On August 8, 2018 Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 (Press release, Nektar Therapeutics, AUG 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234528537]).

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Cash and investments in marketable securities at June 30, 2018 were $2.1 billion as compared to $353.2 million at December 31, 2017. This includes the $1.0 billion upfront payment and $850.0 million share purchase proceeds received on April 3, 2018, as a result of our Bristol-Myers Squibb collaboration for the global development and commercialization of NKTR-214.

"Over the past few months, we have reported significant progress across all areas of our pipeline, with notable milestones for our immuno-oncology, immunology and pain programs," said Howard W. Robin, President and CEO of Nektar. "Together with Bristol-Myers Squibb, we plan to initiate 20 registrational studies in nine tumor settings under our joint development plan with the first wave of studies in melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and urothelial cancers starting this year. We initiated our first study of NKTR-358 in patients with lupus with our partner Eli Lilly. And importantly, we recently achieved a significant milestone for our pain program, with the FDA’s acceptance of the NDA filing for NKTR-181, a first-in-class opioid analgesic."

Revenue in the second quarter of 2018 was $1.088 billion as compared to $34.6 million in the second quarter of 2017. Year-to-date revenue for 2018 was $1.126 billion as compared to $59.3 million in the first half of 2017. Revenue was higher in the second quarter and first half of 2018 as compared to the same periods in 2017 primarily because of the recognition of $1.06 billion of license revenue from the Bristol-Myers Squibb collaboration agreement.

Total operating costs and expenses in the second quarter of 2018 were $114.1 million as compared to $85.2 million in the second quarter of 2017. Total operating costs and expenses in the first half of 2018 were $238.9 million as compared to $164.4 million in the first half of 2017. Total operating costs and expenses increased primarily as a result of increased research and development (R&D) expense.

R&D expense in the second quarter of 2018 was $88.3 million as compared to $60.3 million in the second quarter of 2017. For the first half of 2018, R&D expense was $187.8 million as compared to $121.3 million in the first half of 2017. R&D expense was higher in the second quarter and first half of 2018 as compared to the same periods in 2017 primarily because of expenses for our pipeline programs, including the continued development of NKTR-214 in Phase 1/2 studies and Phase 3 preparatory activities, costs related to the NKTR-181 New Drug Application and NKTR-181 pre-commercial manufacturing, Phase 1 clinical studies of NKTR-358, initiation of the Phase 1 study of NKTR-262 in combination with NKTR-214 and IND-enabling activities for NKTR-255.

General and administrative (G&A) expense was $20.3 million in the second quarter of 2018 as compared to $16.0 million in the second quarter of 2017. G&A expense in the first half of 2018 was $38.9 million as compared to $28.0 million in the first half of 2017. G&A expense was higher in the second quarter and first half of 2018 as compared to the same periods in 2017 primarily due to an increase in non-cash stock based compensation expense.

Net income in the second quarter of 2018 was $971.5 million or $5.33 diluted earnings per share as compared to a net loss of $59.9 million or $0.39 basic and diluted loss per share in the second quarter of 2017. Net income in the first half of 2018 was $875.7 million or $4.91 diluted earnings per share as compared to a net loss of $123.7 million or $0.80 basic and diluted loss per share in the first half of 2017.

Second Quarter 2018 and Recent Business Highlights

In July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration filed and accepted a New Drug Application (NDA) for NKTR-181, a first-in-class opioid analgesic, to treat chronic low back pain in adult patients new to opioid therapy. The NDA has been assigned a PDUFA (Prescription Drug User Fee Act) target action date of May 29, 2019 by the FDA.
In June, Nektar presented data for NKTR-181 at the 80th Annual Scientific Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. The data show that NKTR-181 consistently demonstrates low abuse potential.
In June, Nektar presented data from the Phase 1 dose escalation and preliminary data from the Phase 2 dose expansion phase of the ongoing PIVOT study for NKTR-214 in combination with Opdivo (nivolumab) at the 2018 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. This data showed that pre-specified efficacy criteria were achieved in three tumor types: first-line melanoma, first-line renal cell carcinoma and first-line urothelial cancer. Nektar and Bristol-Myers Squibb expect to initiate a Phase 3 registrational trial in first-line advanced melanoma patients in Q3 2018, and pivotal studies are also being designed in renal cell carcinoma and urothelial cancer.
In May, Nektar announced a clinical collaboration with Syndax Pharmaceuticals to evaluate NKTR-214 in combination with entinostat, an oral, small molecule Class 1 specific HDAC inhibitor, in patients with metastatic melanoma who have previously progressed on treatment with an anti-PD-1 agent.
In May, Nektar began dosing patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in a Phase 1b multiple ascending dose study of NKTR-358, a first-in-class regulatory T cell stimulator, designed to correct the underlying immune system dysfunction found in patients with immune disorders.
The company also announced the following upcoming presentations during the second half of 2018:

