical (NASDAQ: MODD)

“For too long, the benefits of superior glycemic control achieved by insulin pumps have, due to cost and complexity, been restricted to only the most sophisticated, motivated and well-insured users. The goal of Modular Medical has always been to change this by making diabetes technology accessible and affordable to underserved communities. We seek to make the experience of going ‘on a pump’ simpler and less intimidating and to widen the base beyond the current pump users,” said Jeb Besser, CEO of Modular Medical.

Shares of Indaptus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: INDP) closed at $1.11, -6.72% over the last 5-days. Indaptus is a company with the ability to harness both the body’s innate and adaptive immune responses, believes that they are uniquely positioned to revolutionize the treatment of cancer and certain infectious diseases. Indaptus Therapeutics has evolved from more than a century of immunotherapy advances. The Company’s novel approach is based on the hypothesis that efficient activation of both innate and adaptive immune cells and pathways and associated anti-tumor and anti-viral immune responses will require a multi-targeted package of immune system-activating signals that can be administered safely intravenously (i.v.). Indaptus’ patented technology is composed of single strains of attenuated and killed, non-pathogenic, Gram-negative bacteria producing a multiple Toll-like receptor (TLR), Nucleotide oligomerization domain (Nod)-like receptor (NLR) and Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist Decoy platform. The products are designed to have reduced i.v. toxicity, but largely uncompromised ability to prime or activate many of the cells and pathways of innate and adaptive immunity. Decoy products represent an antigen-agnostic technology that have produced single-agent activity against metastatic pancreatic and orthotopic colorectal carcinomas, single agent eradication of established antigen-expressing breast carcinoma, as well as combination-mediated eradication of established hepatocellular carcinomas and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas in standard pre-clinical models, including syngeneic mouse tumors and human tumor xenografts.

On Nov. 11, Indaptus announced that Dr. Michael Newman, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, has published his groundbreaking research in the peer-reviewed journal, Frontiers in Immunology. The article, titled “Invention and Characterization of a Systemically Administered, Attenuated and Killed Bacteria-Based Multiple Immune Receptor Agonist for Antitumor Immunotherapy,” presents the Company’s innovative approach to activating both the innate and adaptive sides of the immune system to treat cancer. The paper is being published as part of a Research Topic on The Vital Role of Innate Immunity in Cancer Immunotherapy. This publication describes the invention and pre-clinical characterization of the Decoy platform, including Decoy20, a novel clinical stage immunotherapy candidate. Decoy20 leverages attenuated, killed and stabilized bacteria to activate multiple immune pathways with a weekly pulse, aimed at creating a comprehensive immune response against tumors. By priming or activating both the innate and adaptive immune systems, Decoy20 has demonstrated the potential to enhance immune responses to effectively fight various types of cancer, including colorectal, pancreatic, hepatocellular cancers and lymphomas. Dr. Newman’s study highlights Decoy20’s potential advantages over traditional treatments, such as chemotherapy, as well as its potential to significantly enhance the efficacy of current, single-target immunotherapy, because it triggers a broad yet controlled activation of the immune system while reducing toxicity often seen with other cancer immunotherapies. Dr. Newman commented, “It is incredibly rewarding to have our work recognized in such a prestigious publication. I am honored to share years of scientific research with the broader scientific community, contributing a deeper understanding of our ‘pulse-prime’ approach to enhancing both innate and adaptive immune activation. We believe this methodology, represents a significant step toward more effective cancer immunotherapy.”

Key Highlights from the Research:

Multi-Pathway Immune Activation: Unlike traditional immunotherapies that focus on a single immune pathway, Decoy20 engages multiple immune receptors, including Toll-like, NOD-like, and STING receptors, to initiate a broader and more durable immune response.
Encouraging Preclinical Data: Decoy20 has produced efficacy in preclinical studies across a variety of tumor types and in combination with four different classes of existing drugs, demonstrating both innate and adaptive immune activation that led to tumor regression and immunological memory.
Reduced Toxicity Profile: By using a rapidly cleared, bacteria-based delivery package and significantly lowering but leaving a small amount of immune activating LPS-endotoxin activity, Decoy20 is designed to produce a broad, but transient or pulsed activation of innate and adaptive immune pathways, minimizing toxicity and enabling safe systemic administration – a longstanding challenge with novel cancer immunotherapies.

