On August 6, 2018 Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:KPTI), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, reported the completion of the rolling submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking accelerated approval for selinexor, its novel, oral SINE compound, as a new treatment for patients with penta-refractory multiple myeloma (Press release, Karyopharm, JUN 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234528451]). Patients with penta-refractory myeloma have previously received the two proteasome inhibitors (PIs), Velcade (bortezomib) and Kyprolis (carfilzomib), the two immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), Revlimid (lenalidomide) and Pomalyst (pomalidomide), and the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody Darzalex (daratumumab) as well as alkylating agents, and their disease is refractory to at least one PI, at least one IMiD, Darzalex and their most recent therapy. Selinexor has received both Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations from the FDA for this indication.

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"There is a substantial urgency for new therapies with novel mechanisms for patients with highly resistant, penta-refractory myeloma," said Sharon Shacham, PhD, MBA, Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Karyopharm. "The completion of our first NDA submission marks a significant achievement for Karyopharm and brings oral selinexor one step closer to these patients. We are sincerely grateful to the patients, caregivers and investigators that have contributed to the selinexor program to date, the Agency for working with us with a sense of urgency and support, and to the entire Karyopharm team for their inexhaustible professionalism and dedication to advancing this NDA."

Pending marketing approval by the FDA, Karyopharm plans to commercialize selinexor in the U.S. Should the application be approved by the FDA, selinexor could become available in the first half of 2019. The Company also plans to submit a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency in early 2019 with a request for conditional approval.

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results Conference Call Information

Karyopharm will report second quarter 2018 financial results on Tuesday, August 7, 2018. Karyopharm’s management team will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, to discuss the second quarter 2018 financial results and recent business developments. To access the conference call, please dial (855) 437-4406 (local) or (484) 756-4292 (international) at least 10 minutes prior to the start time and refer to conference ID 3084449. A live audio webcast of the call will be available under "Events & Presentations" in the Investor section of the Company’s website, View Source An archived webcast will be available on the Company’s website approximately two hours after the event.

About Selinexor

Selinexor is a first-in-class, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compound. Selinexor functions by binding with and inhibiting the nuclear export protein XPO1 (also called CRM1), leading to the accumulation of tumor suppressor proteins in the cell nucleus. This reinitiates and amplifies their tumor suppressor function and is believed to lead to the selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells, while largely sparing normal cells. To date, over 2,600 patients have been treated with selinexor. In April 2018, Karyopharm reported positive top-line data from the Phase 2b STORM study evaluating selinexor in combination with low-dose dexamethasone in patients with penta-refractory multiple myeloma. For the STORM study’s primary objective, oral selinexor achieved a 25.4% overall response rate, which included two stringent complete responses, both of which were negative for minimal residual disease, and 29 partial or very good partial responses. The median duration of response, a key secondary objective, was 4.4 months, and patients with any response had a significantly prolonged overall survival as compared with patients who did not respond. Selinexor has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in multiple myeloma and Fast Track designation for the patient population evaluated in the STORM study. Karyopharm has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with a request for accelerated approval for oral selinexor as a new treatment for patients with penta-refractory multiple myeloma. The Company also plans to submit a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in early 2019 with a request for conditional approval. Selinexor is also being evaluated in several other mid- and later-phase clinical trials across multiple cancer indications, including in multiple myeloma in a pivotal, randomized Phase 3 study in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) and low-dose dexamethasone (BOSTON), as a potential backbone therapy in combination with approved therapies (STOMP), in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (SADAL), liposarcoma (SEAL), and an investigator-sponsored study in endometrial cancer (SIENDO), among others. Additional Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies are ongoing or currently planned, including multiple studies in combination with approved therapies in a variety of tumor types to further inform Karyopharm’s clinical development priorities for selinexor. Additional clinical trial information for selinexor is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Further Information About Potential Accelerated Approval for Selinexor in Multiple Myeloma

