On November 7, 2024 Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL), a commercial stage biotechnology company focused on hematologic disorders and cancer, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, including sales of TAVALISSE (fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate) for the treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP); REZLIDHIA (olutasidenib) for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) mutated isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (mIDH1) acute myeloid leukemia (AML); and GAVRETO (pralsetinib) for the treatment of metastatic rearranged during transfection (RET) fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer, and recent business progress (Press release, Rigel, NOV 7, 2024, View Source [SID1234647947]).

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"2024 has been a significant year for Rigel, marked by the acquisition of GAVRETO, our third commercial product, strong revenue growth across our commercial portfolio, and the advancement of our development pipeline," said Raul Rodriguez, Rigel’s president and CEO. "This great progress is underpinned by our focus on financial discipline, resulting in positive third-quarter and year-to-date net income. As we close out the year, we will continue driving momentum in our commercial portfolio and hematology and oncology development pipeline."

Third Quarter 2024 Business Update

Commercial Update

Commercial strength continues for all products with record bottles shipped to patients and clinics and total bottles sold.
GAVRETO became commercially available from Rigel in June 2024. Third-quarter results reflect the successful transition of existing patients on therapy to Rigel’s product. For the fourth quarter, the focus will be on continuing to transition patients.
The following table summarizes total bottles shipped for the third quarter:

TAVALISSE

REZLIDHIA

GAVRETO*

Bottles shipped to patients and clinics

2,797

444

717

Change in bottles remaining in distribution channel

(4)

(15)

35

Total bottles shipped

2,793

429

752

*GAVRETO bottle count represents 60-count bottle equivalent

In September, Rigel entered into an exclusive license and supply agreement with Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ("Kissei") to develop and commercialize REZLIDHIA in all potential indications in Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan. Under the terms of the agreement, Rigel received an upfront cash payment of $10.0 million from Kissei, with the potential for up to an additional $152.5 million in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments.
In late October, Rigel issued a Dear Health Care Provider (DHCP) letter related to a new safety signal for GAVRETO after consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The DHCP letter has been posted to the GAVRETO Healthcare Provider website at www.gavreto-hcp.com.
Clinical and Development Update

Rigel continues to advance its Phase 1b clinical study evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of R2891, a novel and selective dual IRAK1/4 inhibitor, in patients with R/R lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (LR-MDS). Enrollment in the fifth dose level (500mg / 250mg split dose) is underway.
In early November, Rigel announced six poster presentations highlighting data from the company’s commercial and clinical-stage hematology and oncology portfolio at the upcoming 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Exposition. Initial data from the ongoing Phase 1b study evaluating R289 in patients with R/R LR-MDS indicate that R289 was generally well tolerated in a heavily pretreated LR-MDS patient population, the majority of whom were high transfusion burden at study entry. As of the data cutoff, 14 of 19 patients were evaluable for efficacy and per International Working Group (IWG) 2018, RBC-transfusion independence (RBC-TI)/hematologic improvement (HI-E) occurred in 36% of patients receiving R289 doses ≥500 mg QD, with a median duration of RBC-TI of 29 weeks. RBC-TI >24 weeks was achieved in 2 high transfusion burden patients following 3 and 5 prior therapies, including a hypomethylating agent. The company will also present additional data for olutasidenib in patients with R/R mIDH1 AML and MDS.
In September, Rigel announced the first patient was enrolled in a Phase 1b/2 triplet therapy trial of decitabine and venetoclax in combination with REZLIDHIA in patients with mIDH1 AML, which is being sponsored and conducted by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson). This is the first trial in Rigel’s multi-year strategic development alliance with MD Anderson.
A paper detailing the differences in molecular structure, binding characteristics and clinical outcomes between olutasidenib and ivosidenib, including response rates in patients previously treated with ivosidenib or venetoclax, was published by Dr. Justin M. Watts, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Chief, Leukemia Section at the University of Miami Health System, in Current Treatment Options in Oncology in October 2024.
Third Quarter 2024 and Year-To-Date Financial Update
For the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, total revenues were $55.3 million, consisting of $26.3 million in TAVALISSE net product sales, $5.5 million in REZLIDHIA net product sales, $7.1 million in GAVRETO net product sales, and $16.4 million in contract revenue from collaborations. TAVALISSE net product sales grew 8% compared to $24.5 million in the same period of 2023. REZLIDHIA net product sales grew 107% compared to $2.7 million in the same period of 2023. GAVRETO became commercially available from Rigel in June 2024. Contract revenue from collaborations consisted of $13.0 million from Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Kissei) related to an upfront fee from sublicensing olutasidenib and delivery of drug supplies, as well as $3.3 million from Grifols S.A. (Grifols) and $0.1 million from Medison Pharma Trading AG (Medison) related to delivery of drug supplies and earned royalties.

