CASI Pharmaceuticals Reports First Quarter 2016 Financial Results

On May 13, 2016 CASI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASI), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to innovative therapeutics addressing cancer and other unmet medical needs, reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2016 (Press release, CASI Pharmaceuticals, MAY 13, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512363]).

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The Company reported a net loss for the first quarter of 2016 of ($1.8 million), or ($0.04) per share, compared with a net loss of ($1.8 million), or ($0.06) per share, for the same period last year. As of March 31, 2016, CASI had cash and cash equivalents of $13.9 million.

Sara B. Capitelli, Vice President, Finance and Principal Accounting Officer, commented, "Our research and development expenses for the first quarter increased over the prior year due to start-up costs and patient enrollment costs associated with our FLC trial in the U.S. Our general and administrative expenses for the first quarter decreased over the prior year due to cost savings associated with business development and investor relations activities. As we continue to execute our clinical development plans in the U.S., Canada and China, we expect operating expenses to increase in 2016."

Dr. Ken Ren, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased with our first quarter financial results, which are indicative of the operational efficiencies we have achieved. Our fundamentals remain strong and we believe the outlook for CASI is excellent. In 2016, we look forward to further advancement of ENMD-2076 and our other internal programs, and further progress in our in-licensed programs from Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. With the recent expansion of our business development team, we expect to accelerate our licensing activities and secure further partnerships to expand our pipeline as we move forward to becoming a fully-integrated world-class pharmaceutical company."

DelMar Pharmaceuticals Announces Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2016 Financial Results and Corporate Update

On May 13, 2016 DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQX: DMPI) ("DelMar" and the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of new cancer therapies, reported its financial results for the quarter ending March 31, 2016, the third quarter of the 2016 fiscal year (Press release, DelMar Pharmaceuticals, MAY 13, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512360]). The Company also highlighted recent corporate and clinical achievements and provided an overview of expected near-term milestones.

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DelMar management will host a business update conference call and live webcast for investors, analysts and other interested parties on Thursday May 19, 2016 at 5 pm EDT.

RECENT CORPORATE HIGHLIGHTS

Raised $6.1 million in new capital through private placement of preferred shares and restructured certain investor warrants in order to help position the Company to qualify to list its common stock on a senior exchange;
Confirmed that the Company plans to meet with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss a Phase III study design for refractory glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) during the first half of 2016;
Presented new data demonstrating that VAL-083 appears to have a distinct mode of action from other chemotherapies widely used in the treatment of cancer;
Entered into a collaboration agreement with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) to accelerate the clinical development of VAL-083 for the treatment of GBM. As part of the collaboration, MD Anderson will initiate a new Phase II clinical study with VAL-083 in patients with GBM at first recurrence/progression, prior to Avastin exposure;
Obtained an orphan drug designation for VAL-083 in the United States for the treatment of ovarian cancer and medulloblastoma, in addition to previous orphan drug designations for VAL-083 in glioma in the USA and Europe; and
Presented data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) annual meeting that confirmed a well-tolerated VAL-083 dosing regimen of 40 mg/m2/daily every 3 days in a 21-day cycle has been selected for advancement into a Phase III study as a potential new therapy for the treatment of refractory GBM.
"Our data continues to demonstrate VAL-083’s unique cytotoxic anti-cancer mechanism which may provide new treatment opportunities for patients whose cancer has failed or is unlikely to respond to currently available therapies. In particular, the data we have presented in our refractory GBM clinical trial positions us to advance this program into registration-directed Phase III clinical trials and we look forward to discussing our proposed trial design with the FDA," said Jeffrey Bacha, DelMar’s chairman & CEO.

"Importantly, new funds raised subsequent to quarter end enable us to fund current operations through 2017 and help position DelMar to qualify to list its common stock on a senior exchange."