The FDA instituted its Accelerated Approval Program to allow for expedited approval of drugs that treat serious conditions and that fill an unmet medical need based on a surrogate endpoint or an intermediate clinical endpoint thought to predict clinical benefit, like overall response rate (ORR). Accelerated approval is available only for drugs that provide a meaningful therapeutic benefit over existing treatments at the time of consideration of the application for accelerated approval, which the FDA has reiterated in its feedback to the Company. Particularly in disease areas with multiple available and potential new therapies, such as multiple myeloma, accelerated approval carries a high regulatory threshold. Consistent with its general guidance, the FDA has noted to the Company its preference for randomized studies geared toward full approval, which the Company has undertaken with the ongoing pivotal, Phase 3 BOSTON study, and has reminded the Company that accelerated approval requires patients to have exhausted all available approved therapies. FDA’s Fast Track designation is available to therapeutics treating an unmet medical need in a serious condition; the Company has received Fast Track designation from the FDA specifically for the population treated in the STORM trial. In light of this recognition that the STORM patient population represents an unmet medical need and the positive top-line data reported in April 2018, the Company believes that the STORM study should support its request to the FDA for accelerated approval.

On August 6, 2018 Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of programmed cellular immunotherapies for cancer and immune disorders, reported business highlights and financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 (Press release, Fate Therapeutics, AUG 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234528450]).

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"Our submission to the FDA of an IND application for FT500, a universal, off-the-shelf NK cell cancer immunotherapy derived from a master iPSC line, is a significant milestone for the Company and the field of cell therapy," said Scott Wolchko, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fate Therapeutics. "We are excited to be working with the FDA to allow the first U.S. clinical investigation of an iPSC-derived cell therapy and usher in a new era enabling the development, manufacture and delivery of off-the-shelf cell products for the treatment of cancer. I am very pleased with our execution over the first six months of 2018 across the business, as we have also accelerated enrollment in our Phase 2 PROTECT study of ProTmune and expanded our clinical investigation of NK100 to a second leading cancer research center."

Clinical Programs

Treated 20th Subject in Phase 2 PROTECT Study of ProTmune. During the second quarter of 2018, 14 subjects were treated in the randomized, controlled and double-blinded Phase 2 PROTECT study, which is intended to enroll a total of 60 adult subjects with hematologic malignancies undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Subjects in the Phase 2 PROTECT study are being randomized, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive either ProTmune, the Company’s next-generation hematopoietic cell graft, or a conventional matched unrelated donor cell graft. The Company has submitted an abstract to present clinical data from the seven subjects that were administered ProTmune in the Phase 1 stage of PROTECT, including data on a key secondary endpoint assessing freedom from chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), cancer relapse and death at 1-year following HCT, at the 2018 ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.
Expanded Enrollment of FATE-NK100 Dimension Study to Baylor University Medical Center. The Company has now enrolled subjects in the Phase 1 DIMENSION study at two of the nation’s leading cancer research centers, Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas and the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota. The DIMENSION study is assessing the safety and efficacy of NK100 when administered as a monotherapy and in combination with trastuzumab or cetuximab, two FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies that are widely used today to treat various solid tumor malignancies. Three Phase 1 clinical trials of NK100 are currently being conducted in subjects with advanced liquid and solid tumors, and the Company plans to present additional clinical data for NK100 in the second half of 2018.
Universal Off-the-Shelf Cancer Immunotherapy Preclinical Pipeline

Submitted First-of-Kind IND Application to FDA for FT500. Within the last thirty days, the Company submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for FT500, a universal, off-the-shelf NK cell product. FT500 is the first product candidate emerging from the Company’s industry-leading induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) product platform, which uses clonal master iPSC lines as a renewable source for producing off-the-shelf cellular immunotherapies. The Company plans to clinically investigate FT500 in combination with FDA-approved checkpoint inhibitors as a rescue therapy.
Gained Rights to Novel CAR Constructs and CRISPR Gene-Editing from MSK. In May, the Company expanded its existing license agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) to further enable the development of off-the-shelf CAR T-cell immunotherapies, including the Company’s universal, off-the-shelf CAR19 T-cell product candidate FT819. The newly-licensed portfolio of intellectual property covers certain patents and patent applications relating to novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) constructs and off-the-shelf CAR T cells, including the use of CRISPR and other innovative technologies for their production. In connection with amending the license agreement, Fate Therapeutics paid an upfront fee of $500,000 and issued 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $4.8 million to MSK, and MSK returned its entire interest in Tfinity Therapeutics, Inc. to the Company.
Organization

