On November 14, 2017 Exicure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), the pioneer in gene regulatory and immunotherapeutic drugs utilizing three-dimensional Spherical Nucleic Acid (SNA) constructs, reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017 (Press release, Exicure, NOV 14, 2017, View Source [SID1234522042]).

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!

"The third quarter was a transformational period for the Company. We continued to advance two SNA drug candidates toward their Phase 1 clinical trials and began our life as a public company," said David Giljohann, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. "We also strengthened our financial position with an initial private placement of approximately $20 million in gross proceeds, followed in the fourth quarter with two subsequent closings, raising an additional approximately $11 million in gross proceeds. This financing will support the clinical development of our lead programs where we have continued our strong progress. By early 2018 we look forward to having three clinical stage drugs."

The Merger and Private Placement

The Merger—On September 27, 2017, we announced the completion of a reverse merger transaction with Max-1 Acquisition Corporation. Immediately after the completion of the merger, Max-1 Acquisition Corporation changed its name to Exicure, Inc. and continued the historical business of Exicure Operating Company, our wholly owned subsidiary. In connection with the merger, we expect to commence trading on the OTC Markets in early 2018.

In accordance with "reverse merger" or "reverse acquisition" accounting treatment, our historical financial statements as of period ends, and for periods ended, prior to the reverse merger will be replaced with the historical financial statements of Exicure Operating Company prior to the reverse merger, in all future filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. The consolidated financial statements after completion of the reverse merger will include the assets, liabilities and results of operations of the combined company from and after the closing date of the reverse merger.

The Private Placement— On September 26, 2017, we sold 6,767,360 shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $3.00 per share, raising thereby approximately $20.3 million in gross proceeds pursuant to an initial closing of a private placement offering.

Subsequently, on October 27, 2017, we sold 1,878,335 of our common shares at a purchase price of $3.00 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $5.6 million in the first subsequent closing of the private placement. On November 2, 2017, we sold 1,858,501 of our common shares at a purchase price of $3.00 per share for gross proceeds also of approximately $5.6 million in the second subsequent closing of the private placement. In aggregate we have raised approximately $31.5 million of gross proceeds through the private placement.

Third Quarter Business Update

AST-008—In the third quarter of 2017, we received authorization from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial with AST-008 in the United Kingdom. AST-008, an SNA consisting of a TLR9 agonist, is being developed for immuno-oncology applications. While we ultimately plan to clinically advance AST-008 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, the Phase 1 clinical trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of single and multiple doses of AST-008 by subcutaneous administration in healthy volunteers. We expect to start the Phase 1 clinical trial during the fourth quarter.

XCUR17—During the third quarter of 2017, we submitted a clinical trial application to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial for XCUR17 to the Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (BfArM), the medical regulatory body in Germany. XCUR17 is an antisense SNA that targets the mRNA encoding IL-17RA, a protein that is considered essential in the initiation and maintenance of psoriasis. Our proposed Phase 1 trial is a microplaque study in patients with mild to moderate psoriasis. We are currently working with BfArM to finalize the trial protocol.

Purdue Pharma L.P. Collaboration—During the third quarter of 2017, the ongoing Phase 1b clinical trial for AST-005 was completed. AST-005 is an SNA containing TNF antisense oligonucleotides and is intended to be applied in a gel to psoriatic lesions. The Phase 1b clinical trial was conducted in Germany and was intended to evaluate the safety and tolerability of AST-005. We expect topline results from this clinical trial to be available in late 2017.

Third Quarter 2017 Financial Results and Financial Guidance

Cash Position—As of September 30, 2017 Exicure had cash and cash equivalents of $22.9 million compared to $19.6 million as of December 31, 2016. Gross proceeds from the issuance of common stock during the third quarter were $20.3 million with net proceeds of $17.1 million.

Research and development (R&D) expenses—R&D expenses for the third quarter were $3.5 million compared to $2.4 million for the same period in 2016. This increase was due primarily to the costs associated with preparing both AST-008 and XCUR17 for clinical trials.

General and administrative (G&A) expenses—General and administrative expense was $1.3 million for the third quarter compared to $0.8 million for the same period in 2016. This increase in expenses was driven primarily by an increase in non-cash stock compensation costs and certain costs incurred in connection with our merger and private placement.

Net Loss—Net loss for the third quarter was $2.3 million compared to a net loss of $3.5 million for the same period in 2016. The decrease in net loss was driven principally by earning $2.5 million in collaboration revenue attributable to our collaboration with Purdue compared to no revenue for the same period in 2016. The increase in revenue was offset by the increase in R&D expenses described above.

