On October 25, 2017 OncoSec Medical Incorporated ("OncoSec") (NASDAQ: ONCS), a company developing DNA-based intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, reported financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended July 31, 2017 (Press release, OncoSec Medical, OCT 25, 2017, View Source [SID1234521172]).

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"We have made significant progress this past quarter in advancing the development of our lead clinical program, ImmunoPulse IL-12, which we believe could provide a meaningful clinical benefit to metastatic melanoma patients with limited or no treatment options," said Punit Dhillon, President and CEO of OncoSec. "Our organization remains focused on advancing our PISCES/KEYNOTE-695 registration-directed trial to address this significant unmet medical need through an innovative accelerated pathway."

Fourth Quarter 2017 and Recent Highlights

Program Highlights and Upcoming Milestones

Presented positive Phase 2 data with ImmunoPulse IL-12 as monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab at the 2017 9th World Congress of Melanoma – A Joint Meeting with the Society for Melanoma Research.
50% (11/22) BORR observed at 24 weeks (42.9% [9/21] achieved RECIST v1.1 BORR).
41% (9/22) complete responders (CR), 9% (2/22) partial responders (PR), and 9% (2/22) stable disease (SD) for a total disease control rate of 59% (38.1% [8/21] achieved RECIST v1.1 durable CR) in predicted anti-PD-1 non-responder melanoma patients at 24 weeks.
Comprehensive immune monitoring data demonstrated combination of ImmunoPulse IL-12 and pembrolizumab can convert "cold" tumors to "hot" tumors, priming a coordinated innate and adaptive immune response, suggesting a synergistic relationship with anti-PD-1.
Favorable safety profile with <10% SAE as ImmunoPulse IL-12 monotherapy or in combination with pembrolizumab.
Initiated global, open-label, registration directed clinical trial, PISCES/KEYNOTE-695, of ImmunoPulse IL-12 in combination with pembrolizumab.
Enrolling patients with unresectable metastatic melanoma who have progressed or are progressing on an anti-PD-1 therapy.
Global study in the U.S. and Australia.
ImmunoPulse IL-12 granted Fast Track and Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S.
Clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck (known as MSD outside the US and Canada); attained KEYNOTE status.
Anticipate initial data mid-2018.
Late breaking poster presentation at the upcoming Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 32nd 2017 Annual Meeting to be held in National Harbor, MD on November 8-12, 2017.
Additional abstract highlighting preclinical data from novel multi-gene expression platform.
Presented comprehensive immune monitoring data from the Phase 2 clinical trial demonstrating that ImmunoPulse IL-12 in combination with pembrolizumab is well-tolerated and yields clinically meaningful synergy in immunologically "cold" tumors at the 2nd World Congress on Electroporation and Pulsed Electric Fields in Biology, Medicine and Food & Environmental Technologies.
Corporate Highlights

Added industry veterans Dr. Annalisa Jenkins, MBBS, FRCP and Daniel J. O’Connor to the Board of Directors;
Initiated a Technology Access Program collaboration with Jounce Therapeutics; and,
Raised and obtained commitments for $8.1 Million in offerings priced at or above market price
Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2017 Financial Results

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 and the fiscal year ended July 31, 2017, OncoSec reported a net loss of $5.8 million and $21.4 million, or $0.28 per share and $1.06 per share, respectively, compared to a net loss of $6.6 million and $26.9 million, or $0.39 per share and $1.63 per share, respectively, for the same period last year. The decrease in net loss for the year ended July 31, 2017, compared with the same period in 2016, resulted primarily from: i) a $2.2 million decrease in non-cash stock-based compensation expense caused by an overall lower stock price and the Company’s tender offer exchange in December 2016 of certain then-outstanding stock options for a lesser number of new stock options with a lower exercise price; ii) a $1.8 million decrease in the costs of our research and development programs caused by our refocusing of resources to our higher priority PISCES/KEYNOTE-695 clinical program; and, iii) a $1.4 million decrease in personnel costs due to reduced headcount.

There were no revenues for the fiscal years ended July 31, 2017 or July 31, 2016.

Research and development expenses were $3.3 million and $12.0 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 and the fiscal year ended July 31, 2017, respectively, compared to $3.6 million and $14.7 million for the same periods in 2016. General and administrative expenses were $2.6 million and $9.5 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 and the fiscal year ended July 31, 2017, compared to $3.0 million and $12.1 million for the same period in 2016.

At July 31, 2017, OncoSec had $11.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, as compared to $28.7 million of cash and cash equivalents at July 31, 2016. OncoSec expects these funds to be sufficient to allow it to continue to operate its business to the third calendar quarter of 2018.

About PISCES (Anti-PD-1 IL-12 Stage III/IV Combination Electroporation Study)

PISCES is a global, multicenter phase 2b, open-label trial of intratumoral plasma encoded IL-12 (tavokinogene telseplasmid or "tavo") delivered by electroporation in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab in patients with stage III/IV melanoma who have progressed or are progressing on either pembrolizumab or nivolumab treatment. The Simon 2-stage study of intratumoral tavo plus electroporation in combination with pembrolizumab will enroll approximately 48 patients with histological diagnosis of melanoma with progressive locally advanced or metastatic disease defined as Stage III or Stage IV. The primary endpoint will be the Best Overall Response Rate (BORR).