Ascendis Pharma Prices US$500.0 Million Convertible Senior Notes Offering

On March 24, 2022 Ascendis Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ASND), a biopharmaceutical company that utilizes its innovative TransCon technologies to create new product candidates that address unmet medical needs, reported the pricing of its offering of US$500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 2.25% convertible senior notes due 2028 (the "notes") in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") (Press release, Ascendis Pharma, MAR 24, 2022, View Source [SID1234610956]). The issuance and sale of the notes are scheduled to settle on March 29, 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Ascendis Pharma also granted the initial purchasers of the notes an option to purchase, for settlement within a period of 13 days from, and including, the date the notes are first issued, up to an additional US$75,000,000 aggregate principal amount of notes.

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The notes will be senior, unsecured obligations of Ascendis Pharma and will accrue interest at a rate of 2.25% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and October 1 of each year, beginning on October 1, 2022. The notes will mature on April 1, 2028, unless earlier redeemed or converted. At any time before the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date, noteholders may convert their notes at their option into Ascendis Pharma’s ordinary shares represented by American Depositary Shares (the "ADSs") (each representing one of Ascendis Pharma’s ordinary shares as of the date of this release), together, if applicable, with cash in lieu of any fractional ADS, at the then-applicable conversion rate. The initial conversion rate is 6.0118 ADSs per US$1,000 principal amount of notes, which represents an initial conversion price of approximately US$166.34 per ADS. The initial conversion price represents a premium of approximately 42.5% over the last reported sale price of US$116.73 per ADS on March 24, 2022. The conversion rate and conversion price will be subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events.

The notes will be optionally redeemable, in whole or in part (subject to certain limitations), for cash at Ascendis Pharma’s option at any time, on or after April 7, 2025, but only if the last reported sale price per ADS exceeds 130% of the conversion price for a specified period of time. In addition, the notes will be optionally redeemable, in whole and not in part, at Ascendis Pharma’s option at any time in connection with certain changes in tax law. The optional redemption price will be equal to the principal amount of the notes to be optionally redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the optional redemption date.

If a "fundamental change" (as defined in the indenture for the notes) occurs, then, subject to a limited exception, noteholders may require Ascendis Pharma to redeem their notes for cash. The fundamental change redemption price will be equal to the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the applicable fundamental change redemption date.

Ascendis Pharma estimates that the net proceeds from the offering will be approximately US$485.0 million (or approximately US$557.9 million if the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes in full), after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. Ascendis Pharma intends to use approximately US$116.7 million of the net proceeds from the offering to repurchase 1,000,000 ADSs in privately negotiated transactions effected through one of the initial purchasers or its affiliate, as Ascendis Pharma’s agent. These repurchases, and any other repurchases of the ADSs or ordinary shares, may increase, or reduce the size of a decrease in, the trading price of the ADSs and ordinary shares, and repurchases executed concurrently with the pricing of the offering may have affected the initial terms of the notes, including the initial conversion price. Ascendis Pharma intends to use the remaining net proceeds to support the commercialization and further development of TransCon hGH, to fund pre-commercialization activities and clinical development of TransCon PTH, clinical development of its other endocrinology rare disease programs and its oncology programs, including TransCon PTH, TransCon CNP, TransCon TLR7/8 Agonist and TransCon IL-2 β/γ, to identify and progress development of new product candidates, and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

The offer and sale of the notes, the ADSs issuable upon conversion of the notes and the ordinary shares represented by such ADSs have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or any other securities laws, and the notes, such ADSs and such shares cannot be offered or sold except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any other applicable securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, the notes, the ADSs issuable upon conversion of the notes or the ordinary shares represented by such ADSs, nor will there be any sale of the notes, such ADSs or such shares, in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or solicitation would be unlawful.

Panbela Provides Business Update and Reports Q4 and FY 2021 Financial Results

On March 24, 2022 Panbela Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PBLA), a clinical stage company developing disruptive therapeutics for the treatment of patients with cancer, reported that financial results for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021 (Press release, Processa Pharmaceuticals, MAR 24, 2022, View Source [SID1234610951]). Management is hosting an earnings call today at 4:30 p.m. ET.

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The fourth quarter and full year 2021 was marked by meaningful corporate, financial and clinical progress.

