On May 12, 2022 2seventy bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSVT), a leading immuno-oncology cell therapy company, reported financial results and recent highlights for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 (Press release, 2seventy bio, MAY 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234614340]).

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

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"2seventy bio has started 2022 in a strong position, and we’ve already begun to execute on some key clinical milestones," said Nick Leschly, chief kairos officer. "This quarter, we enrolled the first patients in clinical studies of SC-DARIC33 and bbT369. We look forward to continuing to enroll patients in these studies and providing an update at the appropriate time. In addition, we continue to focus on other foundational elements of 2seventy bio: growth of ABECMA and a sound financial position. Despite a challenging external environment, I’m pleased with the steady progress on both fronts with continued demand for ABECMA as well securing additional capital in March that we anticipate will provide cash runway into 2025. We’re proud of the momentum we’ve established as a team at 2seventy bio because we know that every day matters as we focus on delivering more time to patients with cancer and their families."

COMMERCIAL PROGRESS
Bristol Myers Squibb reported total U.S. ABECMA (idecabtagene vicleucel; ide-cel) first quarter revenues of $56 million, consistent with our 2022 plan. 2seventy bio and Bristol Myers Squibb share equally in all profits and losses related to developing, manufacturing and commercializing ABECMA in the U.S. In 2022, 2seventy anticipates total U.S. ABECMA revenues of $250-$300 million and we are continuing to track to the high end of the range bolstered by continued high demand for a proven treatment and increasing manufacturing capacity.

Demand for ABECMA is expected to continue to fully utilize the expanding manufacturing capacity throughout 2022 and 2023.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

SC-DARIC33 FIRST PATIENT ENROLLED – Last quarter, the first patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was enrolled in PLAT-08, a phase 1 study of SC-DARIC33 led by Seattle Children’s Therapeutics in relapsed or refractory pediatric and young adult AML. This is the first-in-human application of 2seventy bio’s proprietary DARIC T cell platform.
BBT369 FIRST PATIENT ENROLLED – Last quarter, the first patient with B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) was enrolled in CRC-403, a phase 1/2 study of bbT369 in patients with relapsed and/or refractory B-NHL. This study serves as a safety and proof-of-concept assessment of 2seventy bio’s proprietary megaTAL gene editing platform, dual-targeting strategies and split co-stimulation signaling technology.
bbT369 PRECLINICAL DATA AT AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) – New preclinical data on bbT369 was presented in a poster session (poster #581) at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2022 in New Orleans, LA on Sunday, April 10. The data presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) show the anti-lymphoma activity of bbT369 observed to date and suggest that, as intended in the design, bbT369 has the potential to overcome failure modes of anti-CD19 CAR therapies.
ASCO ABSTRACTS ACCEPTED– In April 2022, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) released the abstract titles for its 2022 Annual Meeting. 2seventy bio will present updates from its portfolio of oncology cell therapies at the meeting, including a correlative analysis, in partnership with Bristol Myers Squibb, defining patient profiles associated with manufacturing and clinical endpoints in patients treated with ide-cel, and a trial in progress poster on CRB-403, a phase 1/2 study on bbT369.
Poster Discussion [#8021]: Correlative analysis to define patient profiles associated with manufacturing and clinical endpoints in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients treated with idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel; bb2121), an anti-BCMA CAR T cell therapy.
Presenting Author: Julie Rytlewski, PhD, Bristol Myers Squibb
Date/Time: Saturday, June 4, 2022, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM ET
Poster [#TPS7580]: CRC-403: A phase 1/2 study of bbT369, a dual targeting CAR T-cell drug product with a gene edit, in relapsed and/or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
Presenting Author: Frederick L. Locke, MD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
Date/Time: Saturday, June 4, 2022, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
UPCOMING ANTICIPATED MILESTONES

ABECMA

Anticipated $250-300 million total U.S. commercial revenue in 2022; profits and losses shared with Bristol Myers Squibb
Increasing manufacturing capacity expected over 2022 and 2023
KarMMa-2 study in high-risk multiple myeloma proof-of-concept data in 2022
KarMMa-3 study in 3L+ registrational data in 2023 with potential FDA approval in 2023-2024
Pipeline