Promoted Bob Valamehr, Ph.D. to Chief Development Officer. Dr. Valamehr joined Fate Therapeutics in 2009 and oversees the Company’s iPSC product platform, including the development of the Company’s off-the-shelf NK cell and T-cell cancer immunotherapy pipeline. He is first author on the Company’s 2014 seminal publication in Stem Cell Reports describing the Company’s ground-breaking approach to the footprint-free generation, clonal selection and master cell banking of human iPSCs (View Source).
Appointed Michael Lee to Board of Directors. Mr. Lee is co-founder of and has served as a portfolio manager at Redmile Group, LLC, a health care-focused investment firm based in San Francisco and New York, since 2007.
Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Cash & Short-term Investment Position: Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as of June 30, 2018 were $78.0 million compared to $100.9 million as of December 31, 2017. The decrease was primarily driven by the Company’s use of cash to fund operating activities.
Total Revenue: Revenue was $1.0 million for the second quarter of 2018 as well as for the same period in 2017. All revenue was derived from the Company’s research collaboration and license agreement with Juno Therapeutics.
R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $16.8 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared to $7.9 million for the same period in 2017. In the second quarter of 2018, the Company incurred a one-time $5.3 million expense associated with the in-license of additional intellectual property from MSK. The remaining increase in R&D expenses was primarily attributable to an increase in expenses associated with the clinical development of FATE-NK100 and with regulatory and manufacturing activities to support the submission of the FT500 IND application.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $3.8 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared to $2.7 million for the same period in 2017. The increase in G&A expenses was primarily attributable to an increase in employee compensation associated with growth in headcount and in intellectual property-related expenses.
Shares Outstanding: Common shares outstanding were 53.4 million as of June 30, 2018 and 52.6 million as of December 31, 2017. Preferred shares outstanding as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 were 2.8 million, each of which is convertible into five shares of common stock. All preferred shares outstanding are from the Company’s sale and issuance of non-voting Class A convertible preferred stock to Redmile Group, LLC in November 2016.
Today’s Conference Call and Webcast
The Company will conduct a conference call today, Monday, August 6th, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. ET to review financial and operating results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. In order to participate in the conference call, please dial 877-303-6235 (domestic) or 631-291-4837 (international) and refer to conference ID 2383816. The live webcast can be accessed under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors & Media section of the Company’s website at www.fatetherapeutics.com. The archived webcast will be available on the Company’s website beginning approximately two hours after the event.

About FATE-NK100
FATE-NK100 is an investigational, first-in-class, allogeneic donor-derived natural killer (NK) cell cancer immunotherapy comprised of adaptive memory NK cells, a highly specialized and functionally distinct subset of activated NK cells expressing the maturation marker CD57. Higher frequencies of CD57+ NK cells in the peripheral blood or tumor microenvironment in cancer patients have been linked to better clinical outcomes. In August 2017, non-clinical data describing the unique properties and anti-tumor activity of FATE-NK100 were published by Cancer Research (doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-17-0799), a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association of Cancer Research. Three clinical trials of FATE-NK100 are currently being conducted: VOYAGE for the treatment of refractory or relapsed acute myelogenous leukemia; APOLLO for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer; and DIMENSION for the treatment of advanced solid tumors, including in combination with monoclonal antibody therapy.

About ProTmune
ProTmune is an investigational next-generation hematopoietic cell graft for the prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). ProTmune is manufactured by pharmacologically modulating a donor-sourced, mobilized peripheral blood graft ex vivo with two small molecules (FT1050 and FT4145) to decrease the incidence and severity of acute GvHD while maintaining the anti-leukemia activity of the graft. ProTmune has been granted Orphan Drug and Fast Track Designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Orphan Medicinal Product Designation by the European Commission. ProTmune is currently being investigated in a randomized, controlled and double-blinded Phase 2 clinical trial in adult subjects with hematologic malignancies undergoing matched unrelated donor HCT.

About Fate Therapeutics’ iPSC Product Platform
The Company’s proprietary iPSC product platform enables mass production of off-the-shelf, engineered, homogeneous cell products that can be administered in repeat doses to mediate more effective pharmacologic activity, including in combination with cycles of other cancer treatments. Human iPSCs possess the unique dual properties of unlimited self-renewal and differentiation potential into all cell types of the body. The Company’s first-of-kind approach involves engineering human iPSCs in a one-time genetic modification event, and selecting a single iPSC for maintenance as a clonal master iPSC line. Analogous to master cell lines used to manufacture biopharmaceutical drug products such as monoclonal antibodies, clonal master iPSC lines are a renewable source for consistently and repeatedly manufacturing homogeneous cell products in quantities that support the treatment of patients in an off-the-shelf manner. Fate Therapeutics’ iPSC product platform is supported by an intellectual property portfolio of over 100 issued patents and 100 pending patent applications.

