On May 13, 2021 Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHV), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company committed to the global development and commercialization of cytisinicline for smoking cessation and nicotine addiction, reported first quarter 2021 financial results and provided an update on the cytisinicline clinical development program (Press release, OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, MAY 13, 2021, View Source [SID1234579924]).

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Recent Events & Highlights

Provided update on the Phase 3 ORCA-2 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of 3.0 mg cytisinicline dosed 3 times daily compared to placebo in 750 adult smokers at 17 clinical sites in the United States
Published Phase 2b ORCA-1 safety, efficacy, and compliance results in Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Announced the appointment of Dr. Bridget Martell and Dr. Cindy Jacobs to Achieve’s Board of Directors
Published RAUORA Head-to-Head Non-Inferiority Clinical Trial Comparing Cytisinicline and Chantix (varenicline) in Addiction
"In the first quarter, we’ve seen great interest and increased momentum in the ORCA-2 trial and look forward to completing enrollment by the middle of the year," commented John Bencich, Chief Executive Officer of Achieve. "We will continue to focus our efforts on execution of the Phase 3, ensuring all required NDA-enabling activities remain on track, and furthering our discussions with potential strategic partners to prepare for cytisinicline commercialization."

Phase 3 ORCA-2 Trial
The Phase 3 ORCA-2 trial continues to enroll at 17 clinical sites in the United States. Approximately 750 adult smokers will be randomized to one of three study arms to determine the efficacy and safety of cytisinicline administered for either six or twelve weeks, compared to placebo. The primary endpoint is biochemically verified continuous abstinence during the last four weeks of treatment in the six and twelve-week cytisinicline treatment arms compared to placebo. Each treatment arm will be compared independently to the placebo arm and the trial will be determined to be successful if either or both of the cytisinicline treatment arms show a statistical benefit compared to placebo. The trial is expected to complete enrollment by the middle of 2021.

ORCA-1 Results Published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Results from the Phase 2b ORCA-1 trial were published in the scientific journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. ORCA-1 evaluated the efficacy and safety of cytisinicline across various dosing and administration schedules in 254 smokers in the United States. The publication reported that subjects treated with cytisinicline, regardless of dose or schedule, had statistically significantly higher (p<0.001) end of treatment abstinence rates compared to those treated with placebo. Participants in the 3.0 mg cytisinicline 3 times daily (TID) arm, were five times more likely to quit smoking than those in the placebo arm (OR of 5.04, 95% CI: 1.42, 22.32, p<0.001). Cytisinicline was well-tolerated with no serious or severe adverse events (AEs) reported.

Appointment of Drs. Martell and Jacobs to Board of Directors
Achieve announced the appointment of two new members to Achieve’s Board of Directors, Dr. Bridget Martell and Dr. Cindy Jacobs. Dr. Martell is board certified in both Internal and Addiction Medicine and is an experienced executive leader in the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Jacobs serves as Achieve’s President and Chief Medical Officer, and in addition to her Board of Directors duties, will continue in her current role leading Achieve’s regulatory and clinical development efforts for cytisinicline.

RAUORA Trial Results Published in Addiction
Results from the Phase 3 RAUORA trial were published in the scientific journal Addiction. RAUORA evaluated the effectiveness and safety of cytisinicline compared to Chantix (varenicline) as a smoking cessation aid in 679 indigenous New Zealanders (Māori). The published results indicate that cytisinicline met the pre-specified non-inferiority endpoint, and was trending towards superiority with an Absolute Risk Difference of +4.29 in favor of cytisinicline (95% CI -0.22 to 8.79), and a 55% improvement in quit rates at six months in favor of cytisinicline when compared to Chantix. A Bayesian analysis of the primary efficacy outcome is ongoing. Additionally, statistically significant fewer overall AEs were reported in cytisinicline-treated subjects (Relative Risk 0.56, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.65, p<0.001) including a significantly lower rate of nausea when compared to subjects on Chantix.

Financial Results
As of March 31, 2021, the company’s cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash was $29.7 million. Total operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $8.0 million. Total net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $8.0 million.

