On August 11, 2022 CorMedix Inc. (Nasdaq: CRMD), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory disease, reported financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2022 and provided an update on recent business events (Press release, CorMedix, AUG 11, 2022, View Source [SID1234618212]).

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Recent Corporate Highlights:

CorMedix announced on August 8th that a second Complete Response Letter (CRL) was received from the FDA stating that the DefenCath NDA cannot be approved until deficiencies conveyed to the contract manufacturing organization (CMO) and the supplier of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) heparin during inspections are resolved to the satisfaction of FDA.
CorMedix has supported the efforts of the CMO to compile robust responses and corrective action plans to inspectional observations the CMO received during the FDA’s recent pre-approval inspection of the CMO for the DefenCath NDA. The CMO is engaging external consultants who are experienced in FDA’s requirements for CGMP compliance to accelerate the implementation of corrective actions.
The FDA conducted a recent inspection unrelated to DefenCath at the facility of the company’s heparin supplier, which culminated in the API supplier receiving a warning letter as a result of manufacturing deficiencies for a non-heparin API. The Company’s heparin supplier has advised CorMedix that it has retained an independent CGMP consultant to expedite the implementation of corrective actions and resolve the warning letter as quickly as possible.
CorMedix announced that it has entered into an agreement with Alcami Corporation, a US based contract manufacturer with proven capabilities for manufacturing commercial sterile parenteral drug products, which will serve as a manufacturing site for DefenCath. The Company has been working with Alcami over the past several months to transfer the manufacturing process for DefenCath into an Alcami site, and CorMedix expects to be able to submit a supplement to its NDA application around the end of the first quarter of 2023.
On August 1st, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published in the Federal Register the conditional New Technology Add on Payment (NTAP) reimbursement. The NTAP is conditioned upon the NDA obtaining final FDA approval prior to July 1, 2023, and would take effect in the first calendar quarter following such FDA approval of the NDA. The Company intends to submit a duplicate NTAP application in October of this year with the expectation of preserving eligibility for NTAP should final NDA approval occur after July 1, 2023.
Cash and short-term investments, excluding restricted cash, at June 30, 2022 amounted to $64.6 million.
Joe Todisco, CorMedix CEO, commented, "While I am disappointed that we will not receive FDA approval on our PDUFA date, I remain confident in our pathway forward to an FDA approval, once either our existing CMO and API supplier obtain compliance clearance, or we are able to obtain regulatory approval for manufacturing with Alcami. We have sufficient cash on hand to fund operations through at least the next four quarters, and the team is focused on obtaining FDA approval of the DefenCath NDA as quickly as possible. We look forward to providing additional updates as we aim to deliver on our commitment to these patients."

Second Quarter and Six Month 2022 Financial Highlights

For the second quarter 2022, CorMedix recorded a net loss of $7.6 million, or $0.19 per share, compared with a net loss of $4.6 million, or $0.12 per share, in the second quarter of 2021, an increase of $3.0 million or 65%. The higher net loss recognized in 2022 compared with 2021 included an increase in both SG&A expenses and R&D expenses versus the 2nd quarter of 2021. CorMedix recognized a tax benefit of $0.6 million in the second quarter of 2022 from the sale of our NJ Net Operating Losses compared with a $1.3 million benefit recorded in 2nd quarter of 2021.

Operating expenses in the second quarter of 2022 increased approximately 41% to $8.3 million, compared with $5.9 million in the second quarter of 2021. R&D expense increased approximately 28% to $3.2 million compared with $2.5 million in the second quarter of 2021, mainly due to an increase in costs related to the manufacturing of DefenCath prior to its potential marketing approval. SG&A expense increased approximately 50% to $5.1 million compared with $3.4 million in the second quarter of 2021. This increase was driven primarily by an increase in in costs related to market research studies and prelaunch activities in preparation for the potential marketing approval of DefenCath, and an increase in legal fees mainly due to the securities litigation.

For the six months ended June 30, 2022, CorMedix recorded a net loss of $14.6 million, or $0.38 per share, compared with a net loss of $11.8 million, or $0.32 per share, in the first half of 2021. Operating expenses in the first half of 2022 were $15.3 million, compared to $13.1 million in the first half of 2021, an increase of approximately 17%. This increase was primarily due to costs related to the manufacturing of DefenCath prior to its potential marketing approval, legal fees mainly due to the securities litigation, and personnel expenses.

The Company reported cash and short-term investments of $64.6 million at June 30, 2022, excluding restricted cash. The Company believes that it has sufficient resources to fund operations at least through the third quarter of 2023.

Conference Call Information

The management team of CorMedix will host a conference call and webcast today, August 11, 2022, at 8:30AM Eastern Time, to discuss recent corporate developments and financial results. Call details and dial-in information are as follows:

On August 11, 2022 Histogen Inc. (NASDAQ: HSTO), a clinical-stage therapeutics company focused on developing both restorative therapeutics for orthopedic indications and pan-caspase and caspase selective inhibitors focused on treatments for infectious and inflammatory diseases, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022 and provided an update on its clinical pipeline and other corporate developments (Press release, Conatus Pharmaceuticals, AUG 11, 2022, View Source [SID1234618211]).