On August 6, 2018 Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), a biotechnology company developing novel cancer immunotherapies based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) technology, reported its second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2018 financial results and provided a corporate update (Press release, Iovance Biotherapeutics, AUG 6, 2018, View Source;p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2362261 [SID1234528449]).

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"The dosing of the first patient with lifileucel in Europe for the treatment of metastatic melanoma marked an important milestone for Iovance and our global development plans as we continue our mission to develop TIL therapy as a treatment option for cancer patients. In line with expansion of the TIL platform, we are initiating investigation of TIL therapy in several new indications with high unmet need, as part of our collaboration with MD Anderson," said Dr. Maria Fardis, Ph.D., MBA, president and chief executive officer of Iovance Biotherapeutics. "We continue to advance our four company-sponsored trials and intend to provide an update regarding our melanoma program later this year."

Recent Achievements

Manufacturing

Initiated manufacturing at Lonza, Netherlands in support of the melanoma and cervical clinical sites in Europe.
Clinical

Enrollment in the global Phase 2 metastatic melanoma study, C-144-01, continues and in June 2018, the company announced that it dosed the first patient with LN-144 (lifileucel) in Europe at a clinical trial site in the United Kingdom.
As part of a collaboration program, Iovance and MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) initiated two new Phase 2 clinical studies. The first, 2017-0672 (NCT03449108), is studying LN-145 manufactured by Iovance using the company’s Gen 2 manufacturing process to treat patients with soft tissue sarcoma, osteosarcoma and platinum resistant ovarian cancer. The study is active and enrolling patients. The second study is expected to be activated before the end of 2018 and will use TIL manufactured by MDACC.
Iovance has expanded to over 70 clinical sites for its four company-sponsored studies.
Regulatory

As of the end of July 2018, Iovance has activated sites for its two clinical trials being conducted in Europe in five countries including the Netherlands, France, Hungary, Spain and the United Kingdom.
In early May 2018, the company was granted orphan-drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes for the treatment of cervical cancer with a tumor size of greater than 2 cm in diameter.
Research

Iovance entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement with Roswell Park Cancer Institute for a pre-clinical collaboration to explore the potential for TIL therapy in bladder and other cancers.
Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Net loss for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 was $30.7 million, or $0.34 per share, compared to net loss of $23.4 million, or $0.37 per share for the same period ended June 30, 2017.

Research and development expenses were $24.6 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018, an increase of $6.0 million compared to $18.6 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2017. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily attributable to a $2.8 million increase in payroll and related expenses, including stock-based compensation expenses, due to a higher number of full time employees and dedicated consultants as we expanded our research efforts and clinical development programs. In addition, a $4.5 million increase occurred due to clinical trial costs because of higher patient enrollment and the number of clinical sites in the clinical trial of lifileucel, for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, and the ongoing clinical trials of LN-145 for the treatment of cervical, head and neck and lung cancers. These increases were partially offset by a $1.0 million decrease in manufacturing costs due to higher costs in 2017 related to technical transfer activities.

General and administrative expenses were $6.8 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, an increase of $1.9 million compared to $4.9 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2017. The increase was primarily attributable to a $1.6 million increase in payroll and related expenses, including stock-based compensation expenses, due to an increase in head count and higher stock prices during the quarter, and a $0.3 million increase in professional service and legal expenses.

Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 Financial Results

Net loss for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was $ 57.2 million, or $0.65 per share, compared to net loss of $44.1 million, or $0.71 per share for the same period ended June 30, 2017.

Research and development expenses were $44.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, an increase of $10.3 million compared to $34.2 million for the same period ended June 30, 2017. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily attributable to a $5.7 million increase in payroll and related expenses, including stock-based compensation expenses, primarily due to a higher number of full time employees and higher stock prices in 2018, and additional outside services contracted to perform research and development activities on our behalf, and a $7.0 million increase in costs related to our clinical trials as we expanded our clinical development programs into additional indications and added clinical trial sites in Europe. These increases were partially offset by a $2.0 million decrease in manufacturing costs due to higher costs in 2017 related to technical transfer activities.

General and administrative expenses were $13.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, an increase of $3.6 million compared to $10.2 million for the same period ended June 30, 2017. The increase was primarily attributable to a $2.7 million increase in payroll and related expenses, including stock-based compensation expenses, due to a higher number of full time employees and higher stock prices in 2018, and a $0.5 million increase in legal expenses.