Total costs and expenses were $41.3 million compared to $32.6 million for the same period of 2023. The increase in costs and expenses was mainly due to higher cost of product sales, driven primarily by increased products sales, a sublicensing revenue fee to Forma, increased royalties and amortization of intangible assets. In addition, there were increases in personnel-related costs and commercial-related expenses.

Rigel reported net income of $12.4 million, or $0.71 basic and $0.70 diluted per share, compared to a net loss of $5.7 million, or $0.33 basic and diluted per share, for the same period of 2023. The basic and diluted share and per share amounts for the prior period have been restated to reflect the 1-for-10 reverse stock split effected on June 27, 2024 on a retroactive basis.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, total revenues were $121.7 million, consisting of $73.8 million in TAVALISSE net product sales, $15.6 million in REZLIDHIA net product sales, $9.0 million in GAVRETO net product sales, and $23.3 million in contract revenue from collaborations. TAVALISSE net product sales grew 8% compared to $68.1 million in the same period of 2023. REZLIDHIA net product sales grew 133% compared to $6.7 million in the same period of 2023. As mentioned above, GAVRETO became commercially available from Rigel in June 2024. Contract revenue from collaborations consisted of $17.5 million from Kissei related to an upfront fee from sublicensing olutasidenib and delivery of drug supplies, as well as $5.5 million from Grifols and $0.2 million from Medison related to delivery of drug supplies and earned royalties.

Total costs and expenses were $114.1 million compared to $103.5 million for the same period of 2023. The increase in costs and expenses was mainly due to higher cost of product sales driven primarily by increased products sales, a sublicensing revenue fee to Forma, increased royalties and amortization of intangible assets. In addition, there were increases in personnel-related costs, stock-based compensation expense and commercial-related expenses. These increases were partially offset by decreased research and development costs due to the timing of clinical trial activities related to R289, the company’s dual IRAK 1/4 inhibitor program, as well as reduced trial activities related to the completed Phase 3 clinical trials of fostamatinib in patients with COVID-19 and in patients with warm antibody hemolytic anemia (wAIHA).

Rigel reported net income of $3.1 million, or $0.18 basic and diluted per share, compared to a net loss of $25.8 million, or $1.49 basic and diluted per share, for the same period of 2023. As discussed above, the share and per share amounts for the prior period have been restated to reflect the 1-for-10 reverse stock split on a retroactive basis for the periods presented.

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as of September 30, 2024 was $61.1 million, compared to $49.1 million as of June 30, 2024, and $56.9 million as of December 31, 2023.

Conference Call and Webcast with Slides Today at 4:30pm Eastern Time
Rigel will hold a live conference call and webcast today at 4:30pm Eastern Time (1:30pm Pacific Time).

Participants can access the live conference call by dialing (877) 407-3088 (domestic) or (201) 389-0927 (international). The conference call will also be webcast live and can be accessed from the Investor Relations section of the company’s website at www.rigel.com. The webcast will be archived and available for replay after the call via the Rigel website.

About ITP
In patients with ITP (immune thrombocytopenia), the immune system attacks and destroys the body’s own blood platelets, which play an active role in blood clotting and healing. Common symptoms of ITP are excessive bruising and bleeding. People suffering with chronic ITP may live with an increased risk of severe bleeding events that can result in serious medical complications or even death. Current therapies for ITP include steroids, blood platelet production boosters (TPO-RAs), and splenectomy. However, not all patients respond to existing therapies. As a result, there remains a significant medical need for additional treatment options for patients with ITP.

About AML
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rapidly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects myeloid cells, which normally develop into various types of mature blood cells. AML occurs primarily in adults and accounts for about 1 percent of all adult cancers. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 20,800 new cases in the United States, most in adults, in 2024.2

Relapsed AML affects about half of all patients who, following treatment and remission, experience a return of leukemia cells in the bone marrow.3 Refractory AML, which affects between 10 and 40 percent of newly diagnosed patients, occurs when a patient fails to achieve remission even after intensive treatment.4 Quality of life declines for patients with each successive line of treatment for AML, and well-tolerated treatments in relapsed or refractory disease remain an unmet need.