2021 and early 2022 Highlights:

Agreed to acquire Cancer Prevention Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CPP) setting the stage for a combined entity with an expanded pipeline addressing an estimated $5 billion aggregated market opportunity upon closing.
Initiated our ASPIRE trial – a global, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Phase II/III clinical trial of SBP-101 in combination with Gemcitabine and Nab-Paclitaxel versus Gemcitabine, Nab-paclitaxel and placebo in patients with untreated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Announced a new development program in Ovarian Cancer expected to start in the first half 2022 as the result of positive preclinical data supporting the activity of SBP-101 in ovarian cancer cell lines.
Abstracts for SBP-101 were accepted for poster presentations at both the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in January 2022 and the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in June 2021; Median overall survival of 12.53 months for the phase 1 first line metastatic pancreatic trial reached shortly after the January poster presentation.
Announced issuance of key U.S. Patent for claims of a novel, more efficient, manufacturing process for the production of SBP-101.
Closed a $10.0 million bought deal public offering of common stock on July 2, 2021.
Joined the Russell Microcap Index.
Formed a research agreement with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to further development of Panbela’s investigative agent SBP-101, including activity in cell lines outside of pancreatic cancer, biomarkers informing diagnostics and potential combination with checkpoint inhibitors.
"2021 and this year to date has been a transformative period of significant value creation for Panbela. Most recently, we entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CPP. The combined company will have an expanded pipeline addressing an estimated $5 billion aggregate market opportunity," said Jennifer K. Simpson, PhD, MSN, CRNP, President & Chief Executive Officer of Panbela. A few highlights of the transaction include adding a lead asset with a fully funded registration trial targeting familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) that is scheduled to begin this year. The acquisition also adds an ongoing Phase III trial, the PACES trial, in colon cancer survivors that is funded by National Cancer Institute in collaboration with the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG). Additionally, CPP has clinical trials in neuroblastoma, gastric cancer, and early-onset type-1 diabetes underway, each in collaboration with various cooperative groups.

"Organically, Panbela has advanced our pancreatic cancer program into a Phase II/III trial. Due to its rigor, we are optimistic that the ASPIRE trial results, if positive, could support our registration efforts. Additionally, we’ve expanded SBP-101 into ovarian cancer based on positive preclinical results. We also completed pre-clinical work for our neoadjuvant investigator-initiated trial (IIT). Through pending M&A and organic execution, Panbela is well positioned to treat more patients and increase stockholder value," continued Dr. Simpson.

Upcoming Milestones:

For the first half of 2022, we expect to announce:

Satisfaction of conditions and closing the CPP transaction
First patient enrolled in our ASPIRE trial as well as expansion outside the US
We will host a Research call to review the ovarian cancer data and ovarian cancer treatment standards
Availability of Final Data – Phase I first- line metastatic pancreatic cancer
Initiation of SBP-101 development efforts in ovarian cancer
Also, during the second half of 2022, we expect to announce the opening of the Neoadjuvant Pancreatic Cancer IIT. With the expected closing of the CPP transaction, we anticipate that additional milestones for 2022 will reflect the increased flow of planned development activity and data.

Fourth Quarter ended December 31, 2021 Financial Results

General and administrative expenses were $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to $0.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. The change is due to expenses, including legal and financial advisory fees, associated with the acquisition of CPP.

Research and development expenses were $2.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to $0.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. The change is due primarily to an increase in spending on our clinical studies as we prepared to launch the ASPIRE clinical trial, as well as manufacturing expenses for product and placebo required for this trial.

Net loss in the fourth quarter of 2021 was $3.5 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $0.9 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Total cash was $11.9 million as of December 31, 2021. Total current assets were $12.3 million and current liabilities were $2.7 million as of the same date. The company had no debt as of December 31, 2021.

Conference Call Information

To participate in this event, dial approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the call.

