On November 1, 2017 Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXEL) reported financial results for the third quarter of 2017 and provided an update on progress toward fulfilling its key corporate objectives, as well as commercial and clinical development milestones (Press release, Exelixis, NOV 1, 2017, View Source [SID1234521427]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Exelixis is focused on maximizing the opportunity for its two internally discovered compounds, cabozantinib and cobimetinib, to improve care and outcomes for people with cancer around the world. The company’s top priority remains the ongoing commercialization of CABOMETYX (cabozantinib) tablets as a treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy. During the third quarter of 2017, CABOMETYX generated $90.4 million in net product revenue, while COMETRIQ (cabozantinib) capsules for the treatment of patients with progressive, metastatic medullary thyroid cancer generated an additional $6.1 million in net product revenue, for a combined $96.4 million in net product revenue for the cabozantinib franchise.

“In addition to strong financial performance, the third quarter of 2017 was marked by significant clinical and regulatory milestones that continue to drive us forward in our mission to help cancer patients recover stronger and live longer,” said Michael M. Morrissey, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Exelixis. “In August, we completed the filing for CABOMETYX in previously untreated advanced RCC, which has been accepted by the FDA and granted Priority Review. With an upcoming FDA action date of February 15, 2018, our commercial team is fully prepared for a potential launch of CABOMETYX in this expanded indication to bring this much needed option to even more patients with advanced RCC as quickly as possible. In addition, based on the positive results from the CELESTIAL pivotal trial, demonstrating that cabozantinib provided a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, we are moving rapidly to complete our U.S. regulatory filing in the first quarter of next year.”

Cabozantinib Highlights

Strong Growth in Cabozantinib Franchise Net Revenue. Cabozantinib generated $96.4 million in net product revenue during the third quarter of 2017, an increase of 10 percent from the second quarter of 2017 and an increase of 126 percent year-over-year.

Phase 3 CELESTIAL Trial Meets Primary Endpoint of Overall Survival (OS), with supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) Filing Planned for Q1 2018. In October, Exelixis announced that the CELESTIAL trial met its primary endpoint of OS, with cabozantinib providing a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in OS compared to placebo in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The independent data monitoring committee for the study recommended that the trial should be stopped for efficacy following review of the second planned interim analysis. CELESTIAL is a randomized, global phase 3 trial of cabozantinib compared to placebo in patients with advanced HCC who have been previously treated with sorafenib. The safety data in the study were consistent with the established profile of cabozantinib. Based on these results, Exelixis plans to submit an sNDA to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the first quarter of 2018. Detailed results from CELESTIAL will be submitted for presentation at a future medical conference.

Submission and Acceptance of sNDA for CABOMETYX for the Treatment of Previously Untreated Advanced RCC with FDA Priority Review. In August, Exelixis announced it had completed the submission of its sNDA to the FDA for CABOMETYX for the treatment of previously untreated advanced RCC. The sNDA submission is based on results from the CABOSUN randomized phase 2 trial of CABOMETYX compared to sunitinib in patients with previously untreated advanced RCC with intermediate- or poor-risk disease. After the quarter ended, the company announced the FDA had accepted the sNDA and granted Priority Review, assigning a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of February 15, 2018.

Start of Phase 3 Trial of Cabozantinib in Combination with Nivolumab or with Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Previously Untreated Advanced or Metastatic RCC. In July, Exelixis and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) announced the initiation of CheckMate 9ER, the pivotal phase 3 trial evaluating cabozantinib in combination with two of BMS’ leading immunotherapies, nivolumab and ipilimumab, compared to sunitinib. The trial is planned to enroll 1,014 treatment-naïve patients, with a primary endpoint of progression-free survival.

Cabozantinib and Cobimetinib Data Presentations at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2017 Congress. In September, Exelixis-discovered compounds were the subject of 10 presentations at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2017 Congress held in Madrid, Spain. Data from CABOSUN, the randomized phase 2 trial of cabozantinib compared to sunitinib in patients with previously untreated advanced RCC with intermediate- or poor-risk disease, were the subject of a poster discussion which showed cabozantinib demonstrated a clinically meaningful and statistically significant reduction in the rate of disease progression or death. Other cabozantinib presentations included an oral presentation of data from the phase 1b trial of cabozantinib, nivolumab, and ipilimumab in advanced genitourinary malignancies, as well as additional analyses of the phase 3 METEOR trial in advanced RCC. Cobimetinib presentations at the Congress included two data sets concerning forms of metastatic melanoma. The company, along with its collaboration partner Ipsen, also hosted an investor and media event in Madrid to discuss the data for cabozantinib presented at the Congress and to take part in a question and answer session with Drs. Toni Choueiri, Sumanta Pal and Thomas Powles.