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"We continue to focus on execution of IND enabling activities for HST 004 in spinal disc regeneration, exploration of testing emricasan in animal studies for methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus infections ("MRSA") and evaluating our caspase-1 inhibitors that impact the inflammasome pathway," said Steven J. Mento, Ph.D., Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. "We also initiated a feasibility evaluation of our ongoing HST 003 study for cartilage regeneration in the knee, including implementation of protocol modifications, adding more sites, and other study resources given the continued recruitment challenges stemming from both the study protocol and impact of COVID-19 on the elective surgery environment and expect to complete our evaluation in the fourth quarter of 2022."

Highlights from the Second Quarter 2022 and Business Updates

HST 003 – Our Phase 1/2 clinical study of HST 003 to evaluate the safety and efficacy of human extracellular matrix (hECM) implanted within microfracture interstices and the cartilage defect in the knee to regenerate hyaline cartilage in combination with a microfracture procedure is on-going. Despite adding three additional clinical sites in the first quarter of 2022, we continue to experience recruitment challenges due to both the specific nature of the study inclusion criteria and the impact of COVID-19 on the elective surgery environment. We are currently evaluating the overall feasibility of the ongoing HST 003 trial, including implementing protocol modifications, adding more sites, and other study resources. We expect to complete our feasibility evaluation in the fourth quarter of 2022.

HST 004 – Our initial preclinical research has shown that HST 004 stimulates stem cells from the spinal disc to proliferate and secrete aggrecan and collagen II, regenerates normal matrix and cell tissue structure and restores disc height. HST 004 was also shown to reduce inflammation and protease activity and upregulate aggrecan production in an ex vivo spinal disc model. We continue to execute on IND enabling activities for HST-004 and anticipate filing IND for HST-004 in the second half of 2023.
Emricasan MRSA – We continue to make progress on exploring the feasibility of testing emricasan in animal studies for MRSA. We expect to complete our feasibility assessment in the third quarter of 2022.

Regained Compliance with Nasdaq Minimum Bid Listing Requirement – On June 2, 2022, we effected a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Subsequently, we received written notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market stating that the Company has regained compliance with the Nasdaq minimum bid price listing requirement.

$5 Million Financing – In July 2022, we closed a $5 million private placement financing. We anticipate that the net proceeds, in addition to our cash of $12.6M as of June 30, 2022, will support our operations through December 2023.
Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 Financial Highlights

Product, License, and Grant Revenues

For the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, we recognized product revenues of $0 and $0.3 million, respectively. The revenue for the first six months of 2021 was related to the additional supply of cell conditioned medium (CCM) to Allergan. As of March 31, 2021, all obligations of the Company related to the additional supply of CCM to Allergan under the Allergan Agreements have been completed.

For the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, we recognized license revenue of $3.8 million and $17 thousand, respectively. The increase in the current period is due to a one-time payment of $3.8 million received in March 2022 as consideration for execution of the Allergan Letter Agreement.

For the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, we recognized grant revenue of $0 and $0.1 million, respectively. The related revenue is associated with a research and development grant awarded to the Company from the National Science Foundation (NSF). As of March 31, 2021, all work required by the Company under the grant has been completed.

Cost of revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, we recognized $0 and $0.2 million, respectively, for cost of product sold to Allergan under the Allergan Agreements.

Research and development expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 were $3.0 million and $4.5 million, respectively. The decrease of $1.5 million was primarily due to decreases in development costs of our clinical and pre-clinical product candidates and personnel related expenses, partially offset by facility rent increases.

General and administrative expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 were $4.8 million and $4.2 million, respectively. The increase of $0.6 million was primarily due to increases in royalty expenses and legal fees, offset by reductions in personnel related expenses.

Cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2022 were $12.6 million which excludes gross proceeds of approximately $5 million from the private placement financing closed in July 2022. Histogen believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents and cash inflow from operations will be sufficient to meet Histogen’s anticipated cash needs through December of 2023.

On August 11, 2022 Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: ARMP) ("Armata" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company focused on pathogen-specific bacteriophage therapeutics for antibiotic-resistant and difficult-to-treat bacterial infections, reported financial results for its second quarter 2022 and provided a corporate update (Press release, AmpliPhi Biosciences, AUG 11, 2022, View Source [SID1234618208]).