On Nov. 7, Indaptus Therapeutics announced compelling safety, pharmacokinetics, and biomarker data on its lead compound, Decoy20, at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2024 annual meeting. The data derive from two cohorts (13 patients) of Decoy20 single administration and one cohort (6 patients) of Decoy20 weekly administration in the Company’s ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial. The SITC conference is being held November 6-10, 2024 in Houston, TX. The data presented demonstrated that Decoy20 administered intravenously once weekly mainly showed side effects that were classified as mild or moderate and transient in duration. Further, pharmacokinetic analysis confirmed that Decoy20 quickly disappeared from the bloodstream after administration, supporting the Company’s “pulse” approach. One patient in the trial who has squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with high levels of PD-L1, which is a protein that is associated with tumor response to certain immunotherapies, had “stable disease” — meaning the cancer had not progressed or worsened — at the time of their first imaging scan. “We continue to be encouraged by the safety profile of Decoy20 when administered weekly,” said Dr. Roger Waltzman, Chief Medical Officer. “In addition, we see a broad innate and adaptive immune response. Based upon pre-clinical data, we expect Decoy20 combined with a PD-1 inhibitor to work together effectively to control tumors.”

On October 22, Indaptus announced a clinical supply agreement with BeiGene (BGNE). Building on Indaptus’ preclinical observation that Decoy20, when combined with a PD-1 inhibitor, induced complete cancer regressions and immunological memory in animal models, Indaptus plans to advance human clinical evaluation of the combination of BeiGene’s anti-PD-1 antibody, tislelizumab, with Indaptus’ Decoy20, a novel treatment designed to induce a broad immune response to fight cancer. Indaptus’ Decoy20 is being studied for its potential to treat a variety of cancers, including liver, colon, and pancreatic. PD-1 inhibitors are considered key agents in modern immunotherapy and have produced impressive response rates in some patients. In preclinical studies, Decoy20, when used in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor and an oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, demonstrated tumor eradication rates of 80-100%. Indaptus hopes to find a treatment combination that similarly improves outcomes in humans.

“PD-1 inhibitors have proven to be meaningful in treating multiple types of cancer. We are optimistic that we can improve outcomes by broadly and safely stimulating the immune system in a way that could enhance overall effectiveness of currently approved cancer treatments,” said Jeffrey Meckler, CEO of Indaptus Therapeutics. “This agreement with BeiGene marks a significant step forward in the search for curative cancer treatments for some of the most challenging cancers. Additionally, we view this as a significant milestone for Indaptus.”

As part of the agreement, BeiGene will provide Indaptus with access to its PD-1 inhibitor as well as technical expertise in order to accelerate the first clinical trial combining the two investigational drugs. Decoy20 utilizes Indaptus’ unique “Pulse-Prime” approach, which induces a strong and broad boost to the immune system but clears rapidly with only transient and tolerable side effects.

“Decoy20’s ability to synergize with a variety of approved therapeutic modalities, including checkpoint therapy, makes it a promising partner for several novel combination approaches,” said Dr. Michael Newman, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Indaptus. “This trial could reshape the checkpoint therapy landscape, as it will be the first time a short but broadly acting agent such as Decoy20, utilizing our innovative Pulse-Prime approach, will be tested in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor.”

On October 15, Indaptus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: INDP) provided an update regarding key clinical advancements in its Phase 1 trial of lead drug candidate Decoy20. The Safety Review Committee examined weekly administration data at the lower Decoy20 dose and cleared unrestricted enrollment of patients at this dose. The safety profile observed to date remains aligned with Decoy20’s expected mechanism of action. The most clinically relevant treatment-related adverse events include Grade 2 Infusion Related Reaction and Grade 2 Hypotension, both of transient duration. Jeffrey Meckler, Chief Executive Officer, added, “We continue to gather robust data on Decoy20, which remains consistent with our expectations from preclinical studies. We believe the continuation of this trial, and the eventual initiation of combination therapy studies presents an important opportunity to have a potentially significant impact on cancer immunotherapy. We look forward to sharing these results in the coming months.”

Lantern (LTRN) closed at $3.54, -7.81% over the last 5-days. Lantern is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) firm that is transforming the cost, pace, and timeline of oncology drug discovery and development and specifically is developing targeted and transformative cancer therapies using its proprietary RADR® AI and machine learning (“ML”) platform with multiple clinical stage drug programs.