As of May 13, 2021, Achieve had 6,164,360 shares outstanding.

Conference Call Details
Achieve will host a conference call at 4:30 pm Eastern time today, Thursday, May 13, 2021. To access the webcast, log on to the investor relations page of the Achieve website at View Source Alternatively, access to the live conference call is available by dialing (877) 472-9809 (U.S. & Canada) or (629) 228-0791 (International) and referencing conference ID 6096445. A webcast replay will be available approximately two hours after the call and will be archived on the website for 90 days.

On May 13, 2021 Regulus Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: RGLS), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs (the "Company" or "Regulus"), reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 and provided a corporate update (Press release, Regulus, MAY 13, 2021, View Source [SID1234579923]).

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"We are excited about the data we recently announced from the first cohort of our phase 1b clinical trial of RGLS4326 for the treatment of patients with ADPKD where we saw mean increases of greater than 50% and 20% in Polycystin 1 (PC1) and Polycystin 2 (PC2), respectively. PC1 and PC2 are the products of the PKD1 and PKD2 genes, and are depressed in patients with this disease. The trends for both suggest that with continued therapy, higher levels of these proteins may be attainable and less frequent dosing required. Additionally, RGLS4326 was well tolerated by all nine patients with no serious adverse events reported", stated Jay Hagan, CEO of Regulus. "Data from the first cohort provides the safety and pharmacokinetic data needed to complete the modeled safety margins. We plan to submit these data to FDA this summer in the context of our discussions regarding the remaining partial clinical hold requirements."

Program Updates

RGLS4326 for ADPKD: In February 2021, the Company completed enrollment in the first cohort of a Phase 1b clinical study for RGLS4326 in patients with ADPKD (The "Phase 1b"). The Phase 1b is an adaptive design, open-label, multiple dose study in up to three cohorts of patients with ADPKD. The study is designed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and changes in levels of PC1 and PC2 in patients with ADPKD administered RGLS4326 every other week for a total of four doses. The dose level for the first cohort is 1 mg/kg of RGLS4326 and the dose level for the second cohort is 0.3 mg/kg. The third and final cohort will be dosed at a level to be determined based on the results of the first two cohorts. In May 2021, the Company announced top-line results from the first cohort of patients with ADPKD in its ongoing Phase 1b clinical trial of RGLS4326.

In the first cohort, nine patients were enrolled and received 1 mg/kg of RGLS4326 subcutaneously every other week for four doses. Safety, pharmacokinetics, and certain disease related biomarkers were evaluated through the course of the study. The biomarkers included: PC1 and PC2, kidney injury marker 1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), as well as urea and creatinine and were chosen to evaluate changes in disease related measures.

Measured levels of PC1 and PC2 increased greater than 50% and 20%, respectively by the end of study compared to baseline levels. Regulus believes these initial data demonstrate that RGLS4326 engages the target miR-17 leading to increased expression of the PKD1 and PKD2 genes and the resultant increases in measured polycystin levels. Measured levels of PC1 and PC2 have been shown to inversely correlate with disease severity and are believed to be directly linked to the underlying genetic drivers of the disease. The overall trend in polycystin showed increasing levels of both PC1 and PC2 over time with a sustained effect suggesting less frequent dosing could be utilized. Importantly, at the time of the analysis, patient mutational status was not known and may further contribute to understanding differences in response rates. Approximately 85% of patients with ADPKD are reported to have a mutation in the PKD1 gene, while the remaining 15% have a mutation in the PKD2 gene. Additionally, the PKD1 gene has one predicted binding site for miR-17 while the PKD2 gene has two predicted binding sites for miR-17, potentially contributing to different response rates between the biomarkers.

RGLS4326 was well tolerated by all nine patients with no serious adverse events reported. All reported adverse events were mild and generally transient in nature.

Overall, the pharmacokinetic profile of RGLS4326 in patients with ADPKD was similar to that observed in a prior healthy volunteer study. Concentrations of RGLS4326 in plasma were greater in patients (Cmax ~ 3 ug/mL) relative to healthy volunteers (Cmax ~ 2 ug/mL), suggesting a lower dose in patients could achieve the desired exposure in the kidney, the target organ of interest.