EXPECTED NEAR-TERM MILESTONES

Apply to list our shares on a senior stock exchange;
Engage the FDA regarding the design of a proposed registration-directed Phase II/III clinical trial for VAL-083 in refractory GBM;
Initiate the Phase II clinical study at MD Anderson with VAL-083 in patients with GBM at first recurrence/progression;
Initiate clinical studies in newly-diagnosed GBM patients as an alternative to temozolomide in patients with high expression of MGMT;
Initiate new clinical trials with VAL-083 in refractory non-small cell lung cancer;
Initiate registration-directed Phase II/III clinical trials for VAL-083 as a new treatment option for refractory GBM in 2016;
Continue to pursue pre-clinical research with leading investigators to advance VAL-083 as a potential treatment for other chemo-resistant cancers including ovarian cancer and pediatric medulloblastoma;
Maximize the value of the VAL-083 pipeline through potential partnering opportunities in high value oncology markets;
Continue to build the Company’s intellectual property portfolio; and
Continue to implement strategies to enable DelMar to meet qualifications to list its shares on a senior stock exchange.
CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

DelMar plans to host a conference call on Thursday, May 19, 2016, at 5 p.m. EDT, to discuss quarterly results and provide a corporate update. For both "listen-only" participants and those who wish to take part in the question and answer portion of the call, the telephone Dial-in Number is 800‑895‑1549 (toll free) with Conference ID DELMAR. A link to the webcast and slides will be available on the IR Calendar of the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.delmarpharma.com and will be archived for 30 days.

SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 2016 ENDED MARCH 31, 2016

For the three months ended March 31, 2016 the Company reported a net loss of $1,140,401, or a net loss per share of $0.03, compared to a net loss of $2,086,719, or a net loss per share of $0.05 for the three months ended March 31, 2015, as restated.

For the nine months ended March 31, 2016 the Company reported a net loss of $5,408,479, or a net loss per share of $0.12, compared to a net loss of $4,223,087, or a net loss per share of $0.11 for the nine months ended March 31, 2015, as restated.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

The following represents selected financial information as of March 31, 2016. The Company’s financial information has been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and this selected information should be read in conjunction with DelMar’s consolidated financial statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A"), as filed.

DelMar’s financial statements as filed with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission can be viewed on the company’s website at: View Source

Selected Balance Sheet Data

March 31,
2016
$

June 30,
2015
$

(as restated)

Cash and cash equivalents

937,355

1,754,433

Working capital

439,470

1,722,336

Total assets

1,155,311

2,575,421

Derivative liability

1,017,250

2,364,381

Total stockholders’ deficit

(687,603)

(821,490)

Selected Statement of Operations Data
For the Three Months Ended:

March 31,

March 31,

2016

2015

$

$

(as restated)

Research and development

790,323

641,839

General and administrative

630,226

500,753

Change in fair value of derivative liability

(276,584)

781,152

Change in fair value of derivative liability due to change in warrant terms

7,000

Loss on exchange of warrants

156,219

Foreign exchange (gain) loss

(10,523)

6,826

Interest income

(41)

(70)

Net loss from operations

1,140,401

2,086,719

Basic weighted average number of shares outstanding

44,309,098

38,976,827

Basic loss per share

0.03

0.05

For the Nine Months Ended:

March 31,

March 31,

2016

2015

$

$

(as restated)

Research and development

2,183,355

1,925,635

General and administrative

1,994,923

1,601,982

Change in fair value of derivative liability

943,050

451,794

Change in fair value of derivative liability due to change in warrant terms

270,965

(23,658)

Loss on exchange of warrants

249,062

Foreign exchange loss

16,257

16,512

Interest expense

2,091

Interest income

(71)

(331)

Net loss from operations

5,408,479

4,223,087

Basic weighted average number of shares outstanding

43,587,549

37,732,995

Basic loss per share

0.12

0.11

About VAL-083

VAL-083 is a "first-in-class," small-molecule chemotherapeutic. In more than 40 Phase I and II clinical studies sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, VAL-083 demonstrated clinical activity against a range of cancers including lung, brain, cervical, ovarian tumors and leukemia both as a single-agent and in combination with other treatments. VAL-083 is approved in China for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and lung cancer, and has received orphan drug designation in Europe and the U.S. for the treatment of malignant gliomas.