At June 30, 2018, the company held $276.1 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments compared to $297.1 million at March 31, 2018. During the second quarter the company used $24.0 million for operating activities. The company anticipates that the year-end balance of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments may be between $190 to $210 million.

Webcast and Conference Call
Iovance will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss these second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2018 results and provide a corporate update. The conference call dial-in numbers are: 1-844-646-4465 (domestic) or 1-615-247-0257 (international). The conference ID for the call is 5177499. The live webcast can be accessed under "News & Events" in the "Investors" section of the company’s website at View Source or you may use the link: View Source

A replay of the call will be available from August 6, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. ET to August 13, 2018 at 8:30 p.m. ET. To access the replay, please dial 1-855-859-2056 (domestic) or 1-404-537-3406 (international). The reference access code is 5177499. The archived webcast will be available for thirty days in the Investors section of Iovance Biotherapeutics’ website at View Source

On August 6, 2018 Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: LGND) reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, and provided an operating forecast and program updates (Press release, Ligand, AUG 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234528447]). Ligand management will host a conference call today beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time to discuss this announcement and answer questions.

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"The second quarter was punctuated by major positive corporate events that are driving our financial success and highlighting the potential of our business model. Our OmniAb business is flourishing. We continue to enter new OmniAb drug research contracts, there are now a record number of OmniAb programs in clinical trials and we entered a $47 million amendment with WuXi to grant it additional flexibility to pursue more antibody-based deals while preserving our royalty economics. Our two lead partnered financial assets, Promacta and Kyprolis, hit all-time revenue highs in the second quarter, putting both drugs squarely on course to exceed $1 billion in revenue in 2018. As well, we saw a flurry of other positive news from partners and an expanding calendar of expected clinical, regulatory or business events including from partners such as Sage, Viking, Seelos, Immunovant and others," said John Higgins, Chief Executive Officer of Ligand. "The Ligand business model is delivering significant and positive results that match our expectations for the company. We are very pleased with Ligand’s performance."

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Total revenues for the second quarter of 2018 were $90.0 million, compared with $28.0 million for the same period in 2017. Royalties were $31.4 million, compared with $14.2 million for the second quarter of 2017 and $21.9 million for the third quarter of 2017. Under the new accounting standard ASC 606, adopted as of the start of 2018, second quarter 2018 royalties should be compared with third quarter 2017 royalties due to the timing of revenue recognition. Second quarter 2018 royalties primarily consisted of royalties from Promacta, Kyprolis and EVOMELA. Material sales were $7.6 million, compared with $5.6 million for the same period in 2017 due to the timing of Captisol purchases for use in clinical trials and commercial products. License fees, milestones and other revenues were $51.0 million, compared with $8.2 million for the same period in 2017, primarily due to the receipt of a $47 million payment from WuXi Biologics to amend its OmniAb platform license agreement.

Cost of goods sold was $1.1 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared with $0.9 million for the same period in 2017. Amortization of intangibles was $3.3 million, compared with $2.7 million for the same period in 2017. Research and development expense was $6.1 million, compared with $4.8 million for the same period of 2017. General and administrative expense was $9.3 million, compared with $6.5 million for the same period in 2017.

GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2018 was $73.2 million, or $2.99 per diluted share, compared with $6.1 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, for the same period in 2017. Adjusted net income for the second quarter of 2018 was $60.6 million, or $2.59 per diluted share, compared with $14.9 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, for the same period in 2017.

As of June 30, 2018, Ligand had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $956.9 million. Cash generated from operations during the 2018 second quarter was $73.6 million.

Year-to-Date Financial Results

Total revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2018 were $146.2 million, compared with $57.3 million for the same period in 2017. Royalties were $52.2 million, compared with $38.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and $36.1 million for the six months ended September 30, 2017. Under ASC 606, royalties for the six months ended June 30, 2018 should be compared with royalties for the six months ended September 30, 2017 due to the timing of revenue recognition. Royalties for the six months ended June 30, 2018 primarily consisted of royalties from Promacta, Kyprolis and EVOMELA. Material sales were $12.0 million, compared with $6.7 million for the same period in 2017 due to the timing of Captisol purchases for use in clinical trials and commercial products. License fees, milestones and other revenues were $82.0 million, compared with $12.2 million for the same period in 2017, primarily due to the receipt of a $47 million payment from WuXi Biologics to amend its OmniAb platform license agreement and due to the receipt of a $20 million upfront payment upon the licensing of Ligand’s GRA program.

