On November 14, 2023 Fortress Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq: FBIO) ("Fortress"), an innovative biopharmaceutical company focused on efficiently acquiring, developing and commercializing or monetizing promising therapeutic products and product candidates, reported its financial results and recent corporate highlights for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023 (Press release, Fortress Biotech, NOV 14, 2023, View Source [SID1234637623]).

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Lindsay A. Rosenwald, M.D., Fortress’ Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "In the third quarter of 2023, Fortress and our partner companies and subsidiaries continued to advance our diverse portfolio of drug candidates. Our total consolidated net revenue this quarter was $34.8 million, which includes an upfront payment of $19 million that Journey Medical received upon entering into an exclusive license agreement with Maruho for commercialization of Qbrexza in additional territories in Asia. We’re looking forward to multiple significant near-term milestones, including potentially up to four New Drug Application ("NDA") and Biologics License Application ("BLA") submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") between 2023 and 2025, one of which is a NDA for DFD-29 to treat rosacea around the end of this year. We are also anticipating the PDUFA goal date of January 3, 2024, for cosibelimab, our investigational anti-PD-L1 antibody, as a treatment for patients with metastatic or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma ("cSCC")."

Recent Corporate Highlights2:

Marketed Dermatology Products

● Journey Medical Corporation (Nasdaq: DERM) ("Journey Medical"), our partner company, primarily focuses on selling and marketing of prescription dermatology products.
● In September 2023, Journey Medical entered into an exclusive license agreement with Maruho Co., Ltd. ("Maruho"), a Japanese company specializing in dermatology as well as Journey’s exclusive licensing partner that developed and is commercializing Qbrexza (Rapifort) in Japan. Under the terms of the Agreement, Journey Medical received a $19 million nonrefundable upfront payment
1 Includes CAEL-101, an asset in development at Caelum Biosciences (a former subsidiary now 100% owned by AstraZeneca’s Alexion) with respect to which Fortress remains eligible to receive substantial milestone payments.

2 The development programs depicted in this press release include product candidates in development at Fortress, at Fortress’ private subsidiaries (referred to herein as "subsidiaries"), at Fortress’ public subsidiaries (referred to herein as "partner companies") and at entities with which one of the foregoing parties has a significant business relationship, such as an exclusive license or an ongoing product-related payment obligation (such entities referred to herein as "partners"). The words "we", "us" and "our" may refer to Fortress individually, to one or more of our subsidiaries and/or partner companies, or to all such entities as a group, as dictated by context.

and granted Maruho an exclusive license to develop and commercialize Qbrexza (glycopyrronium tosylate hydrate) for the treatment of hyperhidrosis in South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos (the "Territory"). Maruho is responsible for all development and commercialization costs for the program throughout the Territory.
● Journey Medical’s total net revenues in the third quarter of 2023 were $34.5 million, an increase of $18.4 million, or 114%, compared to total net revenues of $16.1 million in the third quarter of 2022.
● Journey Medical’s total product net revenues were $15.3 million for the third quarter of 2023, compared to third quarter 2022 total product net revenues of $16.0 million.

Fortress, through its subsidiaries, partner companies and partners, has a broad and diverse pipeline of clinical-stage programs being evaluated in over 20 ongoing clinical trials. We look forward to potential filings of up to four NDA and BLA submissions from 2023 through 2025, including:

● DFD-29 – modified release oral minocycline for rosacea
● Cosibelimab – anti-PD-L1 antibody for solid tumors
● CUTX-101 – copper histidinate for Menkes disease
● CAEL-101 – light chain fibril-reactive monoclonal antibody for AL amyloidosis

We also expect to continue to advance our early-to-mid-clinical-stage candidates, some of which may begin pivotal trials during the next twelve to eighteen months, including:

● Dotinurad – urate transporter (URAT1) inhibitor for gout and hyperuricemia
● IV tramadol – intravenous small molecule for acute post-operative pain
● MB-106 – CD20-targeted CAR-T cell therapy for hematologic malignancies
● Triplex – multi-antigen, modified vaccinia Ankara-based (MVA) vaccine for cytomegalovirus (CMV)
● MB-117 – ex vivo lentiviral gene therapy for newborns with XSCID (X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency)
● MB-217 – ex vivo lentiviral gene therapy for previously transplanted children and young adults with XSCID
● AJ201 – Nrf1 and Nrf2 activator, androgen receptor degradation enhancer for spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), also known as Kennedy’s Disease
● BAER-101 – GABAA α2/3 positive allosteric modulator for refractory epilepsies
● MB-109 – IL13Rα2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy combined with HSV-1 oncolytic virus for recurrent glioblastoma and high-grade astrocytomas

General Corporate:

● In November 2023, Fortress raised approximately $10.0 million in gross proceeds in a public offering.
● In October 2023, Fortress effected a 1-for-15 reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding common stock to bring the Company into compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement for continued listing.

