On July 23, 2018 Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGIO), a leader in the field of cellular metabolism to treat cancer and rare genetic diseases, reported that the company will host a conference call and live webcast on Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. ET to report its second quarter financial results and discuss recent clinical development and corporate activities (Press release, Agios Pharmaceuticals, JUL 23, 2018, http://investor.agios.com/news-releases/news-release-details/agios-webcast-conference-call-second-quarter-2018-financial [SID1234527823]).

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A live webcast can be accessed under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors section of the company’s website at www.agios.com. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 1-877-377-7098 (domestic) or 1-631-291-4547 (international) and referring to conference ID 1497883. The webcast will be archived and made available for replay on the company’s website beginning approximately two hours after the event.

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On July 23, 2018 Veracyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCYT) reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 and provided an update on recent business progress (Press release, Veracyte, JUL 23, 2018, View Source/news-releases/news-release-details/veracyte-announces-second-quarter-2018-financial-results" target="_blank" title="View Source/news-releases/news-release-details/veracyte-announces-second-quarter-2018-financial-results" rel="nofollow">View Source [SID1234527818]). For the second quarter of 2018, revenue was $22.8 million, an increase of 24%, compared to $18.4 million for the second quarter of 2017. Genomic test volume was 7,686, an increase of 18% compared to the same period in 2017.

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"We delivered another exceptional quarter of revenue and genomic test volume growth," said Bonnie Anderson, chairman and chief executive officer of Veracyte. "We saw strong growth in our Afirma business where our deep RNA sequencing platform is enabling us to further reduce surgeries in thyroid cancer diagnosis and inform treatment decisions. We accelerated uptake of Percepta in lung cancer diagnosis, while launching our Early Access Program to address strong physician demand for Envisia – and are already leveraging crossover business opportunities with these two pulmonology products."

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

For the three-month period ended June 30, 2018, as compared to the second quarter of 2017:

Revenue was $22.8 million, an increase of 24%;
Genomic Test Volume was 7,686, an increase of 18%;
Gross Margin was 64%, an increase of 2%;
Operating Expenses, Excluding Cost of Revenue were $20.4 million, an increase of 13%;
Net Loss and Comprehensive Loss was ($6.2) million, an improvement of 14%;
Basic and Diluted Net Loss Per Common Share was ($0.18), an improvement of 18%;
Cash Burn1 was $3.6 million, an improvement of 28%; and
Cash and Cash Equivalents was $23.8 million at June 30, 2018.
For the six-month period ended June 30, 2018, as compared to the prior year period of 2017:

Revenue was $42.8 million, an increase of 23%;
Genomic Test Volume was 14,550, an increase of 18%;
Gross Margin was unchanged at 62%;
Operating Expenses, Excluding Cost of Revenue were $41.6 million, an increase of 16%;
Net Loss and Comprehensive Loss was ($15.4) million, an improvement of 1%;
Basic and Diluted Net Loss Per Common Share was ($0.45), an improvement of 2%; and
Cash Burn1 was $11.3 million, an improvement of 15%.
1 A reconciliation of net cash used in operating activities to cash burn has been provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release. An explanation of cash burn is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

Second Quarter 2018 and Recent Business Highlights

Commercial Growth:

Tripled Percepta revenue for the second quarter of 2018, compared to the first quarter, with the number of physicians ordering the Percepta classifier increasing by over 50 percent during this period.
Received regulatory approval from the New York State Department of Health, enabling us to now move 100% of Afirma classifier testing to the Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC).
Commercially launched the Afirma Xpression Atlas, providing RNA sequencing-based insights to inform surgery and treatment decisions in patients with suspected thyroid cancer.
Booked our first biopharmaceutical service revenue of $0.5 million based on the Afirma Xpression Atlas platform.
Launched the Envisia Early Access Program to select sites across the United States in response to physician demand, further preparing for commercial expansion in 2019.
Evidence Development:

Published clinical validation data for the Afirma GSC in JAMA Surgery, demonstrating the next-generation test’s ability to help approximately 70% of patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules avoid unnecessary surgery.
Strong performance and clinical utility data for our two flagship products, the Afirma GSC and the Percepta classifier, were shared in five presentations at major endocrinology and pulmonology conferences.
Scientific Innovation:

Assembled over 2,000 patient samples to advance our field-of-injury research to fuel development of a nasal swab test for early detection of lung cancer.
Updated 2018 Financial Outlook

Veracyte is increasing its 2018 annual revenue guidance to between $87 million and $89 million, from its previously updated guidance of between $83 million and $86 million. The company is narrowing its annual cash burn guidance to between $18 million and $21 million, from between $18 million and $22 million.

Conference Call and Webcast Details

Veracyte will host a conference call and webcast today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the company’s financial results and provide a general business update. The call may be accessed as follows:

Veracyte Second Quarter 2018 Conference Call
4:30 p.m. ET Today

Website:

View Source

Dial-in number (U.S.): (855) 541-0980
International Number: (970) 315-0440
Conference ID: 7784825

On July 22, 2018 BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ:BGNE), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative molecularly-targeted and immuno-oncology drugs for the treatment of cancer, reported that preliminary topline results from the independent review of response data from the pivotal Phase 2 trial of tislelizumab, an investigational anti-PD-1 antibody, in Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma (R/R cHL) (Press release, BeiGene, JUL 22, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2359339 [SID1234527802]).

