Pfizer Reports Full-Year 2023 Results and Reaffirms Full-Year 2024 Financial Guidance

On January 30, 2024 Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) reported financial results for fourth quarter and full-year 2023 and reaffirmed its 2024 financial guidance(5) provided on December 13, 2023 (Press release, Pfizer, JAN 30, 2024, View Source [SID1234639714]).

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The fourth-quarter 2023 earnings presentation and accompanying prepared remarks from management as well as the quarterly update to Pfizer’s R&D pipeline can be found at www.pfizer.com.

EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY

Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "We are encouraged by the strong performance of our non-COVID products in the fourth quarter of 2023, including significant contributions from new launches and robust year-over-year growth for several key in-line brands. In 2023, Pfizer received a record number of nine new molecular entity approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—medicines and vaccines that are expected to favorably impact Pfizer’s performance in the coming years.

"In addition, we completed the acquisition of Seagen in December 2023, a critical step toward our goal to achieve world-class Oncology leadership. With the combined strength of Pfizer’s and Seagen’s talent, portfolios and platforms, we believe we have the potential to transform outcomes by delivering cancer medicines that help patients live better and longer lives. We look forward to sharing the vision of the new Pfizer Oncology Division at our announced Oncology Innovation Day on Thursday, February 29.

"We are entering 2024 with a solid foundation. We believe our commitment to execution, maximizing the performance of our new products, and delivering the next wave of pipeline innovation will fuel Pfizer’s growth and make a difference in the lives of patients everywhere."

David Denton, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, stated: "We are pleased with the strong 8% operational revenue growth of Pfizer’s non-COVID products in the fourth quarter of 2023, achieving our full-year 2023 non-COVID operational revenue growth target of 6% to 8%. In addition, we are on track to deliver at least $4.0 billion in annual net cost savings by the end of 2024 from our cost realignment program. We are prepared to execute our commercial strategy to drive continued growth from our newly launched and acquired products, and to deliver on our targeted cost savings that we expect will expand our operating margins in 2024 and beyond."

Results for fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 and 2022(6) are summarized below.

OVERALL RESULTS

($ in millions, except

per share amounts)

Fourth-Quarter

Full-Year

2023

2022

Change

2023

2022

Change

Revenues

$ 14,249

$ 24,290

(41%)

$ 58,496

$ 100,330

(42%)

Reported(2) Net Income/(Loss)

(3,369)

4,995

*

2,119

31,372

(93%)

Reported(2) Diluted EPS/(LPS)

(0.60)

0.87

*

0.37

5.47

(93%)

Adjusted(3) Income

593

6,551

(91%)

10,501

37,717

(72%)

Adjusted(3) Diluted EPS

0.10

1.14

(91%)

1.84

6.58

(72%)

* Indicates calculation not meaningful.

REVENUES

($ in millions)

Fourth-Quarter

Full-Year

2023

2022

% Change

2023

2022

% Change

Total

Oper.

Total

Oper.

Global Biopharmaceuticals Business (Biopharma)

$ 13,867

$ 23,922

(42%)

(42%)

$ 57,186

$ 98,988

(42%)

(41%)

Primary Care

6,986

17,348

(60%)

(60%)

30,589

73,023

(58%)

(57%)

Specialty Care

3,949

3,566

11%

11%

14,970

13,833

8%

11%

Oncology

2,932

3,007

(3%)

(2%)

11,627

12,132

(4%)

(3%)

Business Innovation

$ 382

$ 368

4%

2%

$ 1,310

$ 1,342

(2%)

(2%)

TOTAL REVENUES

$ 14,249

$ 24,290

(41%)

(42%)

$ 58,496

$ 100,330

(42%)

(41%)

In the first quarter of 2023, Pfizer established an operating segment, Business Innovation, that includes Pfizer CentreOne (PC1), the company’s global contract development and manufacturing organization and a leading supplier of specialty active pharmaceutical ingredients; and Pfizer Ignite, an offering that provides strategic guidance and end-to-end R&D services to select innovative biotech companies that align with Pfizer’s R&D focus areas. The prior period has been revised to conform to the current period presentation.

Some amounts in this press release may not add due to rounding. All percentages have been calculated using unrounded amounts. References to operational variances pertain to period-over-period changes that exclude the impact of foreign exchange rates(7).