Cobimetinib Highlights

Settlement of Arbitration between Exelixis and Genentech Regarding Companies’ Collaboration Agreement for Cobimetinib. In July, Exelixis announced a settlement of its arbitration with Genentech concerning claims asserted by Exelixis against Genentech related to the development and commercialization of cobimetinib, the Exelixis-discovered medicine that is marketed as COTELLIC. The revised revenue and cost-sharing arrangement resolves the companies’ dispute pursuant to the arbitration demand filed on June 3, 2016, and aligns both companies’ interests in advancing cobimetinib as a promising therapy for patients with multiple forms of cancer. Moving forward, the revenue applied to the profit and loss statement for the COTELLIC collaboration (Collaboration P&L) will now be calculated using the average of the quarterly net selling prices of COTELLIC and any additional branded Genentech product(s) prescribed with COTELLIC. Exelixis will continue to share U.S. commercialization costs, while Genentech’s portion of these costs will now be allocated to the Collaboration P&L in proportion to the number of Genentech products in any given combination including COTELLIC.

Corporate Highlights

Updates from Partnered Programs with Daiichi Sankyo and BMS. In the third quarter and shortly after the quarter ended, Exelixis announced milestones for compounds from two of its partnered programs.

In September, collaborator Daiichi Sankyo announced positive top-line results from ESAX-HTN, a phase 3 pivotal trial of esaxerenone (formerly CS-3150) in patients with essential hypertension in Japan. As a result, Daiichi Sankyo plans to submit a Japanese regulatory application for esaxerenone for an essential hypertension indication in the first quarter of 2018. Daiichi Sankyo also announced the initiation of a pivotal trial of esaxerenone in patients with diabetic nephropathy. ESAX-DN is a phase 3 study in patients with type-2 diabetes with microalbuminuria who are taking an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) or an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor in Japan.

In October, Exelixis earned a $10 million milestone from BMS as part of the two companies’ worldwide collaboration for compounds targeting retinoic acid-related orphan receptor (ROR), a family of nuclear hormone receptors implicated in inflammatory conditions. The milestone was triggered by BMS’ filing of a Clinical Trial Authorization in Europe for a first-in-human study of a RORγt inverse agonist.

Debut of New Mission-Driven Corporate Branding and Website. In September, Exelixis introduced new corporate branding aligned with its mission, growth strategy and commitment to bring best-in-class oncology medicines to market. The new branding included a redesigned logo crafted as a wordmark with an extractable symbol that will become emblematic of Exelixis, as well as the revised corporate tagline, Resilience.Results.Remission. The new corporate branding celebrates the company’s unwavering perseverance to deliver results, and its aspirational commitments to the diverse audiences it serves.

Third Quarter 2017 Financial Results

Total revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 was $152.5 million, compared to $62.2 million for the comparable period in 2016. Total revenue includes $96.4 million and $56.1 million of net product revenue and collaboration revenue, respectively, compared to $42.7 million and $19.5 million for the comparable period in 2016. The increase in net product revenues primarily reflects the growth in product sales of CABOMETYX since the product’s launch in late April 2016. Collaboration revenues for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 include two milestones totaling $45.0 million resulting from Ipsen’s receipt of the validation from the European Medicines Agency for the application for variation to the CABOMETYX marketing authorization for the addition of a new indication in first-line treatment of advanced RCC in adults; we also recognized $11.1 million in additional revenue from the company’s collaboration agreements with Ipsen, Takeda and Genentech during the quarter. Collaboration revenues for the comparable period in 2016 include the recognition of a $15.0 million milestone from Daiichi Sankyo and $4.5 million in revenue from the company’s collaboration agreements with Ipsen, Takeda and Genentech.

Research and development expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 were $28.5 million, compared to $20.3 million for the comparable period in 2016. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily a result of increases in personnel expenses, clinical trial costs and consulting and outside services. The increase in personnel-related expenses was primarily a result of an increase in headcount associated with the re-launch of the company’s internal discovery program and the build-out of the company’s medical affairs organization. The increase in clinical trial costs was predominantly due to start-up costs associated with CheckMate 9ER and start-up costs associated with the phase 1b trial of cabozantinib and atezolizumab in locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors; those increases were partially offset by decreases in costs related to METEOR, the company’s completed phase 3 pivotal trial comparing CABOMETYX to everolimus in patients with advanced RCC. The increase in consulting and outside services was primarily in support of the company’s medical affairs organization.

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 were $38.1 million, compared to $32.5 million for the comparable period in 2016. The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily a result of increases in consulting and outside services to support the company’s marketing activities and in personnel expenses resulting primarily from an increase in general and administrative headcount to support the company’s commercial and research and development organizations. Those increases were partially offset by a decrease in losses under the collaboration agreement with Genentech driven by Genentech’s change in cost allocation approach in December 2016.

