On March 12, 2020 BioLineRx Ltd. (NASDAQ: BLRX) (TASE: BLRX), a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology, reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2019 and provides a corporate update (Press release, BioLineRx, MAR 12, 2020, View Source [SID1234555500]).

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Highlights and achievements during the fourth quarter 2019 and subsequent period:

Presented updated preliminary Phase 2a data from the triple combination arm of the COMBAT/KEYNOTE-202 study, under collaboration with Merck, evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of motixafortide (BL-8040) in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) and chemotherapy in patients with second-line metastatic pancreatic cancer, demonstrating a 32% overall response rate and a 77% disease control rate out of 22 evaluable patients at that time, with median duration of clinical benefit for all 17 patients with disease control (7 partial response and 10 stable disease patients) of 7.8 months; and reiterated expectation for progression free survival and overall survival data in mid-2020;

Completed recruitment (N=43) of the triple combination arm of the COMBAT/KEYNOTE-202 study;

Announced Notice of Allowance from USPTO for a broad patent covering motixafortide in combination with anti-PD-1 for the treatment of any and all types of cancer;

Received Orphan Drug Designation for motixafortide for the treatment of pancreatic cancer in Europe;

Presented positive triple-combination preclinical data from the evaluation of motixafortide in combination with an anti-PD-1 and chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer, supporting motixafortide’s mechanism of action and providing additional strong rationale for the triple-combination clinical study, at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper).

"We achieved a significant milestone during the fourth quarter of 2019 with the announcement of preliminary data from the ongoing triple combination arm of our COMBAT/KEYNOTE-202 study in second-line pancreatic cancer," stated Philip Serlin, Chief Executive Officer of BioLineRx. "The promising initial results demonstrated robust and durable responses to the triple combination treatment, with an overall response rate almost double the current chemotherapy standard-of-care treatment in second-line patients, and a trend of patients receiving treatment for an extended period that move from stable disease to partial response. Looking ahead, we have now fully enrolled this study and remain on track to announce progression free and overall survival data in mid-year.

"In parallel, our late-stage trials of motixafortide in AML and stem cell mobilization are progressing, and we also look forward to these key data readouts later this year.

"Regarding our second clinical oncology candidate, the universal anti-cancer vaccine AGI-134, we successfully completed the dose-escalation Part 1 of the ongoing Phase 1/2a clinical trial in a range of solid tumor types, and are currently advancing Part 2 of the study as expeditiously as possible. We look forward to initial results of Part 2 by year-end 2020," Mr. Serlin concluded.

Upcoming 2020 Milestones

Progression-free survival and overall survival data from the triple combination arm of the COMBAT/KEYNOTE-202 Phase 2a study in mid-2020;

Interim results from the Phase 2b AML consolidation study in the second half of 2020;

Top-line results from Phase 3 GENESIS registrational study in stem cell mobilization in the second half of 2020;

Initial results from Part 2 of Phase 1/2a trial of AGI-134 by year-end 2020.

Financial Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2019

Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $23.4 million, an increase of $3.6 million, or 18.3%, compared to $19.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase resulted primarily from higher expenses associated with the motixafortide GENESIS and COMBAT clinical trials, offset by a decrease in expenses related to BL-1230, a project that was terminated in 2018, as well as a decrease in payroll and share-based compensation.

Sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $0.9 million, a decrease of $0.5 million, or 37.0%, compared to $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The decrease resulted primarily from a decrease in payroll and related expenses, including a one-time compensation payment in the 2018 period.

General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $3.8 million, a decrease of $0.6 million, or 14.0% compared to $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The decrease resulted primarily from a decrease in share-based compensation.

The Company’s operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2019 amounted to $28.1 million, compared to an operating loss of $25.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Non-operating income amounted to $4.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to non-operating income of $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Non-operating income for the year ended December 31, 2019 primarily relates to fair-value adjustments of warrant liabilities on the Company’s balance sheet, offset by warrant offering expenses. Non-operating income for the year ended December 31, 2018 primarily relates to fair-value adjustments of warrant liabilities on the Company’s balance sheet, as well as a capital gain from realization of the investment in iPharma.

