Eagle Pharmaceuticals Announces Results of Study for Fulvestrant

On October 30, 2018 Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: EGRX) ("Eagle" or the "Company") reported that the Company’s fulvestrant formulation has not met the primary bioequivalence endpoints evaluating Eagle’s formulation compared to FASLODEX in its open label, randomized, pharmacokinetic (PK) and safety study conducted in 600 healthy female volunteers across multiple U.S. sites (Press release, Eagle Pharmaceuticals, OCT 30, 2018, View Source [SID1234530582]).

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The Company will continue to evaluate the data, but as a result of this outcome, Eagle intends to focus on advancing the development of other products in its pipeline.

Eagle’s fulvestrant product was intended to be administered at the recommended dose with one intramuscular injection instead of two high-viscosity intramuscular injections for FASLODEX, and in less time. In addition, our low-viscosity formulation does not contain castor oil, and was intended for administration with a 23-gauge needle, which is 25% thinner than the current needle required to administer FASLODEX.

"At this time, and given the results of the fulvestrant trial, we plan to focus on other promising programs in our pipeline, including exertional heat stroke, a potential nerve agent indication and intramuscular formulation for RYANODEX, and our pemetrexed and vasopressin assets," stated Scott Tarriff, Chief Executive Officer.

Allergan Reports Third Quarter 2018 Results Including GAAP Net Revenues of $3.9 Billion

On October 3o, 2018 Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN) reported its third quarter 2018 performance (Press release, Allergan, OCT 30, 2018, View Source [SID1234530580]). Total third quarter 2018 GAAP net revenues were $3.91 billion, a 3.0 percent decrease from the prior year quarter.

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THIRD QUARTER 2018

Executive Commentary

"Allergan’s performance in the third quarter of 2018 highlights the momentum in our business and our focus on execution. We continued to deliver solid results in the third quarter, driven by double-digit growth from many of our key promoted brands, led by BOTOX Therapeutic and Cosmetic, JUVÉDERM, and VRAYLAR," said Brent Saunders, Chairman and CEO of Allergan. "We also maintained momentum in the R&D pipeline with achievements of significant milestones for key programs including cariprazine in bipolar depression, ubrogepant in acute migraine and abicipar in age-related macular degeneration."

"Despite the 3.0 percent decline in net revenue driven primarily by loss of exclusivity on some brands, our core business, representing nearly 90 percent of our total revenues, grew 5.9 percent versus prior year or 7.4 percent excluding foreign exchange. Allergan also maintained strong operating margins and grew non-GAAP performance net income per share. Our business continues to generate robust cash flows, and we are maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation – with a strong balance sheet, strategic growth investments and capital returns to our shareholders," added Saunders. "With this strong momentum in the business and based on our revised expectations for RESTASIS, we increased our full-year 2018 guidance for net revenue and non-GAAP performance net income per share."

"I am proud of what our team has accomplished this year and excited about our potential to create more value for patients, employees and shareholders for many years to come."

Third Quarter 2018 Performance

GAAP operating income in the third quarter 2018 was $257.5 million, including the impact of amortization. Non-GAAP operating income in the third quarter of 2018 was $1.91 billion, a decrease of 3.2 percent versus the prior year quarter, impacted by lower revenues as operating margin remained stable.

Operating Expenses

Total GAAP Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Expense was $1.04 billion for the third quarter 2018, a decrease of 10.7 percent from the prior year quarter. Total non-GAAP SG&A expense was $1.03 billion for the third quarter 2018, a decrease of 6.2 percent from the prior year period, driven primarily by a reduction in selling and marketing spending, including the impact of previous restructurings, as well as more favorable foreign exchange compared with the prior year quarter. GAAP R&D investment for the third quarter of 2018 was $424.2 million, compared to $442.6 million in the third quarter of 2017. Non-GAAP R&D investment for the third quarter 2018 was $393.7 million, compared to $405.3 million in the prior year quarter, in part due to reprioritization of R&D programs.

Amortization, Other Income (Expense) Net, Tax and Capitalization

Amortization expense for the third quarter 2018 was $1.59 billion, compared to $1.78 billion in the third quarter of 2017. GAAP other income (expense), net of $130.0 million in the three months ended September 30, 2018 was primarily attributed to a gain on the divestiture of the Company’s Medical Dermatology business sold to Almirall on September 20, 2018. The Company’s GAAP tax rate was 120.5 percent in the third quarter 2018. The Company’s non-GAAP adjusted tax rate was 14.2 percent in the third quarter 2018. As of September 30, 2018, Allergan had cash and marketable securities of $1.21 billion and outstanding indebtedness of $23.58 billion. The Company repurchased $1.76 billion aggregate principal amount of its debt in the third quarter of 2018. It expects to conduct one or more financing transactions in the fourth quarter, subject to market conditions, that are expected, together with any additional repurchases during the fourth quarter, to reduce its outstanding debt on a net basis by at least $750 million.