Other income (expense), net for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 was $3.4 million compared to $(18.5) million for the comparable period in 2016. The increase in other income (expense), net, was primarily due to a $13.8 million loss on extinguishment of debt associated with the conversions of the 4.25% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2019 (2019 Notes) during the third quarter of 2016, and a $7.8 million decrease in interest expense due to the conversions and the redemption of the 2019 Notes during the third and fourth quarters of 2016, the repayment of the Silicon Valley Bank term loan in March 2017 and the repayment of the Deerfield Notes in June 2017.

Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 was $81.4 million, or $0.28 per share, basic and $0.26 per share, diluted, compared to a net loss of $(11.3) million, or $(0.04) per share, basic and diluted, for the comparable period in 2016. The transition to profitability was primarily due to the increase in net product revenues, reflecting the growth in product sales of CABOMETYX since the launch in late April 2016, which was supplemented by the growth in our collaboration revenues and partially offset by the increase in operating expenses.

Cash and cash equivalents, short- and long-term investments and long-term restricted cash and investments totaled $422.3 million at September 30, 2017, as compared to $479.6 million at December 31, 2016.

2017 Financial Guidance

The company is updating its guidance that total costs and operating expenses for the full year will be between $285 million and $295 million. This guidance includes approximately $25 million of non-cash costs and expenses related primarily to stock-based compensation expense.

Basis of Presentation

Exelixis adopted a 52- or 53-week fiscal year that generally ends on the Friday closest to December 31st. For convenience, references in this press release as of and for the fiscal periods ended September 29, 2017, December 30, 2016 and September 30, 2016 are indicated as being as of and for the periods ended September 30, 2017, December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively.

Conference Call and Webcast

Exelixis management will discuss the company’s financial results for the third quarter of 2017 and provide a general business update during a conference call beginning at 5:00 p.m. EDT / 2:00 p.m. PDT today, Wednesday, November 1, 2017.

To access the webcast link, log onto www.exelixis.com and proceed to the News & Events / Event Calendar page under the Investors & Media heading. Please connect to the company’s website at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be required to listen to the webcast. Alternatively, please call 855-793-2457 (domestic) or 631-485-4921 (international) and provide the conference call passcode 96645455 to join by phone.

A telephone replay will be available until 8:00 p.m. EDT on November 3, 2017. Access numbers for the telephone replay are: 855-859-2056 (domestic) and 404-537-3406 (international); the passcode is 96645455. A webcast replay will also be archived on www.exelixis.com for one year.

On November 1, 2017 DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) reported financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and provided a corporate update (Press release, DURECT, NOV 1, 2017, View Source [SID1234521425]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

•

Executed a patent purchase agreement with Indivior relevant to Indivior’s RBP-7000, yielding DURECT a $12.5 million upfront payment, as well as a potential $5 million milestone payment and potential earn-out payments. Indivior submitted a NDA for RBP-7000 to the U.S. FDA on September 28, 2017.

•

Including the $12.5 million described above, total revenues were $20.7 million and net income was $6.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017 as compared to total revenues of $3.7 million and net loss of $8.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016.

•

At September 30, 2017, cash and investments were $41.8 million, compared to cash and investments of $25.2 million at December 31, 2016.


“The top-line results from the Phase 3 clinical trial of POSIMIR did not meet expectations, trending in favor of POSIMIR but not reaching statistically significance. We will be working to understand the trial results more fully in the coming weeks,” stated James E. Brown, D.V.M., President and CEO of DURECT. “On other fronts, positive highlights of the third quarter included reaching an agreement with Indivior which resulted in a meaningful upfront payment to DURECT as well the potential for further payments based on the progress of RBP-7000, a drug candidate for schizophrenia for which Indivior has submitted an NDA to the FDA. We are also making significant progress towards initiating multiple Phase 2 studies with DUR-928.”

Update on Selected Programs and Transactions:

POSIMIR (SABER-Bupivacaine) Post-Operative Pain Relief Depot. POSIMIR is our investigational post-operative pain relief depot that utilizes our patented SABER technology and is designed to deliver bupivacaine to provide up to 3 days of pain relief after surgery.

In October 2017, we reported that PERSIST, a Phase 3 clinical trial for POSIMIR did not meet its primary efficacy endpoint of reduction in pain on movement over the first 48 hours after surgery as compared to standard bupivacaine HCl. While results trended in favor of POSIMIR versus the comparator, they did not achieve statistical significance. We and Sandoz, our licensee for commercialization rights for POSIMIR in the United States, will be working to understand the trial results more fully in the coming weeks.