Data from this first cohort is planned to be submitted for presentation at PKD Connect in June 2021 and at Kidney Week, the American Society of Nephrology annual meeting being held in November 2021.

Corporate Highlights

Lease Agreement for New Corporate Headquarters Executed and Relocation Completed: In February 2021, we entered into a lease agreement (the "New Lease") for 13,438 square feet located at 4224 Campus Point Court, Suite 210, San Diego, California, 92121, which is to be used as our new principal offices and laboratory for research and development. The move into the space leased under the New Lease was completed in April 2021. Concurrently with the New Lease, we assigned the lease to the space that had served as our previous corporate headquarters, and have no remaining obligations associated with the previous corporate headquarters lease after April 2021.

Financial Results

Cash Position: As of March 31, 2021, Regulus had $31.6 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: Research and development expenses were $3.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $3.1 million for the same period in 2020. These amounts reflect internal and external costs associated with advancing our clinical and preclinical pipeline.

General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $2.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $2.4 million for the same period in 2020. These amounts reflect personnel-related and ongoing general business operating costs.

Net Loss: Net loss was $6.0 million, or $0.08 per share (basic and diluted), for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $5.9 million, or $0.25 per share (basic and diluted), for the same period in 2020.

About ADPKD

ADPKD, caused by the mutations in the PKD1 or PKD2 genes, is among the most common human monogenic disorders and a leading cause of end-stage renal disease. The disease is characterized by the development of multiple fluid filled cysts primarily in the kidneys, and to a lesser extent in the liver and other organs. Excessive kidney cyst cell proliferation, a central pathological feature, ultimately leads to end-stage renal disease in approximately 50% of ADPKD patients by age 60.

About RGLS4326

RGLS4326 is a novel oligonucleotide designed to inhibit miR-17 and preferentially target the kidney. Preclinical studies with RGLS4326 have demonstrated direct regulation of Pkd1 and Pkd2, reduction of cyst growth in human in vitro ADPKD models, and attenuation of cyst proliferation and improvement of kidney function in mouse models of ADPKD. The RGLS4326 IND is currently on a partial clinical hold for treatment of extended duration by FDA until the second set of requirements outlined by the agency have been satisfactorily addressed. The Company will use information from the Phase 1 clinical studies, including the first cohort of the Phase 1b together with information from the recently completed additional nonclinical studies generated in 2020, in its plan to address the second set of requirements outlined in the Partial Clinical Hold letter to support studies of extended duration. Regulus plans to discuss its approach to addressing the remaining Partial Clinical Hold requirements with FDA in mid-2021. RGLS4326 received orphan drug designation from FDA in July 2020.

On May 13, 2021 Humanigen, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGEN) ("Humanigen"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on preventing and treating an immune hyper-response called ‘cytokine storm’ with its lead drug candidate, lenzilumab, reported financial results for the first quarter ending March 31, 2021 and provided a regulatory update on lenzilumab (Press release, Humanigen, MAY 13, 2021, View Source [SID1234579922]).

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"We are encouraged by the achievements Humanigen has made since the beginning of 2021 and by our progress on the emergency use authorization application," stated Cameron Durrant, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Humanigen. "We successfully completed our Phase 3 study of lenzilumab, referred to as LIVE-AIR, for the treatment of newly hospitalized and hypoxic COVID-19 patients. Trial results showed that patients who received lenzilumab and other treatments, including steroids and/or remdesivir, had a 54% greater relative likelihood of survival without the need for IMV compared with patients receiving placebo and other treatments. We believe this statistically significant result, along with data regarding additional endpoints and further analysis from the study, support the submission of applications for emergency use authorization to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and conditional marketing authorization in the United Kingdom and the European Union. As is typical with COVID-19 study results, a pre-print of the LIVE-AIR study was published on-line. Positive results from the Phase 1b study of lenzilumab in combination with CAR-T gave further encouragement to our therapeutic approach to breaking the linkage between efficacy and toxicity in CAR-T, and we are designing a Phase 2 study of lenzilumab combined with all commercially available CD19 CAR-T therapies in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients."