American Chemical Society Annual Meeting, Boston, MA:

Oral Presentation: "Confronting the Opioid Epidemic: Novel Treatments for Chronic Pain"
Presenter: Stephen Doberstein, Ph.D., Nektar Therapeutics
Date: Monday, August, 20, 2018, 1:35 p.m. – 2:05 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time
SMI Immuno-Oncology Conference, London, UK:

Oral Presentation: "Enhanced cancer vaccine effectiveness with NKTR-214, a CD122-biased cytokine"
Presenter: Loui Marakamutil, Ph.D., Nektar Therapeutics
Date: September 26, 2018, 11:00 a.m., British Summer Time
Ninth American Conference on Pharmacometrics, San Diego, CA:

Poster: "NKTR-255 Exhibits Target Mediated Drug Disposition and Stimulates Proliferation of Cytotoxic Immune Cells in Cyonomolgous Monkeys", Bhasi, K., et al.
Date: October 6-12, 2018
ESMO 2018 Congress, Munich, Germany:

Poster 362TiP: "ATTAIN: Phase 3 study of etirinotecan pegol (EP) vs treatment of physician’s choice (TPC) in patients (pts) with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who have stable brain metastases (BM) previously treated with an anthracycline, a taxane, and capecitabine (ATC).", Tripathy, D., et al.
Date: October 22, 2018, 12:45-13:45 p.m. Central European Summer Time
Poster 446TiP: "REVEAL: A phase 1/2, open-label, multicenter, dose escalation and dose expansion study of NKTR-262 [TLR 7/8 agonist] plus NKTR-214 [CD122-biased agonist] with or without nivolumab (nivo) in patients (pts) with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumor malignancies.", Diab, A., et al.
Date: October 22, 2018, 12:45-13:45 p.m. Central European Summer Time
Conference Call to Discuss Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Nektar management will host a conference call to review the results beginning at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time/2:00 p.m. Pacific Time today, Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

This 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, September 10, 2018.

To access the conference call, follow these instructions:

Dial: (877) 881.2183 (U.S.); (970) 315.0453 (international)

Passcode: 7099844 (Nektar Therapeutics is the host)

In the event that any non-GAAP financial measure is discussed on the conference call that is not described in the press release, or explained on the conference call, related information will be made available on the Investors page at the Nektar website as soon as practical after the conclusion of the conference call.

On August 8, 2018 Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:RIGL), reported financial results for the second quarter of 2018 and provided an update on the commercial launch of TAVALISSE and the clinical development pipeline (Press release, Rigel, AUG 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234528536]).

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Recent Highlights:

On May 29, Rigel launched TAVALISSE (fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate) for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who have had an insufficient response to a previous treatment.
The TAVALISSE commercial team, at over 50 employees strong, is fully deployed and supporting ITP-prescribing physicians across the United States.
RIGEL ONECARE, Rigel’s comprehensive physician and patient support center, is assisting patients with access to TAVALISSE through insurance coverage and other patient support programs.
"The second quarter of 2018 marked Rigel’s pivotal transition to a commercial stage company with the successful launch of TAVALISSE. We are truly excited to be communicating TAVALISSE’s attractive value proposition to patients, physicians and payers: namely, its unique mechanism of action that targets an underlying cause of the disease, efficacy, oral dosing, safety profile, and comprehensive patient support and access programs", stated Raul Rodriguez, president and CEO of Rigel. "Beyond executing on our goal of making TAVALISSE a commercial success in chronic ITP following steroid treatment, the company continues to make exciting pipeline progress that we expect will fully leverage the commercial capabilities we now have in place. We look forward to providing a comprehensive corporate and pipeline update at our upcoming Investor and Analyst Day, which will be held in New York City this fall."