CAPITAL ALLOCATION

During full-year 2023, Pfizer deployed its capital in a variety of ways, which primarily include the following two categories:

Reinvesting capital into initiatives intended to enhance the future growth prospects of the company, including:
$10.7 billion invested in internal research and development projects, and
Approximately $43.8 billion invested in completed business development transactions, net of cash acquired, including approximately $43 billion for the acquisition of Seagen Inc.
Returning capital directly to shareholders through $9.2 billion of cash dividends, or $1.64 per share of common stock.
No share repurchases were completed in 2023. As of January 30, 2024, Pfizer’s remaining share repurchase authorization is $3.3 billion. Current financial guidance does not anticipate any share repurchases in 2024.

For the fourth quarter of 2023, basic weighted-average shares outstanding of 5,647 million were used to calculate Reported(2) LPS and diluted weighted-average shares outstanding of 5,692 million were used to calculate Adjusted(3) diluted EPS.

2024 FINANCIAL GUIDANCE(5)

Pfizer expects full-year 2024 revenues(2) to be in the range of $58.5 to $61.5 billion, which includes approximately $8 billion in anticipated revenues for Comirnaty(1) and Paxlovid (approximately $5 billion and $3 billion, respectively), approximately $3.1 billion in anticipated revenues from Seagen and approximately $1 billion related to the reclassification of Pfizer’s royalty income from Other (Income)/Deductions into the Revenue line.

Including the contribution from Seagen and excluding revenues from Comirnaty(1) and Paxlovid, Pfizer expects to achieve full-year 2024 operational revenue growth of 8% to 10% compared to 2023 revenues. Excluding revenues from Comirnaty(1) and Paxlovid and the expected contribution from Seagen, Pfizer expects to achieve full-year 2024 operational revenue growth of 3% to 5% compared to 2023 revenues. While the company will begin reporting royalty income in the revenue line in 2024, for growth rate purposes, the company has included royalty income in revenues in both 2023 and 2024. Consequently, there is no operational revenue growth attributable to the reclassification of royalty income.

Including the impact of Seagen, Pfizer anticipates full-year 2024 Adjusted(3) SI&A expenses to be in the range of $13.8 billion to $14.8 billion and full-year 2024 Adjusted(3) R&D expenses to be in the range of $11.0 to $12.0 billion. Consequently, total 2024 Adjusted(3) SI&A and R&D expenses are expected to be in the range of $24.8 to $26.8 billion. This range reflects an anticipated decline of approximately $4 billion by the end of 2024 versus the midpoint of Pfizer’s SI&A and R&D expense guidance provided on August 1, 2023, solely driven by Pfizer’s cost realignment program, partially offset by the impact of Seagen.

2024 Adjusted(3) diluted EPS is anticipated to be in a range of $2.05 to $2.25, which primarily reflects:

Expected operational revenue growth of 8% to 10% compared to 2023 revenues, excluding Comirnaty(1) and Paxlovid and including the impact of Seagen; and
Anticipated operating margin improvement from the company’s cost realignment activities; partially offset by
An expected $0.40 dilutive impact related to the Seagen acquisition, which is predominantly driven by costs to finance the transaction.
Pfizer’s 2024 financial guidance(5), including the impact of certain significant factors, is presented below.

2023
Results

2024 Legacy

Pfizer
Guidance

Anticipated
Impact of Royalty
Income Reclass
Included in 2024
Guidance

Anticipated 2024
Seagen Impact
Included in 2024
Guidance

2024 Financial
Guidance(5)

Revenues ($ in billions)

$58.5

$54.5 to $57.5

$1.0

$3.1

$58.5 to $61.5

Adjusted(3) SI&A Expenses ($ in billions)

$14.4

$13.8 to $14.8

Adjusted(3) R&D Expenses ($ in billions)

$10.6

$11.0 to $12.0

Effective Tax Rate on Adjusted(3) Income

9.0%

~15.0%

Adjusted(3) Diluted EPS

$1.84

$2.45 to $2.65

$(0.40)

$2.05 to $2.25

Financial guidance for Adjusted(3) diluted EPS is calculated using approximately 5.75 billion weighted average shares outstanding and assumes no share repurchases in 2024.

QUARTERLY FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (Fourth-Quarter 2023 vs. Fourth-Quarter 2022)

Fourth-quarter 2023 revenues totaled $14.2 billion, a decrease of $10.0 billion, or 41%, compared to the prior-year quarter, reflecting an operational decline of $10.1 billion, or 42%, primarily due to a significant decrease in Comirnaty(1) and Paxlovid revenues globally, as well as a de minimis impact of foreign exchange. Excluding contributions from Comirnaty(1) and Paxlovid, company revenues grew $934 million, or 8%, operationally.