THIRD QUARTER 2018 BUSINESS SEGMENT RESULTS

U.S. Specialized Therapeutics

U.S. Specialized Therapeutics net revenues were $1.71 billion in the third quarter of 2018 compared to $1.72 billion in the prior year quarter. Growth in BOTOX Therapeutic and Medical Aesthetics, including BOTOX Cosmetic and ALLODERM, was offset in part by a decline in RESTASIS due to lower net pricing, demand and trade inventory levels, as well as decreased revenues in Medical Dermatology due to generic pressure prior to divestiture. Segment gross margin for the third quarter of 2018 was 91.6 percent, impacted by RESTASIS. Segment contribution for the third quarter 2018 was $1.20 billion.

Medical Aesthetics

Facial Aesthetics
BOTOX Cosmetic net revenues rose 13.9 percent in the third quarter of 2018 from the prior year quarter to $216.0 million.
JUVÉDERM Collection (defined as JUVÉDERM, VOLUMA and other fillers) net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $127.2 million, an increase of 10.0 percent versus the prior year quarter.
Regenerative Medicine
ALLODERM net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 grew 25.1 percent from the prior year quarter to $105.8 million.
Body Contouring
CoolSculpting net revenues (including both CoolSculpting Systems/Applicators and Consumables) in the third quarter of 2018 were $84.9 million, compared to $83.4 million in the prior year quarter.
Neurosciences & Urology

BOTOX Therapeutic net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $407.4 million, an increase of 10.4 percent versus the prior year quarter.
Eye Care

RESTASIS net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $298.0 million, a decrease of 18.8 percent versus the prior year quarter.
ALPHAGAN/COMBIGAN net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $95.4 million compared with $92.7 million in the prior year quarter.
OZURDEX net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 increased 16.3 percent from the prior year quarter to $28.6 million.
U.S. General Medicine

U.S. General Medicine net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $1.38 billion, a decrease of 7.8 percent versus the prior year quarter, impacted by lower revenues from NAMENDA XR and ESTRACE due to generic competition, offset by growth from VRAYLAR, Lo LOESTRIN and LINZESS. Segment gross margin for the third quarter of 2018 was 84.1 percent. Segment contribution for the third quarter 2018 was $890.8 million.

Central Nervous System

VRAYLAR net revenues rose 72.1 percent in the third quarter of 2018 from the prior year quarter to $138.0 million.
VIIBRYD/FETZIMA net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $88.5 million, compared to $86.5 million in the prior year quarter.
NAMENDA XR net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $16.2 million, versus $114.3 million in the prior year quarter, impacted by loss of patent exclusivity for NAMENDA XR in February 2018.
Gastrointestinal, Women’s Health & Diversified Brands

LINZESS net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $204.8 million, an increase of 7.3 percent versus the prior year quarter.
Lo LOESTRIN net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $141.5 million, an increase of 17.9 percent versus the prior year quarter.
BYSTOLIC/BYVALSON net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $151.2 million, compared to $164.2 million in the prior year quarter.
International

International net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $821.6 million, an increase of 7.8 percent versus the prior year quarter excluding foreign exchange impact, driven by growth in Facial Aesthetics and BOTOX Therapeutic. International net revenues were negatively impacted by a recall of OZURDEX in certain international markets. Excluding this impact, International net revenues would have grown by 11.8% excluding foreign exchange impact. Segment gross margin for the third quarter of 2018 was 84.1 percent, also impacted by OZURDEX. Segment contribution was $449.8 million.

Facial Aesthetics

BOTOX Cosmetic net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $163.4 million, an increase of 32.5 percent versus the prior year quarter excluding foreign exchange impact.
JUVÉDERM Collection net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $138.6 million, an increase of 16.9 percent versus the prior year quarter excluding foreign exchange impact.
Eye Care

LUMIGAN/GANFORT net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $94.8 million, an increase of 7.4 percent versus the prior year quarter excluding foreign exchange impact.
OZURDEX net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $25.8 million compared to $50.2 million in the prior year quarter.
Botox Therapeutic

BOTOX Therapeutic net revenues in the third quarter of 2018 were $92.9 million, an increase of 16.5 percent versus the prior year quarter excluding foreign exchange impact.
PIPELINE UPDATE