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"We are excited to announce the preliminary topline results from our first pivotal trial for tislelizumab. Despite short follow-up, we believe there was a demonstration of robust activity, with high overall and complete response rates in addition to a safety profile that is consistent with other PD-1 inhibitors. We believe these strong results will support our first regulatory filing in China for tislelizumab, which is planned for later this year," commented Jane Huang, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Hematology, at BeiGene.

The single-arm pivotal trial enrolled 70 patients with cHL who either failed autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or who were ineligible for ASCT. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) as defined by the Lugano 2014 criteria. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DOR), complete response (CR) rate, time to response, safety, and tolerability. As of the data cutoff, the median follow-up time was approximately 6.0 months. A review of responses by an independent review committee, provided in June 2018, demonstrated:

The ORR was 73 percent, including 50 percent CR, and the median DOR had not been reached.

Frequency and severity of adverse events were generally consistent with the previously reported Phase 1 safety and tolerability data for tislelizumab, or, in the case of certain immune-related events such as hypothyroidism and fever, consistent with previous reports of other PD-1 antibodies for the treatment of cHL.
These cHL data, along with additional follow-up data from the clinical trial, are expected to be included in BeiGene’s Biologics License Application (BLA) planned to be filed with the China Drug Administration (CDA) later this year. Full results of the trial are expected to be presented at an upcoming medical conference.

Tislelizumab is also being studied in global Phase 3 trials in a number of malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; as well as two global Phase 2 trials in patients with previously treated hepatocellular carcinoma or with R/R mature T-and NK-cell lymphomas, and an additional pivotal Phase 2 trial in China in urothelial cancer.

About Classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one of the two major types of lymphoma that begin in the lymph nodes and tissues of the lymphatic system. All other lymphomas are classified as non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is characterized by the presence of very large cells called Reed-Sternberg cells, although other abnormal cell types may be present. According to the Lymphoma Research Foundation, Hodgkin’s lymphoma is less common than non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. There were approximately 2,100 diagnosed cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in China in 2012.1 Although the cancer can occur in both children and adults, it is most commonly diagnosed in young adults between the ages of 15 and 35 and in older adults over age 50.

About Tislelizumab
Tislelizumab (BGB-A317) is an investigational humanized monoclonal antibody that belongs to a class of immuno-oncology agents known as immune checkpoint inhibitors. Discovered by BeiGene scientists in Beijing, tislelizumab is designed to bind to PD-1, a cell surface receptor that plays an important role in downregulating the immune system by preventing the activation of T-cells. Tislelizumab has demonstrated high affinity and specificity for PD-1. It is potentially differentiated from the currently approved PD-1 antibodies in an engineered Fc region, which is believed to minimize potentially negative interactions with other immune cells, based on preclinical data. Tislelizumab is being developed as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies for the treatment of a broad array of both solid tumor and hematologic cancers. BeiGene and Celgene Corporation have a global strategic collaboration for the development of tislelizumab in solid tumor cancers outside of Asia (except Japan).

On July 22, 2018 BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ:BGNE), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative molecularly-targeted and immuno-oncology drugs for the treatment of cancer, reported that its investigational BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) (Press release, BeiGene, JUL 22, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2359338 [SID1234527801]). Based on BeiGene’s discussions with the FDA, internal review of available data from its global Phase 1 trial of zanubrutinib in patients with WM, and supported by the Fast Track Designation, BeiGene is preparing to submit in the first half of 2019 a New Drug Application (NDA) to pursue an accelerated approval of zanubrutinib for patients with WM based on results from the global Phase 1 study. A final determination to submit the NDA will be made subsequent to the pre-NDA meeting with FDA after obtaining mature data from the study this fall.

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"We believe zanubrutinib is a differentiated BTK inhibitor based on the depth and durability of responses observed in our ongoing global Phase 1 trial of zanubrutinib in WM patients. We look forward to working closely with the FDA in the continuing development of zanubrutinib for the treatment of this disease," commented John Oyler, co-founder, CEO and Chairman of BeiGene. "We are hopeful that zanubrutinib, if approved, may represent a valuable and important treatment option for patients with WM."

The FDA’s Fast Track program is intended to expedite or facilitate the process for reviewing new drugs that are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition for which there is no effective treatment and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the condition. A drug candidate with a Fast Track Designation may be eligible for more frequent communications with the FDA, for Accelerated Approval and Priority Review (if relevant criteria are met), and rolling review of the NDA.

In addition to the global Phase 1 trial of zanubrutinib, which enrolled 76 WM patients to date, zanubrutinib is also being tested in a global Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with WM comparing zanubrutinib to ibrutinib, a currently approved BTK inhibitor. BeiGene announced today that this global Phase 3 study has completed patient enrollment. In addition, zanubrutinib is being tested in a global Phase 3 clinical trial as a first-line treatment for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma in combination with GAZYVA (obinutuzumab). In China, BeiGene has completed enrollment in three pivotal Phase 2 clinical trials of zanubrutinib in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), CLL and WM, and expects to file an NDA in China for MCL this year. BeiGene is also planning a Phase 3 trial for a head-to-head comparison of zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory CLL/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). As of May 7, 2018, more than 1,200 patients have been enrolled in the zanubrutinib development program.

About Zanubrutinib
Zanubrutinib (BGB-3111) is an investigational small molecule inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) that is currently being evaluated in a broad pivotal clinical program globally and in China as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies to treat various B cell malignancies.