Fourth-quarter 2023 Comirnaty(1) revenues declined $6.1 billion, or 54%, operationally compared with the prior-year quarter, largely driven by lower U.S. government contracted deliveries following the transition to traditional U.S. commercial market sales, which began in September 2023, and by lower contracted deliveries and demand in international markets.

Fourth-quarter 2023 Paxlovid revenues declined $5.0 billion, to $(3.1) billion, compared with the prior-year quarter, primarily driven by a non-cash revenue reversal of $3.5 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023, of which a portion was associated with sales recorded in 2022, related to the expected return of an estimated 6.5 million treatment courses of Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)-labeled U.S. government inventory; partially offset by sales under traditional commercial markets following transition, primarily in the U.S.

Excluding contributions from Comirnaty(1) and Paxlovid, fourth-quarter 2023 operational revenue growth was primarily driven by:

Abrysvo, which contributed $515 million in global revenues, driven primarily by launch of the older adult indication in the U.S. in July 2023;
Vyndaqel family (Vyndaqel, Vyndamax, Vynmac) globally, up 39% operationally, driven largely by continued strong uptake of the transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) indication, primarily in the U.S. and developed Europe; and
Eliquis globally, up 9% operationally, driven primarily by continued oral anti-coagulant adoption and market share gains in the non-valvular atrial fibrillation indication in the U.S. and certain markets in Europe, partially offset by declines due to loss of exclusivity and generic competition in certain international markets;
partially offset primarily by lower revenues for:

Ibrance globally, down 13% operationally, driven primarily by lower demand globally due to competitive pressure and lower clinical trial purchases in certain international markets; and
Prevnar family (Prevnar 13 & 20) globally, down 7% operationally, driven primarily by the pediatric indication in emerging markets due to lower demand and unfavorable timing of customer orders.
GAAP Reported(2) Statement of Operations Highlights

SELECTED REPORTED(2) COSTS AND EXPENSES

($ in millions)

Fourth-Quarter

Full-Year

2023

2022

% Change

2023

2022

% Change

Total

Oper.

Total

Oper.

Cost of Sales(2)

$ 7,562

$ 9,648

(22%)

(24%)

$ 24,954

$ 34,344

(27%)

(29%)

Percent of Revenues

53.1%

39.7%

N/A

N/A

42.7%

34.2%

N/A

N/A

SI&A Expenses(2)

4,575

4,644

(1%)

(2%)

14,771

13,677

8%

9%

R&D Expenses(2)

2,815

3,615

(22%)

(22%)

10,679

11,428

(7%)

(6%)

Acquired IPR&D Expenses(2)

73

73

194

953

(80%)

(80%)

Other (Income)/Deductions––net(2)

(480)

(846)

(43%)

(51%)

(835)

217

*

*

Effective Tax Rate on Reported(2) Income/(Loss)

19.2%

4.4%

(105.4%)

9.6%

* Indicates calculation not meaningful.

Fourth-quarter 2023 Cost of Sales(2) as a percentage of revenues increased by 13.4 percentage points compared with the prior-year quarter, driven primarily by the $3.5 billion non-cash Paxlovid revenue reversal; unfavorable changes in sales mix, primarily due to lower sales of Paxlovid and Comirnaty(1); and the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange.

Fourth-quarter 2023 SI&A Expenses(2) decreased 2% operationally compared with the prior-year quarter, driven primarily by a decrease in marketing and promotional expenses for Paxlovid, a lower provision for U.S. healthcare reform fees related to Paxlovid and Comirnaty(1), and lower compensation-related expenses, partially offset by increases in marketing and promotional expenses, including those related to recently launched and acquired products, as well as increased investments to build new internal marketing capabilities.

Fourth-quarter 2023 R&D Expenses(2) decreased 22% operationally compared with the prior-year quarter, driven primarily by lower compensation-related expenses, as well as by lower spending across (i) vaccine programs, (ii) certain acquired assets and (iii) for ongoing rare disease programs.

The unfavorable period-over-period change in Other income—net(2) of $366 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, was driven primarily by higher intangible asset impairment charges, partially offset by an increase in net gains on equity securities.

Pfizer’s positive effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2023 reflects a tax benefit on a pre-tax Reported(2) loss and includes changes in the jurisdictional mix of earnings and the resolution of uncertain tax positions in various markets.