About NSCLC
It is estimated that over 230,000 adults in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2024. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S, with NSCLC being the most common type accounting for 80-85% of all lung cancer diagnoses.5 RET fusions are implicated in approximately 1-2% of patients with NSCLC.6

About TAVALISSE
TAVALISSE (fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate) tablets is indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who have had an insufficient response to a previous treatment.

Please click here for Important Safety Information and Full Prescribing Information for TAVALISSE.

About REZLIDHIA
REZLIDHIA is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a susceptible isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test.

Please click here for Important Safety Information and Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNING, for REZLIDHIA.

About GAVRETO
GAVRETO is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic rearranged during transfection (RET) fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as detected by an FDA-approved test and adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with advanced or metastatic RET fusion-positive thyroid cancer who require systemic therapy and who are radioactive iodine-refractory (if radioactive iodine is appropriate).*

*Thyroid indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s).

Please click here for Important Safety Information and Full Prescribing Information for GAVRETO.

To report side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA, visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088 (800-332-1088).

TAVALISSE, REZLIDHIA and GAVRETO are registered trademarks of Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

On November 7, 2024 Repare Therapeutics Inc. ("Repare" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: RPTX), a leading clinical-stage precision oncology company, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 (Press release, Repare Therapeutics, NOV 7, 2024, View Source [SID1234647946]).

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"We look forward to reporting data from our MYTHIC dose expansion clinical trial evaluating lunresertib in combination with camonsertib at the recommended Phase 2 dose at a company event in December, with the plan to begin a registrational trial in 2025. This combination therapy has the potential to be a new treatment paradigm in genomically-defined platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and second-line endometrial cancer," said Lloyd M. Segal, President and CEO of Repare. "In the third quarter, we continued to make progress across our pipeline, including the dosing of the first patient in the POLAR clinical trial evaluating RP-3467, alone and in combination with the PARP inhibitor, olaparib. Additionally, we presented first-in-human data highlighting the clinical benefits of camonsertib in combination with radiotherapy at the ASTRO annual meeting in collaboration with investigators at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center."

Third Quarter 2024 and Recent Portfolio Highlights:

▪
Lunresertib (RP-6306): First-in-class, oral PKMYT1 inhibitor
▪
Currently evaluating lunresertib in combination with camonsertib in Repare’s MYTHIC dose expansion clinical trial at the RP2D in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian and endometrial cancers harboring CCNE1 amplification or FBXW7 or PPP2R1A mutations, which are predictive of poor prognosis. Repare is on track to report data from approximately 20-30 patients in each cohort in December 2024, with the plan to begin a registrational trial in 2025.
▪
Presented positive updated safety and tolerability data from the Phase 1 MYTHIC trial at the RP2D highlighting the benefits of its individualized schedule for the management of anemia at the 36th EORTC-NCI-AACR (Free EORTC-NCI-AACR Whitepaper) Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in October 2024. In this analysis, Repare followed patients for approximately nine months at the RP2D to assess the effectiveness of an individualized schedule. The analysis demonstrated a successful approach to mitigating mechanism-based anemia while maintaining clinical benefit. No thrombocytopenia of any grade nor serious neutropenia in these patients was observed. Dose optimization meaningfully reduced Grade 3 anemia to 22.6% from 51.4% in all patients.
▪
Presented data at the American Association of Cancer Research’s (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) 15th Annual Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium in September 2024 highlighting the impact of alterations in FBXW7, PPP2R1A and CCNE1 in patients with metastatic ovarian and endometrial cancers based on an analysis in approximately 2,000 patients from Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network and Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Metastatic Events and Tropisms. The data underscores inherent chemotherapy resistance and the lack of treatment options for metastatic gynecologic cancer patients with these biomarkers.
▪
Evaluating lunresertib in combination with Debio 0123, a highly selective, brain-penetrant, clinical WEE1 inhibitor, in Module 4 of the ongoing MYTHIC clinical trial in patients with advanced solid tumors harboring CCNE1 amplification or FBXW7 or PPP2R1A deleterious alterations. Repare expects to report initial data from Module 4 of the MYTHIC trial in 2025.
▪
Camonsertib (RP-3500): Potential best-in-class oral ATR inhibitor
▪
Evaluating camonsertib as a monotherapy in the ongoing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) expansion of the Phase 2 TRESR clinical trial. Camonsertib has demonstrated a promising signal of prolonged progression free survival in patients with ATM-mutated NSCLC in the TRESR clinical trial. Repare expects to report initial data from the TRESR clinical trial in 2025.
▪
Presented Phase 1 data from a clinical trial conducted in collaboration with investigators at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center highlighting camonsertib in combination with palliative radiation for the treatment of metastatic tumors harboring an ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) mutation at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in September 2024. The first-in-human data showed that the combination demonstrated higher clinical benefit in patients with tumors harboring pathogenic ATM mutations versus those with variants of unknown significance.
▪
RP-1664: First-in-class, oral, selective PLK4 inhibitor
▪
Evaluating RP-1664 as a monotherapy in the Phase 1 LIONS clinical trial in adult and adolescent patients with TRIM37-high solid tumors, including the recent dosing of the first adolescent patient with neuroblastoma. After evaluating safety in the LIONS clinical trial, the Company expects to rapidly advance RP-1664 into a Phase 1/2 trial in pediatric patients with high risk, recurrent neuroblastoma, where the patients have a high prevalence of TRIM37-altered tumors.
▪
RP-3467: Potential best-in-class, oral Polθ ATPase inhibitor
▪
Dosed the first patient in the POLAR clinical trial evaluating RP-3467, a Polθ ATPase inhibitor, alone and in combination with the poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, olaparib. The POLAR clinical trial is a multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation Phase 1 clinical trial to investigate the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary clinical activity of RP-3647 alone or in combination with olaparib in adults with molecularly selected advanced solid tumors. The trial is expected to enroll patients with locally advanced or metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, or pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
▪
Other Company Updates
▪
In August 2024, Repare announced a strategic reprioritization of its research and development activities to focus its efforts on the advancement of its portfolio of clinical-stage oncology programs.