Epigenetic Regulator Program. DUR-928, the lead product candidate in our Epigenetic Regulator Program, is an endogenous, small molecule, new chemical entity (NCE), which may have broad applicability in several metabolic diseases such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other disorders of the liver, in acute organ injuries such as acute liver and/or kidney injury, and in autoimmune/inflammatory skin disorders such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

Oral Administration
•
We are actively working towards initiating a Phase 2 trial in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) with orally administered DUR-928. Our protocol has been reviewed by the FDA and our IND is now open. Clinical trial site preparation is underway, and we are targeting dosing our first patient by the end of 2017. PSC is a chronic liver disease characterized by a progression of cholestasis (decrease in bile flow) with inflammation and fibrosis of bile ducts. We have received orphan drug designation for DUR-928 to treat patients with PSC. We believe that data generated from this trial will be relevant to other chronic liver conditions, such as NASH.

Injectable Administration

•
We now have an open IND for an initial Phase 2 trial with an injectable formulation of DUR-928. We are currently finalizing the protocol based on detailed input received in October 2017 from our expert advisors during The Liver Meeting (the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases or AASLD). This first study will be conducted in patients with moderate and severe acute liver function impairment to assess the safety and pharmacokinetics of several doses of DUR-928.
•
At AASLD, a poster was presented by Dr. Shunlin Ren of Virginia Commonwealth University / McGuire VA Medical Center which included newly disclosed data from animal studies with DUR-928 in various acute organ injuries. One of the new disclosures was the dose-dependent effect of DUR-928 in stabilizing mitochondrial membranes, which is an important factor in
cell viability and prevention of cell death. Previous results had been reported with DUR-928 in an acute animal model where the toxicity was caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS); in this poster, similar results (i.e., 90% survival with DUR-928 vs. 10% survival on placebo) were shown when the toxicity was caused by injected acetaminophen. This poster also demonstrated the pharmacological effect of DUR-928 in animal models of both endotoxin and drug induced multiple organ injuries, including the liver, the kidney and the lungs. This poster is available at www.durect.com under Science and Technologies, Papers.

Topical Administration

•
Based on promising results from a previous exploratory Phase 1b trial in psoriasis utilizing intralesional micro injections of DUR-928, we have developed topical formulations of DUR-928 and have recently completed GLP skin irritation / sensitization studies with the lead formulations in two species. We have had pre-IND interactions with the FDA and are incorporating FDA’s comments in our upcoming IND while we are actively working with expert advisors to finalize our study protocol for a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study with topically applied DUR-928. We expect to initiate this study in the first half of 2018. We believe that there is a large market opportunity for new topical drugs for inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

Indivior Agreement. In September 2017, we entered into a patent purchase agreement with an affiliate of Indivior PLC, whereby DURECT assigned certain of its U.S. patent rights to Indivior. This assignment may provide further intellectual property protection for RBP-7000, Indivior’s investigational once-monthly injectable risperidone product for the treatment of schizophrenia. Indivior submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) for RBP-7000 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 28, 2017.

Under the terms of the agreement, Indivior has made an upfront non-refundable payment to DURECT of $12.5 million, with the potential for an additional $5 million based on NDA approval of RBP-7000, as well as quarterly earn-out payments that are based on a single digit percentage of U.S. net sales for certain products covered by the patent rights, including RBP-7000. The patent rights include granted patents extending through at least 2026.

REMOXY ER (oxycodone) Extended-Release Capsules CII. Based on our ORADUR technology, the investigational drug REMOXY ER is a unique long-acting formulation of oxycodone designed to discourage common methods of tampering associated with opioid misuse and abuse. In March 2017, Pain Therapeutics announced that it plans to resubmit the REMOXY ER NDA after completing two additional studies regarding REMOXY ER based on guidance obtained in a meeting with the FDA. The two studies are a clinical abuse potential study via the intranasal route of abuse and a non-clinical abuse potential study using household solvents. Pain Therapeutics stated that it expects to complete these studies by year end 2017. In October 2017, Pain Therapeutics announced that there is a pre-NDA guidance meeting with the FDA planned for November 14, 2017 and Pain Therapeutics is planning an NDA resubmission in the first quarter of 2018.


ORADUR-ADHD Program. ORADUR-Methylphenidate ER is an investigational drug that has the potential for rapid onset of action and long duration with once-a-day dosing, utilizes a small capsule size relative to the leading existing long-acting products on the market and incorporates our ORADUR anti-tampering technology. Orient Pharma, our licensee in defined Asian and South Pacific countries, has reported that a Phase 3 study conducted in Taiwan has achieved positive results. We retain rights to all other markets in the world, notably including the U.S., Europe and Japan. We have started a process of contacting potential development and commercialization partners for major markets not licensed to Orient Pharma.