Net financial expenses amounted to $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to net financial income of $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Net financial expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 primarily relate to interest paid on loans, offset by investment income earned on bank deposits. Net financial income for the year ended December 31, 2018 primarily relates to investment income earned on bank deposits, offset by interest paid on loans.

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The Company’s net loss for the year ended December 31, 2019 amounted to $25.5 million, compared with a net loss of $23.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018.

The Company held $27.5 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits as of December 31, 2019.

Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $22.7 million, compared to $24.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The $1.5 million decrease in net cash used in operating activities in 2019 was primarily the result of changes in operating asset and liability items in the two periods., i.e., a decrease in prepaid expenses and other receivables in 2019 versus an increase in 2018, as well as an increase in accounts payable and accruals in 2019 versus a decrease in 2018.

Net cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $5.3 million, compared to $9.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The changes in cash flows from investing activities relate primarily to investments in, and maturities of, short-term bank deposits during both periods, the acquisition of an additional 20% economic interest in Motixafortide in 2018, as well as a realization of the investment in iPharma during 2018.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $19.2 million, compared to $13.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The cash flows in 2019 primarily reflect the underwritten public offering of ADSs in February 2019, as well as net proceeds from the ATM program. The cash flows in 2018 reflect the net proceeds of the loan from Kreos Capital, as well as net proceeds from the ATM program.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

BioLineRx will hold a conference call today, March 12, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. EDT. To access the conference call, please dial +1-888-668-9141 from the US or +972-3-918-0609 internationally. The call will also be available via webcast and can be accessed through the Investor Relations page of BioLineRx’s website. Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download any necessary software to listen to the live broadcast.

A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after completion of the live conference call on the Investor Relations page of BioLineRx’s website. A dial-in replay of the call will be available until March 14, 2020; please dial +1-877-456-0009 from the US or +972-3-925-5927 internationally.

On March 12, 2020 SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SWTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing life-changing medicines for patients with severe rare diseases and cancer, provided an update on recent company developments and reported fourth quarter and full-year financial results for the period ended December 31, 2019 (Press release, SpringWorks Therapeutics, MAR 12, 2020, View Source [SID1234555498]).

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"2019 was a very successful year for SpringWorks. We initiated three clinical trials, including two potentially registrational trials in rare oncology indications, formed MapKure with BeiGene to advance a next-generation B-RAF inhibitor, and signed our first collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline to evaluate nirogacestat in combination with BCMA-directed therapies in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma," said Saqib Islam, Chief Executive Officer of SpringWorks. "Our strong execution in 2019 positions us to deliver on our planned strategy in 2020 and beyond. We are pursuing a broad effort with industry-leading BCMA developers to advance potentially best-in-class multiple myeloma combination therapies using nirogacestat, are focused on continuing to enroll our ongoing clinical trials and further expanding our portfolio through additional in-licenses and collaborations."

Recent Business Highlights

Initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of BGB-3245, a selective next-generation B-RAF inhibitor, in adult patients with biomarker-defined advanced or refractory solid

tumors. BGB-3245 is being advanced by MapKure LLC, a clinical-stage company that is jointly owned by SpringWorks and BeiGene, Ltd.

 Entered into a clinical collaboration agreement with Allogene Therapeutics to evaluate nirogacestat in combination with ALLO-715, an investigational anti-B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) allogeneic CAR T cell therapy, in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

 Presented data at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) meeting showing activity of nirogacestat alone and in combination with GlaxoSmithKline’s investigational BCMA antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), belantamab mafodotin, in preclinical models of human multiple myeloma.

Dosed the first patients in the Phase 2b ReNeu clinical trial evaluating mirdametinib in children and adults with neurofibromatosis type 1-associated plexiform neurofibromas (NF1-PN).