After the close Nov. 7, Lantern reported its Q4, 2024 financial results and business updates highlighting the following:

Lantern is advancing three AI-guided precision-oncology drug candidates in active Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials, while evaluating additional ADC-based preclinical molecules for development.
Preliminary patient data and clinical readouts for the Phase 2 LP-300 Harmonic™ Trial showed an 86% clinical benefit rate in the initial 7 patient lead-in cohort, and additional patients continue to be enrolled in the US.
The Harmonic™ Trial has been expanded to both Japan and Taiwan with an expected 10 sites in East Asia; 5 in each country where the population of never-smokers is 33 to 35 percent of new cases in NSCLC.
Phase 1 clinical trials for both synthetic lethal drug candidates, LP-184 and LP-284, continue to advance with no dose-limiting toxicities observed in any of the patient cohorts enrolled and over 50 patients dosed to-date across both trials.
LP-184, which will be developed as STAR-001 for CNS and other neuro-oncology indications, received Fast Track Designation in Glioblastoma (GBM) from the FDA.
Patients with recurrent GBM have been enrolled in the LP-184 Phase 1a trial at 2 academic centers, including Johns Hopkins, and 1 community site; the data will help guide later stage clinical development planned to be sponsored by Starlight Therapeutics during early 2025.
Biomarker analysis for PTGR1 expression using qPCR for the first 7 cohorts of patients enrolled in the Phase 1a LP-184 clinical trial has begun, and will help guide the advancement of PTGR1 as a key RNA biomarker that can guide patient response prediction.
Three U.S. FDA Rare Pediatric Disease Designations were granted to LP-184 in three ultra rare children’s cancers.
Three scientific publications in Q3 including: a peer-reviewed paper regarding the unique AI-powered module for ADC development as part of the RADR® platform; and findings presented at conferences regarding the ongoing development of Lantern’s synthetically-lethal drug candidates at the Immuno-Oncology Summit for LP-184 and The Society of Hematologic Oncology for LP-284.
Approximately $28.1 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of September 30, 2024.

On October 28. Lantern’s CEO Pana Sharma discussed in detail how big data and AI are being leveraged to advance the development of multiple indications for drug-candidates LP-184 and LP-284 during the Tribe Public CEO Presentation and Q&A Webinar Event titled “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Develop Therapies for Brain and Childhood Cancers.”

Click here to watch the event video now.

On October 15, Lantern Pharma announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track Designation for investigational drug candidate, LP-184, for treatment of Glioblastoma. LP-184 is currently in a Phase 1A clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the synthetically lethal investigational drug candidate in a broad range of solid tumors, including Glioblastoma (GBM). LP-184 was optimized and advanced in part with Lantern’s AI platform, RADR®, to aid in the validation of mechanisms that could be exploited in the clinical setting to eradicate challenging cancers, and uncover insights in targeted patient populations. RADR® is Lantern’s AI platform for cancer therapy discovery, development and rescue with over 100 billion data points and aiding in the development of both Lantern’s portfolio and development initiatives with Lantern’s collaborators. Fast Track Designation is designed to expedite FDA review of important new drugs to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. Fast Track Designation for LP-184 (STAR-001) recognizes Glioblastoma (GBM) as a serious condition impacting more than 13,000 U.S. adults each year and approximately 300,000 globally. A phase 1b/2a clinical trial for recurrent GBM is targeted to start in late 2024/early 2025. LP-184, which will be developed as STAR-001 for CNS and other neuro-oncology indications by Starlight Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lantern Pharma, has the potential to be the first new drug for treating GBM in more than 20 years.

On September 23, Lantern announced that the company has been granted three rare pediatric disease designations (RPDD) by the FDA. Lantern was granted these rare pediatric disease designations in: malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRT), rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), and hepatoblastoma. Rare pediatric diseases are defined by the FDA as serious or life-threatening conditions primarily affecting children under 18, with fewer than 200,000 cases in the U.S. A key benefit of obtaining a RPDD is the potential to receive a priority review voucher following FDA approval of a product with RPDD if the marketing application submitted for the product satisfies certain conditions, including approval prior to September 30, 2026 unless changed by legislation. These vouchers, often called “golden tickets,” can significantly expedite the review process for future NDAs or biologic license applications, reducing the standard review time from about ten months to six. Sponsors can either use these vouchers themselves or sell them to other companies. These vouchers, in the recent past, have commanded sales prices of approximately $100 million USD.

Shares of ADT Inc. (ADT), a leading provider of monitored security and automation solutions for residential and small business customers in the United States and Canada, closed at $7.49,down 4.10% over the last 5-days after reporting results for the third quarter of 2024 that beat the street’s estimates and highlighting the following: Continued strong financial results, cash generation, and leverage reduction, Revenue up 5% versus prior year period, GAAP income from continuing operations up 7%; Adjusted EBITDA up 6%, Record-high recurring monthly revenue; solid customer retention, & On track to achieve full year 2024 guidance metrics.