Upcoming investor conference. DURECT will be presenting at the Stifel 2017 Healthcare Conference at 11:45 am Eastern time on November 15. The conference is being held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel. A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available by accessing View Source . A live audio webcast of these presentations will also be available by accessing DURECT’s homepage at www.durect.com and clicking “Investor Relations.” If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived on DURECT’s website under Audio Archive in the “Investor Relations” section.

Earnings Conference Call
A live audio webcast of a conference call to discuss third quarter 2017 results and provide a corporate update will be broadcast live over the internet at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on November 1 and is available by accessing DURECT’s homepage at www.durect.com and clicking “Investor Relations.” If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived on DURECT’s website under Audio Archive in the “Investor Relations” section.

On November 1, 2017 Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:CNAT), a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of novel medicines to treat liver disease, reported financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2017, and provided updates on its development programs (Press release, Conatus Pharmaceuticals, NOV 1, 2017, View Source [SID1234521422]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Program Updates
In collaboration with Novartis under terms of the company’s Option, Collaboration and License Agreement with Novartis, which was executed in December 2016, Conatus is conducting four randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b clinical trials designed to evaluate emricasan treatment in various patient populations, including three EmricasaN, a Caspase inhibitOR, for Evaluation (ENCORE) clinical trials in patients with fibrosis or cirrhosis caused by nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and a fourth clinical trial in POLT-HCV-SVR patients:

POLT-HCV-SVR, initiated in the second quarter of 2014, in approximately 60 post-orthotopic liver transplant (POLT) recipients with liver fibrosis or cirrhosis post-transplant as a result of recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who have successfully achieved a sustained viral response (SVR) following HCV antiviral therapy, with top-line results expected in the second quarter of 2018;

ENCORE-PH (for Portal Hypertension), initiated in the fourth quarter of 2016, in approximately 240 patients with compensated or early decompensated NASH cirrhosis and severe portal hypertension, with top-line results expected in the second half of 2018 followed by an integrated treatment extension period for clinical outcomes;

ENCORE-NF (for NASH Fibrosis), initiated in the first quarter of 2016, in approximately 330 patients with NASH fibrosis, with top-line results expected in the first half of 2019; and

ENCORE-LF (for Liver Function), initiated in the second quarter of 2017, in approximately 210 patients with decompensated NASH cirrhosis, with top-line results expected in the second half of 2019.
Results from the four ongoing emricasan clinical trials are expected to support the design of Phase 3 clinical efficacy and safety trials.

Pipeline Expansion Plans

In October 2017, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) granted Orphan Drug Designation in the European Union to the company’s pan-caspase inhibitor IDN-7314 for the treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a disease affecting bile ducts in the liver, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure. In June 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Orphan Drug Designation in the United States to IDN-7314 for the treatment of PSC.

These orphan drug designations were based on previously reported data with IDN-7314 demonstrating reduction of relevant biomarkers in two preclinical models of PSC. New results, showing that IDN-7314 markedly diminished inflammasome activation and reduced liver injury in a preclinical model of PSC, were presented in October 2017 at The Liver Meeting, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). In a separate study, IDN-7314 reduced biochemical markers in a new acute preclinical model of PSC.

Conatus believes the orphan drug designations, along with the growing body of preclinical data, warrant further evaluation of IDN-7314 as a potential product candidate in PSC as a component of its initial pipeline expansion plans. The company’s ongoing pipeline expansion activities also include:

internal development of new preclinical product candidates leveraging its expertise with the caspase inhibition technology platform, and

evaluation for potential in-licensing or acquisition of external clinical-stage product candidates consistent with its product development and regulatory expertise.
Conatus may pursue the development of product candidates in liver disease and in other related disease areas.

Financial Results
The net loss for the third quarter of 2017 was $4.0 million compared with $6.9 million for the third quarter of 2016. The net loss for the first nine months of 2017 was $13.0 million compared with $20.6 million for the first nine months of 2016.

Total revenues were $9.6 million for the third quarter of 2017 and $26.6 million for the first nine months of 2017, compared with $0.0 million for the comparable periods in 2016. Total revenues for both periods in 2017 consisted of collaboration revenue related to the Option, Collaboration and License Agreement with Novartis.

Research and development expenses were $11.2 million for the third quarter of 2017 compared with $4.8 million for the third quarter of 2016. Research and development expenses were $32.3 million for the first nine months of 2017 compared with $13.8 million for the first nine months of 2016. The increases in research and development expenses were primarily due to the ramp up of our ENCORE-NF, ENCORE-PH and ENCORE-LF clinical trials.

General and administrative expenses were $2.4 million for the third quarter of 2017 compared with $2.1 million for the third quarter of 2016. General and administrative expenses were $7.4 million for the first nine months of 2017 compared with $6.9 million for the first nine months of 2016. The increases in general and administrative expenses were primarily due to higher personnel costs and professional fees.