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019 Financial Results

 Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: R&D expenses were

$12.2 million and $42.5 million for the fourth quarter and year-to-date periods, respectively, compared to $3.7 million and $9.9 million for the comparable periods of 2018, respectively. The increases in R&D expenses in 2019 were primarily attributable to increased clinical study and drug supply costs related to the ongoing Phase 3 DeFi and Phase 2b ReNeu trials, as well as growth in employee costs, including non-cash share-based compensation associated with increases in the number of R&D personnel.

 General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses: G&A expenses were $5.2 million and $16.7 million for the fourth quarter and year-to-date periods, respectively, compared to $2.7 million and $8.6 million for the comparable periods of 2018, respectively. The increases in G&A expenses in 2019 were primarily attributable to growth in employee costs, including non-cash share-based compensation associated with increases in the number of G&A personnel, and increases in consulting and professional services related to the expansion of our business activities.

 Net Loss Attributable to Common Stockholders: SpringWorks reported net losses of $16.2 million, or $0.39 loss per share, and $50.6 million, or $3.81 loss per share, for the fourth quarter and year-to-date periods ended December 31, 2019, respectively. This compares to net losses of $6.2 million, or $10.82 loss per unit, and $17.8 million, or $52.24 loss per unit, for the comparable periods of 2018, respectively.

Cash Position: Cash and cash equivalents were $327.7 million as of December 31, 2019.

On March 12, 2020 MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, MDAX & TecDAX; NASDAQ: MOR) reported that it will publish its results for the financial year 2019 on March 18, 2020 at 10:00pm CET (9:00pm GMT; 5:00pm EDT) (Press release, MorphoSys, MAR 12, 2020, View Source [SID1234555496]).

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MorphoSys’ Management team will host a conference call and webcast on March 19, 2020 at 2:00pm CET (1:00pm GMT; 9:00am EDT) to present MorphoSys’ results for the financial year 2019 and provide a financial and operational outlook for 2020.

Date of the conference call: Thursday, March 19, 2020
Time: 2:00pm CET (1:00pm GMT, 9:00am EDT)
Dial-in numbers:
Germany: +49 69 201 744 220
United Kingdom: +44 203 009 2470
USA: +1 877 423 0830
Participant PIN: 48530958#

Participants are kindly requested to dial in up to 10 minutes before the call to ensure a secure line and a prompt start.

The presentation slides and webcast link will be available at the Company’s website at View Source

A replay of the conference will also be available at the corporate website following the live event.

On March 12, 2020 Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVAX), a late-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, reported its financial results and operational highlights for the fourth quarter and twelve months ended December 31, 2019 (Press release, Novavax, MAR 12, 2020, View Source [SID1234555495]).

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"We remain on track to announce top-line results from our pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial for NanoFlu by the end of this month. Positive clinical data from this trial would support a subsequent U.S. BLA using the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway," said Stanley C. Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer of Novavax. "We continue to make progress towards partnering our ResVax program and recently announced progress in our efforts to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, with the goal of moving one or more optimized COVID- 19 candidates into the clinic by the end of this spring."

Fourth Quarter 2019 and Subsequent Operational Highlights

NanoFlu Program

·Results of the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial for NanoFlu, Novavax’ recombinant quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine candidate, are expected later this month. The trial includes 2,652 healthy older adults across 19 U.S. clinical sites. The primary objective of the randomized, observer-blinded, active-controlled trial is to demonstrate non-inferior immunogenicity as measured by hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers of vaccine homologous influenza strains and safety compared against a licensed vaccine, Fluzone Quadrivalent.

·Positive top-line results from this Phase 3 clinical trial would support a subsequent U.S. biologics license application (BLA) and licensure of NanoFlu using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) accelerated approval pathway. In addition, in January 2020, the FDA granted Fast Track designation for NanoFlu.

COVID-19 Program

·Novavax recently announced that the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) awarded an initial funding of $4 million to support its effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. CEPI and Novavax are having ongoing discussions on additional funding from CEPI to address Novavax’ costs through Phase 1.