Initial assessment of feasibility of bbT369 drug product manufacturing and patient safety in 2H 2022
Initial assessment of feasibility of SC-DARIC33 drug product manufacturing and drug regulated anti-CD33 activity in 2H 2022
SELECT FIRST QUARTER 2022 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Bristol Myers Squibb reported total U.S. revenues of $56 million for ABECMA for the three months ended March 31, 2022. 2seventy bio and Bristol Myers Squibb share equally in all profits and losses related to development, manufacturing and commercializing ABECMA in the U.S. We reported share of collaboration loss of $5.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, which includes our share of gross profit/loss less costs associated with the commercialization of ABECMA in the U.S. The collaboration reported a loss this quarter due to continued investment in manufacturing scale-up and commercialization.
Total revenues were $8.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $11.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The decrease for the three-month period was primarily driven by a decrease in royalty and other revenue as a result of the termination of the Company’s license agreement with Novartis in March 2021.
Research and development expenses were $69.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $77.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The decrease for the period was primarily driven by decreased collaboration research costs, which represent the Company’s share of research and development costs under the collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $23.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $24.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The slight decrease was primarily driven by a decrease in employee compensation expense. In 2021, the Company recorded higher stock-based compensation and bonus expense related to a retention plan that was enacted during the separation of 2seventy bio from bluebird bio. The retention plan was completed at the end of 2021.
Net loss was $85.7 million for the three months March 31, 2022, compared to $87.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
2seventy bio ended the first quarter of 2022 with cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $452.5 million, including net proceeds from our March 2021 private placement of $165.7 million, after deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company.

On May 12, 2022 iBio, Inc. (NYSEA:IBIO) ("iBio" or the "Company"), a developer of next-generation biopharmaceuticals and pioneer of the sustainable FastPharming Manufacturing System, reported its financial results for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022 and provides a corporate update (Press release, iBioPharma, MAY 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234614339]).

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

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"In this quarter, we took multiple steps forward towards becoming a clinical-stage company – a potentially major value inflection point," said Tom Isett, Chairman & CEO of iBio. "We anticipate there may be a notable medical and business opportunity for our nucleocapsid-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, as the durability and efficacy of the existing spike-based vaccines are called into question at the same time as new waves of variants are forecasted to arrive. Concurrently, we are rapidly advancing our lead immuno-oncology asset, the IL-2-sparing anti-CD25 antibody IBIO-101, with plans to be in the clinic in calendar 2023. In addition, our early-stage drug discovery programs are all advancing well, and we also continue to demonstrate the quality of our FastPharming System and potency-enhancing capability of our GlycaneeringSM Technology. Altogether, we believe that we are well-positioned to continue executing our growth strategy."

Third Quarter and Recent Business Developments:

BIOPHARMACEUTICALS

Vaccines

Investigational New Drug ("IND")-Enabling challenge studies of IBIO-202, the Company’s second-generation vaccine candidate for multi-variant COVID-19 disease, are underway and proceeding as planned. Assuming favorable study outcomes, iBio plans to file an IND application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") before the end of calendar 2022.
Separately, iBio continues to evaluate the feasibility of intradermal delivery of its vaccine candidates, including its SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen, through its work with a leading innovator of microarray patch systems.
Data analysis from the immunogenicity study of IBIO-400 has confirmed intramuscular injection is the preferred route of administration for the Company’s vaccine candidate for Classical Swine Fever. Updated efficacy protocols, manufacturing processes, and validation plans were submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture ("USDA") during the quarter to enable manufacturing clearance of pre-license lots for studies material to licensure. Given that regulatory review can be extended for first time applicants, iBio is estimating a response from the USDA on the submission within approximately 12 months.
Therapeutics

iBio continues to develop its IL-2 sparing anti-CD25 antibody, IBIO-101, on the FastPharming Platform. Comparability studies have demonstrated that by applying the Company’s Glycaneering Technology, the FastPharming System produces a potent, high-quality, afucosylated molecule that is equivalent to the same version of the antibody produced with traditional mammalian cell culture manufacturing methods.
The Company announced today that it has completed the Lead Optimization stage in the development of IBIO-101 and has entered the IND-Enabling stage. An IND for IBIO-101 is expected before the end of Q2 of calendar 2023.
RubrYc Therapeutics ("RubrYc") achieved a technology validation milestone with a third party during the quarter. As a result, iBio acquired approximately 1.0 million additional shares of RubrYc for $2.5 million per the existing Stock Purchase Agreement.
Initial data from the evaluation of the potential anti-cancer effects of the Company’s endostatin E4 molecule in combination with other cancer treatments upon fibrotic tumors is expected in the second half of calendar year 2022.
BIOPROCESS