As part of this strategic refocus, Repare reduced its overall workforce by approximately 25%, with a majority of the headcount reductions from its preclinical group.
Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results:

▪
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of September 30, 2024 were $179.4 million. The Company believes that its cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities are sufficient to fund its current operational plans into the second half of 2026.
▪
Revenue from collaboration agreements: Revenue from collaboration agreements were nil and $53.5 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, as compared to $2.2 million and $38.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.
▪
Research and development expenses, net of tax credits (Net R&D): Net R&D expenses were $28.4 million and $91.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, as compared to $32.7 million and $98.3 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.
▪
General and administrative (G&A) expenses: G&A expenses were $6.4 million and $23.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, compared to $7.9 million and $25.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.
▪
Net loss: Net loss was $34.4 million, or $0.81 per share, and $56.0 million, or $1.32 per share, in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, compared to $18.9 million, or $0.45 per share, and $65.8 million, or $1.56 per share, three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively.

On November 7, 2024 Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ: PBYI), a biopharmaceutical company, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 (Press release, Puma Biotechnology, NOV 7, 2024, View Source [SID1234647945]). Unless otherwise stated, all comparisons are for the third quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2023.

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Product revenue, net consists entirely of sales revenue from NERLYNX, Puma’s first commercial product. Product revenue, net in the third quarter of 2024 was $56.1 million, compared to $51.6 million in the third quarter of 2023. Product revenue, net in the first nine months of 2024 was $140.8 million, compared to $149.9 million in the first nine months of 2023.

Based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP), Puma reported net income of $20.3 million, or $0.41 per basic and diluted share, for the third quarter of 2024, compared to a net income of $5.8 million, or $0.12 per basic and diluted share, for the third quarter of 2023. Net income for the first nine months of 2024 was $11.0 million, or $0.23 per basic share and $0.22 per diluted share, compared to net income of $9.3 million, or $0.20 per basic and diluted share, for the first nine months of 2023.

Non-GAAP adjusted net income was $22.4 million, or $0.46 per basic share and $0.45 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $8.3 million, or $0.18 per basic share and $0.17 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP adjusted net income for the first nine months of 2024 was $17.5 million, or $0.36 per basic and diluted share, compared to non-GAAP adjusted net income of $17.1 million, or $0.36 per basic and diluted share, for the first nine months of 2023. Non-GAAP adjusted net income excludes stock-based compensation expenses. For a reconciliation of GAAP net income to non-GAAP adjusted net income and GAAP net income per share to non-GAAP adjusted net income per share, please see the financial tables at the end of this news release.

