Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Reports Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results & Company Update

On August 10, 2021 Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CPIX), a specialty pharmaceutical company, reported a company update and second quarter 2021 financial results (Press release, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, AUG 10, 2021, View Source;company-update-301352063.html [SID1234586262]). Net revenues from continuing operations during the quarter were $9.1 million and totaled $19.6 million for the first half of 2021. The company also recorded an additional $500,000 in revenue during the second quarter and $1 million year to date, associated with divested product rights for two brands it is no longer distributing.

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While there was a slight decline in revenues during the second quarter 2021 compared to the prior year period, net revenues for the first half of 2021 were up 9.3% compared to the same period in 2020. The Company also posted year-to-date net income of $1.4 million during the first half of 2021, compared to a loss of $2 million during the prior year period.

The Company’s financial position included $89 million in total assets, with $26 million in cash, $41 million of total liabilities, and $48 million of shareholders’ equity at the end of the quarter.

"Cumberland continued to face headwinds due to the pandemic, but we are fortunate to have a diversified product portfolio that helped us counter the negative effects on our business," said A.J. Kazimi, Chief Executive Officer of Cumberland Pharmaceuticals. "We have adjusted our strategies and reinvented the way we operate in order to support our customers and the patients who can benefit from the delivery of our medicines."

RECENT COMPANY DEVELOPMENTS:

ESG Report

In July 2021, Cumberland released its second annual Sustainability Report (the "ESG Report"), which details the Company’s activities pertaining to environmental, social and governance ("ESG") matters. After issuing an inaugural ESG report last year, the Company remains committed to sustainability and to maintaining transparency of its corporate operations. As the largest biopharmaceutical company founded and headquartered in the Mid-South, Cumberland holds itself to the highest standards of ethical practices and understands the importance of recognizing and addressing the Company’s impact on its constituents, the community and the environment.

The ESG Report notes that in 2020, Cumberland provided nearly 2.5 million patient doses of its products, safely disposed of over 4,000 pounds of expired and damaged products and had no product recalls. The Company also had no brands that were listed on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ("FDA") MedWatch Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products, no brand issues that were identified by the FDA from their Adverse Event Reporting System and no clinical trials that were terminated due to failure to practice good clinical standards.

The ESG Report also highlights several initiatives Cumberland implemented as part of its commitment to delivering high-quality pharmaceutical products to improve patient care. For example, the Company continued a program to serialize all commercial products sold in the United States, allowing it to track every unit distributed, which helps to prevent counterfeit drugs from entering the market under the Cumberland brand. In addition, through its coupon program, Cumberland covers up to 90% of patient prescription costs for the Company’s gastrointestinal products.

The ESG Report also highlights Cumberland’s investment in its employees through continuing education programs, employee development initiatives and employee recognition awards. Cumberland’s workforce is 46% women – and 18% of the Company’s employees are minorities.

Vibativ Case Studies

In June 2021, Cumberland released a series of case reports describing the effectiveness of Vibativ (telavancin) in treating secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients – particularly those with other significant health problems, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Cumberland’s Vibativ product has been used across the country to help COVID-19 patients who develop secondary bacterial infections in their lungs. Vibativ is a patented, FDA-approved injectable anti-infective for the treatment of certain serious bacterial infections including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia that can result from COVID-19, flu and other infections.

The Company compiled a dossier of patient case studies from across the country outlining several real-world instances where Vibativ effectively and safely treated the hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia resulting from MSSA and MRSA infections that developed in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Hyponatremia Publication in Support of Vaprisol

In late 2020, the Health Outcome Predictive Evaluation (HOPE) COVID-19 Registry Analysis, an international study of over 4,000 patients, found that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had a high risk of developing hyponatremia. These COVID-19 patients also had a higher incidence of mortality due to their hyponatremia. The study results support the use of an intravenous vaptan to treat hyponatremia in critically ill patients afflicted with COVID-19.