Pursuant to a second Statement of Work ("SOW") under an existing Master Joint Development Agreement between iBio and Safi Biosolutions, Inc., iBio will assist Safi in its efforts related to the USU 4D Bio3 On-Demand Blood program, funded by the Defense Health Program (DHP), by utilizing the FastPharming system to make one of the most critical reagents used in the production of Safi’s manufactured Red Blood Cells (mRBCs).
iBio recognized $1.8 million in royalty revenue from the license of its plant-based drug manufacturing intellectual property to Fraunhofer USA, Inc. ("Fraunhofer USA"). It also received the first of two $5.1 million payments from Fraunhofer USA related to the settlement of the intellectual property dispute.
Third Quarter and Recent Corporate Developments:

On January 31, 2022, the Company reconvened its 2021 Annual Meeting to allow more of its stockholders to consider and vote on Proposal 4 (Reverse Stock Split) and Proposal 5 (Change in Authorized Shares). Although approximately 65% and 68% of the votes received were in favor of Proposal 4 and Proposal 5, respectively, the total number of shares voting in favor were insufficient for them to pass.
Today, the Company filed its preliminary proxy materials with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in connection with a Special Meeting of Stockholders (the "Special Meeting") to approve two similar proposals (Reverse Stock Split and Change in Authorized Shares) (the "Proposals").
The Company has entered into a securities purchase agreement with a certain accredited investor for the issuance and sale of 1,000 shares of Series 2022 Convertible Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the "Preferred Stock"), at a price of $0.27 per share. The Preferred Stock permits the holder to vote at the Special Meeting, on the Reverse Stock Split proposal, with the holders of the common stock as a single class, with each share of Preferred Stock being entitled to 5,000,000 votes per share, provided that any votes cast by the Preferred Stock with respect to the Proposal must be voted in the same proportion as the aggregate shares of common stock are voted on the Proposal. At its sole discretion, the Company’s Board of Directors may convert the Preferred Stock to common stock at a conversion ratio of 1:1.
"The increasing prevalence of brokerage firms opting to forego discretionary or proportionate voting of the shares held by them in street name has made it significantly more difficult for companies like iBio with a large retail stockholder base, to secure affirmative votes from a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote," said Mr. Isett. "Over the past few weeks, we have been exploring ways to overcome that structural impediment to implementing the will of our voting stockholders and believe that the Preferred Stock placement provides an elegant and validated solution; serving to amplify, but not fundamentally alter, the underlying vote."

Financial Results:

Revenues for the third quarter ended March 31, 2022, were approximately $1.9 million, an increase of approximately $1.1 million, or 154%, compared to $0.8 million in the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2021. As is commonplace for early-stage Pharma Services companies, the Company experiences significant quarter-to-quarter revenue variability, driven by factors such as the number and size of customer contracts, as well as the timing of revenue recognition.

R&D and G&A expenses for the third quarter of fiscal 2022 increased 157% and 60%, respectively, over the comparable period in fiscal 2021. This reflects the Company’s growing investments in its pipeline, platform technologies, employees, and related infrastructure. iBio anticipates this trend continuing, however, the rate of growth is expected to moderate over time.

The Company’s consolidated net loss for the third quarter ended March 31, 2022, was approximately $12.4 million, or $0.06 per share, compared to a net loss of approximately $7.7 million, or $0.04 per share, in the same period of 2021.

As of March 31, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents plus debt securities of approximately $48.6 million, excluding $5.9 million of restricted cash. Based on management assumptions, including assumptions regarding the sale-leaseback of the facility in Bryan, we continue to believe that we have adequate cash to support our activities through September 30, 2023.

Webcast and Conference Call

iBio management will host a webcast and conference call at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time today, May 12, 2022, to discuss these results and provide a corporate update.