Webcast replay: Webcast: View Source

About: SBP-101
SBP-101 is a proprietary polyamine analogue designed to induce polyamine metabolic inhibition (PMI) by exploiting an observed high affinity of the compound for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, ovarian cancer and other tumors. The molecule has shown signals of tumor growth inhibition in clinical studies of US and Australian metastatic pancreatic cancer patients, demonstrating a median overall survival (OS) of 12.53 months which is now final, and an objective response rate (ORR) of 48%, both exceeding what is seen typically with the standard of care of gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel suggesting potential complementary activity with the existing FDA-approved standard chemotherapy regimen. In data evaluated from clinical studies to date, SBP-101 has not shown exacerbation of bone marrow suppression and peripheral neuropathy, which can be chemotherapy-related adverse events. Serious visual adverse events have been evaluated and patients with a history of retinopathy or at risk of retinal detachment will be excluded from future SBP-101 studies. The safety data and PMI profile observed in the current Panbela sponsored clinical trial provides support for continued evaluation of SBP-101 in a randomized clinical trial. For more information, please visit View Source

Ensysce Biosciences Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Earnings Release Date and Timing of Corporate Update Call

On March 24, 2022 Ensysce Biosciences, Inc. ("Ensysce" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:ENSC)(OTC PINK:ENSCW), a clinical-stage biotech company applying transformative chemistry to improve prescription drug safety and performance with a focus on reducing abuse and overdose while providing relief for those with severe pain, reported plans to release fourth quarter and full year 2021 financial results after close of market on Thursday, March 31, 2022 (Press release, Ensysce Biosciences, MAR 24, 2022, View Source [SID1234610949]).

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Corporate Update Conference Call

Management will host a corporate update conference call on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. The call will conclude with Q&A from participants.

Please dial in at least 10 minutes before the start of the call to ensure timely participation.

A playback of the call will be available through May 6, 2022 on Ensysce’s Investor Relations website at ir.ensysce.com.

Celyad Oncology Reports Full Year 2021 Financial Results and Recent Business Highlights

On March 24, 2022 Celyad Oncology SA (Euronext & Nasdaq: CYAD) (the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapies for cancer, reported its financial results for the fiscal year 2021 ended December 31, 2021 and provided a business update (Press release, Celyad, MAR 24, 2022, View Source [SID1234610948]).

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"This is a transformative time for Celyad Oncology as we work towards becoming a leading innovator in the allogeneic CAR T space. Over the past year, our team executed in evaluating our dynamic shRNA proprietary technology platform and introduced our armored CAR T franchise while delivering important updates across our CAR T pipeline. In addition, we expect our recently announced private placement with Fortress Investment Group to act as a catalyst for our corporate initiatives to advance our intellectual property and allogeneic CAR T product candidates," commented Filippo Petti, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. "Although we are facing a current challenge with the CYAD-101 Phase 1b trial, the safety of our patients is our first priority, and we are focusing our efforts on the current investigation. The situation does not take away from the important work our team is doing and we believe we can look forward to announcing exciting upcoming milestones in 2022."

Update on Clinical and Preclinical Programs

CYAD-211 – Allogeneic shRNA-based, anti-BCMA CAR T candidate for r/r MM

The dose-escalation, Phase 1 IMMUNICY-1 trial is evaluating the tolerability and clinical activity of a single infusion of CYAD-211 following preconditioning with CyFlu (cyclophosphamide and fludarabine) in patients with r/r MM.

At the 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Exposition in December 2021, the Company presented the latest clinical data from the trial that showed a good tolerability profile and evidence of clinical activity. Data showed no dose-limiting toxicities, GvHD or CAR T-related encephalopathy syndrome (CRES). There was one Grade 1 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) event and three patients experienced Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related blood disorders. Three out of 12 total patients with r/r MM evaluated for activity achieved partial response, one in each dose-level, while eight patients had stable disease. All patients had detectable CYAD-211 cells in the peripheral blood, although engraftment was short lasting.

The next segment of the IMMUNICY-1 study will evaluate CYAD-211 following enhanced lymphodepleting (eLD) regimens with the aim to improve cell expansion and persistence and potentially maximize the clinical activity of CYAD-211. In addition, the IMMUNICY-1 protocol allows for redosing of CYAD-211 in certain patients.

Enrollment in the eLD cohorts of the IMMUNICY-1 trial is ongoing with additional data expected in the second half of 2022.

CYAD-101 – Allogeneic TIM-based, NKG2D CAR T Candidate for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC).