Adjusted(3) Statement of Operations Highlights

SELECTED ADJUSTED(3) COSTS AND EXPENSES

($ in millions)

Fourth-Quarter

Full-Year

2023

2022

% Change

2023

2022

% Change

Total

Oper.

Total

Oper.

Adjusted(3) Cost of Sales

$ 7,265

$ 9,475

(23%)

(26%)

$ 23,988

$ 34,096

(30%)

(31%)

Percent of Revenues

51.0%

39.0%

N/A

N/A

41.0%

34.0%

N/A

N/A

Adjusted(3) SI&A Expenses

4,471

4,414

1%

1%

14,446

13,049

11%

12%

Adjusted(3) R&D Expenses

2,770

3,610

(23%)

(24%)

10,568

11,409

(7%)

(7%)

Adjusted(3) Other (Income)/Deductions––net

(815)

(656)

24%

14%

(2,281)

(1,954)

17%

8%

Effective Tax Rate on Adjusted(3) Income/(Loss)

(24.0%)

11.1%

9.0%

11.7%

Reconciliations of certain Reported(2) to non-GAAP Adjusted(3) financial measures and associated footnotes can be found in the financial tables section of the press release located at the hyperlink below.

FULL-YEAR REVENUE SUMMARY (Full-Year 2023 vs. Full-Year 2022)

Full-year 2023 revenues totaled $58.5 billion, a decrease of $41.8 billion, or 42%, compared to full-year 2022, reflecting an operational decline of $40.8 billion, or 41%, and an unfavorable impact of foreign exchange of $1.0 billion, or 1%. Excluding contributions from Comirnaty(1) and Paxlovid, revenues for the full-year grew 7% operationally.

The operational revenue decline compared to the prior year was driven primarily by significantly lower global revenues for Comirnaty(1) and Paxlovid and, to a much lesser extent, lower revenues for Ibrance, partially offset by an increase in revenues from Nurtec ODT/Vydura and Oxbryta, which were acquired in the fourth quarter of 2022; revenues from Abrysvo, primarily driven by the launch of the older adult indication in the U.S.; and continued growth from the Vyndaqel family and Eliquis.

RECENT NOTABLE DEVELOPMENTS (Since October 31, 2023)

Product Developments

Elrexfio (elranatamab-bcmm) – In December 2023, Pfizer announced the European Commission (EC) granted conditional marketing authorization for Elrexfio for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior therapies, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent and an anti-CD38 antibody and have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy.
Padcev (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv)
In January 2024, Pfizer and Astellas Pharma Inc. (Astellas) announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) validated for review a Type II variation application for Padcev, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), with Keytruda(8) (pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor) as a combination therapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (la/mUC). The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), and subsequently the EC, are expected to share their opinions and decisions on the Type II variation application in calendar year 2024.
In December 2023, Pfizer and Astellas announced that the FDA approved Padcev with Keytruda(8) for the treatment of adult patients with la/mUC based on the results from the Phase 3 EV-302 clinical trial. This combination is the first approved to offer an alternative to platinum-containing chemotherapy, the current standard of care in first-line la/mUC.
Prevnar 20 (20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) – In January 2024, Pfizer announced the CHMP of the EMA adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for its 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate for active immunization for the prevention of invasive disease, pneumonia and acute otitis media caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in infants, children and adolescents from 6 weeks to less than 18 years of age. The CHMP’s positive opinion will now be reviewed by the EC to decide whether to approve the vaccine. This decision is expected in the coming weeks and will apply to all 27 European Union (EU) member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Talzenna (talazoparib) – In January 2024, Pfizer announced that the EC approved Talzenna, an oral poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, in combination with Xtandi (enzalutamide), for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in whom chemotherapy is not clinically indicated. With this approval, Talzenna is now the first and only PARP inhibitor licensed in the EU for use with Xtandi for patients with mCRPC, with or without gene mutations. The approval is valid in all 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Tivdak (tisotumab vedotin-tftv) – In January 2024, Pfizer and Genmab A/S announced the FDA accepted the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) seeking to convert the accelerated approval of Tivdak, an ADC, to full approval, for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer with disease progression on or after first-line therapy. The sBLA is supported by efficacy and safety data from the global, randomized, Phase 3 innovaTV 301 trial. The application was granted Priority Review with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date of May 9, 2024.
Velsipity (etrasimod) – In December 2023, Pfizer announced the EMA’s CHMP adopted a positive opinion for Velsipity, an oral, once-daily, selective sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator for the treatment of patients 16 years of age and older with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who have had an inadequate response, lost response, or were intolerant to either conventional therapy or a biological agent. The EC will review the CHMP recommendation and is expected to make a final decision in the coming months.
Xtandi (enzalutamide) – In November 2023, Astellas and Pfizer announced the FDA approved a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Xtandi following FDA expedited development and review programs (Priority Review designation, Fast Track designation, Real-time Oncology Review), based on results from the Phase 3 EMBARK trial. With this approval, Xtandi becomes the first and only androgen receptor signaling inhibitor approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with nonmetastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (nmCSPC) with biochemical recurrence at high risk for metastasis (high-risk BCR). Patients with nmCSPC with high-risk BCR may be treated with Xtandi with or without a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog therapy.
Pipeline Developments