The live and archived webcast may be accessed on the Company’s website at www.ibioinc.com under "News and Events" in the Investors section. The live call can be accessed by dialing (833) 672-0651 (domestic) or (929) 517-0227 (international) and referencing conference code: 2392536.

On May 12, 2022 Alpine Immune Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALPN), a leading clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on developing innovative treatments for cancer and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 (Press release, Alpine Immune Sciences, MAY 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234614337]).

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

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"Our clinical pipeline of novel autoimmune and immuno-oncology candidates continues to make significant progress, as highlighted by the promising monotherapy dose escalation data presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) for davoceticept, a first-in-class CD28 costimulator and dual checkpoint inhibitor, in advanced malignancies and monotherapy expansion cohorts are currently open for enrollment," said Mitchell H. Gold, MD, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alpine. "For ALPN-303, our next-generation dual BAFF/APRIL inhibitor, we look forward to sharing preliminary data from our phase 1 healthy volunteer study as part of a poster at the 2022 EULAR congress and to initiating patient-based studies by the end of 2022."

First Quarter 2022 and Recent Pipeline Updates

Davoceticept monotherapy dose escalation data (NEON-1) presented in an oral mini-symposium at the 2022 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, demonstrating tumor volume reduction in 23% of evaluable participants despite a highly heterogeneous, heavily pretreated, advanced solid tumor population. Monotherapy expansion cohorts are currently open for enrollment.
Key preclinical rationale for davoceticept published in Nature Communications, showing its novel, first-in-class approach to engaging CD28 to enhance activation of T cells and drive anti-tumor activity.
NEON-2 trial of davoceticept in combination with pembrolizumab placed on a partial clinical hold. Participants previously enrolled in the NEON-2 trial were able to continue to receive study drug; the NEON-1 monotherapy trial was not affected.
Preliminary data for the first-in-human, phase 1 study of ALPN-303 in healthy volunteers to be presented as part of a poster at the 2022 European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Congress. Initiation of a phase 2 study in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and at least one basket study in renal, hematologic and/or dermatologic indications planned by the end of 2022.
First Quarter 2022 Financial Results

As of March 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents, and investments totaling $219.1 million. Net cash provided by operating activities for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 was $5.4 million compared to net cash used in operating activities of $16.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. Cash provided by operating activities was driven by the receipt of a $25.0 million upfront payment from Horizon, which was recorded as current and noncurrent deferred revenue on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company recorded net losses of $7.5 million and $10.6 million for the quarters ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Collaboration revenue for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 was $13.6 million compared to $3.2 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021. The 2022 amounts were attributable to revenue recognized under our AbbVie and Horizon Agreements, while 2021 revenue recognized solely relates to AbbVie.

Research and development expenses for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 were $16.3 million compared to $10.4 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021. The increase was primarily attributable to our Synergy, NEON, and ALPN-303 studies, and increased personnel costs and direct research activities. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in contract manufacturing and process development for ALPN-303.

General and administrative expenses for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 were $4.8 million compared to $3.3 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021. The increase was primarily attributable to increases in personnel costs.

The Company expects that its current cash resources will be sufficient to fund its planned operations into 2024.

On May 12, 2022 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, 2022 and provided a corporate update (Press release, Regulus, MAY 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234614336]).

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

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"The year is off to a great start as we continue to advance our pipeline, including the recent acceptance of our IND application for RGLS8429. We are thrilled to begin clinical development where we will investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of RGLS8429 for the treatment of ADPKD," stated Jay Hagan, CEO of Regulus. "We also entered into an exciting research collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which will further our understanding into broader applications of miR-155 inhibitors and potentially bring us closer to improving outcomes for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients. We look forward to providing updates in the coming quarters regarding progress on these fronts."

Program Updates

RGLS8429 for ADPKD: As announced yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently accepted the Company’s IND for RGLS8429 for the treatment of ADPKD. The Company plans to initiate a Phase 1 single-ascending dose (SAD) study in healthy volunteers to assess safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of RGLS8429. Following the SAD study, the Company plans to initiate a Phase 1b multiple ascending dose (MAD) study in adult patients with ADPKD to assess safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of RGLS8429, and to evaluate the dose response of RGLS8429 treatment on ADPKD biomarkers including polycystins, cystic kidney volume (htTKV), and overall kidney function. Top-line data from the healthy volunteer study are expected in the second half of 2022, and top-line biomarker data for the first cohort of RGLS8429-treated patients with ADPKD are expected in the first half of 2023.