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $85.2 million at September 30, 2017, compared with $77.0 million at December 31, 2016. Based primarily on lower than expected spending on in-licensing and internal pipeline development, the company is now projecting a year-end 2017 balance of between $70 million and $75 million. The company believes its current and forecasted financial resources are sufficient to maintain operations and ongoing emricasan clinical development activities through the end of 2019, as well as to fund anticipated pipeline expansion activities.

Conference Call and Audio Webcast
Conatus will host a conference call and audio webcast at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time today to discuss the financial results and provide a corporate update. To access the conference call, please dial 877-312-5857 (domestic) or 970-315-0455 (international) at least five minutes prior to the start time and refer to conference ID 99505370. A live and archived audio webcast of the call will also be available in the Investors section of the Conatus website at www.conatuspharma.com.

On November 1, 2017 Clovis Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLVS) reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, and provided an update on the Company’s clinical development programs and regulatory outlook for the remainder of 2017 (Press release, Clovis Oncology, NOV 1, 2017, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2313455 [SID1234521421]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"We continue to grow sales quarter over quarter despite our current limited treatment label and the rapid conversion of the ovarian cancer community to favor maintenance therapy with no requirement for diagnostic testing," said Patrick J. Mahaffy, President and CEO of Clovis Oncology. "We are obviously very enthusiastic about participating in that broader market based on our ARIEL3 data, which is now under review with the FDA following our submission of a supplemental New Drug Application in October. In addition, we are optimistic about the potential for rucaparib beyond second-line ovarian cancer maintenance, based on our substantial development program which includes front-line ovarian cancer maintenance, a leading effort underway in prostate cancer as well as multiple other tumor types as both monotherapy and in combination with nivolumab."

Third Quarter 2017 Financial Results

Clovis reported net product revenue for Rubraca of $16.8 million for the third quarter of 2017 and $38.5 million for the first nine months of 2017. During the third quarter, the supply of free drug distributed to eligible patients through our patient assistance plan remained at approximately 20 percent of overall commercial supply. We expect the supply of free drug to remain in this range for the foreseeable future. During the quarter, this represented $4.4 million in commercial value and $9.4 million in commercial value for the first nine months of 2017.

Clovis had $628.0 million in cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities as of September 30, 2017. Cash used in operating activities was $45.8 million for the third quarter of 2017 and $195.3 million for the first nine months of 2017, compared with $60.3 million and $212.0 million for the comparable periods of 2016. Clovis had approximately 48.9 million shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2017. In January 2017, the Company raised net proceeds of $221.2 million through an offering of 5.75 million shares of common stock and in June 2017, the Company raised net proceeds of $324.6 million through an offering of 3.92 million shares of common stock.

Clovis reported a net loss for the third quarter of 2017 of $60.7 million, or a net loss of $1.24 per share, and $294.5 million, or a net loss of $6.39 per share for the first nine months of 2017. Net loss was $65.7 million, or a net loss of $1.70 per share for the third quarter of 2016, and $278.4 million, or a net loss of $7.24 per share for the first nine months of 2016. The net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 included a charge of $117.0 million related to a legal settlement. The net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 included a charge of $104.5 million for the impairment of an intangible asset, a gain of $25.5 million for a reduction in fair value of contingent purchase consideration and a $29.2 million non-cash tax benefit related to lucitanib product rights recorded in 2013 in connection with the Company’s acquisition of Ethical Oncology Science S.p.A. The adjusted net loss excluding these items was $60.7 million or $1.24 per share for the third quarter and $177.5 million or $3.85 per share for the nine months ended 2017 and $65.7 million or $1.70 per share for the third quarter and $228.5 million or $5.95 per share for the nine months ended 2016. Net loss for the third quarter of 2017 included share-based compensation expense of $12.6 million and $32.2 million for the first nine months of 2017, compared to $9.2 million and $29.7 million for the comparable periods of 2016.

Research and development expenses totaled $38.9 million for the third quarter of 2017 and $104.5 million for the first nine months of 2017, compared to $54.3 million and $196.7 million for the comparable periods in 2016. The decrease year over year is primarily due to lower spending on rucaparib and rociletinib development activities and selling, general and administrative expenses related to the commercialization of Rubraca, which had been classified as research and development prior to FDA approval.

Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $35.0 million for the third quarter of 2017 and $100.4 million for the first nine months of 2017, compared to $9.2 million and $28.5 million for the comparable periods in 2016. The increase year over year is primarily due to selling, general and administrative expenses related to the commercialization of Rubraca, which had been classified as research and development prior to FDA approval.