A comprehensive update of Pfizer’s development pipeline was published today and is now available at www.pfizer.com/science/drug-product-pipeline. It includes an overview of Pfizer’s research and a list of compounds in development with targeted indication and phase of development, as well as mechanism of action for some candidates in Phase 1 and all candidates from Phase 2 through registration.

Danuglipron – In December 2023, Pfizer announced topline data from the Phase 2b clinical trial investigating its oral glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) candidate danuglipron in adults with obesity and without type 2 diabetes. The study met its primary endpoint demonstrating statistically significant change in body weight from baseline. While the most common adverse events were mild and gastrointestinal in nature consistent with the mechanism, high rates were observed. High discontinuation rates were seen across all doses compared to placebo. No new safety signals were reported, and treatment with danuglipron was not associated with increased incidence of liver enzyme elevation compared to placebo. Future development of danuglipron will be focused on a once-daily formulation, with pharmacokinetic data anticipated in the first half of 2024, which will help to inform a potential path forward.
Marstacimab
In December 2023, Pfizer announced the FDA had accepted the company’s Biologics License Application (BLA) for its anti-tissue factor pathway inhibitor (anti-TFPI) candidate marstacimab for individuals living with hemophilia A or hemophilia B without inhibitors to Factor VIII (FVIII) or Factor IX (FIX). A marketing authorization application for marstacimab is also currently under review by the EMA. The FDA has set a PDUFA action date in the fourth quarter of 2024, and a decision from the EC is anticipated by the first quarter of 2025.
In December 2023, Pfizer presented results from the pivotal Phase 3 BASIS clinical trial evaluating marstacimab for the treatment of people with severe hemophilia A and moderately severe to severe hemophilia B without inhibitors to FVIII or FIX. Results from the BASIS trial, which were presented at the 2023 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Exposition, demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful effect on annualized bleeding rate. The safety profile for marstacimab was consistent with Phase 1/2 results, and treatment was generally well-tolerated in the study. No deaths were reported, and there have been no thromboembolic events or events of consumptive coagulopathy recorded in hemophilia patients in clinical trials investigating marstacimab.
Vepdegestrant (ARV-471) – In December 2023, Arvinas, Inc. and Pfizer presented interim results from the Phase 1b trial evaluating vepdegestrant, a novel oral PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera (PROTAC) estrogen receptor (ER) degrader, in combination with palbociclib (Ibrance). Study data from the combination cohort demonstrated encouraging clinical activity in heavily pre-treated patients with a median of four lines of therapy across disease settings with locally advanced or metastatic ER positive/human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) negative (ER+/HER2-) breast cancer. These data were presented in a spotlight presentation at the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
VLA15 (Lyme Disease Vaccine Candidate) – In December 2023, Pfizer and Valneva SE announced the completion of recruitment for the Phase 3 VALOR trial evaluating VLA15, an investigational multivalent protein subunit vaccine for Lyme disease. The trial builds on previous positive Phase 1 and 2 trial results and includes both adult and pediatric participants, with the aim to confirm the efficacy, safety, lot consistency and immunogenicity of VLA15. The VALOR trial is expected to be concluded by the end of 2025.
Corporate Developments

