On March 22, 2022 2seventy bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSVT), a leading immuno-oncology cell therapy company, reported financial results and recent highlights for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2021 (Press release, 2seventy bio, MAR 22, 2022, View Source [SID1234610566]).
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
"We launched 2seventy bio at the end of 2021 with incredible starting material. We have a transformative commercial product in ABECMA, a pipeline with multiple clinical stage programs, next-generation technologies that will enable us to continue to be at the forefront of cell therapy innovation, and a passionate team that is committed to the cause," said Nick Leschly, chief kairos officer. "We’ve had a strong start to 2022. We have reshaped our operating model and taken important steps to reduce our overhead costs. We are taking a disciplined approach to our budgets to ensure that we optimize our R&D investment and drive towards value-creating milestones. Together with our partner Bristol Myers Squibb, we have made important progress on unlocking additional ABECMA manufacturing capacity and expect additional increases to capacity in the second half of the year as we continue to deliver for multiple myeloma patients in need of treatment options. And, we have secured additional capital during challenging market conditions from leading life sciences investors in the business. Taken together, we expect that we will have a sufficient financial foundation to execute on our patient mission into 2025. We are fired up and look forward to great things this year and beyond!"
PIPE FINANCING
On March 17, 2022, the company closed a $170 million private placement. The private placement included top healthcare investors, including 683 Capital, Armistice Capital, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Boxer Capital, CaaS Capital, Casdin Capital, Cowen Healthcare Investments, EcoR1 Capital, Heights Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, Madison Avenue Partners, Newtyn Management, Nick Leschly & family, RTW Investments, LP, and existing investors.
COMMERCIAL PROGRESS
Bristol Myers Squibb reported total U.S. ABECMA (idecabtagene vicleucel; ide-cel) fourth quarter revenues of $67 million and full year 2021 U.S. ABECMA revenues of $158 million. 2seventy bio and Bristol Myers Squibb share equally in all profits and losses related to developing, manufacturing and commercializing ABECMA in the U.S. In 2022, 2seventy anticipates total U.S. ABECMA revenues of $250-$300 million and we are tracking to the high end of the range bolstered by a significant patient backlog, continued high demand for a proven treatment and increasing manufacturing capacity.
Given the high unmet medical need and strong patient demand, we believe there is meaningful opportunity for multiple BCMA CAR-T products. Our primary focus for the next one to two years is on increasing our manufacturing capacity in partnership with regulators. The U.S. business will fully utilize the expanding capacity as it becomes available, and we will build on our experience in the commercial setting to deliver ABECMA for multiple myeloma patients in need. We continue to anticipate that ABECMA will be sustainably cash flow positive for 2seventy bio, inclusive of R&D costs, by the end of 2022, and will continue to grow in 2023 and beyond.
UPDATED CASH SPEND GUIDANCE
2seventy bio has taken important steps to reduce overhead costs and streamline our operating model. We expect that these changes, combined with an improved outlook for ABECMA, will enable us to decrease net cash spend for 2022. We are reducing our original net cash spend guidance of $220-250 million down to a lower range of $190-220 million. Together with the proceeds from the recently completed private placement, the company now anticipates that it has sufficient cash to fund current planned operations into 2025. The increased financial runway is expected to bring 2seventy bio through meaningful clinical data updates, new INDs and additional commercial progress.
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
bbT369 PRECLINICAL DATA AT AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) – Today, 2seventy bio is announcing that preclinical data from bbT369, an investigational dual-targeted CAR T cell therapy with a CBLB gene edit for patients with relapsed/refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), has been accepted for poster presentation at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2022 on Sunday, April 10 in New Orleans, LA. Mike Certo, Ph.D., VP of Genome Editing at 2seventy bio, will present Poster 581, titled "bbT369, a dual-targeted and CBLB gene-edited autologous CART product, demonstrates anti-lymphoma activity in preclinical mouse models," on Sunday, April 10, 1:30-5:30 PM CT. An E-Poster will be available on the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) website starting Friday, April 8 at 1:00 PM ET through Wednesday, July 13.
MANAGEMENT APPOINTMENTS – On February 14, 2022, 2seventy bio announced that Steven Bernstein, M.D. joined the company in the role of chief medical officer. Additionally, Susan Abu-Absi, Ph.D. was appointed chief technology & manufacturing officer.
UPCOMING ANTICIPATED MILESTONES
ABECMA
Anticipated $250-300 million total U.S. commercial revenue in 2022, shared with Bristol Myers Squibb
Increasing manufacturing capacity expected over 2022 and 2023
KarMMa-2 study in high-risk multiple myeloma proof-of-concept data in 2022
KarMMa-3 study in 3L+ registrational data in 2023 with potential FDA approval in 2023-2024
Pipeline
Presentation of preclinical data from bbT369 program in B-NHL at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2022
Infusion of first patients in CRC-403 study of bbT369 in B-NHL in 2022
Initial assessment of feasibility of bbT369 drug product manufacturing and patient safety in 2H 2022
Infusion of first patients in PLAT-08 study of SC-DARIC33 in AML in 2022
Initial assessment of feasibility of SC-DARIC33 drug product manufacturing and drug regulated anti-CD33 activity in 2H 2022
SELECT FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2021 FINANCIAL RESULTS
Bristol Myers Squibb reported total U.S. revenues of $67 million and $158 million for ABECMA for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2021, respectively. 2seventy bio and Bristol Myers Squibb share equally in all profits and losses related to development, manufacturing and commercializing ABECMA in the U.S. We reported collaborative arrangement revenue of $11.4 million and $26.9 million for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2021, respectively, which includes our share of gross profit less costs associated with the commercialization of ABECMA in the U.S.
Total revenues were $16.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021, compared to $9.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020. Total revenues were $54.5 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 compared to $248.1 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020. The increase for the three-month period was primarily driven by collaborative arrangement revenue recognized as a result of sales of ABECMA in the fourth quarter of 2021. The decrease for the twelve-month period was driven by one-time revenue recorded in connection with the May 2020 Bristol Myers Squibb contract modification in the second quarter of 2020.
Research and development expenses were $59.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021, compared to $68.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020. Research and development expenses were $261.9 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 compared to $296.5 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020. The decrease for the three-month period was primarily driven by decreased development costs under our agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb due to a focus on directing manufacturing capacity to commercial ABECMA patients following approval in 2021. The decrease for the twelve-month period was primarily driven by decreased manufacturing expenses as a result of Bristol Myers Squibb’s assumption of the contract manufacturing agreement relating to ide-cel adherent lentiviral vector as part of the May 2020 Bristol Myers Squibb contract modification and an overall decrease in drug product manufacturing for the CRB-402 study, as the study has come to conclusion.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $24.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021, compared to $21.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $93.5 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 compared to $90.9 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020. The increase for both periods was primarily driven by increased commercial costs to support the commercialization of ABECMA and IT and other facility-related costs in connection with the spin-off from bluebird bio.
Net loss was $61.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021, compared to $76.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Net loss was $292.2 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, compared to $120.1 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020.
2seventy bio ended 2021 with cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $362.2 million.