Shares of Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) closed at $19, +40.64% over the last 5-days and +243.58% YTD), a global leader in launch services and space systems, recently announced it has added a last-minute Electron launch to its launch manifest for a commercial mission that is scheduled to launch in just three days’ time. The mission, called ‘Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes’, will launch to space from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 during a launch window that opens October 19th for a confidential commercial customer. The expedited mission will be Rocket Lab’s fastest turnaround to date: from signed contract to launch date in less than two months.

QUOTE OF WEEK

“There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” – Alexander Hamilton

Investing & Inspiration

“There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” – Alexander Hamilton
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams
“The less we deserve good fortune, the more we hope for it.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“Art is the right hand of Nature. The latter has only given us being, the former has made us men.” – Friedrich Schiller
“To begin, begin.” – William Wordsworth
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
“The end of labor is to gain leisure.” – Aristotle
“People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.” – Epictetus
“Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.” – Saadi
“The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.” – Barack Obama
“The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates
“Courage is knowing what not to fear.”– Plato
“The home is the chief school of human virtues.” – William Ellery Channing
“Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.” – Paulo Coelho
“There are no shortcuts in evolution.” – Louis D. Brandeis
“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Nature uses as little as possible of anything.” – Johannes Kepler
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Seneca
“Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced.” – John Keats
“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” – George Halas
“Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” – Andy Warhol
“The secret of happiness is something to do.” – John Burroughs
“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”
“You begin with the possibilities of the material.” – Robert Rauschenberg
“The only Zen you can find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.” – Robert M. Pirsig
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis
“A man should always consider how much he has more than he wants.” – Joseph Addison
“Happiness is good health and a bad memory.” – Ingrid Bergman
“We pass through this world but once.” – Stephen Jay Gould
“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” – Norman Vincent Peale
“Nothing can have value without being an object of utility.” – Karl Marx
“Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” – Michael Jordan
“Courage is found in unlikely places.” – J. R. R. Tolkien
“One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.” – Thomas Fuller
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett
“We relish news of our heroes, forgetting that we are extraordinary to somebody too.” – Helen Hayes
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” – George Bernard Shaw
“Everything in the world may be endured except continual prosperity.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“Time is money.” – Benjamin Franklin
“Change before you have to.” – Jack Welch
“Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.” – George Eliot
“The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
“Care and diligence bring luck.” – Thomas Fuller
“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” – Edmund Burke
“A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else.” – George Savile
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” – Willie Nelson
“Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty.” – John Ruskin
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust
“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” – Napoleon Hill
“Science may never come up with a better office communication system than the coffee break.” – Earl Wilson
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford
“Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.”– Samuel Smiles
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain
“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” – Vincent Van Gogh
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg
“Our lives improve only when we take chances – and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.” – Walter Anderson
“Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso
“Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” – John Wooden
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs
“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” – Havelock Ellis
“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” – Robert Kiyosaki
“O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” – Percy Bysshe Shelley
“Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience. It’s a tough lesson.” – Elon Musk
“Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.” – John Boyle O’Reilly
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” – Norman Vincent Peale
“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” – Boris Pasternak
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” – Albert Einstein
“It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory.” – Blaise Pascal
“Do exactly what you would do if you felt most secure.” – Meister Eckhart
“Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a day away from being realized.” – Leo Buscaglia
“Wisdom is oftentimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar.” – Wordsworth
“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.” – Mary Tyler Moore
“A single twig breaks, but the bundle of twigs is strong.” – Tecumseh
“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“There is little that can withstand a man who can conquer himself.” – Louis XIV
“The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible.” – Arthur C. Clarke
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” – Mother Teresa
“The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.” – Barack Obama
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” – Confucius
“No man was ever wise by chance.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” – Thor Heyerdahl
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” – William Shakespeare
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
“I want to put a ding in the universe.” – Steve Jobs
“Research is creating new knowledge.” – Neil Armstrong
“The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.” – Jonas Salk
“Man is a creative retrospection of nature upon itself.” – Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel
“There’s something about taking a plow and breaking new ground. It gives you energy.” – Ken Kesey
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” – William Feather
“The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion.” – Nadia Boulanger
“More business is lost every year through neglect than through any other cause.” – Rose Kennedy
“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” – Archimedes
“A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.” – Mark Twain
“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Francis of Assisi
“Without labor nothing prospers.” – Sophocles
“Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them.” – Albert Einstein
“This is the precept by which I have lived: Prepare for the worst; expect the best; and take what comes.” – Hannah Arendt
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller
“He who is brave is free.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” – Elon Musk