Highlights from the First Quarter of 2021 Include:

Clinical – Lenzilumab in COVID-19

The Phase 3 results from the LIVE-AIR study were announced, demonstrating that lenzilumab improves survival without the need for mechanical ventilation in hospitalized, hypoxic patients with COVID-19.
Results from the LIVE-AIR Phase 3 study were published in MedRxiv, (View Source) showing additional analysis from the trial, including patients treated with remdesivir and/or steroids, and a second analysis which showed patients under 85 years of age with C-reactive protein ("CRP"), a widely-utilized inflammatory marker, less than 150 mg/L, derived the greatest benefit of treatment with lenzilumab.
With the report of positive top-line results from the LIVE-AIR study in March 2021, the company met the first of two specified milestones under the South Korea license agreement with KPM Tech Co., Ltd. and its affiliate, Telcon RF Pharmaceutical, Inc., and received $6.0 million (or $4.5 million net of withholding taxes and other fees and royalties) in the second quarter of 2021.
In preparation for potential launch under emergency use authorization ("EUA") and conditional marketing authorization ("CMA"), Humanigen entered into several supply agreements with contract manufacturing organizations ("CMOs") to supply bulk drug, fill/finish, and commercial packaging.
Clinical – CAR-T and Oncology

The positive data from the Phase 1 study of ifabotuzumab in glioblastoma multiforme was presented at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2021.
The CAR-T Phase 1b study results in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma("DLBCL") with lenzilumab were announced, showing 100% Objective Response Rate ("ORR") and no severe cytokine release syndrome or severe neurotoxicity at the recommended dose.
With the positive Phase 1b results, the company terminated its clinical collaboration agreement with Kite, a Gilead Company, and announced plans to initiate a Phase 2 study with all commercially available CD19 CAR-T therapies for DLBCL patients.
Corporate

Dr. Adrian Kilcoyne was appointed to the newly created role of Chief Medical Officer.
Entered into a loan facility with Hercules Capital which will provide the company up to $80 million of secured debt financing.
The company launched a public offering of common stock which closed after quarter-end, resulting in net proceeds to Humanigen of $94.1 million.
Two patents were issued for the use of lenzilumab, expanding the company’s anti-GM-CSF patent portfolio.
Lenzilumab Regulatory Update

The company recently held a meeting with FDA to discuss the filing of an EUA for lenzilumab for hospitalized, hypoxic COVID-19 patients, where topline data from the LIVE-AIR study were reviewed, along with the timeline for submission of additional clinical and manufacturing data for lenzilumab. The company plans to submit an EUA application at the end of May 2021. The company has also been in discussion with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency ("MHRA") for the use of lenzilumab in COVID-19 patients in the United Kingdom and plans to initiate a rolling CMA submission before the end of the second quarter of 2021. The company also plans to submit for CMA to the European Medicines Agency ("EMA") for the use of lenzilumab in the European Union. Further, the company is reviewing the possibility of similar submissions for approval or compassionate use in other territories or countries worldwide.

The company intends to submit a Biologics License Application ("BLA") to FDA in 2022, for the use of lenzilumab in hospitalized, hypoxic COVID-19 patients. Since BLAs typically require more than one study, the company is currently evaluating the extent to which ACTIV-5/BET-B may serve as a basis for a BLA-confirmatory study for lenzilumab.