Hyponatremia, an imbalance of serum sodium to body water, is the most common electrolyte disorder among hospitalized patients. Cumberland’s Vaprisol product is one of two branded prescription products indicated for the treatment of hyponatremia, and the only intravenously administered branded treatment. Vaprisol has a proven day one response to help normalize serum sodium levels in hyponatremic patients and move them out of the ICU as efficiently as possible.

New Chief Financial Officer Appointment

On May 17, 2021, Cumberland appointed John Hamm as its new Senior Director Finance & Accounting and Chief Financial Officer. In this role, his responsibilities include management of all the Company’s finance and accounting activities, while he continues to oversee corporate development and legal matters.

Mr. Hamm has more than 25 years of finance and accounting experience, including 20 years in health care. He previously held the positions of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Pharmacy at HealthSpring, Inc., a managed care organization now operating as Cigna-HealthSpring.

He was also the Vice President Finance at Emdeon Business Services. Emdeon Inc., a healthcare technology firm that now operates as Change Healthcare Inc., a NASDAQ listed company with over $3 billion in annual revenues.

Mr. Hamm holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting from Wheeling University. He earned his Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from West Virginia University. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Financial Manager (CFM).

Prior to this new appointment, Mr. Hamm served as Cumberland’s Director Corporate Development.

Paycheck Protection Program

On April 20, 2020, Cumberland received a loan from Pinnacle Bank in the aggregate amount of $2,187,140 pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the "PPP") under the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act"), which was enacted March 27, 2020. The PPP is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA").

Pursuant to the PPP requirements, loan funds were used to maintain payroll, continue group health care benefits, and pay for rent and utilities during the pandemic. Cumberland applied for this loan after carefully considering, with Pinnacle Bank, the eligibility criteria to participate in this program, and determining that it met those criteria. The Company evaluated and provided information on its payroll and other qualifying expenses to determine the amount of PPP funds to apply for. Due to assistance from the PPP loan, the Company did not lay off or furlough any employees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the terms of the PPP, certain amounts of the loan may be forgiven if they are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act. Cumberland used the PPP loan funds for such qualifying expenses. In October 2020, Cumberland submitted a request for the loan’s forgiveness and on June 11, 2021, the Company received a formal notice from the SBA that the full amount of the loan was forgiven.

RediTrex Launch

During late 2018, Cumberland completed the submission of and filed with the FDA a New Drug Application for its RediTrex methotrexate injection product. RediTrex is a new line of pre-filled syringes specifically designed for ease of handling and dosing accuracy for the subcutaneous administration of methotrexate in patients with arthritis and psoriasis.

In December 2019, the Company received FDA approval for RediTrex and began planning for the launch of the product line. Cumberland provided initial shipments of RediTrex to accounts in November 2020 and is planning to launch the product line nationally in late September 2021.

Ifetroban Phase II Studies

Cumberland is sponsoring Phase II clinical programs to evaluate its ifetroban product candidates in 1) patients with cardiomyopathy associated with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare, fatal, genetic neuromuscular disease that results in deterioration of the skeletal, heart and lung muscles, 2) Systemic Sclerosis or scleroderma, a debilitating autoimmune disorder characterized by diffuse fibrosis of the skin and internal organs and 3) Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease, a severe form of asthma.

In addition, the Company has completed two pilot Phase II studies involving 1) patients suffering from Hepatorenal Syndrome, a life-threatening condition involving liver and kidney failure and 2) patients with Portal Hypertension that is associated with chronic liver disease.

Additional pilot preclinical and clinical studies of ifetroban are underway, including several investigator-initiated trials.

Enrollment in these clinical studies was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While enrollment of new patients has been limited in 2021, many of the clinical study sites have reopened and resumed screening of patients for potential enrollment into the studies. Cumberland is awaiting results from the studies underway before deciding on the best development path for the registration of ifetroban, the Company’s first new chemical entity.