“I choose a block of marble and chop off whatever I don’t need.” – Auguste Rodin
“Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.” – Robert Green Ingersoll
“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” – Lao Tzu
“Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man.” – Stewart Udall
“In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.” – Dalai Lama
“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” – Bob Dylan
“Inflation destroys savings, impedes planning, and discourages investment. That means less productivity and a lower standard of living.” – Kevin Brady
“If we give something positive to others, it will return to us. If we give negative, that negativity will be returned.” – Allu Arjun
“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” ~ George S. Patton
“You must do the things you think you cannot do.”- Eleanor Roosevelt
“Success is dependent on effort.” – Sophocles
“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” – George Halas
“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
“And when I breathed, my breath was lightning.” – Black Elk
“Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.” – Joseph Hall
“You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” – Maya Angelou
“If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster.” – Clint Eastwood
“We are an impossibility in an impossible universe.” – Ray Bradbury
“If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” – Confucius
“I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.” – Robert H. Schuller
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Desmond Tutu
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” – Thomas Sowell
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha”
Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” – Boris Pasternak
“Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.” – Khalil Gibran
“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee
“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.” – Allen Klein
“Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.” – W. Clement Stone
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
“In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.” – Albert Einstein
“Life is too short for long-term grudges.” – Elon Musk
“There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” – Henry Kissinger
“Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.” – Oliver Goldsmith
“The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.” – Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
“Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war that we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living.” – Omar N. Bradley
“Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.” – Rumi
“But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” – Ernest Hemingway
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson
“Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.” – Nelson Mandela
“The social object of skilled investment should be to defeat the dark forces of time and ignorance which envelope our future.” – John Maynard Keynes
“A successful society is characterized by a rising living standard for its population, increasing investment in factories and basic infrastructure, and the generation of additional surplus, which is invested in generating new discoveries in science and technology.” – Robert Trout
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” – Albert Einstein
“It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory.” – Blaise Pascal
“If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” – W. Edwards Deming
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Without investment there will not be growth, and without growth there will not be employment.” – Muhtar Kent
“You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” – John F. Kennedy
“Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!” – Donna Karan
“It’s crazy how fast time flies and how things progress.” – Nathan Chen
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” – Albert Einstein
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” – John C. Maxwell
“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” – Helen Keller
“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” – Charles Darwin
“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” – Michelangelo
“Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” – Thor Heyerdahl
“I like to encourage people to realize that any action is a good action if it’s proactive and there is positive intent behind it.” – Michael J. Fox
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn
“But investment in space stimulates society, it stimulates it economically, it stimulates it intellectually, and it gives us all passion.” – Bill Nye
“Bitcoin, in the short or even long term, may turn out be a good investment in the same way that anything that is rare can be considered valuable. Like baseball cards. Or a Picasso.” – Andrew Ross Sorkin
“Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” – Charlie Chaplin
“No matter what you’re going through, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you’ll find the positive side of things.” – Demi Lovato
“Infrastructure investment in science is an investment in jobs, in health, in economic growth and environmental solutions.” – Oren Etzioni
“Educating our children and giving them the skills they need to compete in a global economy is a smart investment in our country’s future.” – Sheldon Whitehouse
“Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.” – Sun Tzu
“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“Beware of missing chances; otherwise it may be altogether too late some day.” – Franz Liszt
“The sofa is a really important investment for anybody, and I don’t mean financially. You need to find a really great sofa that can transition with you, and you can build from there.” – Jeremiah Brent
“There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment.” – Orison Swett Marden
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie
“There is little that can withstand a man who can conquer himself.” – Louis XIV
“In tennis, you strike a ball just after the rebound for the fastest return. It’s the same with investment.” – Masayoshi Son
“A camel makes an elephant feel like a jet plane.” – Jackie Kennedy
“The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.” – Bill Gates
“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius, Chinese
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Edward Everett Hale
“Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.”– Albert Einstein
“Education is not only a ladder of opportunity, but it is also an investment in our future.” – Ed Markey
“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” – Samuel Johnson
“In my view, the biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital. Not only is the mere drop in stock prices not risk, but it is an opportunity. Where else do you look for cheap stocks?” – Li Lu
“A successful society is characterized by a rising living standard for its population, increasing investment in factories and basic infrastructure, and the generation of additional surplus, which is invested in generating new discoveries in science and technology.” – Robert Trout
“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
“Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” – Elie Wiesel
“Investing in women’s lives is an investment in sustainable development, in human rights, in future generations – and consequently in our own long-term national interests.” – Liya Kebede
“Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” – Mike Ditka
“No matter how many goals you have achieved, you must set your sights on a higher one.” – Jessica Savitch
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”– Arthur Ashe
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
“The amount of work and the amount of both physical and emotional investment it takes to get to the top.” – Drew Bledsoe