Net cash provided by operating activities for the third quarter of 2024 was $11.0 million, compared to $10.7 million in the third quarter of 2023. Net cash provided by operating activities for the first nine months of 2024 was $23.3 million, compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $16.6 million in the first nine months of 2023. On September 30, 2024, Puma had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of approximately $97 million, compared to cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of approximately $96 million at December 31, 2023.

"We are pleased to announce both positive net income and positive operating cash flow for the third quarter of 2024," said Alan H. Auerbach, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Puma. "In addition to our focus on the commercialization of NERLYNX, we are also continuing to make progress with the clinical development of alisertib for patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer and patients with chemotherapy-naïve HER2-negative, hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer."

Mr. Auerbach added, "We anticipate the following key milestones over the next 12 months: (i) initiation of ALI-1201/ALISCA-Breast1, a Phase II trial of alisertib in combination with endocrine treatment in patients with chemotherapy-naïve HER2-negative, hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer (Q4 2024); (ii) presentation of interim data from ALI-4201/ALISCA-Lung1, a Phase II clinical trial of alisertib monotherapy for the treatment of patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer (2025); and (iii) presentation of interim data from ALISCA-Breast1, a Phase II trial of alisertib in combination with endocrine treatment in patients with chemotherapy-naïve HER2-negative, hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer (2025)."

Revenue

Total revenue consists of product revenue, net from sales of NERLYNX, Puma’s first commercial product and royalty revenue. For the third quarter of 2024, total revenue was $80.5 million, of which $56.1 million was product revenue, net and $24.4 million was royalty revenue. This compares to total revenue of $56.1 million in the third quarter of 2023, of which $51.6 million was product revenue, net and $4.5 million was royalty revenue. For the first nine months of 2024, total revenue was $171.4 million, of which $140.8 million was product revenue, net and $30.6 million was royalty revenue. This compares to total revenue of $163.5 million for the first nine months of 2023, of which $149.9 million was product revenue, net, and $13.6 million was royalty revenue.

Operating Costs and Expenses

Total operating costs and expenses were $58.4 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $47.5 million for the third quarter of 2023. Operating costs and expenses in the first nine months of 2024 were $153.8 million, compared to $145.7 million in the first nine months of 2023.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales was $29.1 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $13.3 million for the third quarter of 2023. Cost of sales was $50.5 million for the first nine months of 2024, compared to $38.4 million for the first nine months of 2023. The increase was primarily due to royalty expense related to the timing of sales made in China by our sub-licensee and an increase in units shipped to China.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $16.8 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $22.8 million for the third quarter of 2023. SG&A expenses for the first nine months of 2024 were $63.5 million, compared to $69.7 million for the first nine months of 2023. The $6.2 million decrease in SG&A expenses for the first nine months of 2024 compared to the first nine months of 2023 resulted from a decrease in payroll and related costs of approximately $2.4 million, primarily due to lower headcount, partially offset by annual salary increases; and a decrease in professional fees and expenses of approximately $1.2 million, primarily due to decreases of approximately $3.2 million in marketing expenses and $0.4 million in insurance and other expenses. These decreases were partially offset by an increase of approximately $2.3 million in legal fees; a decrease in stock-based compensation expense of approximately $1.1 million, primarily due to lower headcount; a decrease in provision for credit loss of $0.6 million, due to a customer payment on an overdue receivable; and a decrease in loss on impairment of asset expense of approximately $0.6 million in connection with our decision to sublease a portion of our office space in 2023.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $12.5 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $11.4 million for the third quarter of 2023. R&D expenses for the first nine months of 2024 were $39.8 million, compared to $37.6 million for the first nine months of 2023. The $2.2 million year-over-year increase in R&D expenses resulted primarily from an increase in clinical trial expenses of approximately $1.8 million, primarily due to the procurement of alisertib drug product and increased alisertib study activity, partially offset by fewer clinical milestones being achieved, and an increase in internal R&D expenses of approximately $0.8 million, primarily due to one-time payroll and severance related expenses.