Financial Results:

● As of September 30, 2023, Fortress’ consolidated cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totaled $74.7 million, compared to $89.2 million as of June 30, 2023, a decrease of $14.5 million during the quarter.
● Fortress’ consolidated cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, totaling $74.7 million as of September 30, 2023, includes $37.7 million attributable to Fortress and private subsidiaries, $0.2
million attributable to Avenue, $1.8 million attributable to Checkpoint, $10.3 million attributable to Mustang Bio and $24.7 million attributable to Journey Medical.
● Subsequent to the end of the third quarter, in November 2023, Fortress raised approximately $10.0 million in gross proceeds in a public offering and Avenue raised approximately $5.0 million in gross proceeds in a public offering. In addition, in October 2023, Checkpoint raised approximately $11.1 million in gross proceeds from the exercise of warrants and Mustang Bio raised approximately $4.4 million in gross proceeds in a registered direct offering.
● Fortress’ consolidated net revenue totaled $34.8 million for the third quarter of 2023, which included $15.3 million in net product revenue generated from our marketed dermatology products. This compares to consolidated net revenue totaling $16.5 million for the third quarter of 2022, which included $16.0 million in net product revenue generated from our marketed dermatology products.
● Consolidated research and development expenses including license acquisitions were $20.3 million for the third quarter of 2023, compared to $29.9 million for the third quarter of 2022.
● Consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses were $21.7 million for the third quarter of 2023, compared to $30.1 million for the third quarter of 2022.
● Consolidated net loss attributable to common stockholders was $7.1 million, or $0.94 per share, for the third quarter of 2023, compared to consolidated net loss attributable to common stockholders of $24.5 million, or $4.11 per share for the third quarter of 2022.

On November 14, 2023 Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) reported that it will attend the sixth annual Evercore ISI HealthCONx Conference on Nov. 28, 2023. Daniel Skovronsky, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president, chief scientific and medical officer, and president of Lilly Research Laboratories, will participate in a fireside chat at 3:50 p.m., Eastern time (Press release, Eli Lilly, NOV 14, 2023, https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lilly-participate-evercore-isi-healthconx-conference-0 [SID1234637622]).

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A live audio webcast will be available on the "Webcasts & Presentations" section of Lilly’s Investor website at View Source A replay of the presentation will be available on this same website for approximately 90 days.

On November 14, 2023 Defence Therapeutics Inc. ("Defence" or the "Company"), (CSE: DTC, USOTC: DTCFF, FSE: DTC), one of the leading Canadian biotechnology companies working in the field of immune-oncology reported that it has successfully submitted on November 9, 2023 an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its ACCUM-002TM Dimer CDCA-SV40 commonly named "AccuTOX", an injectable anticancer molecule, for the treatment of solid cancer tumors (Press release, Defence Therapeutics, NOV 14, 2023, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=defences-successful-submission-of-an-investigational-new-drug-ind-application-for-accutox-as-an-injectable-anticancer-treatment-for-solid-tumors [SID1234637621]).

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AccuTOX is a derivative of the initial Accum molecule, which has been reported to target cancer on multiple fronts. AccuTOX disrupts endosomal membranes resulting in impaired intracellular transport mechanisms. AccuTOX also triggers genotoxic effects, blocks DNA repair mechanisms normally used by cancer cells to repair its damaged genome and induces a form of immunogenic cell death capable of turning "ON" the immune system. When previously tested in preclinical animal models under the supervision of Dr. Moutih Rafei, AccuTOX impaired tumor growth resulting in "70-100% survival" of animals with solid T-cell lymphoma, melanoma or breast cancer.

The IND application includes data, reports and overview summaries of numerous studies to evaluate the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology of AccuTOX both in vitro and in vivo, including cancer models. In addition, the application describes the manufacture of the drug substance and drug product to be used in human clinical trials. The main purpose of the IND is to share with the FDA the extensive non-clinical data supporting an acceptable safety profile when AccuTOX will be first administered to humans. The FDA will review the application and determine the acceptability of the data before Defence begins the Phase I clinical trial, which could be as early as Q1-Q2 2024.

"We are thrilled and excited that Defence has achieved a successful submission on its first IND, which represents an important milestone towards advancing AccuTOX into the clinic. We look forward to work with clinical investigators at City of Hope to study this important and novel candidate for the treatment of melanoma and potentially other solid tumors," said Sébastien Plouffe, President & CEO of Defence Therapeutics. "With the continued difficulties encountered in the oncology clinic, we believe that the therapeutic use of AccuTOX provides a novel and powerful approach to combat cancer," he added.

The primary objective of this upcoming Phase I clinical trial, when approved, is to identify the best therapeutic dosing range that would allow clinicians to co-administer the AccuTOX compound with Opdulag, a BMS product containing both anti-LAG3 and anti-PD-1. Several other secondary parameters including therapeutic efficacy will be monitored in treated patients in preparation for a Phase IIa trial on a basket of tumors.

According to Precedence Research, the global cancer therapeutics market size is expected to be worth around US$ 393.61 billion by 2032 from at US$ 164 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 9.20% during the forecast period 2023 to 2032.

ON November 14, 2023 CorMedix Inc. (Nasdaq: CRMD), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening diseases and conditions, reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and provided an update on recent business events (Press release, CorMedix, NOV 14, 2023, View Source [SID1234637620]).