Cost of goods sold was $1.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, compared with $1.2 million for the same period in 2017 due to the timing and mix of Captisol sales. Amortization of intangibles was $6.6 million, compared with $5.4 million for the same period in 2017. Research and development expense was $13.5 million in both periods. General and administrative expense was $16.9 million, compared with $13.9 million for the same period in 2017.

GAAP net income for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was $118.4 million, or $4.81 per diluted share, compared with $11.1 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, for the same period in 2017. The six months ended June 30, 2018 income was impacted by a one-time, non-cash gain due to a change in the accounting for Ligand’s investment in Viking Therapeutics, which resulted in marking the investment to market. Adjusted net income for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was $96.2 million, or $4.14 per diluted share, compared with $27.6 million, or $1.25 per diluted share, for the same period in 2017.

2018 Financial Guidance

Ligand is updating its previous guidance for 2018 revenue to be approximately $232 million, including royalties of approximately $120 million, material sales of approximately $23 million and license fees and milestones of approximately $89 million, with the potential for up to an additional $8 million in license fees and milestones. Ligand notes that with revenue of $232 million, adjusted earnings per diluted share would be approximately $6.30.

This compares with previous guidance for 2018 revenue to be approximately $226 million, including royalties of approximately $116 million, material sales of approximately $23 million and license fees and milestones of approximately $87 million, with the potential for up to an additional $10 million in license fees and milestones and adjusted earnings per diluted share of approximately $6.15.

Second Quarter 2018 and Recent Business Highlights

Promacta/Revolade

Novartis reported second quarter 2018 net sales of Promacta/Revolade (eltrombopag) of $292 million, an $82 million or 39% increase over the same period in 2017.
Novartis announced that the FDA has accepted the company’s supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) and granted Priority Review designation to Promacta in combination with standard immunosuppressive therapy for first-line treatment of severe aplastic anemia.
Novartis published the results of a survey uncovering the real-world impact of immune thrombocytopenia on patient quality of life.
Kyprolis (carfilzomib), an Amgen Product Utilizing Captisol

On July 26, 2018, Amgen reported second quarter net sales of Kyprolis of $263 million, a $52 million or 25% increase over the same period in 2017. On August 1, 2018, Ono Pharmaceutical Company reported Kyprolis sales in Japan of approximately $11.6 million for the most recent quarter.
On June 11, 2018, Amgen announced that the FDA approved the sNDA to add the positive overall survival (OS) data from the Phase 3 ASPIRE trial to the U.S. Prescribing Information for Kyprolis.
On April 30, 2018, Amgen announced that the CHMP adopted a positive opinion recommending a label variation for Kyprolis in the European Union to include the final OS data from the Phase 3 ASPIRE trial.
On June 1, 2018, Amgen announced results from the Phase 3 A.R.R.O.W. trial of a once-weekly Kyprolis dosing regimen in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Patients in the trial treated with once-weekly Kyprolis achieved a statistically significant 3.6 month improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) compared with the twice-weekly regimen (median PFS 11.2 months for once-weekly Kyprolis versus 7.6 months for twice-weekly Kyprolis; HR=0.69; 95% CI: 0.54-0.88; one-sided p=0.0014). The overall response rate in patients treated with once-weekly Kyprolis was 62.9% versus 40.8% for those treated with the twice-weekly regimen (p<0.0001).
Additional Pipeline and Partner Developments