FINANCIAL RESULTS:

Net Revenues: For the three months ended June 30, 2021, net revenues from ongoing operations were $9.1 million, compared to $9.6 million for the prior year period. The company also recorded an additional $500,000 in revenue during the second quarter associated with divested rights to products that the company no longer distributes.

Net revenue by product for the second quarter 2021 included $5.3 million for Kristalose, $1.8 million for Vibativ, $0.9 million for Caldolor and $0.4 million for Vaprisol.

Year-to-date 2021 net revenues were $19.6 million, compared to $17.9 million during the first half of 2020. There were additional revenues of $1 million during the first six months of 2021 associated with the divested product rights.

Year-to-date 2021 net revenues by product were $8.3 million for Kristalose, $6.9 million for Vibativ, $2.5 million for Caldolor and $1.5 million for Vaprisol.

Operating Expenses: Total operating expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2021 were $10.5 million, compared to $11.2 million during the prior year period.

Earnings: Net income for the second quarter 2021 was $1.2 million, or $0.08 a share, compared to a loss of $0.9 million, or $0.06 a share for the prior year period. The adjusted loss for the second quarter was $16,000, compared to an adjusted loss of $120,000 for the prior year period.

Year-to-date net income in 2021 was $1.4 million, compared to a loss of $2 million during the first six months of 2020. Adjusted earnings for the first half of 2021 were $1 million, compared to an adjusted loss of $0.5 million during the same period in 2020.

Balance Sheet: At June 30, 2021, Cumberland had $88.9 million in total assets, including $25.7 million in cash and cash equivalents. Total liabilities were $41 million, including $14 million outstanding on the Company’s revolving line of credit, resulting in total shareholders’ equity of $48 million.

CONFERENCE CALL & WEBCAST:

A conference call and live internet webcast will be held on Tuesday, August 10, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results. To participate in the call, please dial 877-303-1298 (for U.S. callers) or 253-237-1032 (for international callers). A rebroadcast of the teleconference will be available for one week and can be accessed by dialing 855-859-2056 (for U.S. callers) or 404-537-3406 (for international callers). The Conference ID for the rebroadcast is 3985462. The live webcast and rebroadcast can be accessed via Cumberland’s website at View Source

Regulus Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results and Recent Updates

On August 10, 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 second quarter ended June 30, 2021 and provided a corporate update (Press release, Regulus, AUG 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234586261]).

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"The team at Regulus accomplished a lot over the last several months, including the achievement of several major milestones in our ADPKD program, the completion of meeting preparations with FDA and extending our cash runway into Q4 of next year," commented Jay Hagan, CEO of Regulus. "In addition, we are pleased to have completed enrollment of the second cohort of our Phase 1b trial of RGLS4326 for ADPKD, for which we expect to report topline data in the next several months. Additionally, we look forward to obtaining FDA feedback on our approach for addressing the remaining partial clinical hold requirements through our meeting request."

Program Updates

RGLS4326 for ADPKD: In June 2021, the Company presented additional data from the first cohort of patients in its Phase 1b clinical trial of RGLS4326 for the treatment of ADPKD, as well as new preclinical data from relevant animal models of the disease, at PKD Connect 2021. The additional data presented at PKD Connect demonstrated clinical proof of mechanism by showing statistically significant increases in polycystin levels in ADPKD patients by targeting miR-17 in the kidneys. Levels of PC1 and PC2 have previously been shown to be inversely correlated with disease severity. RGLS4326 was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events.

The Phase 1b study is an adaptive design, open-label, multiple dose study in up to three cohorts of patients with ADPKD evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics, and effects on pharmacodynamic biomarkers of multiple doses of RGLS4326. In the first cohort of the study, nine patients were enrolled and received four doses of 1mg/kg of RGLS4326 administered every other week.

The Company also presented new data from relevant preclinical models showing treatment with RGLS4326 resulted in increased gene and polycystin levels in vitro. Improvements in key disease markers including serum creatinine and BUN were demonstrated in the Pkd1(F/RC) mouse model that harbors a mutation in the Pkd1 gene equivalent to human ADPKD. Mutation to the Pkd1 gene is reported for 85% of diagnosed patients with ADPKD.