Allergan R&D continues to deliver on its pipeline. Key development highlights in the third quarter of 2018 included:

Regulatory Milestones & Clinical Updates

Allergan announced the completion of two positive safety studies of ubrogepant for the acute treatment of migraine. The first study (UBR-MD-04) evaluated the long-term safety and tolerability of ubrogepant (50 mg and 100 mg) compared to usual care for the acute treatment of migraine in adults for one year. The second study (3110-105-002) evaluated the hepatic safety and tolerability of ubrogepant 100 mg compared to placebo in healthy study participants over eight weeks. Based on the completion of these safety studies for ubrogepant and previously reported efficacy and safety results from the ubrogepant ACHIEVE I (UBR-MD-01) and ACHIEVE II (UBR-MD-02). studies, Allergan will submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by the first quarter of 2019.
Allergan announced the FDA has accepted for review the Company’s supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for VRAYLAR (cariprazine), seeking to expand the indication to include the treatment of depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder (bipolar depression) in adults. The sNDA is supported by data from three pivotal trials, in each of which cariprazine demonstrated greater improvement than placebo for the change from baseline to week 6 on the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating scale total score.
Allergan announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation for AGN-241751, an investigational new treatment for Major Depressive Disorder. AGN-241751 is a novel, oral NMDA modulator in Phase 2 development.
Allergan and Molecular Partners announced two positive Phase 3 clinical trials on Abicipar for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The two identical studies demonstrated that both the 8-week and 12-week treatment regimens met the pre-specified primary endpoint of non-inferiority to Ranibizumab. The Biologics License Application (BLA) filing for Abicipar is planned for the first half of 2019, pending a pre-BLA meeting. Allergan continues to expect results from MAPLE trial using its further optimized formulation in the first half of 2019.
Allergan announced positive results in Phase 2b clinical trials for Brimonidine DDS for geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration. The BEACON study evaluated the safety and efficacy of the intravitreal implant and found that Brimonidine DDS significantly reduced mean geographic atrophy area growth at 24 and 30-months. Allergan plans to initiate Phase 3 in the second half of 2019.
Allergan received a Complete Response Letter from the FDA in response to the NDA for ulipristal acetate for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding in women with uterine fibroids. The agency cited safety concerns regarding ESMYA post-marketing reports outside the United States. Allergan plans to meet with the FDA by the end of 2018 to discuss their comments and next steps.
Allergan’s CoolSculpting treatment received FDA clearance to treat the submandibular area below the jawline. In addition, the FDA clearance was expanded to include patients with a BMI of up to 46.2 when treating the submental and submandibular areas. This clearance makes CoolSculpting the first and only nonsurgical fat reduction treatment to contour the area below the jawline and improve the appearance of lax tissue in conjunction with submental fat treatments.

THIRD QUARTER 2018 CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST DETAILS

Allergan will host a conference call and webcast today, Tuesday, October 30, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its third quarter 2018 results. The dial-in number to access the call is U.S./Canada (877) 251-7980, International (706) 643-1573, and the conference ID is 2759968. A replay of the conference call will also be available beginning approximately two hours after the call’s conclusion and will remain available through 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time on November 30, 2018. The replay may be accessed by dialing (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406 and entering the conference ID 2759968.

To access the live webcast, please visit Allergan’s Investor Relations website at View Source;. A replay of the webcast will also be available

Nektar to Announce Financial Results for the Third Quarter 2018 on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, After Close of U.S.-Based Financial Markets

On October 30, 2018 Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) reported that it will announce its financial results for the third quarter on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, after the close of U.S.-based financial markets (Press release, Nektar Therapeutics, OCT 30, 2018, View Source [SID1234530449]). Howard Robin, president and chief executive officer, will host a conference call to review the results beginning at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)/2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT).

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The press release and a live audio-only Webcast of the conference call can be accessed through a link that is posted on the home page and Investors section of the Nektar website: View Source The web broadcast of the conference call will be available for replay through Monday, December 10, 2018.

To access the conference call, follow these instructions:

Dial: (877) 881-2183 (U.S.); (970) 315-0453 (international)
Passcode: 9395678 (Nektar Therapeutics is the host

Rigel Announces Conference Call and Webcast to Report Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On October 30, 2018 Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL) reported that it will report its third quarter 2018 financial results after market close on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 (Press release, Rigel, OCT 30, 2018, View Source [SID1234530447]). Rigel senior management will follow the announcement with a live conference call and webcast at 5:00pm Eastern Time (2:00pm Pacific Time) to discuss the financial results and give a company update.