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Recent Corporate Highlights:

The FDA completed a preapproval inspection for CorMedix’s primary finished dosage CMO site in September and the Company is pleased with the outcome. In addition, the FDA has also conducted preapproval inspections for DefenCath at suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients, contract laboratories involved in testing of product specifications and packaging facilities, and CorMedix is not aware of any outstanding deficiencies or review issues at this time.
CorMedix has intensified preparations for commercial launch with a number of new hires in market access, sales training, pricing and contracting, commercial operations, field medical, and drug safety and pharmacovigilance.
In the event CorMedix receives final FDA approval over the coming days, the Company is targeting a commercial launch before the end of the first quarter of 2024.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a patent with claims directed to the composition of a catheter lock solution for preventing infection and reduced blood flow in central venous catheters. This Patent reflects the unique and proprietary nature of DefenCath, and will extend the Company’s intellectual property protection with an expiration date of April 15, 2042.
Cash and short-term investments, excluding restricted cash, at September 30, 2023 amounted to $86.6 million.
Joe Todisco, CorMedix CEO, commented, "I am very pleased with the Company’s progress on all fronts, most notably the outcomes of the preapproval inspections at our primary CMO facility and other key vendors, as well as our preparations toward commercial readiness. We have accelerated multiple work streams aimed at commercial launch, and made a number of key hires over the past quarter that are essential to ensuring a successful commercial launch following a potential FDA approval of DefenCath. We look forward to providing additional updates over the coming days as we anticipate a response from FDA on or around our target action date."

Third Quarter and Nine Month 2023 Financial Highlights

For the third quarter of 2023, CorMedix recorded a net loss of $9.7 million, or $0.17 per share, compared with a net loss of $6.9 million, or $0.17 per share, in the third quarter of 2022. The higher net loss recognized during the third quarter of 2023 compared with 2022 was attributable to net increase in operating expenses primarily due to increased pre-launch commercial activities for DefenCath.

Operating expenses in the third quarter of 2023 increased approximately 50% to $10.5 million, compared with $7.0 million in the third quarter of 2022. R&D expense increased approximately 14% to $2.7 million compared to $2.3 million in the third quarter of 2022, mainly due to a net increase in costs related to medical affairs activities and increase in personnel related expenses due to additional hires in 2023 as compared with 2022. SG&A expense increased approximately 69% to $7.8 million compared with $4.6 million in the third quarter of 2022. This increase was driven primarily by an increase in costs related to market research studies and pre-launch activities in preparation for the potential marketing approval of DefenCath and as a result of additional hires in 2023 as compared with 2022.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, CorMedix recorded a net loss of $31.6 million, or $0.65 per share, compared with a net loss of $21.5 million, or $0.54 per share, in the first nine months of 2022. The increase in net loss in the first nine months of 2023 was driven primarily by an increase in operating expenses.

Operating expenses in the first nine months of 2023 were $33.3 million compared with $22.3 million during the comparable period in 2022, an increase of approximately 49%. This increase was primarily attributable to costs related to market research studies and pre-launch activities in preparation for the potential marketing approval of DefenCath, and an increase in personnel expenses due to additional hires in 2023.

Total cash on hand and short-term investments as of September 30, 2023 was $86.6 million, excluding restricted cash of $0.2 million. The Company believes that, based on the Company’s cash resources at September 30, 2023, it has sufficient resources to fund operations at least twelve months from the filing of its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Conference Call Information

The management team of CorMedix will host a conference call and webcast today, November 14, 2023, at 4:30 PM Eastern Time, to discuss recent corporate developments and financial results. Call details and dial-in information is as follows:

Domestic: 1-888-886-7786
International: 1-416-764-8658
Conference ID: 16013968
Webcast: Webcast Link

On November 14, 2023 Atreca, Inc. (Atreca) (NASDAQ: BCEL), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics generated through a unique discovery platform based on interrogation of the active human immune response, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023, and announced that the Company is implementing a further reduction in its workforce of approximately 40% while maintaining the necessary support to continue exploring potential strategic transactions and business alternatives (Press release, Atreca, NOV 14, 2023, View Source [SID1234637619]).

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"Since our founding, Atreca has leveraged a unique discovery platform to identify numerous antibodies binding novel targets in oncology, as well as infectious and autoimmune disease," said John Orwin. "We remain focused on advancing APN-497444 through preclinical testing and continue to believe that our approach has potential to unlock meaningful tumor targets undiscoverable by conventional approaches. Nevertheless, given current financial market conditions and the funding needs required to advance ‘444 and our other antibody-drug conjugate programs into clinical development, we have made the difficult decision to further reduce our headcount as we explore strategic alternatives. I’d like to thank all employees impacted for their contributions."

Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results

As of September 30, 2023, cash and cash equivalents and investments totaled $21.4 million.
Research and development expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2023, were $10.4 million, including non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $1.0 million.
General and administrative expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2023, were $5.4 million, including non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $1.3 million.
Atreca reported a net loss of $36.2 million, or basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders of $0.92, for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.