In December 2023, Pfizer announced the completion of its acquisition of Seagen for $229 per share, in cash. The total fair value of the consideration transferred was $44 billion ($43 billion, net of cash acquired). To address U.S. Federal Trade Commission concerns, Pfizer has chosen to irrevocably donate the rights of royalties from sales of Bavencio(9) (avelumab) in the U.S. to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper). With the addition of Seagen’s four in-line medicines, Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin), Padcev (enfortumab vedotin), Tivdak (tisotumab vedotin) and Tukysa (tucatinib), Pfizer’s industry-leading Oncology portfolio now includes over 25 approved medicines and biosimilars across more than 40 indications, including nine medicines that are either blockbuster or have the potential to be blockbuster.
In December 2023, Pfizer announced changes in its commercial organization to incorporate Seagen and improve focus, speed and quality of execution, effective January 1, 2024. Three new organizations have been created, each led by a member of Pfizer’s executive leadership team reporting to Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer: (1) the Pfizer Oncology Division, which brings together U.S. oncology commercial operations from both Pfizer and Seagen and is led by Chris Boshoff, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Oncology Officer, Executive Vice President, who also leads Pfizer’s newly combined global oncology R&D operations; (2) the Pfizer U.S. Commercial Division, led by Aamir Malik, Chief U.S. Commercial Officer, Executive Vice President; and (3) the Pfizer International Commercial Division, led by Alexandre de Germay, who has joined Pfizer as Chief International Commercial Officer, Executive Vice President.
Please find Pfizer’s press release and associated financial tables, including reconciliations of certain GAAP reported to non-GAAP adjusted information, at the following hyperlink:

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Regeneron Announces Formation of Regeneron Cell Medicines with the Acquisition of 2seventy bio Platforms and Preclinical and Clinical Programs

On January 30, 2024 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) reported the formation of Regeneron Cell Medicines based on an agreement with 2seventy bio, Inc. to acquire full development and commercialization rights to its pipeline of investigational novel immune cell therapies, along with its discovery and clinical manufacturing capabilities (Press release, Regeneron, JAN 30, 2024, View Source [SID1234639713]). 2seventy bio employees who support the acquired programs will join Regeneron Cell Medicines, a newly formed research & development (R&D) unit to advance cell therapies and combination approaches in oncology and immunology.

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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

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"Regeneron and 2seventy share a relentless commitment to push the boundaries of science in pursuit of therapies that can improve people’s lives. Our expertise in antibody technologies and emerging genetics capabilities, combined with 2seventy’s cell therapy platforms, presents a significant opportunity to address cancer and other serious diseases in new and impactful ways," said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Board Co-Chair, Co-Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron. "By integrating 2seventy’s pipeline of cell therapies and their talented team, we are complementing our own expertise and portfolio of innovative immuno-oncology treatments, which will allow for potentially transformative combinations that can really make a difference in patients’ lives."

In 2018, Regeneron and bluebird bio (which subsequently spun out 2seventy bio in 2021) entered into an agreement to leverage their complementary technologies to discover novel cell therapy approaches to address cancer. Under the original agreement, Regeneron had the right to opt-in to a co-development/co-commercialization arrangement for collaboration targets. Under the terms of the new agreement, Regeneron will acquire full development and commercialization rights of 2seventy bio’s preclinical and clinical stage pipeline and will assume ongoing program, infrastructure and personnel costs related to these programs. There will be an upfront payment of $5 million and a single milestone payment from Regeneron to 2seventy bio for the first major market approval of the first approved product. Regeneron will pay 2seventy bio a low single-digit percent royalty on revenues generated by the products. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2024 subject to certain closing conditions including SEC-filings required by 2seventy bio and landlord consent of the sublease agreements.

To realize the full potential of these programs and capabilities, Regeneron Cell Medicines has been created to advance the next generation of cell therapies and explore combinations with Regeneron’s proprietary antibodies and bispecifics. An estimated 150 employees from 2seventy bio will transition to Regeneron to continue their work on cell therapy programs and will remain located in Cambridge, MA and Seattle, WA. Philip Gregory, D.Phil., currently the Chief Scientific Officer of 2seventy bio, will be appointed Senior Vice President and Head of Regeneron Cell Medicines upon closing of the transaction.

"Being part of Regeneron not only supercharges our ability to execute on our current portfolio of CAR T and T cell receptor programs but also creates unique opportunities for the combination of cell-based medicines with antibodies and other Regeneron biologics. Moreover, we can immediately build upon the strength of our longstanding relationship and our shared innovation-focused and science-driven approach to create new medicines for patients in need," said Philip Gregory, D.Phil., who, as noted above, will be appointed Senior Vice President, Head of Regeneron Cell Medicines. "We are excited to join an organization with decades of proven scientific innovation and the resources and visionary mindset to make Regeneron Cell Medicines a success."