DelMar has demonstrated that VAL-083’s anti-tumor activity is unaffected by the expression of MGMT, a DNA repair enzyme that is implicated in chemotherapy resistance and poor outcomes in GBM patients following standard front-line treatment with Temodar (temozolomide).

DelMar recently announced the completion of enrollment in a Phase II clinical trial of VAL-083 in refractory GBM. Patients have been enrolled at five clinical centers in the United States: Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN); UCSF (San Francisco, CA) and three centers associated with the Sarah Cannon Cancer Research Institute (Nashville, TN, Sarasota, FL and Denver, CO).

In the Phase I dose-escalation portion of the study, VAL-083 was well tolerated at doses up to 40mg/m2 using a regimen of daily x 3 every 21 days. Adverse events were typically mild to moderate; no treatment-related serious adverse events reported at doses up to 40 mg/m2. Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) defined by thrombocytopenia (low platelet counts) was observed in two of six (33%) of patients at 50 mg/m2. Generally, DLT-related symptoms resolved rapidly and spontaneously without concomitant treatment, although one patient who presented with hemorrhoids received a platelet transfusion as a precautionary measure.

Sub-group analysis of data from the Phase I dose-escalation portion of the study suggested a dose-dependent and clinically meaningful survival benefit following treatment with VAL-083 in GBM patients whose tumors had progressed following standard treatment with temozolomide, radiotherapy, bevacizumab and a range of salvage therapies.

Patients in a low dose (≤5mg/m2) sub-group had a median survival of approximately five (5) months versus median survival of approximately nine (9) months for patients in the therapeutic dose (30mg/m2 & 40mg/m2) sub-group following initiation of VAL-083 treatment. DelMar reported increased survival at 6, 9 and 12 months following initiation of treatment with VAL-083 in the therapeutic dose sub-group compared to the low dose sub-group.

Further details can be found at View Source

8-K – Current report

On May 13, 2016 Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: PVCT, www.pvct.com), a clinical-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company ("Provectus" or "The Company"), reported that an article has been published detailing the immuno-ablative mechanism of action of PV-10, the Company’s novel investigational drug for cancer (Filing, 8-K, Provectus Pharmaceuticals, MAY 13, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512346]).

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The article, titled, "Intralesional Rose Bengal in Melanoma Elicits Tumor Immunity Via Activation of Dendritic Cells by the Release of High Mobility Group Box 1," appears as an advance publication in Oncotarget, an Open-Access journal, and can be accessed by visiting:
View Source

The article documents results of a multi-year, multidisciplinary translational medicine program led jointly by Shari Pilon-Thomas and Amod A. Sarnaik of Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. The authors report detailed data on the mode in which intralesional injection of PV-10 (rose bengal) selectively kills tumor cells and the immunologic signaling that results from tumor ablation, starting with release of High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1, a Damage-Associated Molecular Pattern molecule released by dying cancer cells that can serve as an immunological adjuvant to promote phagocytosis, antigen-presentation, and dendritic cell activation). The authors then follow this signaling through antigen uptake and dendritic cell activation, T cell priming and activation in peripheral blood, and culminating in a tumor-specific immune response marked by T cell infiltration and regression of uninjected tumors.

Eric Wachter, CTO of Provectus, observed, "The Moffitt researchers have systematically documented each of the key steps in the immuno-oncology cycle described by Chen and Mellman in their landmark review article (Oncology Meets Immunology: the Cancer-Immunity Cycle. Immunity 2013; 39: 1-10). In an exemplary demonstration of translational medicine, this team identified important immunologic markers in model systems and verified key facets of these in clinical trial participants, and similarly identified other markers in clinical trial participants and substantiated these in mouse models. While a number of their main observations were previously reported at scientific meetings, these are presented here in detailed, integrated fashion for the first time."