First Quarter Ended March 31, 2021 Financial Results

Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $65.6 million or $1.25 per share as compared to $2.5 million or $0.11 per share for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase in net loss for the first quarter 2021 as compared to the first quarter 2020 was largely due to an increase in total expenses, mainly Research and Development expense ("R&D") of $59.2 million from $0.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 to $59.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase in R&D is primarily due to an increase of $51.4 million of expense in lenzilumab manufacturing costs and $7.5 million for clinical trial expenses related to the LIVE-AIR study, both of which began after the first quarter of 2020. The costs incurred for the production of lenzilumab will continue to be included in R&D until lenzilumab is authorized or approved for commercial use, at which point the amounts expended for production will be classified as inventory.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Net cash used in operating activities, net of balance sheet changes, was $35.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the company raised net proceeds of $36.1 million from the sale of shares of common stock under its At-the-Market offering program. The company drew the first tranche of $25.0 million under its credit facility with Hercules Capital, providing net proceeds of $24.4 million. As of March 31, 2021, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $92.9 million. The company also completed a public offering in the second quarter of 2021 with net proceeds of $94.1 million. The proforma balance of cash and cash equivalents at March 31, 2021 with the proceeds from the public offering is $187.0 million. The company expects to continue to use its funds on development and manufacturing of lenzilumab in anticipation of its potential commercialization under EUA or other conditional marketing authorizations. In the second quarter of 2021 the company anticipates the amount of spending on lenzilumab production will be at least the same level as the first quarter of 2021. If an EUA or CMA for lenzilumab is not received by mid-2021, the company will seek to decrease or eliminate spending on the production of lenzilumab for commercial use.

On May 13, 2021 CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAY), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for liver and other chronic diseases with high unmet need, reported corporate updates and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 (Press release, CymaBay Therapeutics, MAY 13, 2021, View Source [SID1234579921]).

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In May 2021, CymaBay strengthened its management team with the additions of Dr. Dennis Kim as Chief Medical Officer and Lewis Stuart as Chief Commercial Officer. CymaBay also continued to make significant progress conducting the development program for seladelpar in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). With clinical sites activated in North America and Europe, patient recruitment is underway in RESPONSE, a global Phase 3 registrational study evaluating seladelpar in patients with PBC. In addition, CymaBay continued to conduct enrollment activities for ASSURE, an open-label, long-term study of seladelpar in patients with PBC intended to collect additional safety data to support registration.

Sujal Shah, President and CEO of CymaBay, stated, "I’m excited to announce the addition of two key executives to our management team, Dr. Dennis Kim as Chief Medical Officer and Lewis Stuart as Chief Commercial Officer. Dennis and Lewis are both experienced biopharma industry executives who will further complement our team and provide leadership in our growing clinical and commercial organizations. We also continued to make progress with RESPONSE, our registrational study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of seladelpar in patients with PBC. In addition to our core focus in PBC, we are excited about other early-stage pipeline candidates, with more updates to share in the coming months."

Recent Corporate Highlights

Hired Dr. Dennis Kim as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Kim is a physician-scientist trained in endocrinology who brings significant clinical development and executive experience in emerging biotech environments from companies such as Amylin, Orexigen and Zafgen. Dr. Kim is well suited to articulate the science, medicine, and opportunities of our programs to broad audiences including medical experts, investigators, patient groups, investors, and analysts. Dr. Kim will lead all clinical-related functions including development, clinical operations, biometrics, and medical affairs.