In late July 2021, the Company completed enrollment of the second cohort of patients in its Phase 1b clinical study of RGLS4326. The patients in the second cohort are being administered 0.3mg/kg of RGLS4326 every other week for four doses. The dose of RGLS4326 for the third and final cohort will be chosen based on the results of this second cohort and enrollment is expected to commence thereafter. The Company expects to report topline data from the second cohort in the fourth quarter.

The Company requested a Type A meeting with FDA to discuss the data supporting its approach to addressing the remaining partial clinical hold requirements. FDA typically responds to a sponsor’s request with the meeting being scheduled within 30 days from the receipt of the meeting request.

Corporate Highlights

Raised $15.4 Million in Gross Proceeds Through its ATM Facility: A total of 12,007,546 shares were sold and settled for gross proceeds of $15.4 million at a weighted average price per share of $1.28 under the ATM facility during the three months ended June 30, 2021. The Company expects its existing cash will provide cash resources to fund planned activities into Q4 2022.

Financial Results

Cash Position: As of June 30, 2021, Regulus had $41.4 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: Research and development expenses were $4.2 million and $7.5 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively, compared to $4.2 million and $7.4 million for the same periods in 2020, respectively. 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 and $5.0 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively, compared to $2.3 million and $4.7 million for the same periods in 2020, respectively. 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), and $12.0 million, or $0.16 per share (basic and diluted), for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, compared to $6.9 million, or $0.23 per share (basic and diluted), and $12.9 million, or $0.48 per share (basic and diluted), for the same periods 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 the third quarter 2021. RGLS4326 received orphan drug designation from FDA in July 2020.

ImmVira’s MVR-T3011 IV Completed First Dosing for Intravenous Administration in a U.S. Phase I Clinical Trial

On August 10, 2021 ImmVira reported that it has initiated its lead oncolytic virus therapy program MVR-T3011 IV (also known as T3011) (Press release, Immvira, AUG 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234586259]). The first patient has been dosed, receiving MVR-T3011 intravenous (IV) administration in the U.S. on August 10, 2021. The Phase I clinical trial is being conducted at multiple well-established clinical institutions, including Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Mary Crowley Cancer Research, and Prisma Health (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04780217).

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Dr. Joy Zhu, Chief Medical Officer of ImmVira, stated that "MVR-T3011 IV officially entering clinical study is a breakthrough in the administration of the oncolytic herpes simplex virus. We are hopeful that MVR-T3011 IV will demonstrate good safety profile and promising clinical results. Systemic delivery of MVR-T3011 IV provides an opportunity to treat many advanced cancers that cannot be reached via intratumoral injection."

Dr. Joy Zhu joined ImmVira with more than 25 years of drug development experience. She held leadership positions in several biotech companies, as well as several start-up companies, including legacy SUGEN, Amgen, and Halozyme Therapeutics. Dr. Zhu has broad and in-depth experience in pre-IND planning, IND filings, and NDA submissions with the U.S. FDA and many other regulatory agencies. She was responsible for the clinical development of two blockbuster drugs, SUTENT (sunitinib malate) and XGEVA (denosumab), which are widely recognized in the broad market.

"We are excited about the prospects of IV administration of MVR-T3011 IV. After MVR-T3011 IV’s NMPA clinical trial approval in China, the completion of first dosing in the U.S. marks another significant step for ImmVira’s pipeline development. Leveraging the OvPENS new drug R&D platform aimed at next-generation cancer therapy evolution, ImmVira is expected to reshape the future of oncolytic virotherapy and bring hope to cancer patients and their families," Dr. Grace Zhou, CEO of ImmVira, concluded.