·Novavax began efforts to develop a novel vaccine to protect against COVID-19 in January. Novavax has produced and is currently assessing multiple nanoparticle vaccine candidates in animal models prior to advancing to clinical trials. Initiation of Phase I clinical testing is expected in May or June 2020. Novavax expects to utilize its proprietary Matrix-M adjuvant with its COVID-19 vaccine candidate to enhance immune responses.

ResVax Program

·Novavax is continuing its discussions with both global regulatory authorities and potential partners to explore the opportunity to bring ResVax to market.

Matrix-M Partnership

·Earlier today, Novavax announced a commercial license agreement related to its Matrix-M vaccine adjuvant. Matrix-M is a key component of Serum Institute of India’s malaria vaccine candidate, which it licensed from Jenner Institute at Oxford University. The vaccine candidate is currently in a Phase 2b clinical trial being conducted in Burkina Faso with top-line data expected in the second quarter of 2020.

Corporate

·Through utilization of At-the-market (ATM) offerings during the fourth quarter of 2019, Novavax raised net proceeds of $30 million. For the twelve months of 2019, Novavax raised net proceeds of $97 million. Subsequent to year-end, through March 6, 2020, Novavax raised additional net proceeds of $156 million.

Financial Results for the Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2019

Share and per share data have been restated to reflect the reverse stock split that was completed in May 2019.

Novavax reported a net loss of $31.8 million, or $1.13 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to a net loss of $49.3 million, or $2.57 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2018. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, the net loss was $132.7 million, or $5.51 per share, compared to a net loss of $184.7 million, or $9.99 per share, for the same period in 2018.

Novavax revenue in the fourth quarter of 2019 was $8.8 million, compared to $6.1 million in the same period in 2018. This 44% increase was driven by $7.5 million in revenue for the recovery of additional costs under the closeout of the HHS BARDA contract, partially offset by lower revenue from the completion of enrollment of participants in the Prepare trial in second quarter of 2018.

Research and development expenses decreased 32% to $29.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to $43.4 million in the same period in 2018. This decrease was primarily due to decreased development activities of ResVax, lower employee-related costs and other cost savings due to the Catalent transaction, partially offset by NanoFlu’s Phase 3 clinical trial and development activities.

General and administrative expenses decreased to $8.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to $9.2 million for the same period in 2018.

Interest income (expense), net for the fourth quarter of 2019 was ($3.1) million, compared to ($2.8) million for the same period of 2018.

As of December 31, 2019, Novavax had $82.2 million in cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and restricted cash, compared to $103.9 million as of December 31, 2018. Net cash used in operating activities for the twelve months of 2019 was $136.6 million, compared to $184.8 million for same period in 2018.

Conference Call

Novavax will host its quarterly conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET. The dial-in numbers for the conference call are (877) 212-6076 (Domestic) or (707) 287-9331 (International), passcode 5695528. A replay of the conference call will be available starting at 7:30 p.m. ET on March 11, 2020 until 7:30 p.m. ET on March 18, 2020. To access the replay by telephone, dial (855) 859-2056 (Domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (International) and use passcode 5695528.

A webcast of the conference call can also be accessed via a link on the home page of the Novavax website (novavax.com) or through the "Investor Info"/"Events" tab on the Novavax website. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Novavax website until June 11, 2020.

About NanoFlu and Matrix-M

NanoFlu is a recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) protein nanoparticle influenza vaccine produced by Novavax in its SF9 insect cell baculovirus system. NanoFlu uses HA amino acid protein sequences that are the same as the recommended wild-type circulating virus HA sequences. NanoFlu contains Novavax’ patented saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant, which has demonstrated a potent and well-tolerated effect by stimulating the entry of antigen-presenting cells into the injection site and enhancing antigen presentation in local lymph nodes. Top-line data from Novavax’ ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial of NanoFlu is expected late in the first quarter of 2020.