Clinical Collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb

In July 2017, Clovis and Bristol-Myers Squibb announced a broad clinical collaboration to evaluate the combination of nivolumab and rucaparib in Phase 2 and pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials in multiple tumor types. The pivotal Phase 3 trials, which will evaluate rucaparib in combination with nivolumab in advanced triple-negative breast cancer and advanced ovarian cancer, are expected to begin in early 2018. The Phase 2 trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of nivolumab in combination with rucaparib in patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), and is expected to begin by the end of 2017. The planned clinical trials will be conducted in the U.S., Europe and additional countries. Clovis will be the study sponsor and conducting party for the ovarian cancer study and Bristol-Myers Squibb will be the study sponsor and conducting party for the breast and prostate cancer studies. The Clovis-sponsored ovarian cancer study will be known as ATHENA: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled study of nivolumab and rucaparib Combination Switch Maintenance Following Front-Line Platinum-based Chemotherapy in Ovarian Cancer Patients.

Comprehensive ARIEL3 Dataset Presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2017 and Published in The Lancet

The first presentation of the comprehensive dataset from the phase 3 ARIEL3 study of rucaparib took place at the 2017 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress in Madrid in early September, and was subsequently published online in The Lancet. The ARIEL3 trial of rucaparib successfully achieved its primary and key secondary endpoints — improved progression-free survival (PFS) by both investigator review and blinded independent central review (BICR), respectively – in each of the three populations studied, as well as its exploratory endpoints.

ARIEL3 is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial of rucaparib that enrolled 564 women with platinum-sensitive, high-grade ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer. The primary efficacy analysis evaluated three prospectively defined molecular sub-groups in a step-down manner: 1) tumor BRCA mutant (tBRCAmut) patients, inclusive of germline and somatic mutations of BRCA (n=196); 2) HRD patients, including BRCA-mutant patients and BRCA wild-type with high loss of heterozygosity, or LOH-high patients (n=354), and, finally, 3) the intent-to-treat population, or all patients treated in ARIEL3 (n=564). The study achieved its primary endpoint of improved PFS by investigator review in each of three populations. PFS was also improved in the rucaparib group compared with placebo by BICR, a key secondary endpoint, in all three populations. In addition, rucaparib improved objective response rate vs placebo among evaluable trial participants in all three study populations.

Treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in the ARIEL3 rucaparib group were generally managed with dose modifications and not associated with increased mortality or morbidity compared with the placebo group. Safety data from ARIEL3 demonstrate consistency with prior rucaparib studies.

In addition, a late-breaker oral presentation describing the ARIEL3 dataset will be presented by Professor Jonathan Ledermann, MD, Professor of Medical Oncology, Director, Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, UCL Cancer Institute at the 20th Biennial International Meeting of the European Society for Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO20) on Monday, November 6, 2017, at 8:30 CET in Vienna, Austria.

Rucaparib Regulatory Update

On October 6, Clovis submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration(FDA) for rucaparib as maintenance treatment of patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. The sNDA submission is based on data from the Phase 3 ARIEL3 trial.

Clovis’ Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for rucaparib to the European Medicines Agency for an ovarian cancer treatment indication is currently under review. Clovis anticipates an opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) in late 2017, and, if we receive a favorable opinion from CHMP, a potential approval would follow during the first quarter of 2018. Following a potential approval for the treatment indication, Clovis intends to submit a variation to the MAA in Europe for the maintenance treatment indication. Clovis continues to establish its E.U. organization to support a potential launch of rucaparib in 2018.

Rucaparib Clinical Development

Beyond its ovarian cancer development program, the Company is focused on development of multiple tumor types, including prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in men, with 1.1 million new cases diagnosed worldwide in 2012. Men with disease that has advanced to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) have a high likelihood of having or developing metastases, and metastatic CRPC remains an incurable disease usually associated with poor prognosis and short survival time. Germline and somatic mutations in BRCA, ATM or other homologous recombination (HR) DNA-repair genes are present in patients with advanced prostate cancer (including metastatic CRPC) at frequencies of 20-25 percent and higher. These markers may be used to select metastatic CRPC patients for targeted treatment with rucaparib. Rucaparib has demonstrated cytotoxicity in prostate cancer cells lines with reduced levels of BRCA1, BRCA2, or ATM. In addition, another PARP inhibitor has demonstrated preliminary evidence of anti-tumor activity in mCRPC patients with HRR deficiencies.