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Second Quarter 2022 and Recent Developments:

AP-PA02 advancing through final MAD cohort of SWARM-P.a. trial
Phase 2 Tailwind study of AP-PA02 in non‐CF bronchiectasis (NCFB) initiated
AP-SA02 Phase 1b/2a Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia study (‘diSArm’) actively enrolling
Pipeline expansion continues with IND approval for AP-SA02 in prosthetic joint infection
Engineered, second generation AP-PA02 therapeutic candidate selected
Continued investment in manufacturing capabilities
"During the second quarter, we continued to advance our portfolio of innovative bacteriophage therapeutics. We now have four approved INDs, positioning Armata to robustly evaluate bacteriophage effectiveness in difficult-to-treat infections," stated Dr. Brian Varnum, Chief Executive Officer of Armata. "At the same time, we continued to advance the science of bacteriophage. Armata’s synthetic biologists have engineered a second-generation AP-PA02 product with improved pharmacological properties. Additionally, significant improvements in manufacturing processes have resulted in improved yield and purity, with methods that are readily scalable. These methods lay the groundwork for the next phase of Armata’s growth as we build out our new 56,000 square foot facility."

Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results:

Grant Revenue. The Company recognized grant revenue of approximately $1.9 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, which represents Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium’s ("MTEC") share of the costs incurred for the Company’s AP-SA02 program for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. The Company expects to receive $15.0 million in grant funding from MTEC administered by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Defense Health Agency and Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program. The Company recognized approximately $1.2 million of revenue in the comparable period in 2021.

Research and Development. Research and development expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2022, were approximately $9.0 million as compared to approximately $5.2 million for the comparable period in 2021. The Company continues to invest in clinical trial and personnel related expenses associated with its primary development programs.

General and Administrative. General and administrative expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2022, were approximately $2.1 million as compared to approximately $2.1 million for the comparable period in 2021.

Loss from Operations. Loss from operations for the three months ended June 30, 2022, was $(9.2) million as compared to a loss from operations of approximately $(6.2) million for the comparable period in 2021.

Cash and Equivalents. As of June 30, 2022, Armata held approximately $37.0 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, as compared to $10.3 million as of December 31, 2021.

As of August 9, 2022, there were approximately 36.1 million shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding.

On August 11, 2022 Cullgen Inc., a leading biotechnology company developing targeted protein degraders based on its proprietary uSMITE platform technology, reported that the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has allowed the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for CG001419, a TRK degrader for the treatment of solid tumors (Press release, Cullgen, AUG 11, 2022, View Source [SID1234618176]). CG001419 is a first-in-class, selective, potent oral targeted protein degrader for the treatment of neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) fusion-positive cancers, which have been identified in numerous solid tumors including non-small cell lung, breast, and pancreatic cancers.

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Cullgen will commence a Phase I clinical trial program in humans for CG001419 in China promptly.

"NMPA’s allowance of this IND application for CG001419 represents an important milestone for Cullgen," said Dr. Yue Xiong, Cullgen’s co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer. "Our TRK degrader program was one of the first programs pursued by Cullgen, and this IND allowance by NMPA demonstrates that we are able to successfully advance a program from discovery phase into clinical development. In addition to cancer, we are also exploring other potential clinical indications of our TRK degraders."

On August 11, 2022 AstraZeneca reported that it has completed the acquisition of TeneoTwo, Inc. (TeneoTwo)i, including its Phase I clinical-stage CD19/CD3 T-cell engager, TNB-486, currently under evaluation in relapsed and refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (Press release, AstraZeneca, AUG 11, 2022, View Source [SID1234618187]).1 AstraZeneca will develop TNB-486 as a potential new medicine for B-cell haematologic malignancies.

Financial considerations
AstraZeneca has acquired all outstanding equity of TeneoTwo in exchange for an upfront payment of $100m. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will make additional contingent R&D-related milestone payments of up to $805m and additional contingent commercial-related milestone payments of up to $360m to TeneoTwo’s former equity holders.

This acquisition did not include the transfer of people or facilities.

iTeneoTwo, Inc., is a majority owned subsidiary company of TBio, LLC, a limited liability company formed in Delaware, US

Notes

AstraZeneca in haematology
AstraZeneca is pushing the boundaries of science to redefine care in haematology. We have expanded our commitment to patients with haematologic conditions, not only in oncology but also in rare diseases with the acquisition of Alexion, allowing us to reach more patients with high unmet needs. By applying our deep understanding of blood cancers, leveraging our strength in solid tumour oncology and delivering on Alexion’s pioneering legacy in complement science to provide transformative medicines for rare diseases, we are pursuing the end-to-end development of novel therapies designed to target underlying drivers of disease.

By targeting haematological conditions with high unmet medical needs, we aim to deliver innovative medicines and approaches to improve patient outcomes. Our goal is to help transform the lives of patients living with malignant, rare and other related haematologic diseases, shaped by insights from patients, caregivers and physicians to have the most meaningful impact.

AstraZeneca in oncology
AstraZeneca is leading a revolution in oncology with the ambition to provide cures for cancer in every form, following the science to understand cancer and all its complexities to discover, develop and deliver life-changing medicines to patients.

The Company’s focus is on some of the most challenging cancers. It is through persistent innovation that AstraZeneca has built one of the most diverse portfolios and pipelines in the industry, with the potential to catalyse changes in the practice of medicine and transform the patient experience.

AstraZeneca has the vision to redefine cancer care and, one day, eliminate cancer as a cause of death.

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