Hired Lewis Stuart as Chief Commercial Officer, an executive who brings a diverse set of experiences launching products in both the pharmaceutical and molecular diagnostics healthcare sectors. Mr. Stuart brings more than 25 years of experience leading the marketing, sales, market access, and other commercial functions at successful biotech companies and has launched new therapies in women’s health, oncology, metabolic, and rare diseases. Mr. Stuart will lead all aspects of CymaBay’s commercial operations, including marketing and sales.
Appointed Thomas Wiggans to the Board. Mr. Wiggans is a biopharma industry veteran, who brings extensive experience and insight having previously served as CEO and leading companies such as Dermira, Peplin, and Connectics from development through commercialization.
Appointed Janet Dorling to the Board. Ms. Dorling is a senior commercial executive at Gilead, who previously served as Chief Commercial Officer at CymaBay and Achaogen and held prior executive and senior leadership positions in the commercial organization at Roche/Genentech.
Conducted enrollment activities for RESPONSE, a 52-week, placebo-controlled, randomized, global, Phase 3 registrational study evaluating the safety and efficacy of seladelpar in patients with PBC. This study is targeting enrollment of 180 patients who have an inadequate response to, or intolerance to, ursodeoxycholic acid, in a 2:1 randomization to oral, once daily seladelpar 10 mg or placebo. The primary outcome measure is the responder rate at 52 weeks. A responder is defined as a patient who achieves an alkaline phosphatase level < 1.67 times the upper limit of normal with at least a 15% decrease from baseline and has a normal level of total bilirubin. Additional key outcomes of efficacy will compare the rate of normalization of alkaline phosphatase at 52 weeks and the level of pruritus at 6-months for patients with moderate to severe pruritus at baseline assessed by a numerical rating scale recorded with an electronic diary.
Conducted enrollment activities for ASSURE, an open-label, long-term study of seladelpar in patients with PBC intended to collect additional long-term safety data to support registration.
Initiated enrollment in a Phase 2a proof-of-pharmacology study to evaluate the potential for MBX-2982, a GPR119 agonist, to prevent hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The study is being conducted by the AdventHealth Translational Research Institute (TRI) in Orlando, Florida and fully funded by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust with CymaBay retaining full rights to MBX-2982.
Continued executing a single and multiple ascending dose pharmacokinetic study of CB-0406 in healthy subjects to establish its pharmacokinetics, safety, and maximum tolerated dose. CB-0406 is a non-agonist ligand of PPARg that attenuates the expression of inflammatory genes.

Held $125.5 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as of March 31, 2021. We believe that cash and investments are sufficient to fund CymaBay’s current operating plan into mid-2022.

Due to the ongoing effects of the global coronavirus pandemic, CymaBay continues to conduct its operations remotely for all employees, which has allowed business activities to continue as seamlessly as possible. CymaBay continues to closely monitor pandemic developments and their associated risks to the business, including the conduct of its clinical development of seladelpar, and will continue to take actions to mitigate them where possible. Further, all CymaBay’s actions will continue to be guided by a commitment to ensuring the health and safety of its employees as well as patients enrolled in its clinical studies.
First Quarter Ended March 31, 2021 Financial Results

Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 were $12.4 million and $9.5 million, respectively. Research and development expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2021 were higher than the corresponding periods in 2020 primarily due to an increase in clinical trial activities following our resumption of clinical development of seladelpar in PBC in late 2020. In particular, cost increases were primarily driven by the enrollment activities associated with RESPONSE and ASSURE, our two new global late-stage clinical trials in PBC. In the three months ended March 31, 2020, costs incurred were primarily associated with the termination and shutdown of our Phase 3 PBC, Phase 2b NASH, and Phase 2 PSC clinical trials, and other studies, after the seladelpar development program was placed on hold from November 2019 through July 2020.

General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 were $5.2 million and $4.4 million, respectively. General and administrative expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2021 were higher than the corresponding period in 2020 due to higher employee compensation associated with the hiring of additional personnel upon resumption of development of seladelpar in the second half of 2020.

Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 was $17.6 million and $13.1 million, or ($0.25) and ($0.19) per diluted share, respectively. Net loss was higher largely due to increases in clinical operating expenses which were incurred following the resumption of our clinical development of seladelpar in PBC during the second half of 2020. We expect our operating expenses to increase in 2021 as we continue to execute on our clinical development plans.
Conference Call Details

CymaBay will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss first quarter 2021 financial results and provide a business update. To access the live conference call, please dial 877-407-0784 from the U.S. and Canada, or 201-689-8560 internationally, Conference ID# 13718350. To access the live and subsequently archived webcast of the conference call, go to the Investors section of the company’s website at View Source

On May 13, 2021 Bolt Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: BOLT) a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new class of immuno-oncology agents that combine the targeting precision of antibodies with the power of both the innate and adaptive immune systems, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 and provided an update on recent business highlights (Press release, Bolt Biotherapeutics, MAY 13, 2021, View Source [SID1234579920]).