Guidance—We believe that our cash and cash equivalents, as of the date of this press release, are sufficient to fund our current operating plans into 2019.

On November 14, 2017 CASI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq: CASI), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the acquisition, development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics addressing cancer and other unmet medical needs for the global market with a commercial focus on China, reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 (Press release, CASI Pharmaceuticals, NOV 14, 2017, View Source [SID1234522041]).

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!

As of September 30, 2017, CASI had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $21.6 million.

CASI reported a net loss for the third quarter of 2017 of ($1.6 million), or ($0.03) per share. This compares with a net loss of ($1.7 million), or ($0.03) per share, for the same period last year. For the first nine months of 2017, the Company reported a net loss of ($5.7 million), or ($0.10) per share as compared to a net loss of ($6.8 million), or ($0.15) per share for the first nine months of 2016. The smaller net loss for the nine-month period in 2017 can be attributed to a decrease in non-cash compensation expense associated with the timing of stock option issuances and a decrease in clinical costs associated with the ENMD-2076 fibrolamellar trial, offset by an increase in R&D costs related to the advancement of EVOMELA, MARQIBO, and ZEVALIN with the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) and an increase in costs related to our internal preclinical program.

Ken K. Ren, Ph.D., CASI’s Chief Executive Officer, stated, "I am pleased with our third quarter financial results. In October, we announced a $23.8 million registered direct offering, funds raised from which will be used to advance our internal pipeline and support our business development in-license activities. With respect to existing in-licensed assets, we continue to advance EVOMELA, MARQIBO, and ZEVALIN for the China market. EVOMELA has been granted priority review by the CFDA, which we believe will accelerate its approval for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. We look forward to providing further updates on these in-licensed assets as well as on our internal pipeline candidates."

On November 14, 2017 Atossa Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ:ATOS) ("Atossa" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics and delivery methods for breast cancer and other breast conditions, reported third quarter ended September 30, 2017 financial results and provided an update on recent company developments (Press release, Atossa Genetics, NOV 14, 2017, View Source [SID1234522044]).

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!

Steve Quay, President and CEO, commented, "We are very pleased with our recent clinical progress with our Endoxifen programs. Preliminary results from our Phase 1 study show that all objectives of both our proprietary topical and oral formulations of Endoxifen have been met. We recently raised capital to support advancement of our Endoxifen programs into Phase 2 trials."

Recent Corporate Developments

Atossa’s important recent developments include the following:

Completed a public offering of common stock with gross proceeds of $5.5 million.

Announced the preliminary results from the Phase 1 study of oral Endoxifen with all objectives successfully met: there were no clinically significant safety signals and no clinically significant adverse events; oral Endoxifen was well tolerated; and study participants exhibited dose-dependent Endoxifen levels consistent with the therapeutic ranges identified in published reports.

Announced a new program using Chimeric Antigen Receptor Therapy, or CAR-T. Atossa plans to use its proprietary intraductal microcatheter technology to deliver CAR-T cells into the ducts of the breast for the potential targeted treatment of breast cancer.

Announced an upcoming Phase 2 Study of proprietary topical Endoxifen for the treatment of women with mammographic breast density, or MBD, which will be conducted by Stockholm South General Hospital in Sweden. The study will be led by principal investigator Dr. Per Hall, MD, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet.

Announced the preliminary results from the Phase 1 study of topical Endoxifen with all objectives successfully met: there were no clinically significant safety signals and no clinically significant adverse events; the topical Endoxifen was well tolerated; and there were low but measurable Endoxifen levels detected in the blood in a dose-dependent fashion.
Q3 2017 Financial Results

We are in the research and development phase and we did not generate revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.

Total operating expenses were approximately $2.1 million and $5.6 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, consisting of general and administrative (G&A) expenses of approximately $1.3 million and $3.5 million, respectively, and research and development (R&D) expenses of approximately $0.7 million and $2.1 million, respectively. Total operating expenses were approximately $1.6 million and $5.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, consisting of G&A expense of approximately $1.5 million and $5.0 million, respectively, and R&D expenses of $0.1 million and $0.4 million, respectively.

On November 14, 2017 Cleveland BioLabs, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBLI) reported financial results and development progress for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017 (Press release, Cleveland BioLabs, NOV 14, 2017, View Source [SID1234522045]).

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!

Cleveland BioLabs reported a net loss of $(1.3) million, excluding minority interests, for the third quarter of 2017, or $(0.11) per share, compared to net income, excluding minority interests, of $1.1 million, or $0.10 per share, for the same period in 2016. The increase in net loss was primarily due to an increase in the downward non-cash adjustment to our warrant liabilities and decreased revenues and expenses due to the completion of our development contracts with the Russian Federation Ministry of Industry and Trade ("MPT"), which was partially offset by reduced operating costs aligned with our streamlined focus primarily on pursuing a pre- Emergency Use Authorization ("pre-EUA") with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") and a Marketing Authorization Application ("MAA") with the European Medicines Agency ("EMA") for entolimod as a medical radiation countermeasure ("MRC").