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Participants can access the live conference call by dialing (855) 892-1489 (domestic) or (720) 634-2939 (international) and using the Conference ID number 1398326. The conference call will also be webcast live and can be accessed from Rigel’s website at www.rigel.com. The webcast will be archived and available for replay for 30 days after the call via the Rigel website.

Illumina Launches TruSight Oncology 500 to Power Comprehensive, Accurate, Pan-Cancer Tumor Profiling

On October 30, 2018 Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) today announces the launch of TruSightTM Oncology 500 (TSO 500), a comprehensive pan-cancer assay designed to identify known and emerging tumor biomarkers (Press release, Illumina, OCT 30, 2018, View Source [SID1234530431]). TruSight Oncology 500 utilizes both DNA and RNA from subject tumor samples to identify key somatic variants underlying tumor progression, such as small DNA variants, fusions, and splice variants. Importantly, TruSight Oncology 500 can measure tumor mutational burden (TMB) and microsatellite instability (MSI), features that are potentially key biomarkers for emerging immunotherapies. TruSight Oncology 500 is for research use only and will ship in Q1 2019.

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Molecular testing in lung cancer has been at the forefront of precision oncology. The use of targeted therapies is associated with improved outcomes in some patients, and currently requires testing multiple biomarkers, such as EGFR mutations, ALK fusions, and ROS fusions, among others. Recently, TMB gained prominence as a biomarker that demonstrates better response and survival from immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients exhibiting high TMB, necessitating the need for comprehensive sequencing. Reliable measurement of TMB in a tumor-only workflow requires sequencing of approximately 1Mb or greater, specific and sensitive variant calling, as well as bioinformatic methods to flag and remove germline variants. Given the increasing number of biomarkers required to fully understand the optimal therapeutic course, assays like TruSight Oncology 500—one of the largest and most comprehensive panels to-date—encompasses all of these biomarkers, making it an ideal choice for cancer researchers today.

"The importance of tumor mutational burden as a biomarker to predict immune checkpoint inhibition response continues to grow in non-small cell lung cancer," said Albrecht Stenzinger, MD, pathologist at University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany. "However, the detection of somatic biomarkers, such as ALK fusions and EGFR small variants, are also vital. The workflow of TSO 500, using both DNA and RNA, enables laboratories to evaluate TMB, as well as small DNA variants and fusions simultaneously, ultimately saving time and preserving precious samples."

"While many methods are arising that measure TMB, these methods may differ in their variant calling performance and their gene content, affecting measurement," said Dr. Carina Heydt, a molecular biologist at the University of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, in Germany. "As an early access site for TSO 500, not only did we find the assay easy to implement in our laboratory, but the enrichment-based chemistry of the assay, coupled with the novel bioinformatic pipeline, demonstrate a high-variant calling performance and reproducible TMB measurements."

Pharmaceutical partners and payers are shifting toward deeper, broader sequencing to help predict which patients may benefit from new treatments including immunotherapies, targeted therapies and the many potential combinations. Recently, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and Illumina announced a collaboration to develop and globally commercialize companion diagnostics, based on TruSight Oncology 500 content, to support Bristol-Myers Squibb’s oncology portfolio.

"By focusing on our most differentiated oncology products, we can meet the needs of our customers and provide a comprehensive NGS panel that includes all of the known and anticipated biomarkers associated with targeted and immune-based therapies," said Garret Hampton, Executive Vice President of Clinical Genomics at Illumina. "As we move to bring a future in vitro diagnostic version through regulatory approval, we will be able to set the standard for accurate and reproducible testing. Today’s value in the capability to call for TMB is in line with current research and emerging guidelines, but the promise that TruSight Oncology 500 holds for the future identification of biomarkers, makes it a robust solution for this rapidly evolving field."

TruSight Oncology 500 offers deep, adaptable, and accessible sequencing power:

Goes beyond current cancer guidelines and clinical trials – The deep investigational power of TSO 500 covers a large number of genes – alterations that are being used to identify patients for clinical trials – while covering 1.94Mb of the genome to measure TMB.
Unlocks immunotherapy research – Rigorously developed and accurate TMB and MSI algorithms, with a dedicated tumor-only workflow, while also offering the flexibility to detect a vast majority of known genetic variants, whether it be small variants, gene amplifications, de novo fusions, or splice variants.
Integrated tumor-only, RNA+DNA workflow: The ability to run RNA and DNA biomarkers into one workflow enables a lab to evaluate all relevant biomarkers at the same time. In addition, being able to run tumor-only workflow enables cost savings for a lab since there is no need to run a normal sample each time.