Total Other Income (Expenses)

Total other expenses were $1.5 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $2.6 million for the third quarter of 2023. Total other expenses of $5.7 million for the first nine months of 2024 were down from $8.0 million for the first nine months of 2023 due primarily to an increase in interest income.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Outlook

Fourth Quarter 2024

Full Year 2024 (previous)

Full Year 2024 (new)

Net Product Revenue

$46–$48 million

$183–$190 million

$187–$190 million

Royalty Revenue

$3.5–$5 million

$30–$34 million

$34–$36 million

License Revenue

$1–$2 million

$1–$2 million

$1–$2 million

Net Income

$4–$6 million

$12–$15 million

$15–$17 million

Gross to Net Adjustment

21%–22%

21%–22%

20.5%–21.5%

Conference Call

Puma Biotechnology will host a conference call to report its third quarter 2024 financial results and provide an update on Puma’s business and outlook at 1:30 p.m. PST/4:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 7, 2024. The call may be accessed by dialing 1 (877) 709-8150 (domestic) or 1 (201) 689-8354 (international). Please dial in at least 10 minutes in advance and inform the operator that you would like to join the "Puma Biotechnology Conference Call." A live webcast of the conference call and presentation slides may be accessed on the Investors section of the Puma Biotechnology website at View Source A replay of the call will be available shortly after completion of the call and will be archived on Puma’s website for 90 days.

On November 7, 2024 Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTX), a clinical-stage allogeneic cell therapy and genetic medicines company advancing differentiated non-viral treatments for patients with cancer, autoimmune and rare diseases, reported updates and financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 (Press release, Poseida Therapeutics, NOV 7, 2024, View Source [SID1234647944]).

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"Poseida continues to make excellent progress across all of our key initiatives, highlighted by compelling data presentations from our pipeline of innovative, non-viral allogeneic cell therapy and genetic medicine programs, the expansion and advancement of our collaborations with Roche and Astellas, and our science-backed strategy to apply our platform to the large and growing opportunity for CAR-T in autoimmune diseases," said Kristin Yarema, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Poseida Therapeutics. "As a result, we have generated $130 million in non-dilutive, partnership related milestones and payments so far this year, along with $49 million earned through R&D expense reimbursements. This has resulted in Poseida being cash flow positive for the first nine months of the year and extended our cash runway, with additional upside potential from continued execution, clinical progress and business development. We look forward to sharing updates on our CAR-T programs at our upcoming Cell Therapy R&D Day and future medical meetings."

Recent Accomplishments

Cell Therapy

Expanded strategic global collaboration with Roche, including ongoing pipeline progress and the nomination of a new dual CAR-T development candidate.

•
The new candidate is an allogeneic, dual CAR-T therapy targeting known antigens expressed in hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma. Poseida and Roche now have three programs under their collaboration, including P-BCMA-ALLO1, an allogeneic CAR-T therapy in Phase 1/1b development for multiple myeloma, and P-CD19CD20-ALLO1, an allogeneic dual CAR-T candidate in Phase 1 development for B-cell malignancies. Roche has the option to nominate additional development candidates in the future.
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P-BCMA-ALLO1 continues to be positioned as a leading clinical-stage allogeneic CAR-T therapy with a compelling and differentiated profile: interim Phase 1 data presented at the International Myeloma Society (IMS) annual meeting in September showed a 91% overall response rate (ORR) in an optimized lymphodepletion arm, including a 100% ORR in B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-naïve patients, and an 86% ORR in those who had received at least one prior BCMA- and/or G protein-coupled receptor class C group 5 member D (GPRC5D)-targeting treatment modality, along with differentiated safety results with no dose-limiting toxicities, low rates of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) all Grade 2 or less and no graft vs. host disease or Parkinsonism. No anti-myeloma bridging therapy or prophylaxis with steroids or tocilizumab, no invasive apheresis or manufacturing wait with average time from treatment decision to clinical response of only 3.5 weeks1 (median time to response of 16 days post initial P-BCMA-ALLO1 therapy). The patients in this study had more advanced disease than the myeloma patients studied in clinical trials of approved autologous CAR-T therapies2, and in the intent-to-treat population, 100% of patients were infused with P-BCMA-ALLO1.
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Poseida’s conference call to discuss IMS data featured a fireside chat with leading myeloma experts that highlighted key aspects of the data and provided context on current treatment approaches. The experts highlighted that off-the-shelf availability allows patients to start therapy fast, without need for bridging therapy commonly required by autologous CAR-T, and in some cases, offers a solution for patients who are ineligible for autologous treatments; rapid clinical responses; attractive safety profile; ability to treat patients on an outpatient basis; and ability to treat BCMA-exposed patients as key benefits observed in the trial.
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P-BCMA-ALLO1 development continues, with ongoing patient enrollment in the recently initiated Phase 1/1b trial that is using the same lymphodepletion regimen as the optimized lymphodepletion arm described above, including two different cell doses. During the third quarter, P-BCMA-ALLO1 was granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma after three or more prior lines of therapies including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent and an anti-CD38 antibody.
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Poseida has secured $80 million from Roche collaboration milestones to-date in 2024, including a milestone payment received in the third quarter related to the initiation of the P-BCMA-ALLO1 Phase 1b clinical trial, and an additional payment for the nomination of the new development candidate in October.