As of September 30, 2017, the Company had $10.1 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, which, based on the Company’s current operational plan, is expected to fund operations for at least one year beyond the filing date of our Form 10-Q.

Yakov Kogan, Ph.D., MBA, Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The pursuit of approval by the FDA and EMA and commercialization for entolimod as a medical radiation countermeasure are continuing to be the company’s most important priorities and goals. Per FDA’s request during the past quarter, we collated and submitted manufacturing information (Module 3) to the agency. We also initiated the in vivo biocomparability study in non-human primates that had been previously requested by the agency as part of its review of our pre-EUA application; this study is ongoing. Following completion of this study and discussion of the study results with the FDA, we expect the agency to resume review of our pre-EUA dossier."

"We are also pleased to announce submission in the European Union of a MAA for use of entolimod as a MRC. Our application was recently validated by the EMA and will now undergo agency review. Filing of the MAA represents a significant milestone for the company and another major step toward making entolimod available worldwide as a life-saving treatment of acute radiation syndrome ("ARS")," continued Dr. Kogan. "I am proud of the dedicated team at CBLI that prepared the MAA and shares the company’s commitment to developing an effective and practical ARS therapy for mass-casualty radiation and nuclear disaster scenarios."

Further Financial Results

Revenue for the third quarter of 2017 decreased to $0.3 million compared to $1.1 million for the third quarter of 2016. The net decrease was primarily attributable to reduced revenue from our development contracts with MPT which completed in 2016 and reduced revenue due to completion of manufacturing activities from our Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program ("JWMRP") contract from the Department of Defense ("DoD") for the continued development of the entolimod as a medical radiation countermeasure.

Research and development costs for the third quarter of 2017 decreased to $0.9 million compared to $1.1 million for the third quarter of 2016. The reduction in research and development costs is due to completion

of a clinical study of the safety and tolerability of entolimod as a neo-adjuvant therapy in treatment-naïve patients with primary colorectal cancer and completion of associated preparatory research studies, offset by an increase in entolimod for biodefense applications for continued preclinical development along with drug manufacturing activities associated with our JWMRP contract and expenses associated with our regulatory activities in support of filing a MAA with EMA.

General and administrative costs for the third quarter of 2017 decreased to $0.6 million compared to $0.8 million for the third quarter of 2016. This decrease was primarily attributable to reductions in personnel and other operating costs in connection with cost savings efforts to streamline operations.

On November 14, 2017 Mateon Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQX:MATN), a biopharmaceutical company developing investigational drugs for the treatment of orphan oncology indications, reported a corporate update and reported financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2017 (Press release, Mateon Therapeutics, NOV 14, 2017, View Source [SID1234522046]).

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!

Recent Corporate Highlights

Announced phase 1b data for OXi4503 in Study OX1222 for the treatment of relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndromes, which show complete remissions and evidence of a dose response;
Elevated OXi4503 to lead program, representing the primary focus of Mateon’s drug development efforts; and
Terminated FOCUS Study in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, terminated clinical development of CA4P, and restructured company down to six employees to reduce expenditures.
"OXi4503 destroys the protective environment that bone marrow tumors provide to AML stem cells while also simultaneously attacking the tumor cells themselves. Thus, if ultimately approved, our lead compound would be a completely new way to treat AML and should offer many advantages over other drugs currently on the market or in development for this indication," stated William D. Schwieterman, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Mateon. "With patent protection in AML to 2033, we believe that OXi4503 represents an outstanding business development or financing proposition, and are working to secure an arrangement that will allow us to accrue clinical data in higher-dose cohorts in Study OX1222."

Financial Results for the Third Quarter of 2017

For the three months ended September 30, 2017, Mateon reported a net loss of $3.5 million, compared to a net loss of $3.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016. Research and development expenses increased to $2.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017, compared to $2.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016, primarily due to higher clinical costs associated with the recently terminated FOCUS study. General and administrative expenses decreased to $0.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017, compared to $1.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016.

At September 30, 2017, Mateon had cash and short-term investments of $1.9 million.

"We very rapidly closed out the FOCUS Study in October. Following the other cost reductions implemented in late September, we now project that our existing cash, when combined with expected refunds from certain vendors, should sustain our OXi4503-focused business development and financing efforts into approximately February 2018," concluded Dr. Schwieterman.