Lademirsen (RG-012) for Alport syndrome: In February 2022, the Company announced completion of enrollment by Sanofi in the Phase 2 HERA clinical study evaluating lademirsen for the treatment of adult patients with Alport Syndrome under the Company’s Collaboration and License Agreement with Sanofi. Final data are expected in the first half of 2023 and, if successful, could provide further validation of the Company’s platform technology designed to address genetic kidney diseases and earn the Company a $25 million milestone.

Corporate Highlights

Collaboration Agreement with Brigham and Women’s Hospital: In March 2022, the Company announced a collaboration agreement with the laboratories of Oleg Butovsky, Ph.D., and Howard L. Weiner, M.D., at Brigham and Women’s Hospital to investigate the biologic effects of miR-155 inhibitors in both in vitro and in vivo models of ALS.

Financial Results

Cash Position: As of March 31, 2022, Regulus had $53.9 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: Research and development expenses were $3.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $3.3 million for the same period in 2021. 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 $2.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $2.5 million for the same period in 2021. These amounts reflect personnel-related and ongoing general business operating costs.

Net Loss: Net loss was $6.7 million, or $0.05 per share (basic and diluted), for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $6.0 million, or $0.08 per share (basic and diluted), for the same period in 2021.

Conference Call and Webcast Information:
The Company will host a conference call and live audio webcast today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time to discuss its first quarter 2022 financial results and corporate update. To access the call, please dial (866) 652-5200 (domestic) or (412) 317-6060 (international). To access the telephone replay of the call, dial (877) 344-7529 (domestic) or (412) 317-0088 (international), passcode ID 6812601. The webcast and telephone replay will be archived on the Company’s website at www.regulusrx.com following the call.

About ADPKD

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (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. Approximately 140,000 individuals are diagnosed with the disease in the United States alone, with an estimated global prevalence of 4 to 7 million.

About RGLS8429

RGLS8429 is a novel, next generation oligonucleotide designed to inhibit miR-17 and to preferentially target the kidney. Administration of RGLS8429 has shown robust data in preclinical models, where clear improvements in kidney function, size, and other measures of disease severity and has demonstrated a superior pharmacologic profile compared to Regulus’ first generation compound in preclinical studies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the Company’s IND for RGLS8429 for the treatment of ADPKD.

On May 12, 2022 Nkarta, Inc. (Nasdaq: NKTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered natural killer (NK) cell therapies to treat cancer, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 (Press release, Nkarta, MAY 12, 2022, View Source [SID1234614335]).

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

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"Last month marked an exciting new chapter for Nkarta and the field of cell therapy as we announced positive preliminary data for our co-lead NK cell therapy candidates, NKX101 and NKX1019, validating our best-in-class allogeneic NK cell platform," said Paul J. Hastings, President and CEO of Nkarta. "Independent clinical trials showed early evidence of powerful anti-tumor activity and beneficial safety profiles in patients with two distinct types of relapsed / refractory hematologic malignancies. Early signs of durability and deepening of responses with additional cycles of therapy were observed in both trials, including MRD negativity in patients with AML who received NKX101. Enrollment is underway at higher 3-dose monotherapy regimens of 1.5 billion cells per dose in both dose expansion studies, and Nkarta looks forward to presenting additional data later this year."

NKX101 Clinical Update

On April 25, 2022, Nkarta reported preliminary data from its Phase 1 study evaluating NKX101, an allogeneic, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy candidate that uses NK cells engineered to target NKG2D ligands on cancer cells, as a multi-dose, multi-cycle monotherapy in patients with relapsed / refractory (r/r) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). As of data cut-off on April 21, 2022, 21 patients had been enrolled and dosed.
Three of five patients with heavily pre-treated AML treated at the higher dose level in a three-dose regimen achieved a complete response (60% CR) with hematologic recovery, with two of the three responses MRD (measurable residual disease) negative.
NKX101 was generally well tolerated. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. No cytokine release syndrome (CRS), graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), or immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) was observed. The most common higher-grade adverse events were myelosuppression and infection, which are common in this patient population following lymphodepletion.
NKX019 Clinical Update