Progressed the strategic research collaboration and license agreement with Astellas’ wholly owned subsidiary Xyphos Biosciences with the formal nomination of the second high potential program target. Both program targets nominated under the collaboration are well-known and validated solid tumor targets.

Accelerating highly differentiated dual targeting allogeneic CAR-T for autoimmune disease with P-BCMACD19-ALLO1 as first pipeline candidate to address this significant market opportunity. P-BCMACD19-ALLO1 is an allogeneic dual CAR-T candidate currently in IND-enabling studies. We believe targeting BCMA and CD19 could provide the potential to enable more complete immune cell depletion than CAR-Ts targeting only one of the antigens, and that targeting BCMA specifically could provide the potential to deplete autoantibodies from plasma cells, which are believed to be a key driver in many autoimmune diseases and not addressed by targeting CD19 alone. Emerging data from an autologous dual CAR-T targeting BCMA and CD19 has thus far substantiated this dual targeting approach. P-BCMACD19-ALLO1 is also positioned to provide the access benefits of an allogeneic product and a potentially attractive safety profile derived from Poseida’s non-viral TSCM approach and other features unique to the Company’s CAR-T platform, such as its proprietary safety switch.

Strengthened Poseida’s innovation profile and emerging leadership in allogeneic CAR-T with new data at the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Twelfth Annual Meeting in September and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 39th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs in November.

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A new case study demonstrating the reactivation of an autologous Poseida CAR-T therapy with a T-cell engager in a patient with relapsed multiple myeloma was presented at SOHO. The patient attained and remains in stringent complete response over 10 months after CAR-T reactivation. This case highlights the potential of Poseida’s TSCM-based CAR-T therapies to deliver a strong anti-myeloma response with long-term remission and CAR-T cell persistence. The Company believes this is the first time that a T-cell engager has been seen to reactivate a CAR-T therapy.
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New preclinical data highlighting the potential of Poseida’s platform to design and manufacture CAR-TCR-T cells that are rich in stem cell memory T cell (TSCM) and central memory T cells (TCM) for potential use in solid tumors will be presented at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) on November 9. In solid tumors, multi-antigens are believed to be necessary for efficacy, and CAR+TCR-T cells can recognize and kill single and double antigen target cells and show the potential to synergize with T-cell engagers. Key highlights from the SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) presentation include:
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CAR+TCR-T cells were shown to control single and double antigen-positive tumor growth in vivo, with sustained persistence.
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T-cell engager was used to re-activate and re-direct engrafted CAR+TCR-T cells to control a secondary tumor challenge expressing different antigens echoing the patient case study presented at SOHO and suggesting an approach to address heterogeneous tumors and/or tumors whose composition evolves over time.

Continued to enroll patients in the Phase 1 clinical trial of P-CD19CD20-ALLO1. In light of the competitive environment for therapies targeting CD19 and CD20, Poseida and Roche anticipate providing initial clinical data from the trial in 2025 once a more complete dataset of the program is available.Genetic Medicines

Demonstrated ongoing leadership in development of non-viral approaches to genetic medicines, supported by data presentation at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) 2024 Scientific Meeting featuring P-KLKB1-101, a non-viral, liver-directed genetic medicine that uses the Company’s Cas-CLOVER Site-Specific Gene Editing System. The data showed high-fidelity gene editing at KLKB1 for the targeted correction of hereditary angioedema (HAE), the ability for controlled dose response, favorable tolerability and liver editing approaching the desired therapeutic range. The data reinforce the potential of Cas-CLOVER to be a unique and attractive gene editing tool for a variety of diseases, starting with HAE and KLKB1 editing.

In addition, Poseida had a successful INTERACT meeting with the U.S. FDA for P-FVIII-101 in September 2024. The meeting provided Poseida with early engagement and communication with FDA on the program, in order to support efficient development designed to be aligned with FDA standards. INTERACT meetings focus on innovative and emerging technologies covered by the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).

Other Operational Updates and Upcoming Events

Manufacturing Updates

The Company continues to advance its platform process and analytical capabilities for allogeneic cell therapy manufacturing. Recent analytical enhancements have enabled more precise evaluation of prospective donors as well as providing improved characterization of drug product attributes.