Financial Update
For the second quarter of 2018, Rigel reported a net loss of $25.6 million, or $0.16 per share, compared to a net loss of $19.1 million, or $0.16 per share, in the same period of 2017.

For the second quarter of 2018, Rigel reported net product sales from TAVALISSE of $1.8 million. The Company recognizes revenue using the sell-in methodology when products are delivered to its distributors. TAVALISSE was made available by prescription for the treatment of chronic ITP on May 29, 2018. There were no product sales or contract revenues from collaborations in the second quarter of 2017.

Rigel reported total costs and expenses of $27.9 million in the second quarter of 2018, compared to $19.3 million for the same period in 2017. The increase in costs and expenses was primarily due to the increases in personnel costs for Rigel’s customer-facing team, as well as third party costs related to Rigel’s commercial launch of TAVALISSE in chronic ITP.

For the six months ended June 30, 2018, Rigel reported a net loss of $49.9 million, or $0.32 per share, compared to a net loss of $34.5 million, or $0.29 per share, for the same period of 2017.

As of June 30, 2018, Rigel had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $135.0 million, compared to $115.8 million as of December 31, 2017. Rigel expects that its cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments will be sufficient to support its current and projected funding requirements, including the on-going commercial launch of TAVALISSE for chronic ITP in the U.S., into the fourth quarter of 2019.

Development Pipeline Update
In the second quarter, Rigel continued to support the investigation of fostamatinib for other serious, autoimmune conditions including autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Updates regarding pivotal programs in both indications are expected by the fall of 2018.

In June, Rigel announced the initiation of a Phase 1 study in healthy subjects to assess safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of R835, a proprietary molecule from its interleukin receptor associated kinase (IRAK) program. Preclinical studies show that R835 inhibits both the IRAK1 and IRAK4 signaling pathways, which play a key role in inflammation and immune responses to tissue damage. Dual inhibition of IRAK1 and IRAK4 allows for more complete suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine release. The Phase 1 study is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial in up to 91 healthy subjects, ages 18 to 55. The study design will assess the tolerability and safety of R835 in both single ascending and multiple ascending doses.

Rigel reported that its clinical stage partnerships continue to make progress. BerGenBio (with bemcentinib) and Daiichi-Sankyo (with DS-30232) continue to enroll patients in numerous clinical trials in various solid tumors and AML. In June, Aclaris Therapeutics announced positive interim data from their Phase 2 study of the licensed topical JAK inhibitor, ATI-502, in patients with alopecia areata. Bristol Myers Squibb has informed Rigel that they will be terminating their preclinical collaboration.

About ITP
In patients with ITP, the immune system attacks and destroys the body’s own blood platelets, which play an active role in blood clotting and healing. Common symptoms of ITP are excessive bruising and bleeding. People suffering with chronic ITP may live with an increased risk of severe bleeding events that can result in serious medical complications or even death. Current therapies for ITP include steroids, blood platelet production boosters (TPOs) and splenectomy. However, not all patients are adequately treated with existing therapies. As a result, there remains a significant medical need for additional treatment options for patients with ITP.

About R835
The investigational candidate, R835, is an orally available, potent and selective inhibitor of IRAK1 and IRAK4 that blocks inflammatory cytokine production in response to toll-like receptor (TLR) and the interleukin-1 family receptor (IL-1R) signaling. TLRs and IL-1Rs play a critical role in the innate immune response and dysregulation of these pathways can lead to a variety of inflammatory conditions. R835 is active in multiple rodent models of inflammatory disease including psoriasis, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and gout.

Conference Call and Webcast With Slides Today at 5:00PM Eastern Time
Rigel will hold a live conference call and webcast today at 5:00pm Eastern Time (2:00pm Pacific Time).

Participants can access the live conference call by dialing 855-892-1489 (domestic) or 720-634-2939 (international) and using the Conference ID number 8192317. The webcast, with slide presentation, can be accessed from Rigel’s website at www.rigel.com. The webcast will be archived and available for replay after the call via the Rigel website.

About TAVALISSE
Indication
TAVALISSE (fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate) tablets is indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who have had an insufficient response to a previous treatment.