On April 25, 2022, Nkarta reported preliminary data from its Phase 1 study evaluating NKX019, an allogeneic, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy candidate that uses NK cells engineered to target the B-cell antigen CD19, as a multi-dose, multi-cycle monotherapy in patients with r/r B-cell malignancies. As of data cut-off on April 21, 2022, 13 patients had been enrolled and dosed.
Three of six patients treated at the higher dose level in a three-dose regimen showed a complete response (50% CR), including one patient with aggressive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and one patient with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
NKX019 was generally well tolerated. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. No CRS, GvHD, or neurotoxicity (ICANS) was observed. The most common higher-grade adverse events were myelosuppression, which is common in this patient population following lymphodepletion.
Anticipated Clinical Milestones

As previously announced, Nkarta plans to present additional clinical data in the second half of 2022 from its ongoing dose escalation clinical trials of NKX101 and NKX019. These data would include longer follow-up on previously reported responses as well as safety and activity data from patients being enrolled in the 3-dose monotherapy regimen of 1.5 billion CAR NK cells per dose.
Pipeline and Platform

In April 2022, Nkarta presented preclinical data from its engineered NK cell platform in four posters at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper). The posters included data on the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to enhance the ability of NK cells to target CD70 antigen (jointly presented with CRISPR Therapeutics); analytical and translational methods to better understand patterns of response to CAR NK cells; analysis of surface antigen expression in preclinical models of multiple myeloma; and immune masking strategies for extending the persistence of allogeneic cell therapies.
Other Corporate Highlights

In April 2022, Nkarta received approximately $215.5 million in net proceeds from a public offering of its common stock. This amount included the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares of common stock.
In March 2022, Nkarta appointed Angela M. Thedinga, MBA, MPH to its Board of Directors. Ms. Thedinga, an experienced manufacturing technology executive, brings extensive operational expertise in supply chain and commercial-scale manufacturing operations.
First Quarter 2022 and Recent Financial Highlights

Cash and Cash Equivalents: As of March 31, 2022, Nkarta had cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and short-term investments of $219.1 million. This amount does not include net proceeds of approximately $215.5 million from the public offering of common stock in April 2022.
R&D Expenses: Research and development (R&D) expenses were $19.6 million for the first quarter of 2022. Non-cash stock-based compensation expense included in R&D expense was $1.9 million for the first quarter of 2022.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $6.5 million for the first quarter of 2022. Non-cash stock-based compensation expense included in G&A expense was $2.2 million for the first quarter of 2022.
Net Loss: Net loss was $26.0 million, or $0.79 per basic and diluted share, for the first quarter of 2022. This net loss includes non-cash charges of $6.7 million that consisted primarily of share-based compensation of $4.1 million.
Financial Guidance

Nkarta expects its current cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund its current operating plan into 2025. This guidance reflects the proceeds received following the April 2022 public offering of common stock.
About NKX101
NKX101 is an allogeneic, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy candidate that uses natural killer (NK) cells derived from the peripheral blood of healthy donors. It is engineered with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting NKG2D ligands on tumor cells. NKG2D, a key activating receptor found on naturally occurring NK cells, induces a cell-killing immune response through the detection of stress ligands that are widely expressed on cancer cells. NKX101 is also engineered with membrane-bound form of interleukin-15 (IL15) for greater persistence and activity without exogenous cytokine support. To learn more about the NKX101 clinical trial in adults with AML or MDS, please visit ClinicalTrials.Gov.

About NKX019
NKX019 is an allogeneic, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy candidate that uses natural killer (NK) cells derived from the peripheral blood of healthy adult donors. It is engineered with a humanized CD19-directed CAR for enhanced tumor cell targeting and a proprietary, membrane-bound form of interleukin-15 (IL-15) for greater persistence and activity without exogenous cytokine support. CD19 is a biomarker for normal and malignant B cells, and it is a validated target for B cell cancer therapies. To learn more about the NKX019 clinical trial in adults with advanced B cell malignancies, please visit ClinicalTrials.Gov.