Sage Therapeutics announced that the FDA accepted the filing of a New Drug Application (NDA) for IV-brexanolone for the treatment of postpartum depression, and that the NDA was granted Priority Review status and a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target date of December 19, 2018.
Retrophin announced first patient enrollment in the Phase 3 DUPLEX Study evaluating the long-term nephroprotective potential of sparsentan for the treatment of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Topline data from the 36-week interim efficacy endpoint are expected in the second half of 2020.
Retrophin announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a new patent providing coverage for the use of sparsentan in the treatment of IgAN and broadening the existing coverage to include all doses of sparsentan between 200 and 800 mg/day. The patent has a stated expiration date of March 30, 2030.
CASI Pharmaceuticals announced that preparations for the EVOMELA commercial launch in China were underway, and that CASI expects formal regulatory application feedback from China’s State Drug Administration.
Viking Therapeutics announced that enrollment had been completed in the company’s Phase 2 trial of VK2809 in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and that trial results are expected in the second half of 2018.
Viking Therapeutics also announced that the results from the company’s Phase 2 study of VK5211 in patients recovering from hip fracture have been selected for presentation at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2018 annual meeting.
Melinta Therapeutics announced oral presentations and posters for Baxdela at the American Society for Microbiology’s annual ASM Microbe 2018 meeting.
Opthea Limited announced that its Phase 1b trial of OPT-302 in Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) met its primary objective and that the company had dosed the first patient in a Phase 2a randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating OPT-302 in patients with persistent center-involved DME.
Opthea Limited announced it reached the mid-way point of patient recruitment for its Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 in wet age-related macular degeneration and plans to report primary data from the study in early 2020.
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals announced a poster presentation related to seribantumab at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.
Seelos Therapeutics announced a merger agreement with Apricus Biosciences, to form a combined publicly-traded company focused on developing a portfolio that includes Ligand-partnered CNS programs.
Aldeyra Therapeutics announced enrollment of the first patient in a Phase 3 clinical trial of topical ocular reproxalap for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis.
Aldeyra Therapeutics also announced that the last patient has been dosed in a Phase 2b clinical trial of topical ocular reproxalap in dry eye disease.
Syros Pharmaceuticals announced new preclinical data showing that Captisol-enabled SY-1365, a first-in-class selective cyclin-dependent kinase 7 inhibitor currently in a Phase 1 trial in patients with advanced solid tumors, demonstrated potent anti-tumor activity in multiple models of heavily pretreated ovarian cancer.
Aptevo Therapeutics announced that it had submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA to evaluate APVO436 in a Phase 1 clinical study for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome.
Aptevo Therapeutics presented new data for APVO436 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2018 Annual Meeting.
Arcus Biosciences announced that the FDA cleared the IND application for OmniAb-derived AB122 and the company presented a poster on AB122 at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2018 Annual Meeting.
Arcus Biosciences also announced a collaboration agreement with Infinity Pharmaceuticals to evaluate AB122 with IPI-549, an immuno-oncology candidate that selectively inhibits PI3K-gamma.
CStone Pharmaceuticals announced two pivotal Phase 2 studies exploring the efficacy and safety of OmniAb-derived CS1001 in patients with natural killer cell/T-cell lymphoma and classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma have been initiated and have each enrolled and dosed the first patient.
CStone Pharmaceuticals announced a collaboration agreement with Blueprint Medicines to initiate a proof-of-concept clinical trial in China evaluating BLU-554 in combination with OmniAb-derived CS1001.
CStone Pharmaceuticals also announced the completion of a $260 million series B financing that will primarily fund clinical development of OmniAb-derived CS1001.
MEI Pharma announced a poster presentation related to ME-344 at the 2018 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.
Roivant announced that OmniAb-derived RVT-1401 (previously HL161) will form the foundation of a new company called Immunovant.
Nucorion Pharmaceuticals presented preclinical data for its novel liver-targeting prodrug technology program, NCO-1010, for the treatment of hepatitis B at the European Association for the Study of the Liver’s International Liver Congress.
Business Development

Ligand announced receipt of a $47 million payment as a result of signing an amendment related to its OmniAb platform license agreement with WuXi Biologics. Under the amended agreement, Ligand will continue to be eligible to earn royalties at the same rate and terms as the previous agreement and the predefined contract payments have been eliminated. With this new business relationship, WuXi Biologics believes it will be able to increase the number of OmniAb antibodies it discovers for its clients in China and around the world.
Ligand entered into a research and development agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals for the development by Ligand of a heavy-chain-only (HCO) version of OmniChicken, for which Ligand is eligible to earn defined milestone payments. Upon completion of the project, Ligand will be able to make the HCO OmniChicken available to other commercial partners.
Ligand entered into OmniChicken license expansions with FivePrime and Amgen, allowing the companies to use the OmniChicken technology.
Ligand entered into a Captisol use agreement with Sunshine Lake Pharmaceuticals.
Internal Research and Development