Important Safety Information
Warnings and Precautions

Hypertension can occur with TAVALISSE treatment. Patients with pre-existing hypertension may be more susceptible to the hypertensive effects. Monitor blood pressure every 2 weeks until stable, then monthly, and adjust or initiate antihypertensive therapy for blood pressure control maintenance during therapy. If increased blood pressure persists, TAVALISSE interruption, reduction, or discontinuation may be required.
Elevated liver function tests (LFTs), mainly ALT and AST, can occur with TAVALISSE. Monitor LFTs monthly during treatment. If ALT or AST increase to >3 x upper limit of normal, manage hepatotoxicity using TAVALISSE interruption, reduction, or discontinuation.
Diarrhea occurred in 31% of patients and severe diarrhea occurred in 1% of patients treated with TAVALISSE. Monitor patients for the development of diarrhea and manage using supportive care measures early after the onset of symptoms. If diarrhea becomes severe (≥Grade 3), interrupt, reduce dose or discontinue TAVALISSE.
Neutropenia occurred in 6% of patients treated with TAVALISSE; febrile neutropenia occurred in 1% of patients. Monitor the ANC monthly and for infection during treatment. Manage toxicity with TAVALISSE interruption, reduction, or discontinuation.
TAVALISSE can cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women. Advise pregnant women the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment and for at least 1 month after the last dose. Verify pregnancy status prior to initiating TAVALISSE. It is unknown if TAVALISSE or its metabolite is present in human milk. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in a breastfed child, advise a lactating woman not to breastfeed during TAVALISSE treatment and for at least 1 month after the last dose.
Drug Interactions

Concomitant use of TAVALISSE with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors increases exposure to the major active metabolite of TAVALISSE (R406), which may increase the risk of adverse reactions. Monitor for toxicities that may require a reduction in TAVALISSE dose.
It is not recommended to use TAVALISSE with strong CYP3A4 inducers, as concomitant use reduces exposure to R406.
Concomitant use of TAVALISSE may increase concentrations of some CYP3A4 substrate drugs and may require a dose reduction of the CYP3A4 substrate drug.
Concomitant use of TAVALISSE may increase concentrations of BCRP substrate drugs (eg, rosuvastatin) and P-Glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate drugs (eg, digoxin), which may require a dose reduction of the BCRP and P-gp substrate drug.
Adverse Reactions

Serious adverse drug reactions in the ITP double-blind studies were febrile neutropenia, diarrhea, pneumonia, and hypertensive crisis, which occurred in 1% of TAVALISSE patients. In addition, severe adverse reactions occurred including dyspnea and hypertension (both 2%), neutropenia, arthralgia, chest pain, diarrhea, dizziness, nephrolithiasis, pain in extremity, toothache, syncope, and hypoxia (all 1%).
Common adverse reactions (≥5% and more common than placebo) from FIT-1 and FIT-2 included: diarrhea, hypertension, nausea, dizziness, ALT and AST increased, respiratory infection, rash, abdominal pain, fatigue, chest pain, and neutropenia.
Please see www.TAVALISSE.com for full Prescribing Information.

To report side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA, visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088 (800-332-1088).

TAVALISSE and RIGEL ONECARE are trademarks of Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
RIGEL ONECARE is a patient support center sponsored by Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

On August 8, 2018 Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGMO) reported second quarter 2018 financial results and recent accomplishments (Press release, Sangamo Therapeutics, AUG 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234528535]).

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"In the first half of 2018 we made strong progress on important initiatives including our clinical development programs and execution of a significant collaboration with Kite-Gilead for the use of ZFNs for engineered cell therapies in oncology," said Sandy Macrae, CEO of Sangamo. "More recently, with our proposed acquisition of TxCell, we have the opportunity to seize a leadership position in the development of gene-edited cell therapies for immunological diseases, one of our therapeutic areas of focus for our proprietary pipeline."

Macrae continued: "Today we announced positive preliminary data from the Alta clinical trial evaluating SB-525 gene therapy for hemophilia A. These are the first efficacy data from our clinical programs using AAV6. We are looking forward to the September 5th SSIEM presentation of preliminary data from the CHAMPIONS Study evaluating SB-913, our in vivo genome editing candidate for MPS II."

