AbbVie Declares Quarterly Dividend

On February 20, 2020 The board of directors of AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) reported a quarterly cash dividend of $1.18 per share (Press release, AbbVie, FEB 20, 2020, View Source [SID1234554555]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The cash dividend is payable May 15, 2020 to stockholders of record at the close of business on April 15, 2020.

Since the company’s inception in 2013, AbbVie has increased its dividend by 195 percent. AbbVie is a member of the S&P Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have annually increased their dividend for at least 25 consecutive years.

Study shows long-term survival benefit for certain patients with advanced lung cancer

On February 20, 2020 Yale Cancer Center researchers, reported that even a tiny amount of a biomarker known as PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand1) can predict a long-term survival benefit from using pembrolizumab (Keytruda) (Press release, Yale University, FEB 20, 2020, View Source [SID1234554554]). The drug is one of the first checkpoint inhibitors to be developed and used in cancer treatment. The findings are published online today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"The response that we have seen from pembrolizumab, in a subset of patients years after treatment ended, is remarkable, especially since their chemotherapy had initially failed," said Roy S. Herbst, M.D., Ph.D., chief of Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital and Associate Cancer Center Director for Translational Research at Yale Cancer Center.

The findings come from the phase III KEYNOTE-010 clinical trial, which was conducted in 202 academic medical centers in 24 countries. The study enrolled patients who had previously been treated unsuccessfully with chemotherapy for stage 3 or 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer. The study compared use of pembrolizumab in 690 patients to treatment of docetaxel chemotherapy in 343 patients. In the 79 of 690 patients who received two years of pembrolizumab, overall survival was about 99% one year after discontinuing treatment. Overall, survival in this group three years after the two-year treatment period ranged from 23% to 35%, depending on how much of the PD-L1 biomarker their cancer expressed, compared with 11% to 13% in patients receiving chemotherapy.

Even more surprising, Herbst added, is that some patients whose cancer recurred after an initial two years of treatment responded to pembrolizumab when the drug was offered again.

"Before we had pembrolizumab, survival from advanced lung cancer was measured in months, not years," Herbst said. "It is too soon to say that pembrolizumab is a potential cure for a substantial number of patients whose tumors express PD-L1, and we know that it doesn’t work for all patients, but, the agent remains very, very promising. The majority of patients who completed two years of treatment remain in remission and those who had recurrence could be retreated with pembrolizumab at the time of progression and still achieve disease control."

The PD-L1 designation refers to the PD-1 pathway that cancer uses to hide from killer immune cells. Switching on this pathway stops these immune cells from attacking cancer cells, allowing tumors to grow and spread. Checkpoint inhibitors either block the PDL-1 protein that is expressed on the outside of tumor cells, or the PD molecule on immune cells. Pembrolizumab blocks PDL-1, freeing immune cells to target the cancer.

Investigators estimate that 75% of NSCLC patients express PD-L1 protein on their cancer cells, and within this group, up to 25% express a high amount. The rest express a lower quantity. The percentage of expression is quantified by a tumor proportion score (TPS) that "pulls" about 100 cancer cells from a tumor and counts the number of cells that express PD-L1. The amount is then described as either cancer that expresses more than 50% PD-L1 or more (TPS ?50) or 1 percent PD-L1 or more (?1).

Pembrolizumab is the first checkpoint inhibitor to test the ability of a biomarker to help determine disease control outcomes, and that biomarker has now been tested for the longest period of any clinical trial. "Currently, the agent is being used in all potential settings," Herbst added, "before any other treatment, after other treatment, and with other treatments."

"Our hope is to find the very best way to use pembrolizumab to treat individual lung cancer patients, assessing how much PD-L1 a tumor expresses, what stage the patient is in, as well as other variables and biomarkers we are working on," Herbst said. "This is the story of tailored therapy."