Clovis has a robust clinical development program underway in multiple tumor types, including Clovis-sponsored, partner-sponsored and investigator-initiated trials. The following clinical studies are open for enrollment or are anticipated to open during the next six months:

The Clovis-sponsored ARIEL4 confirmatory study in the treatment setting is a Phase 3 multicenter, randomized study of rucaparib versus chemotherapy in relapsed ovarian cancer patients with BRCA mutations who have failed two prior lines of therapy. The primary endpoint of the study is PFS. This study is currently enrolling patients.
The Clovis-sponsored TRITON2 (Trial of Rucaparib in Prostate Indications) study in mCRPC, a Phase 2 single-arm study enrolling patients with BRCA mutations and ATM mutations (both inclusive of germline and somatic) or other deleterious mutations in other homologous recombination (HR) repair genes and all patients will have progressed after receiving one line of taxane-based chemotherapy and one or two lines of androgen-receptor (AR) targeted therapy. This study is currently enrolling patients.
The Clovis-sponsored TRITON3 study, a Phase 3 comparative study in mCRPC enrolling BRCA mutant and ATM mutant (both inclusive of germline and somatic) patients who have progressed on AR-targeted therapy and who have not yet received chemotherapy in the castrate-resistant setting is also open for enrollment. TRITON3 will compare rucaparib to physician’s choice of AR-targeted therapy or chemotherapy in these patients. This study is currently enrolling patients.
The Clovis-sponsored ATHENA (A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled study of nivolumab and rucaparib Combination Switch Maintenance Following Front-Line Platinum-based Chemotherapy in Ovarian Cancer Patients) study in advanced ovarian cancer in the first-line maintenance treatment setting evaluating rucaparib plus nivolumab (anti-PD1), rucaparib, nivolumab and placebo in newly-diagnosed patients who have completed platinum-based chemotherapy. This study, as part of a broad clinical collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb, is expected to begin in Spring 2018.
A Clovis-sponsored Phase 2 open-label monotherapy study of rucaparib in recurrent, metastatic bladder cancer titled ATLAS: A Study of Rucaparib in Patients with Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma. This study is expected to initiate in Spring 2018.
The Phase 3 pivotal study in advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to evaluate nivolumab and rucaparib in combination. This study is sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb and is expected to begin in Spring 2018.
The Phase 2 combination study of nivolumab in combination with rucaparib for the treatment of mCRPC. This study, sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb, will be conducted as an arm of a larger Bristol-Myers Squibb-sponsored prostate cancer study. This study is expected to begin before the end of 2017.
The Phase 1b combination study of the cancer immunotherapy Tecentriq (atezolizumab; anti-PDL1) and rucaparib for the treatment of gynecological cancers, with a focus on ovarian cancer. This study is sponsored by Roche and is currently enrolling patients.
Exploratory studies in other tumor types are also underway.

Conference Call Details

Clovis will hold a conference call to discuss third quarter 2017 results on November 1 at 4:30pm ET. The conference call will be simultaneously webcast on the Company’s web site at www.clovisoncology.com, and archived for future review. Dial-in numbers for the conference call are as follows: US participants 866.489.9022, International participants 678.509.7575, conference ID: 7792319.

About Rubraca (rucaparib)

Rubraca is a PARP inhibitor indicated in the U.S. as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with deleterious BRCA mutation (germline and/or somatic) associated advanced ovarian cancer, who have been treated with two or more chemotherapies, and selected for therapy based on an FDA-approved companion diagnostic for Rubraca. The indication for Rubraca is approved under the FDA’s accelerated approval program based on objective response rate and duration of response, and is based on results from two multicenter, single-arm, open-label clinical trials. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. Please visit rubraca.com for more information.

About Rucaparib

Rucaparib is an oral, small molecule inhibitor of PARP1, PARP2 and PARP3 being developed in ovarian cancer as well as several additional solid tumor indications. During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) submission in Europe for rucaparib in an ovarian cancer treatment indication was submitted and accepted for review. In October 2017, Clovis Oncology submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) in the U.S. for a second line or later maintenance treatment indication in ovarian cancer based on the ARIEL3 data, and in early 2018, plans to file a variation of the MAA in Europe for the maintenance treatment indication upon receipt of a potential approval for the treatment indication. Studies open for enrollment or under consideration include ovarian, prostate, breast, gastroesophageal, pancreatic, lung, bladder and urothelial cancers. Clovis holds worldwide rights for rucaparib.

On November 1, 2017 Curis, Inc. (Nasdaq:CRIS), a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative drug candidates for the treatment of human cancers, reported that the Company will release its third quarter 2017 financial results on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, before the U.S. financial markets open (Press release, Curis, NOV 1, 2017, View Source [SID1234521385]). The Company’s management will also host a conference call on the same day at 8:30 a.m. EST.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

To access the live conference call, please dial (877) 868-1829 from the United States or (253) 237-1135 from other locations, shortly before 8:30 a.m. EST. The conference ID number is 6198027. The conference call can also be accessed on the Curis website at www.curis.com in the Investors section.