Recent Highlights
Corporate

Announced the proposed acquisition of TxCell, positioning Sangamo as a leader in CAR-Treg development
Appointed Karen Smith, M.D., Ph.D., to the Board of Directors, and Edward Rebar, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
Clinical

Today announced positive preliminary data from the Phase 1/2 Alta Study evaluating SB-525 gene therapy for hemophilia A
Treated the fifth and sixth patients in the SB-913 Phase 1/2 CHAMPIONS Study for MPS II
Treated the first patient in the SB-318 Phase 1/2 EMPOWERS Study for MPS I
Received Clinical Trial Authorisation (CTA) in the U.K. for enrollment of subjects into ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trials evaluating SB-318 and SB-913
Enrolled the first patient in the Phase 1/2 Thales Study evaluating ST-400 gene-edited cell therapy for the treatment of beta-thalassemia
Research

Delivered three oral and four poster presentations during the 21st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) held in Chicago, IL from May 16-19, 2018
Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2018 Financial Results
For the second quarter ended June 30, 2018, Sangamo reported a consolidated net loss of $16.6 million, or $0.17 per share, compared to a net loss of $12.5 million, or $0.17 per share, for the same period in 2017. As of June 30, 2018, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and interest receivable of $574.2 million.

Revenues for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $21.4 million, compared to $8.3 million for the same period in 2017. The increase in revenues was primarily related to the collaborations and licensing agreements with Pfizer, for hemophilia A, and Kite, a Gilead company, for gene-edited cell therapies for oncology. Second quarter 2018 revenues were primarily generated from Sangamo’s collaboration agreements with Kite, Pfizer and Bioverativ, a Sanofi company.

Total operating expenses for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $40.6 million, compared to $21.0 million for the same period in 2017. Research and development expenses were $29.3 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018, compared to $15.0 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to clinical and manufacturing expenses in support of current clinical studies and investment in dedicated manufacturing capacity. General and administrative expenses were $11.3 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018, compared to $6.0 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to salaries and related costs and other professional fees in support of overall Company growth.

Financial Guidance for 2018
Sangamo will provide updated guidance on expected operating expenses in future quarterly reporting periods. The Company updates cash guidance as follows:

Cash and Investments: Sangamo expects a December 31, 2018 balance of cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and interest receivable of at least $380 million. This anticipated cash balance is inclusive of research funding from existing collaborators and recent financings.
Conference Call
Sangamo will host a conference call today, August 8, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. ET, which will be open to the public. The call will also be webcast live and can be accessed via a link on the Sangamo Therapeutics website in the Investors and Media section under Events and Presentations.

The conference call dial-in numbers are (877) 377-7553 for domestic callers and (678) 894-3968 for international callers. The conference ID number for the call is 7179826. For those unable to listen in at the designated time, a conference call replay will be available for one week following the conference call, from approximately 8:00 p.m. ET on August 8, 2018 to 11:59 p.m. ET on August 15, 2018. The conference call replay numbers for domestic and international callers are (855) 859-2056 and (404) 537-3406, respectively. The conference ID number for the replay is 7179826.

On August 8, 2018 Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBOT), a leading manufacturer of a key protein utilized in multiple immunotherapy development pipelines targeting Alzheimer’s, lupus and cancer, among other diseases, reported financial results for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2018 and provided an update on its business (Press release, Stellar Biotechnologies, AUG 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234528534]).

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During the third fiscal quarter, Stellar reported positive research results from viral clearance and glycosylation studies associated with its manufacturing scale-up initiatives. The company also completed equity financings and warrant exercises resulting in net cash proceeds of approximately $8.8 million.

Stellar’s President and Chief Executive Officer Frank R. Oakes said, "We are delivering on a number of initiatives. We achieved positive research results and a quality assurance milestone, advanced key operational programs designed to support our customers, and significantly strengthened our financial position. Additionally, with third-party clinical results now available, Stellar has the opportunity to support an anticipated pivotal Phase 3 clinical study of a KLH-conjugated vaccine candidate."

Stellar Chief Financial Officer Kathi Niffenegger said, "With a stronger balance sheet, which includes $11.2 million in working capital and no debt, we are well positioned to complete planned upgrades to our core aquaculture infrastructure, continue our optimization work, and advance our initiatives to develop additional market opportunities for our technology and products."

Financial Results

Three months ended June 30, 2018

Total revenues increased by $0.05 million to $0.07 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $0.02 million for the same period last year due to an increase in product sales.