First Patient Dosed With Transgene’s Oncolytic Virus TG6002, Administered by Intrahepatic Artery Infusion in Colorectal Cancer With Liver Metastases

On February 20, 2020 Transgene (Paris:TNG) (Euronext Paris: TNG), a biotech company that designs and develops virus-based immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, reported that the first patient has successfully received TG6002, via an intrahepatic artery (IHA) infusion, as a locoregional treatment for unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer (CRLM) (Press release, Transgene, FEB 20, 2020, View Source [SID1234554553]). This procedure was performed at the NHS St James’s University Hospital in Leeds (United Kingdom). Dr. Adel Samson, Academic Medical Oncologist at The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and The University of Leeds, is the Chief Investigator of this trial. TG6002 is a next-generation oncolytic virus which has multiple mechanisms of action, both directly in the tumor micro-environment and systemically.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The oncolytic virus TG6002 has been engineered to directly kill cancer cells (oncolysis), to enable the production of a chemotherapy agent (5-FU) within the tumor, and to elicit an immune response by the body against the tumor cells. In preclinical experiments, TG6002 has been shown to induce the shrinkage of the primary tumor as well as the regression of distant metastases1.

TG6002 has been designed to achieve a better anti-tumor effect with limited chemotherapy-induced side effects, by enabling the production of a chemotherapy agent in the tumor.

TG6002 enables the production of 5-FU by the expression of the proprietary FCU1 gene in the cancer cells TG6002 has infected, leading to local conversion of the pro-drug 5-FC (administered orally) into 5-FU.
5-FU is a common chemotherapy for patients with CRLM. However, it is associated with side effects that can lead to treatment discontinuation. With TG6002, 5-FU is produced within the tumor where it is expected to be present at a high concentration level in contrast to the very low levels anticipated in the rest of the patient’s body.
In this trial, TG6002 is administered via the intrahepatic artery (IHA).

This administration route is routinely used to deliver therapeutic agents into patients with liver tumors. The IHA route will efficiently deliver a higher concentration of TG6002 to the liver metastases (visible or not visible with CT scan).
The IHA trial is a single-arm open-label Phase 1/2a trial evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and efficacy of repeated and ascending doses of TG6002 in combination with oral 5-FC. The study will enroll up to 75 patients.
TG6002 is also being evaluated in another Phase 1/2a clinical trial where it is being given via intravenous administration in advanced GI cancer patients. The first clinical data from this trial will be reported during the second quarter of 2020.

"The start of this trial evaluating the safety and activity of TG6002 administered via an IHA infusion in patients with CRLM will enable us to further strengthen the data package for this novel oncolytic virus. IHA infusion is a novel administration mode for oncolytics and we believe it will help broaden the scope of potential indications that could be targeted by vaccinia-based oncolytics. Our on-going trial with TG6002 administered by the intravenous route is proceeding well. No safety signals have been observed so far and the dose-escalation phase is ongoing. We expect the first clinical data from this IV study to be reported during the second quarter of 2020." said Dr. Maud Brandely, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Transgene.

Dr. Samson added: "Previous trials with vaccinia-based oncolytic viruses have shown that these novel immunotherapeutics can modulate the tumor micro-environment. The addition of the local production of chemotherapy offers new perspectives in the treatment of CRLM patients. The use of IHA infusion should enable a higher concentration of TG6002 in the liver tumors allowing it to become an additional effective and well tolerated treatment modality. I hope that this study will demonstrate that the multiple mechanisms of action of TG6002 are able to achieve better outcomes for the patients whilst limiting systemic exposure to 5-FU."

This work was supported by Yorkshire Cancer Research and the National Institute for Health Research Leeds Clinical Research Facility.

About TG6002
TG6002 is a next generation oncolytic immunotherapy. It has been designed to induce the breakdown of cancer cells (oncolysis) and allow the local production of chemotherapy (5-FU) in the tumor. TG6002 is a modified Vaccinia virus, with double gene deletion (TK-RR-), and expressing the proprietary FCU1 gene in the cancer cells it has infected, leading to the local conversion of the non-cytotoxic pro-drug, flucytosine (5-FC), into 5-FU, a widely used cancer chemotherapy. The oncolytic virus TG6002 has shown efficacy and good safety profile in several preclinical models. Transgene believes that TG6002 may represent a new therapeutic option in recurrent cancer patients.

About Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Europe and a leading cause of death both in Europe and worldwide. In 2018, there were approximately 500,000 new cases of CRC in Europe with 242,000 deaths and worldwide, there were 1.8 million new cases with 881,000 deaths (Globocan 2018). Approximately half of all CRC patients develop liver metastases, only a small proportion of whom being suitable for potentially curative hepatic resection (Leporrier J, 2006). Over the last decade, the clinical outcome for patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) has improved. Today, the median overall survival (OS) for patients with mCRC is ∼30 months.

Agenus Announces Positive Interim Data from Balstilimab and Zalifrelimab Clinical Trials in Second-Line Cervical Cancer

On February 20, 2020 Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN), an immuno-oncology company with an extensive pipeline of agents designed to activate immune response to cancers, reported new clinical data from pre-planned interim analyses of balstilimab (anti-PD-1) and zalifrelimab (anti-CTLA-4) and data from a dose escalation study of AGEN1181, a novel multi-functional enhanced CTLA-4 antibody (Press release, Agenus, FEB 20, 2020, View Source [SID1234554552]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The interim analysis from 34 evaluable patients treated with the combination of balstilimab (anti-PD-1) and zalifrelimab (anti-CTLA-4) demonstrated a 20.6% overall response rate (ORR), which included a complete response (CR) rate of 8.8% in second-line cervical cancer. The interim analysis from 44 evaluable patients treated with balstilimab monotherapy demonstrated an ORR of 11.4% in second-line cervical cancer. The clinical activity observed in both studies are comparable to other agents in these therapeutic classes. Both balstilimab monotherapy and the combination of balstilimab and zalifrelimab were well-tolerated with no new safety signals.

Additionally, early clinical data from a dose-escalation study of AGEN1181 revealed a confirmed CR in a patient with a difficult-to-treat, PD-L1 negative, microsatellite stable, endometrial cancer. The patient was treated with a low dose of AGEN1181 (1 mg/kg) and had failed prior treatment with a PD-1 inhibitor. Additionally, stable disease was noted in the majority of patients treated. AGEN1181 monotherapy was well-tolerated. Balstilimab, zalifrelimab and AGEN1181 are investigational agents that have not been approved for any uses. Efficacy and safety have not been established.

Details for today’s Investor Day:

Date:

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Time:

9:00 – 11:00AM

Location:

New York, NY (by invitation only)

Link to Webcast

Presenters will include global experts in immune-oncology, Dr. Chuck Drake, Co-Director, Cancer Immunotherapy Program, Columbia University Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Dr. Bradley Monk, M.D., FACS, FACOG, Co‐Director of GOG Partners, Arizona Oncology (US Oncology Network) and Professor, Gynecologic Oncology at University of Arizona, and Creighton University, Medical Director of US Oncology Research Gynecology program in Phoenix, Arizona.

The event will be webcast live and may be accessed by visiting the "Events & Presentations" page within the Investors section of the Agenus website at www.agenusbio.com or by using the link below. A replay of the webcast, as well as a copy of the slide presentations that will be presented at the event, will be available on the Agenus website following the event.

Pacira Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Revenues

On February 20, 2020 Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: PCRX) reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year of 2019 and provided 2020 financial guidance (Press release, Pacira Pharmaceuticals, FEB 20, 2020, View Source;991.htm [SID1234554551]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"By every measure, 2019 was an outstanding year for Pacira. We are delighted to report record revenues for EXPAREL with our sixth consecutive quarter of more than 20 percent growth," said Dave Stack, chairman and chief executive officer of Pacira BioSciences. "Demand has continued to mount within the anesthesia community as EXPAREL-based nerve and field blocks take hold as institutional protocol. Additionally, we enhanced our non-opioid pain management product portfolio with the addition of iovera° and we are seeing great interest from the marketplace around this innovative system."

"Looking forward, we intend to capitalize on this momentum with robust topline growth that will drive substantial operating leverage and cash flow, providing significant financial flexibility to invest in future growth opportunities. Our mission for 2020 remains steadfast as we continue to propel our global leadership in non-opioid pain management and deliver multiple milestones, including the publication of new data in C-section, label-expansion initiatives for pediatrics and lower extremity nerve block, and the advancement of regulatory activities in Europe, Canada, and China," added Mr. Stack.