Biodesix Announces Second Quarter 2021 Results and Highlights

On August 10, 2021 Biodesix, Inc. (Nasdaq: BDSX), a leading data-driven diagnostic solutions company with a focus in lung disease, reported its financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021 and provided a corporate update (Press release, Biodesix, AUG 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234586258]).

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"It was a productive quarter with 180% year over year growth in total revenue. Our first four blood-based tests which make up our core lung diagnostic testing, grew 109% year over year and 20% over the prior quarter," said Scott Hutton, CEO of Biodesix. "We expect growth in core lung diagnostic testing to continue through 2021 driven by the U.S.’s emergence from the pandemic, productivity from our growing salesforce, and our efforts to build on the body of evidence supporting the use of our tests. Beyond our currently marketed products, we also continue to develop our Diagnostic Cortex Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform and expand our pipeline of products capable of providing broad lung diagnostics to address patients’ needs over the course of their disease. The launch of our 72-hour liquid NGS test is now projected for the first quarter of 2022 and will supplement our 36-hour VeriStrat and GeneStrat tests. With this accelerated launch and multiple studies underway for our Risk of Recurrence (ROR) and Primary Immune Response (PIR) tests as well as our ALTITUDE, BEACON, INSIGHT, and ORACLE prospective studies actively enrolling or following patients, we look forward to a productive and exciting second half of the year."

Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results

For the three-month period ended June 30, 2021, as compared to the same period of 2020 (where applicable):

Total revenue of $11.9 million, an increase of 180%;

Core lung diagnostic revenue of $4.8 million, an increase of 109%;
Continued sequential recovery from initial rapid uptake of COVID-19 immunizations.
Growth driven primarily by Nodify XL2 and Nodify CDT.
Nodify XL2 growth triggered the previously disclosed milestone resulting in a $37 million obligation payable by us over six quarterly installments of approximately $4.6 million beginning January 2022 and a final payment of approximately $9.3 million in July 2023.
COVID-19 testing revenue of $6.1 million, an increase of 345%;
Sequential quarter over quarter decline commensurate with our prior commentary as US immunizations accelerated in second quarter.
Services revenue of $1.0 million, an increase of 76%;
Clinical trial services showed improvement and we expect further recovery in clinical trial enrollments in second half of 2021.

Gross profit of $4.8 million, an increase of 103%, and gross margin percentage of 40% as compared to 56% representing a decline primarily attributable to the lower gross margin COVID-19 testing;

Operating expenses (excluding direct costs and expenses) of $15.4 million, which includes an investment in the planned expansion of our sales force, increased 93% over second quarter 2020;
On track to double size of lung focused direct and dedicated sales force in 2021.
Non-cash stock compensation expense of $0.5 million as compared to $0.1 million.
Non-cash expense for change in fair value of contingent consideration of $0.6 million as compared to a gain of $1.0 million.

Net loss of $11.4 million, an increase of 38% over second quarter of 2020; and

Maintained fiscal discipline and strong liquidity with cash and cash equivalents of $56.3 million as of June 30, 2021 and expect to qualify for PPP loan forgiveness of $3.1 million later in 2021.
For a full list of Biodesix’s press releases and webinars, please visit Biodesix.com.

Conference call and webcast information

Management will host an investor conference call and webcast today, August 10, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Indapta Therapeutics Announces New Preclinical Data Demonstrating Proprietary G-NK Cells Enhance Efficacy of Monoclonal Antibodies in Multiple Myeloma

On August 10, 2021 Indapta Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing and commercializing an NK (natural killer) cell therapy platform for the treatment of blood cancers and solid tumors, reported the publication of new preclinical data in Blood Advances demonstrating Indapta’s proprietary allogeneic FcεRIγ-deficient G-NK cells in combination with an FDA-approved monoclonal antibody (mAb) resulted in greater than 99.9% tumor reduction in a preclinical cancer regression model of multiple myeloma compared to conventional NK cells (Press release, Indapta Therapeutics, AUG 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234586257]). G-NK cells are a naturally occurring subset of NK cells that when expanded and "turbocharged" using Indapta’s proprietary manufacturing process, boost the efficacy of mAbs and can overcome the cost, inconsistency, and possible toxicities associated with autologous T-cell therapies commonly used in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