Ligand presented a poster at the National Lipid Association’s 2018 Scientific Sessions showing that Ligand’s LTP Technology significantly improves liver targeting of the statin rosuvastatin (Crestor), and may potentially be an effective strategy to increase the therapeutic index of statins and reduce statin intolerance.
A paper by Ligand scientists entitled "V(D)J Rearrangement is Dispensable for Producing CDR-H3 Sequence Diversity in a Gene Converting Species" was published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, highlighting the use of OmniChicken in antibody drug discovery.
Recent Financing

Ligand announced the pricing of $750 million aggregate principal amount (including overallotments) of 0.75% convertible senior notes due 2023 with an initial conversion price of $248.48 per share. Ligand also repurchased 260,000 shares in the transaction and entered into convertible note hedge transactions with the net effect of increasing the effective conversion price of the notes to $315.38 per share. Ligand indicated the net proceeds of the offering will be used for acquisitions, working capital and other general corporate purposes.
Adjusted Financial Measures

The Company reports adjusted net income and adjusted net income per diluted share in addition to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. The Company’s financial measures under GAAP include stock-based compensation expense, amortization of debt-related costs, amortization related to acquisitions and intangible assets, changes in contingent liabilities, mark-to-market adjustments for amounts relating to our equity investments in Viking and Retrophin, unissued shares relating to the Senior Convertible Notes and others that are listed in the itemized reconciliations between GAAP and adjusted financial measures included at the end of this press release. However, other than with respect to total revenue, the Company only provides guidance on an adjusted basis and does not provide reconciliations of such forward-looking adjusted measures to GAAP due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such reconciliation, including adjustments that could be made for changes in contingent liabilities, changes in the market value of our investments in Viking and Retrophin, stock-based compensation expense and effects of any discrete income tax items. Management has excluded the effects of these items in its adjusted measures to assist investors in analyzing and assessing the Company’s past and future core operating performance. Additionally, adjusted earnings per diluted share is a key component of the financial metrics utilized by the Company’s board of directors to measure, in part, management’s performance and determine significant elements of management’s compensation.

Conference Call

Ligand management will host a conference call today beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time (1:30 p.m. Pacific time) to discuss this announcement and answer questions. To participate via telephone, please dial (833) 591-4752 from the U.S. or (720) 405-1612 from outside the U.S., using the conference ID 9585138. To participate via live or replay webcast, a link is available at www.ligand.com.

On August 6, 2018 Neuralstem, Inc. (Nasdaq:CUR), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of nervous system therapies based on its neural stem cell and small molecule compound technologies, reported that the Board of Directors has appointed Jim Scully as interim chief executive officer (Press release, Neuralstem, AUG 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234528446]). Mr. Scully will assume the role effective immediately and succeeds Mr. Rich Daly who served as president and chief executive officer of the Company since February 2016.

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"Jim’s contribution in 2018 heading up business development and as strategic advisor for Neuralstem has been extremely valuable, and we are confident that his appointment will ensure continued momentum over the near-term as our dedicated search efforts continue," said Cristina Csimma, Chair of the Nominating Committee of Neuralstem. "Jim is an experienced pharmaceutical executive with a deep understanding of commercial, clinical development and manufacturing operations and has worked with our team to advance our Company’s efforts in China and rest-of-world."

"I am very pleased to increase my responsibilities with Neuralstem at this important time for the company, and I look forward to working closely with the management team and the Board to unlock the full potential of the Company’s promising pipeline candidates, NSI-566 and NSI-189," said Mr. Scully. "We continue to believe that these candidates represent innovative approaches to several unmet medical needs, and we look forward to providing further updates on our progress in executing our strategic plan."

Mr. Scully’s experience spans multiple key strategic roles in the healthcare industry. During his decade with Takeda Pharmaceuticals, a leading global pharmaceutical company, Mr. Scully assumed roles of increasing responsibility across multiple functional areas, leading efforts in financial planning, global business development, business analytics and corporate project management. Mr. Scully has also held key roles at Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Labs, GE Healthcare and Walgreens. These roles included leadership of clinical development planning, performance analytics and partnering initiatives.

The Board of Directors also appointed William Oldaker, as Chairman. Mr. Oldaker has served as a director of Neuralstem since April 2007. He is a founder and partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm, Oldaker & Willison PLLP, and is a member of the Colorado, D.C. and Iowa Bar Associations, the Bar Association for the Court of Appeals, D.C., and the Bar of the United States Supreme Court.

"I am excited to expand my role and continue to work with the Board and the management team to execute on its exciting strategy to become a leader in CNS and neural stem cell technology," said William Oldaker.