2019 Full-Year and Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights

Full-year revenues of $421.0 million and fourth quarter revenues of $122.4 million.

Full-year EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) net product sales of $407.9 million and fourth quarter EXPAREL net product sales of $116.9 million.

Full-year iovera° net product sales were $7.9 million and fourth quarter iovera° net product sales of $3.2 million. Pacira began recognizing sales of iovera° in April 2019 after completing its acquisition of MyoScience, Inc., a privately held medical technology company.

Full-year GAAP net loss of $11.0 million or $0.27 per share (basic and diluted).

Full-year non-GAAP net income of $70.7 million or $1.67 per diluted share.

Fourth quarter GAAP net loss of $4.9 million or $0.12 per share (basic and diluted).

Fourth quarter non-GAAP net income of $23.8 million or $0.56 per diluted share.

Recent Highlights

Launch of national regional anesthesia training initiative with Envision Physician Services.
In January 2020, Pacira announced a collaboration with Envision Physician Services to train anesthesiology clinicians on ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia techniques utilizing long-acting local anesthetics like EXPAREL via a series of interactive workshops held across the country. The program supports the ongoing efforts by both organizations to advance the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care.

EXPAREL achieves primary and key secondary endpoints in Phase 4 CHOICE study in cesarean section patients. In January 2020, Pacira announced that its Phase 4 study of EXPAREL in patients undergoing Cesarean section achieved its primary endpoint with a statistically significant reduction in total postsurgical opioid consumption while maintaining pain scores through 72 hours (P≤0.001). EXPAREL demonstrated statistical significance for the key secondary endpoint of a reduction in the incidence and severity of itching for 72 hours after surgery (P≤0.05). Full study results will be submitted for publication in the peer-reviewed medical literature later this year.

Phase 3 PLAY study of EXPAREL in pediatric patients achieves positive results. In December 2019, Pacira announced positive results from its Phase 3 PLAY study of EXPAREL administered as a single-dose infiltration in pediatric patients undergoing spinal or cardiac surgeries. Overall findings were consistent with the pharmacokinetic and safety profiles for adult patients with no safety concerns identified at a dose of 4 mg/kg. These results will provide the foundation for the company’s supplemental New Drug Application submission in the first half of 2020 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking expansion of the EXPAREL label to include children aged six and over.

Fourth Quarter 2019 Financial Results

Total revenues were $122.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, a 29% increase over the $95.1 million reported for the fourth quarter of 2018.

EXPAREL net product sales were $116.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, a 24% increase over the $94.4 million reported for the fourth quarter of 2018.

Fourth quarter iovera° net product sales were $3.2 million. Pacira began recognizing sales of iovera° in April 2019 after completing its acquisition of MyoScience, Inc., a privately held medical technology company.

Sales of bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension to a third-party licensee for use in veterinary practice were $1.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to $0.3 million in 2018.

Fourth quarter royalty revenue was $0.6 million compared to $0.4 million in 2018.

Total operating expenses were $120.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to $82.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $19.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to $14.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. The company’s R&D expenses include $8.7 million and $6.5 million of product development and manufacturing capacity expansion costs in the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $54.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to $44.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.

GAAP net loss was $4.9 million, or $0.12 per share (basic and diluted) in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to GAAP net income of $8.3 million, or $0.20 per share (basic and diluted), in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Non-GAAP net income was $23.8 million, or $0.57 per share (basic) and $0.56 per share (diluted), in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to non-GAAP net income of $19.8 million, or $0.48 per share (basic) and $0.47 per share (diluted), in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Pacira had 41.8 million basic weighted average shares of common stock outstanding in the fourth quarter of 2019.

For non-GAAP measures, Pacira had 42.6 million diluted weighted average shares of common stock outstanding in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Full-Year 2019 Financial Results

Total revenues were $421.0 million in 2019, a 25% increase over the $337.3 million reported in 2018.