Cell Therapy R&D Day

Poseida will host a cell therapy-focused R&D Day on November 14, 2024, to highlight progress and further opportunities across its clinical-stage and earlier-stage pipeline of differentiated allogeneic CAR-T therapies in oncology and autoimmune disease.

The virtual event and access to the live webcast will be available through the following registration link: View Source Registration for this virtual event and access to a replay of the live webcast will also be available on the Investors & Media section of www.poseida.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for approximately 90 days following the presentation.

Financial Results for the Third Quarter 2024

Revenues

Revenues were $71.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and $125.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $9.4 million and $39.7 million for the same periods in 2023, respectively. The increases were primarily due to milestone recognition and an increase in reimbursed research and development expenses under the Roche Collaboration Agreement, and revenue recognized from the Astellas Strategic Agreements and Astellas Collaboration Agreement.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses were $41.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $37.5 million for the same period in 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase in allogeneic clinical stage programs, driven mainly by an increase in overall enrollment of the Company’s allogeneic programs, and by an increase in preclinical stage programs and other unallocated expenses.

Research and development expenses were $130.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $114.7 million for the same period in 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase in allogeneic clinical stage programs, driven mainly by an increase in overall enrollment of the Company’s allogeneic programs and the initiation of its third allogeneic clinical trial, P-CD19CD20-ALLO1, and by an increase in preclinical stage programs and other unallocated expenses.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses were $10.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and $32.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $8.1 million and $28.6 million for the same periods in 2023, respectively. The increases were primarily due to increased legal and professional fees as a result of higher patent-related and other consulting costs, and higher personnel expenses.

Net Income (Loss)

Net income was $20.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and net loss was $35.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to net loss of $31.8 million and $98.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively.

Cash Position

As of September 30, 2024, the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments balance was $230.9 million. This includes $115 million in milestone and upfront payments generated in the first nine months of 2024, consisting of a $50 million upfront payment from the Astellas collaboration and $65 million from continued execution in the Company’s CAR-T partnership with Roche. The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments together with these and other remaining near-term milestones and other payments from Roche will be sufficient to fund operations into early 2026. Potential additional anticipated progress and payments under the Roche Collaboration Agreement and/or potential additional business development could further extend the cash runway.

On November 7, 2024 Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq: PHIO) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company creating new pathways towards a cancer-free future by using its INTASYL siRNA gene silencing technology designed to make the body’s immune cells more effective in killing cancer cells, reported that it is presenting clinical data from its on-going Phase 1b clinical trial at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper), which will be held in Houston, TX from November 8-10, 2024 (Press release, Phio Pharmaceuticals, NOV 7, 2024, View Source [SID1234647943]).

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Phio’s presentation will highlight the clinical results from enrolled patients in Cohorts 1 and 2 in the Phase 1b dose escalation clinical trial. This clinical trial is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of intratumoral injection of PH-762 in patients with cutaneous squamous carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma and melanoma.

Clinical Results To Date

Intratumoral (IT) injection of PH-762 has been well tolerated in all patients enrolled in the trial to date. There were no related adverse events, no serious adverse events, and no dose limiting toxicities or dose adjustments. Five (5) patients with cutaneous carcinomas have enrolled in Cohorts 1 and 2. Each enrolled patient received four (4) IT doses of PH-762. The patients were diagnosed with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (4 patients) and metastatic melanoma (1 patient).

At Day 36 (tumor excision), while each patient in the first cohort had stable disease, the following results were described for two patients enrolled in the second cohort:

· Complete response (100% tumor clearance) reported for 1 patient with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; and
· Partial response (90% tumor clearance) reported for 1 patient with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

The Phase 1b trial is on-going. Anticipated completion of the enrollment phase of this trial is Q3 2025.

"We are encouraged by the documented clinical and histopathological results observed to date," said Mary Spellman MD, Phio’s acting Chief Medical Officer. "Corresponding safety and tolerability data supports continued assessment of intratumoral PH-762 in patients with cutaneous carcinomas."

Presentation Details are as follows:

Title: INTASYL PH-762: PD-1 Directed Intratumoral Immunotherapy for Cutaneous Carcinoma
Abstract Number: 696
Presenting Author: Mary Spellman, M.D.
Date: Saturday November 9, 2024
Location: Exhibit Halls A and B, George R. Brown Convention Center