Developing precision medicine for the treatment of cancer

On January 30, 2024 Kura Oncology presented tis corporate presentation (Presentation, Kura Oncology, JAN 30, 2024, View Source [SID1234639711]).

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Kura Oncology Reports Positive Preliminary Ziftomenib Combination Data in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

On January 30, 2024 Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, reported preliminary clinical data from the first 20 patients in KOMET-007, a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial of the Company’s potent and selective menin inhibitor, ziftomenib, in combination with standards of care, including cytarabine/daunorubicin (7+3) and venetoclax/azacitidine (ven/aza), in patients with NPM1-mutant (NPM1-m) and KMT2A-rearranged (KMT2A-r) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (Press release, Kura Oncology, JAN 30, 2024, View Source [SID1234639710]).

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The first 20 patients were enrolled in KOMET-007 between July 2023 and November 2023, including five newly diagnosed patients with adverse risk1 NPM1-m or KMT2A-r AML and 15 patients with refractory/relapsed (R/R) NPM1-m or KMT2A-r AML.

Continuous daily dosing of ziftomenib at 200 mg QD has been well tolerated and the safety profile consistent with features of underlying disease and backbone therapies. No differentiation syndrome events of any grade were reported, and no dose-limiting toxicities, evidence of QTc prolongation, drug-drug interactions or additive myelosuppression were observed.

As of the data cutoff on January 11, 2024, all newly diagnosed patients treated with ziftomenib and 7+3 achieved a complete remission (CR) with full count recovery, for a CR rate of 100% (5/5), including four patients with NPM1-m AML and one patient with KMT2A-r AML.

The overall response rate (ORR) among R/R patients treated with ziftomenib and ven/aza was 53% (8/15). Among all patients treated with ziftomenib and ven/aza, 40% (6/15) received prior treatment with a menin inhibitor. The CR/CRh2 rate in patients who were menin inhibitor naïve was 56% (5/9), including 60% (3/5) in patients with NPM1-m AML and 50% (2/4) in patients with KMT2A-r AML. The ORR in patients who received prior venetoclax was 40% (4/10), including 60% (3/5) in patients with NPM1-m AML.

As of the data cutoff, 80% (16/20) of patients remain on trial, including 100% (11/11) of all NPM1-m patients.

"Ziftomenib is one of the most exciting investigational agents being studied in AML, and I am thrilled to see the rapid pace of accrual into this first-in-human combinational study," said Amer Zeidan, MBBS, MHS, interim chief of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies, Director of Hematology Early Therapeutics Research at Yale Cancer Center and lead investigator of the KOMET-007 trial. "In this first public release of early data from the KOMET-007 trial, ziftomenib demonstrates an encouraging safety and tolerability profile in combination with 7+3 and ven/aza, enabling continuous administration while mitigating the risk of differentiation syndrome. The combinations demonstrate encouraging preliminary evidence of clinical activity in patients with refractory/relapsed disease after failure of other agents, including venetoclax, a setting with very limited effective treatment options. Further, the fact that most patients remain on study as of the data cutoff is notable in such difficult-to-treat patient populations."

The 200 mg dose of ziftomenib has been cleared in the R/R ven/aza cohorts and enrollment at the 400 mg dose is ongoing. Upon determination of a recommended Phase 2 dose, Kura plans to initiate a Phase 1b dose validation/expansion in combination with ven/aza in newly diagnosed patients with NPM1-m (without adverse risk) or KMT2A-r AML.

"We are highly encouraged by these preliminary combination data for ziftomenib and believe they support advancement into the frontline AML population," said Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Kura Oncology. "Given that ziftomenib targets foundational mutations at the core of up to 50% of AML cases, we are encouraged by its potential to transform treatment outcomes across the continuum of care. We continue to see strong investigator enthusiasm as evidenced by rapid enrollment across studies, and we expect to complete enrollment of all 85 patients in KOMET-001, our Phase 2 registration-directed trial of ziftomenib in patients with R/R NPM1-m AML, by the middle of this year. With the recently announced financing, we remain in a strong financial position with cash runway expected into 2027, which enables us to invest aggressively in research, development and pre-commercial activities to maximize value of ziftomenib and other pipeline assets."

Virtual Investor Event

Kura will host a virtual investor event featuring company management and investigators from the KOMET-007 trial of ziftomenib today at 8:00 a.m. ET. The live call may be accessed by dialing (800) 715-9871 for domestic callers and (646) 307-1963 for international callers and entering the conference ID: 7854712. A live webcast will be available here and in the Investors section of Kura’s website, with an archived replay available shortly after the event.