EXPAREL net product sales were $407.9 million in 2019, a 23% increase over the $331.1 million reported in 2018.

Full-year iovera° net product sales were $7.9 million. Pacira began recognizing sales of iovera° in April 2019 after completing its acquisition of MyoScience, Inc., a privately held medical technology company.

Sales of bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension to a third-party licensee for use in veterinary practice were $3.2 million in 2019, compared to $1.3 million in 2018.

Full-year royalty revenue was $2.1 million compared to $1.9 million in 2018.

Total operating expenses were $410.5 million in 2019, compared to $321.4 million in 2018.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $72.1 million in 2019, compared to $55.7 million in 2018. The company’s R&D expenses include $29.7 million and $28.5 million of product development and manufacturing capacity expansion costs in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $200.8 million in 2019, compared to $177.3 million in 2018.

GAAP net loss was $11.0 million, or $0.27 per share (basic and diluted) in 2019, compared to a GAAP net loss of $0.5 million, or $0.01 per share (basic and diluted) in 2018.

Non-GAAP net income was $70.7 million, or $1.70 per share (basic) and $1.67 per share (diluted), in 2019, compared to non-GAAP net income of $43.5 million, or $1.06 per share (basic) and $1.04 per share (diluted), in 2018.

Pacira ended 2019 with cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments ("cash") of $356.7 million. Cash provided by operations was $70.5 million in 2019, compared to $48.9 million in 2018.

Pacira had 41.5 million basic weighted average shares of common stock outstanding in 2019.

For non-GAAP measures, Pacira had 42.4 million diluted weighted average shares of common stock outstanding in 2019.

2020 Outlook
Pacira announces its full-year 2020 financial guidance as follows. Pacira expects:

Total revenues to be between $485 million and $500 million

EXPAREL net product sales to be between $465 million and $475 million;

iovera° net product sales to be between $15 million and $20 million;

Non-GAAP gross margins to be between 76% and 78%;

Non-GAAP research and development (R&D) expense to be between $60 million to $70 million;

Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense to be between $180 million and $190 million; and

Stock-based compensation to be between $35 million and $40 million.
See "Non-GAAP Financial Information" and "Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP 2020 Financial Guidance" below.
Today’s Conference Call and Webcast Reminder
The Pacira management team will host a conference call to discuss the company’s financial results and recent developments today, Thursday, February 20, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. ET. To participate in the conference call, dial 1-877-845-0779 and provide the passcode 8765839. International callers may dial 1-720-545-0035 and use the same passcode. In addition, a live audio of the conference call will be available as a webcast. Interested parties can access the event through the "Events" page on the Pacira website at investor.pacira.com.

For those unable to participate in the live call, a replay will be available at 1-855-859-2056 (domestic) or 1-404-537-3406 (international) using the passcode 8765839. The replay of the call will be available for one week from the date of the live call. The webcast will be available on the Pacira website for approximately two weeks following the call.
Non-GAAP Financial Information
This press release contains financial measures that do not comply with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), such as non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per share, non-GAAP cost of goods sold, non-GAAP gross margins, non-GAAP research and development (R&D) expense and non-GAAP selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense, because such measures exclude milestone revenue; acquisition-related charges, product discontinuation costs and other expense; stock-based compensation; amortization of debt discount; amortization of acquired intangible assets; an income tax benefit and step-up in basis of inventory in connection with the acquisition of MyoScience, Inc.; and loss on investment and other non-operating income.

These measures supplement Pacira’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Pacira management uses these measures to better analyze its financial results, estimate its future cost of goods sold, gross margins, R&D expense and SG&A expense outlook for 2020 and to help make managerial decisions. In management’s opinion, these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors and other users of our financial statements by providing greater transparency into the operating performance at Pacira and its future outlook. Such measures should not be deemed to be an alternative to GAAP requirements or a measure of liquidity for Pacira. Non-GAAP measures are also unlikely to be comparable with non-GAAP disclosures released by other companies. See the tables below for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP

measures, and a reconciliation of our GAAP to non-GAAP 2020 financial guidance for gross margins, R&D expense and SG&A expense.