About COVID-19

A new strain of coronavirus first appeared in late 2019 in China before beginning its rapid spread across the globe. The disease, named COVID-19, continues to cause severe pneumonia-like symptoms in many of those infected. Coronaviruses, so named for their "crown-like" appearance, are a large family of viruses that spread from animals to humans and include diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in addition to COVID-19. While much remains unknown about the new coronavirus, it is known that the virus can spread via human-to-human transmission before any symptoms appear.

On March 12, 2020 Marker Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MRKR), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development of next-generation T cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications, reported financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2019 (Press release, TapImmune, MAR 12, 2020, View Source [SID1234555494]).

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"With a clear path forward for our Phase 2 trial in AML patients with our novel T cell therapy, and the cash resources needed to advance our studies, 2020 is shaping up to be a busy and productive year for our Company," said Peter L. Hoang, President & CEO of Marker Therapeutics. "Based on promising results observed with our MultiTAA T cell therapy across various forms of cancer in investigator-sponsored trials, we are also evaluating opportunities for additional Marker-sponsored trials."

PROGRAM UPDATES

Multi-Antigen Targeted (MultiTAA) T Cell Therapies

Marker Prepares to Initiate Phase 2 AML Trial

In February 2020, the Company announced an updated study protocol for its Phase 2 clinical trial of MultiTAA T cell therapy in post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in both the adjuvant and active disease setting. Under an amended trial design, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has permitted the trial to move forward with the safety lead-in. During the second half of 2020, Marker expects to complete enrollment of the first three patients and to submit the information required by the FDA to lift a partial clinical hold during the second half of 2020. The Company does not currently expect the partial clinical hold to significantly impact site or patient enrollment.

Investigator-Sponsored Trials with MultiTAA T Cell Therapy Continue to Generate Positive Results

Marker previously reported interim data from an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial of MultiTAA T cell therapy for the treatment of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma being conducted by its partners at the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). In this trial, the modified T cells exhibited activity against both targeted tumor-associated antigens (TAA) and non-targeted TAAs, indicating induction of antigen spreading. To date, there has not been any cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity observed in this trial.

T Cell-Based Vaccines

Phase 2 Triple Negative Breast Cancer Trial Progressing

Marker’s T cell-based vaccine program in triple negative breast cancer has delivered the following results as of September 30, 2019:

·Based on a preliminary analysis of 34 patients enrolled in the triple negative breast cancer trial, 31 patients showed meaningful immune response to vaccine treatment;

·Of 80 patients treated at 11 clinical sites, 16 have shown disease progression following treatment with TPIV200.

Phase 2 Platinum-Sensitive Advanced Ovarian Cancer Trial

·As previously announced, Marker has discontinued the development of TPIV200 in patients with platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer based on an unblinded review of interim results from the trial conducted by the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). While the DSMB did not express safety concerns, Marker elected to discontinue the trial as it did not meet the threshold for probability of clinical benefit based upon the Company’s pre-specified criteria.

FINANCING UPDATE

·On March 2, 2020, Marker announced that the Company entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement of up to $30 million with Aspire Capital Fund, LLC, a Chicago-based institutional investor and long-term Marker shareholder.

FULL YEAR 2019 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Cash Position and Guidance: At December 31, 2019, Marker had cash and cash equivalents of $43.9 million. The Company believes that the financial flexibility provided by the Aspire transaction will enable the cash runway to extend beyond the second quarter of 2021.

R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $12.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $8.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to increases in personnel-related expenses relating to the build-up of Marker’s internal infrastructure, an increase in clinical consulting and professional expenses relating to preparation of the AML trial, an increase in process development expenses, offset by a decrease in clinical trial expenses due to the stages of ongoing clinical trials and the decreased number of active patients in such trials.

G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $10.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $24.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease of $12.8 million in stock-based compensation expenses due to executive stock option grants issued in fiscal year 2018, as well as a decrease in merger-related expenses during fiscal year 2019, offset by increased expenses in headcount-related and legal and other professional expenses.

Net Loss: Marker reported a net loss of $21.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to a net loss of $148.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018.