About Acute Myeloid Leukemia

AML is the most common acute leukemia in adults and begins when the bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts (white blood cells), red blood cells or platelets. Despite the many available treatments for AML, prognosis for patients remains poor and a high unmet need remains. The menin pathway is considered a driver for multiple genetic alterations of the disease, of which NPM1-mutations are among the most common, representing approximately 30% of AML cases and KMT2A-rearrangements represent approximately 5-10% of AML cases. While patients with NPM1-m AML have high response rates to frontline therapy, relapse rates are high and survival outcomes are poor, with only 30% overall survival at 12 months in the R/R setting. Additionally, NPM1 mutations frequently occur with co-mutations in other disease-associated genes, including FLT3, DNMT3A and IDH1/2, with prognosis heavily influenced by the occurrence of co-occurring mutations. Adult patients with NPM1-m AML and select co-mutations and/or R/R disease have a poor prognosis, with median overall survival of only approximately 7.8 months in 2nd line, 5 months in 3rd line and 3.5 months following the 4th line3. Adult patients with KMT2A-r AML have a poor prognosis with high rates of resistance and relapse following standard of care, with median overall survival for this patient population of only 6 months following 2nd line and 2.4 months following 3rd line4. No FDA-approved therapies targeting NPM1-m and KMT2A-r AML currently exist.

About Ziftomenib

Ziftomenib is a novel, once-daily, oral investigational drug candidate targeting the menin-KMT2A/MLL protein-protein interaction for treatment of genetically defined AML patients with high unmet need. In preclinical models, ziftomenib inhibits the KMT2A/MLL protein complex and exhibits downstream effects on HOXA9/MEIS1 expression and potent anti-leukemic activity in genetically defined preclinical models of AML. Ziftomenib has received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of AML. Additional information about clinical trials for ziftomenib can be found at kuraoncology.com/clinical-trials/#ziftomenib.

Invitae Partners with BridgeBio Pharma to Harness Genetic Insights for the Discovery of Rare Disease Therapeutics

On January 30, 2024 Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), a leading medical genetics company, reported a partnership with BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on genetic diseases and cancers, designed to advance genetics-based drug discovery for rare diseases (Press release, Invitae, JAN 30, 2024, View Source;BridgeBio-Pharma-to-Harness-Genetic-Insights-for-the-Discovery-of-Rare-Disease-Therapeutics/default.aspx [SID1234639709]). The goal of the collaboration is to generate new insights focused on genetic modifiers and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for rare diseases and other unmet medical needs.

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The agreement expands upon the longstanding partnership between the two companies to combine the strengths of BridgeBio’s deep expertise in rare disease research and development of therapeutics, and Invitae’s rare disease enriched dataset and analytical capabilities. Invitae has provided clinical testing for more than 4 million patients, generating an extensive dataset that is uniquely positioned to deepen insights on patients with genetic-driven disease.

"Invitae is on a mission to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. By leveraging de-identified genetic information from patients, our researchers can gain a much deeper understanding of the genetic basis of a disease," said W. Michael Korn, M.D., chief medical officer at Invitae. "Through this partnership, we aim to support the development of novel therapeutic targets and advance transformative medicines for patients with rare disease."

Access to large genetic and clinical datasets are needed to advance research and discover novel drug targets and are often hard to find for researchers.

"We chose to partner with Invitae because of the unique scale and depth of their dataset on affected populations. Patients with severe and highly penetrant dominant disorders are not represented in general population studies, making it nearly impossible to find data anywhere except a disease-focused cohort like Invitae’s," said Sun-Gou Ji, Ph.D., vice president of computational genetics at BridgeBio. "These rich data sources will continue to offer researchers a mechanism to get a much deeper understanding of genetic variations and their effect on diseases."

Together Invitae and BridgeBio will translate genetic and phenotypic data into insights to improve therapeutic discovery and design for patients with rare disease. Invitae will analyze longitudinal medical phenotypes in linked genetic and clinical datasets, in order to understand the burden of disease in a real-world setting. Harnessing BridgeBio’s disease expertise, Invitae will leverage AI-based phenotypic clustering to identify subgroups of patients based on their genetic and phenotypic profiles. Invitae will also conduct association testing to identify potential genetic modifiers of disease phenotype, severity, onset and progression.