In December 2021, the Company announced the first patient was dosed in the Phase 1b CYAD-101-002 (KEYNOTE-B79) Phase 1b trial. The CYAD-101-002 trial is part of a collaboration with MSD, a tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, through a subsidiary. The trial is evaluating the Company’s TCR Inhibitory Molecule (TIM)-based allogeneic NKG2D CAR T cell investigational therapy, CYAD-101, administered concurrently with FOLFOX chemotherapy, followed by MSD’s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), in patients with refractory mCRC with microsatellite stable/mismatch-repair proficient disease.

In February 2022, the Company voluntarily placed the Phase 1b trial on clinical hold after two fatalities occurred that presented with similar pulmonary findings. Subsequently, in March 2022, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) put the Company on a clinical hold. The Company is currently investigating these findings and evaluating any similar events in additional patients treated on study. The Company expects to provide additional updates on the trial in the future.

Celyad Oncology SA | Rue Édouard Belin 2, 1435 Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium | +32 10 39 41 00

CYAD-101 is the only investigational candidate from the Company using the TIM technology.

CYAD-203 – Preclinical allogeneic shRNA-based, IL-18-armored NKG2D CAR T for Solid Tumors

Preclinical data presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 36th Annual Meeting demonstrated enhanced anti-tumor activity of NKG2D CAR T cells when armored with the cytokine Interleukin-18 (IL-18), supporting the continued development of CYAD-203 as well as future allogeneic IL-18-armored CAR T candidates.

IND-enabling studies are currently in progress alongside production of the clinical grade vector. Submission of the IND application to the FDA for CYAD-203 is anticipated by year-end 2022.

CYAD-02 – Autologous NKG2D receptor CAR T Candidate for relapsed or refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome (r/r AML / MDS)

At the ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Exposition in December 2021, the Company presented the latest clinical data from the Phase 1 CYCLE-1 dose-escalation trial of CYAD-02 for the treatment of r/r AML / MDS.

Data from the trial showed that a single shRNA can target two independent genes (MICA/MICB) to enhance the phenotype of the CAR T cells. In addition, the dual knockdown of these genes showed a positive contribution to the initial clinical activity of CYAD-02 as well as a trend towards increased engraftment and persistence compared to our first-generation, autologous NKG2D receptor CAR T candidate, CYAD-01. A comparison of cellular kinetics for CYAD-02 and CYAD-01 trend towards increased engraftment and persistence of CYAD-02, potentially associated with the knockdown of MICA/MICB and reduced fratricide in vivo.

Upcoming Anticipated Milestones

Enrollment in the cohorts evaluating enhanced lymphodepletion is ongoing in the CYAD-211 IMMUNICY-1 trial and additional data from the trial are expected in the second half of 2022.

IND-enabling studies continue for CYAD-203, with submission of an IND application to the FDA for CYAD-203 anticipated by year-end 2022.

Full Year 2021 Financial Review

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of €30.0 million ($34.0 million).

Based on the Company’s current scope of activities, the Company estimates that its cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021, combined with the remaining access to the equity purchase agreement established with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, should be sufficient to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements until mid-2023.

The Company’s license and collaboration agreements generated no revenue in 2021 and in 2020.

Research and Development (R&D) expenses were €20.8 million in 2021 as compared to €21.5 million in 2020, a year-over-year decrease of €0.7 million. The decrease in the Company’s R&D expenses is primarily driven by the Company’s decision to discontinue the development of CYAD-01 in the fourth quarter of 2020, as well as a decrease of the expenses associated with share-based payments (non-cash expenses) related to the warrant plan offered to our employees and directors.

General and Administrative (G&A) expenses were €9.9 million in 2021 as compared to €9.3 million in 2020, an increase of €0.6 million. This increase is primarily related to higher insurances costs and consulting fees partially compensated by the decrease of the expenses associated with the share-based payments (non-cash expenses) related to the warrants plan offered to our employees and directors.

The fair value adjustment (€0.8 million) relating to the contingent consideration and other financial liabilities as of December 31, 2021 was mainly driven by updated assumptions associated with the timing of the potential commercialization of the Company’s allogenic CYAD-101 CAR T program for mCRC and autologous CYAD-02 CAR T program for r/r AML/MDS as well as to reflect the future development of the program through potential partnership. The decrease of the liability is also driven by an update to the fair value measurement based on factors such as the weighted average cost of capital, the revaluation of the U.S. dollar against the Euro and updated assumptions on probability of success associated with the Company’s CAR T programs as of December 31, 2021.