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"These results suggest Indapta’s G-NK cells have the potential to be a potent off-the-shelf NK cell therapy that could enhance the efficacy of most mAbs," said Guy DiPierro, founder and chief executive officer of Indapta. "The promising results showed G-NK cells, compared to conventional NK cells, significantly enhanced anti-tumor cell activity of two FDA-approved mAbs for multiple myeloma and were able to maintain this augmented activity, expand in vivo, and have greater persistence even after cryopreservation. Together with a simplified and consistent, high-yield commercial-scale manufacturing platform at Lonza, we have the potential to produce an NK cell therapy with outstanding efficacy at a lower cost than other engineered cell therapies."

Austin Bigley, Indapta’s vice president, research and development, said, "This data suggests our G-NK cell therapy, which has been optimized with a donor phenotyping and genotyping selection process and our propriety expansion method produces a highly functional, anti-tumor NK cell product when coupled with a therapeutic antibody."

This preclinical study examined the ability of G-NK cells to improve the efficacy of mAbs in multiple myeloma. Results from in vitro assays showed G-NK cells had six-fold higher anti-myeloma cell-killing activity compared with conventional NK cells when combined with the mAb daratumumab or elotuzumab (p<0.001). Separately, in a murine persistence study, cryopreserved G-NK cells showed more than 10 times greater persistence in peripheral blood (p<0.001) and spleen (p<0.001) compared with conventional NK cells at Day 31 post-infusion. Persistence in bone marrow was also higher (p<0.05). Additionally, in a mouse model of multiple myeloma that investigated tumor regression, the combination of G-NK cells and daratumumab led to a greater than 99.9% reduction in tumor burden compared with the combination of conventional NK cells and daratumumab (p<0.001). At Day 57 post-tumor inoculation, all seven mice treated with the G-NK cells in combination with daratumumab were alive, and the myeloma tumor burden was eliminated in five of seven mice. In contrast, no mice treated with conventional NK cells and daratumumab survived to Day 57. Further, Indapta allowed the cancer to grow for two weeks post-inoculation until therapy was started, resulting in a cancer regression model as opposed to a cancer suppression model, as is often seen in other pre-clinical NK cell models.

"We believe these findings underscore the promise of Indapta’s naturally occurring G-NK cell therapy to augment the effects of therapeutic antibodies more than conventional NK cells," said Nina Shah, M.D., study investigator and professor, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. "The data suggest that Indapta’s G-NK cell therapy have the potential to be a much needed, universal allogeneic cell source that could amplify the effect of therapeutic antibodies in patients, such as those with relapsing or refractory multiple myeloma."

Indapta plans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its G-NK cell therapy in combination with a mAb in multiple myeloma by the end of 2021 and expects to initiate clinical trials in early 2022.

About Indapta’s G-NK Cell Therapy

Indapta Therapeutics is developing a universal, allogeneic G-NK cell therapy designed to substantially improve the cytotoxicity of monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy in multiple cancers. G-NK cells are a specific and potent subset of NK (natural killer) cells with specialized anti-tumor activity resulting from an epigenetic change rather than engineering. Indapta has further enhanced G-NK cells via specific G-NK cell subset selection and its proprietary manufacturing process, which, when combined, produce a G-NK cell therapy that demonstrates higher efficacy, persistence and enhanced cryopreservation.

When a mAb binds to the tumor target and Indapta’s G-NK cell therapy, it initiates the release of dramatically more cancer-killing compounds than conventional NK cells, allowing for increased efficacy and potentially less frequent dosing. Indapta’s off-the-shelf G-NK cell therapy is further differentiated from other NK cell therapies in that it is a cell banked product with low variability. In vivo studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of Indapta’s G-NK cell therapy.