On January 9, 2017 PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTCT) reported a corporate update, which will be detailed as part of the company presentation at the 35th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30 am PT (Press release, PTC Therapeutics, JAN 9, 2017, View Source [SID1234517388]). Stuart W. Peltz, Ph.D., PTC’s Chief Executive Officer, will present the company’s 2017 strategic priorities, preliminary 2016 financial results and 2017 financial guidance. The presentation will be webcast live and available with the related slide deck on the Events and Presentations page under the investors section of PTC Therapeutics’ website at www.ptcbio.com.

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Commercial Highlights, Preliminary 2016 Unaudited Financial Results, and 2017 Guidance

PTC expects to report Translarna (ataluren) net sales for the treatment of nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy (nmDMD) of approximately $81 million for 2016, an increase of 140% over the prior year and achieving the upper-end of guidance. This strong performance reflects rapid uptake, sustainable pricing, and high ( > 90%) compliance to treatment.
PTC expects to report year-end 2016 cash and cash equivalents of approximately $230 million.
For 2017, PTC expects to achieve ex-U.S. Translarna nmDMD net sales of between $105 and $125 million, assuming current exchange rates, representing continued strong growth year-over-year of its sustainable DMD business. This is driven by both increased penetration into the over 25 countries where Translarna is currently available as well as continued geographic expansion into new territories.
Non-GAAP operating expenses for 2017 are expected to be between $190 and $200 million excluding estimated non-cash stock-based compensation expense of approximately $35 million, for total operating expenses of approximately $225 to $235 million.
PTC expects to finish 2017 with approximately $160 million of cash and cash equivalents.
Clinical and Regulatory Highlights

Following multiple interactions with U.S. FDA officials and PTC’s advisors, PTC plans to file the Translarna New Drug Application (NDA) for nmDMD over protest with the U.S. FDA in the first quarter of 2017. Feedback indicated this process, rather than continued appeal, is the best path forward for the current Translarna NDA to receive a full and fair review. Filing over protest is a procedural path permitted by U.S. FDA regulations that allows a company to have its NDA filed and reviewed when there is a disagreement with regulators over the acceptability of the NDA submission. PTC plans to supplement the current NDA with additional efficacy analyses utilized by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in their recent renewal recommendation.
The EMA’s CHMP recommended the renewal of the conditional marketing authorization for Translarna (ataluren) for the treatment of nmDMD based on a continued positive benefit-risk assessment. As a specific obligation of the renewal, PTC will conduct an additional trial of Translarna in nmDMD.
Top-line results of ACT CF are anticipated late in the first quarter of 2017. ACT CF is a Phase 3, international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that is evaluating the absolute change in percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in patients with nonsense mutation cystic fibrosis (nmCF).
The spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) program, a joint collaboration with Roche and the SMA Foundation, is expected to advance into two pivotal studies in 2017. SUNFISH and FIREFISH are both two part studies in childhood onset (Type 2/3) and infant onset (Type 1) SMA patients, respectively. Both studies are enrolling the initial dose escalation part of the study which will then transition to the pivotal part of the study evaluating efficacy. Commencement of the pivotal portion of either study will trigger a $20 million milestone payment to PTC from Roche. RG7916 was recently granted orphan-drug designation by the U.S. FDA.
Pipeline Highlights:

Phase 2 proof-of-concept studies of Translarna in additional rare disease indications, including aniridia, MPS I, and Dravet/CDKL5, continue to progress. Proof-of-concept from these studies would further validate Translarna’s potential as a precision medicine for a number of rare genetic disorders caused by a nonsense mutation.
Clinical development of PTC596 is expected to progress into additional clinical studies in 2017. PTC596 is a novel, oral investigational drug that reduces the levels of BMI1, a protein required for cancer stem cell survival. An ongoing Phase 1 dose escalating study confirms that PTC596 is generally well tolerated at doses that achieved or exceed plasma concentrations in preclinical models.
PTC’s genetic disorders research organization is actively advancing lead optimization programs from its splicing platform focused on Huntington’s disease and Familial Dysautonomia.