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"Our successful IPO in the first quarter of 2021 places us in a position of strength to deliver on value-creating milestones in 2021 and 2022. We continue to advance our Phase 1/2 trial for our lead candidate, BDC-1001, for the treatment of patients with HER2-expressing solid tumors. We look forward to completing the monotherapy dose escalation and initiating the monotherapy Phase 2 dose expansion cohorts as well as the evaluation of combining BDC-1001 with an anti-PD-1 antibody later in 2021," said Randall C. Schatzman, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Bolt. "Beyond BDC-1001, we continue to advance our pipeline and are on track to initiate clinical trials for CEA-targeted ISAC BDC-2034 in 2022 and we expect to designate our third clinical candidate later this year."

Recent Business Highlights and Anticipated Milestones

Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $302.9 million as of March 31, 2021, which is expected to fund operations into 2023 – Bolt is well positioned to continue to drive growth across the company and advance the pipeline through key milestones, with cash to fund operations into 2023.

Completed upsized Initial Public Offering in February 2021 – In February 2021, Bolt completed its Initial Public Offering (IPO) of 13,225,000 shares of common stock, inclusive of the full exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase 1,725,000 shares, at a public offering price of $20.00 per share. Gross proceeds from the IPO were approximately $264.5 million and net proceeds from the offering, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering expenses, were approximately $242.0 million.

Presented on the HER2-targeting Boltbody ISAC BDC-1001 in the "New Drugs on the Horizon" symposium and in a trial-in-progress poster in April at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Virtual Annual Meeting

At AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)’s New Drugs on the Horizon symposium, Bolt’s Chief Scientific Officer David Dornan, Ph.D. presented key data-driven decisions made during the development of Bolt’s lead program, BDC-1001, a novel HER2-targeting ISAC. Dr. Dornan’s presentation included a discussion of immunosuppression mediated by various cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), as well as the tumor-supportive nature of antigen presenting cells (APCs) in the TME in preclinical models. Reawakening these immunosuppressed APCs can result in a productive and durable anti-tumor immune response, as evidenced by BDC-1001 achieving complete tumor regression in preclinical tumor models.
A Trial in Progress poster was also presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) by Manish R. Sharma, M.D. of START Midwest, a principal investigator in Bolt’s ongoing BDC-1001 Phase 1/2 trial. The poster detailed the design of the four-part study evaluating BDC-1001 administered intravenously with or without an immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting PD-1 in up to 390 patients with HER2-expressing or HER2-amplified advanced or metastatic solid tumors. The dose escalation parts will evaluate sequential doses of BDC-1001 as a monotherapy or in combination with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor in a 3+3 design, with the ability to backfill up to a total of 15 patients in each dose cohort. The dose expansion parts will evaluate the recommended Phase 2 dose as monotherapy or in combination with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor in four cohorts of patients. Bolt expects to provide a further update on the trial sometime in the second half of 2021.
Upcoming Events

At the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, Manish R. Sharma, M.D. of START Midwest, a principal investigator in Bolt’s ongoing BDC-1001 Phase 1/2 trial will present a poster entitled "Preliminary results from a Phase 1/2 study of BDC-1001, a novel HER2 targeting TLR7/8 immune-stimulating antibody conjugate (ISAC), in patients (pts) with advanced HER2-expressing solid tumors." This poster will provide more details on the initial 20 patients treated with BDC-1001, as of the initial data cutoff date of January 29, 2021.
First Quarter 2021 Financial Results

Cash Position – Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $302.9 million as of March 31, 2021, compared to $22.8 million as of December 31, 2020. Bolt expects its cash balance to fund operations into 2023.

Research and Development (R&D) Expenses – R&D expenses were $14.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, compared to $6.8 million for the same quarter in 2020. The increase in R&D spending in the comparative periods was due primarily to increased manufacturing of BDC-1001 and BDC-2034 (CEA-targeting Boltbody ISAC program), increased personnel-related expenses due to additional hiring and increased facility-related expenses and outside services.

General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses – G&A expenses were $4.3 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, compared to $2.1 million for the same quarter in 2020. The increase in G&A spending in the comparative periods was due primarily to increased personnel-related expenses due to additional hiring and increased accounting and legal fees associated with the Company’s Initial Public Offering which was completed in February 2021.

Loss from Operations – Loss from operations was $24.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 compared to $8.6 million for the same quarter in 2020.