The Company’s other income is associated with grants received from the Walloon Region mainly in the form of recoverable cash advances (RCAs) and R&D tax credit income:

Grant income (RCAs): additional grant income has been recognized in 2021 on grants in the form of RCAs. According to IFRS standards, the Company has recognized grant income for the period amounting to €2.7 million and a liability component of €1.6 million is accounted for as a financial liability.

Grant income (Others): additional grant income has been recognized in 2021 on grants received from the Federal Belgian Institute for Health Insurance Inami (€0.3 million) and from the regional government (for €1.1 million), not referring to RCAs and not subject to reimbursement.

With respect to R&D tax credit, the current year income is predicated on a R&D tax credit recorded as (€0.7 million), which has been updated to take into account all information available as of this date and is in line with previous year.

In 2021, other income was partially compensated by other expenses including the remeasurement income on the RCAs of €0.3 million for the year 2021 and amendment fees associated with the Dartmouth license agreement signed in December 2021 for €1.1 million.

Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2021 was €26.5 million, or €1.70 per share, compared to a net loss of €17.2 million, or €1.23 per share, for the same period in 2020. As noted above, the increase in net loss between periods was primarily due to the decrease change in fair value of contingent consideration combined with the decrease on other income/expenses.

Net cash used in operations for the year ended December 31, 2021, which excludes non-cash effects, amounted to €26.6 million, which is in line with net cash used in operations of €27.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Annual Report 2021

The Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021 will be published on March 24, 2022, and will be available on the Company’s website, www.celyad.com. The Company’s statutory auditor, EY Bedrijfsrevisoren BV/Réviseurs d’Entreprises SRL (EY), has confirmed that the completed audit has not revealed any material misstatement in the consolidated financial statements. EY also confirmed that the accounting data reported in the press release are consistent, in all material respects, with the consolidated financial statements from which it has been derived.

Conference Call and Webcast Details

A conference call will be held on Friday, March 25th at 1:00 p.m. CET / 8:00 a.m. EDT to review the financial and operating results for full year 2021. Please dial into the call five to ten minutes prior to start time using the appropriate number below and ask to join the "Celyad Oncology SA call":

The conference call will be webcast live and archived within the "Events" section of the Celyad Oncology website.

Insilico Medicine Announces Strategic Collaboration with EQRx to Jointly Advance AI-driven Drug Discovery, Development and Commercialization for Multiple Targets

On March 24, 2022 Insilico Medicine ("Insilico"), a clinical stage end-to-end artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, reported it has entered into a strategic collaboration with EQRx, a company committed to developing and delivering innovative medicines to patients at radically lower prices (Press release, Insilico Medicine, MAR 24, 2022, View Source [SID1234610938]).

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The collaboration will combine Insilico’s Pharma.AI platform to advance de novo small molecule design and generation with EQRx’s clinical development and commercialization expertise. EQRx and Insilico will engage in a co-development partnership whereby each party will be eligible for a profit share proportional to its respective level of investment.

Pursuant to the collaboration agreement, the parties will identify and select up to three therapeutics targets leveraging Insilico’s AI-driven platform, Pharma. AI. Insilico will lead the drug discovery from small molecule hit identification through lead optimization and preclinical candidate nomination to Investigational New Drug (IND) application. EQRx will assume responsibility for driving clinical development, regulatory activities and commercialization. Insilico has the option to invest in the product candidate(s) at various clinical development stages in return for increased commercialization profits.

"Both EQRx and Insilico Medicine strive to accelerate the discovery and development of new medicines and make effective therapeutics more accessible and affordable. This partnership will combine our end-to-end AI-powered drug discovery capabilities with EQRx’s innovative partnership model and expertise in clinical development and patient access to accelerate the discovery and development of innovative therapies" said Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine.

"We are pleased to partner with Insilico Medicine, a leader in AI-based drug discovery," said Carlos Garcia-Echeverria, PhD, chief of Rx Creation at EQRx. "This collaboration will further expand our early-stage R&D efforts to fuel potential pipeline growth as we continue to apply the best of today’s innovation in biomedical sciences and digital solutions to discover high-quality, innovative and more affordable medicines."