Total expenses decreased by $0.08 million to $1.23 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $1.31 million for the same period last year:

Cost of sales and contract services decreased by $0.03 million to $0.05 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $0.08 million for the same period last year. The decrease was primarily due to reduced expenses related to sales of KLH that was produced as a byproduct of the company’s research and development activities.
Research and development expenses decreased by $0.07 million to $0.47 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $0.54 million for the same period last year. The decrease was primarily due to a reduction in KLH product inventory utilized for internal research and development activities.
General and administrative expenses increased by $0.02 million to $0.65 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $0.64 million for the same period last year primarily due an increased noncash share-based compensation expenses, which were partially offset by reduced professional fees and travel expenses.
For the third quarter of fiscal year 2018, Stellar reported a net loss of $1.16 million, or $0.38 per basic share, compared to a net loss of $ 1.22 million, or $ 0.84 per basic share, for the third quarter of the prior year.

Nine months ended June 30, 2018

Total revenues decreased by $0.07 million to $0.16 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $0.23 million for the same period last year due to a decrease in product sales.

Total expenses decreased by $0.03 million to $4.05 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $4.08 million for the same period last year:

Cost of sales and contract services decreased by $0.12 million to $0.11 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $0.23 million for the same period last year primarily due to decreased product sales volume as well as reduced expenses related to sales of KLH that was produced as a byproduct of the company’s research and development activities.
Research and development expenses increased by $0.26 million to $1.59 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $1.33 million for the same period last year. The increase was primarily due to an increase in research and development activities intended to increase the scalability and throughput capacity of existing manufacturing systems, including engineering lots of KLH produced under the company’s optimization initiative.
General and administrative expenses decreased by $0.21 million to $2.10 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $2.31 million for the same period last year primarily due to reduced professional fees and travel expenses.
For the nine months ended June 30, 2018, Stellar reported a net loss of $3.91 million, or $1.93 per basic share, compared to a net loss of $3.81 million, or $2.63 per basic share, for the nine months ended June 30, 2017.

Working Capital

At June 30, 2018, the company had working capital of $11.2 million. Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $11.3 million.

Stellar will file its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about August 8, 2018. To view the company’s filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), visit the CSA’s SEDAR website.

On August 8, 2018 Apexigen, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, reported the successful completion of its Series B and Series C financings in which it raised a total of $73 million (Press release, Apexigen, AUG 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234528533]).

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The $15 million Series B financing was led by Decheng Capital and the recent $58 million Series C financing was led by 3E Bioventures Capital, Virtus Inspire Ventures, and SV Tech Ventures. As a result of these financings, Apexigen’s Board of Directors was expanded to include Dan Zabrowski, Ph.D. of Decheng Capital, and Karen Liu, Ph.D. of 3E Bioventures Capital.

Apexigen intends to use these proceeds to advance the clinical development of its lead immuno-oncology (I-O) therapeutic APX005M, a monoclonal antibody targeting CD40. Currently, APX005M is in multiple Phase 2 clinical trials to treat different types of cancers. The proceeds will also be used to discover and develop Apexigen’s broader pipeline of therapies.

"Completing these financings puts Apexigen on a new trajectory for growth. We now have the resources to both execute our clinical development strategy for APX005M and accelerate building our pipeline of novel therapeutics based on our proprietary product discovery platform APXiMAB", said Xiaodong Yang, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Apexigen. "For APX005M, we are conducting a robust clinical program with 8 ongoing clinical trials, as we believe CD40 activation by APX005M will become a key component in several new I-O therapeutic regimens for treating cancer patients. Looking ahead, we will use our powerful discovery research engine to accelerate generation of new I-O therapeutics."

About APX005M
APX005M is a novel, humanized monoclonal antibody that stimulates the anti-tumor immune response. APX005M targets CD40, a co-stimulatory receptor that is essential for activating both innate and adaptive immune systems. Binding of APX005M to CD40 on antigen presenting cells (i.e., dendritic cells, monocytes and B-cells) initiates a multi-faceted immune response bringing multiple components of the immune system (e.g., T cells, macrophages) to work in concert against cancer. APX005M is currently in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of cancers such as melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and renal cell carcinoma in various combinations with immunotherapy, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.