Shari Pilon-Thomas of Moffitt, stated, "Concordance of tumor-specific T cells in peripheral blood of clinical trial participants and mice led us to look for triggers of T cell activation. Working back from these observations, we found that HMGB1 release was common in mouse and man after tumor ablation with PV-10. These results support PV-10 ablation and the resulting tumor necrosis as the upstream trigger for systemic anti-tumor response."

Wachter noted, "This paper is a watershed event in the development of PV-10, walking the reader through all the steps of immune activation after PV-10 injection, from immunogenic cell death and signaling via release of HMGB1, dendritic cell recruitment and infiltration into draining lymph nodes, activation of tumor-specific T cells, and killing of uninjected tumors upon infiltration by these T cells."

Wachter added, "This mechanism of action informed the design of the two active PV-10 clinical trials: NCT02288897 in patients with locally advanced cutaneous melanoma (melanoma limited to the skin) to test the hypothesis that PV-10 alone can produce a systemic immune response that translates to longer progression free survival (PFS); and NCT02557321 in patients with later stage melanoma to test whether combination of PV-10 with the recently approved systemic immunotherapy, pembrolizumab, can "induce and boost" an immune response against melanoma."

LOAd703

LOAd703 is an adenovirus serotype 5/35 armed with TMZ-CD40L and 4-1BBL (Company Web Page, Lokon Pharma, MAY 13, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512342]). TMZ-CD40L and 4-1BBL are two potent stimulators of anti-tumor immunity by their capacity to activate dendritic cells and M1 macrophages to produce IL12, TNFa, IFNg and IL21, as well as to expand both T cells and NK cells.

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“Team Chugai” to Take Part in “Relay for Life Japan” Using “3D Adventure Experience (Lung Cancer)” to promote awareness of the early detection and treatment

On May 13, 2016 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 4519) reported that its co-sponsorship of "Relay for Life Japan" (Organizer: Japan Cancer Society etc.), a charity activity aiming to support cancer patients and their families, and encourage the entire community to confront and conquer cancer throughout the year (Press release, Chugai, MAY 13, 2016, View Sourcenews/detail/20160513150001.html" target="_blank" title="View Sourcenews/detail/20160513150001.html" rel="nofollow">View Source [SID:1234512340]).

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Starting with Wakayama, Chugai will also display a virtual reality "3D Adventure Experience (Lung Cancer)" aiming to raise public awareness of lung cancer as below. Having visitors participate in "3D Adventure Experience (Lung Cancer)", Chugai appeals the importance of early detection and treatment for lung cancer.

May 14-15: "Relay for Life Japan 2016 in Wakayama (venue: Sunano-maru Square, Wakayama Park)
May 21-22: "Relay for Life Japan 2016 in Ibaraki" (venue: Kenkyu-Gakuen Station Park)
Visitors are able to try "3D Adventure Experience (Lung Cancer)" at the above-mentioned venues. Other venues where visitors can try "3D Adventure Experience (Lung Cancer)", will be sequentially announced at Chugai’s website, "Information from Chugai," (View Source).

Since 2007, Chugai has joined the Relay for Life Japan for 10 years, and has been engaged in the activities to enhance public awareness of cancer. For three years beginning in 2010, a huge balloon art in the shape of a colon, named "Giant Colon," was installed at the venues. Walking inside the tunnel-like balloon art, visitors looked at models and information panels of the internal organs, and became familiar with, and increased their understanding for colon cancer. In 2013 and 2014, visitors had the chance to learn lung cancer through quiz on lung cancer, using the iPad.

Last year, Chugai presented "3D Adventure Experience" where visitors could learn the importance of breast cancer screening. This year, Chugai will continuously offer an event focusing lung cancer to raise awareness of the importance of early detection. We will also hand out brochures for patients (Japanese only) so that visitors can take them home and learn cancer more in depth.

Chugai will organize "Team Chugai" and join each venues of "Relay for Life Japan" to enhance the communication with people who participate in the event across the country. As a leading company in the oncology area, Chugai will work to implement cancer treatment that encourages patients to confront their diseases proactively with hope, offering innovative and useful drugs and information on an ongoing basis, and continue to carry out these activities to contribute to healthcare and the society.