On May 14, 2019 KemPharm, Inc. (Nasdaq: KMPH), a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of proprietary prodrugs, reported its corporate and financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 (Press release, KemPharm, MAY 14, 2019, View Source [SID1234536342]).
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!
"The first quarter of 2019 and early April were highlighted by advancements in our KP415 and APADAZ programs, serving to propel each towards what we believe will be significant value building events in the coming months," said Travis C. Mickle, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of KemPharm. "For KP415, our prodrug product candidate being developed for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we announced the completion of the pre-New Drug Application (NDA) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We have recently received the minutes from that meeting which confirm the previously reported results. In summary, we believe the review of the KP415 pre-NDA briefing package, which included clinical, non-clinical and human abuse potential study results, as well as regulatory elements, was consistent with our interpretation and previous interactions with the FDA, and, as a result, we believe that we are positioned to submit the KP415 NDA in late second quarter or early third quarter 2019."
"In parallel with the regulatory activities for KP415, we have entered into what we believe are the final stages of the partnering process for our ADHD franchise, which includes KP415 and KP484," continued Dr. Mickle. "Since the initiation of the partnering process, our goal has been focused on securing an agreement with a partner fully dedicated to maximizing the commercial value of KP415 and KP484. While still engaged with multiple parties, we believe that the process should be complete sometime later this quarter or early third quarter."
"With regard to APADAZ, we continue to work with our partner, KVK Tech, to advance several initiatives that we believe will contribute to a successful market introduction of the product. The commercial launch remains on track for the second half of 2019," said Dr. Mickle. "The first quarter was highlighted by three important events. In January, we received FDA approval of two additional dosage strengths of APADAZ. Following that, in February, APADAZ was added to compendia with authorized generic pricing similar to current generics. And most recently, beginning in March, we learned that the ongoing process of formulary adoption of APADAZ and its authorized generic had advanced more rapidly than we anticipated. Notably, according to Managed Markets Insights and Technology estimates, APADAZ, both the brand and authorized generic, is currently being reviewed and added to formularies in various markets including both commercial and Medicaid. Based on this progress and other indicators, we continue to believe that the replacement of current hydrocodone/acetaminophen (APAP) products with APADAZ and its authorized generic has the potential to be a meaningful market opportunity."
Q1 2019 Financial Results:
For the quarter ended March 31, 2019, KemPharm’s reported net loss was $12.3 million, or $0.46 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $26.2 million, or $1.77 per basic and diluted share for the same period in 2018. Net loss for Q1 2019 was driven primarily by an operating loss of $11.4 million and net interest expense and other items of $1.4 million, partially offset by non-cash fair value adjustment income of $0.5 million. The operating loss of $11.4 million for Q1 2019 was a decrease of $3.4 million compared to $14.8 million in Q1 2018, which was primarily due to decreases of $3.1 million in research and development expenses and $0.3 million in general and administrative expenses, respectively.
As of March 31, 2019, total cash, which is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, was $14.0 million, which was a decrease of $8.4 million as compared to December 31 2018. The decrease in total cash during Q1 2019 was due to a use of cash of $11.1 million, offset by proceeds of $2.7 million on the sale of approximately 1.4 million shares under the equity line of credit with Lincoln Park Capital.
"As we seek to finalize the partnering process for KP415 and KP484, we have utilized a portion of our equity line of credit with Lincoln Park Capital. This additional capital, combined with cost reductions, extends the cash runway further into Q3 2019," said Dr. Mickle. "In addition, we expect that our cash burn rate will reduce substantially following the NDA filing for KP415."
Presentation and Webcast at RBC Capital Markets Global Healthcare Conference:
KemPharm also announced today that Dr. Mickle will present at the RBC Capital Markets 2019 Global Healthcare Conference being held May 21-22, 2019, at the InterContinental New York Barclay.
Details of KemPharm’s presentation are as follows:
Event: RBC Capital Markets 2019 Global Healthcare Conference
Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Time: 1:35 PM (EST)
Room: Morgan Suite
Location: InterContinental New York Barclay, 111 East 48th Street, New York, NY
The presentation will be webcast and available one hour following the live event at http://www.veracast.com/webcasts/rbc/healthcare2019/82314394157.cfm. The replay will be available for 90 days.
In addition, the presentation will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at View Source
Recent and Q1 2019 Activities:
Announced Completion of KP415 Pre-NDA Meeting with FDA
On April 11, 2019, KemPharm announced that it concluded a pre- NDA meeting with the FDA for KP415, KemPharm’s investigational attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) product candidate that contains serdexmethylphenidate (SDX, a prodrug of d-methylphenidate) and d-methylphenidate. At the pre-NDA meeting, representatives from the FDA reviewed KemPharm’s summary of the data package being prepared for the KP415 NDA submission, including clinical, non-clinical and human abuse potential studies, as well as regulatory elements. Based on the feedback from the FDA, the Company believes its regulatory data package will be sufficient for submission, with acceptance of the filing subject to the FDA’s review of the complete package.
Provided Update on APADAZ Formulary Adoption
On March 13, 2019, KemPharm provided an update on formulary adoption of APADAZ, an immediate release combination of KemPharm’s prodrug, benzhydrocodone, and APAP. APADAZ and its authorized generic are currently being reviewed and added to formularies in various markets including Medicaid. KemPharm believes the continued adoption of APADAZ by formularies is another stepping stone in the efforts to prepare APADAZ for commercial launch as soon as the second half of this year.
Announced Enhancements to U.S. and Global Intellectual Property Estate, Including IP Protection for KP415 in Canada, Japan and Korea
On January 29, 2019, KemPharm announced enhancements to its U.S. and global intellectual property estate governing its portfolio of prodrug product candidates. The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued seven (7) new patents to KemPharm during 2018 related to several of its compound families, including KP201, KP303, KP511, KP606 and KP746. In addition, KemPharm has augmented and strengthened the global patent estate for KP415 with the addition of issued patents last year in Canada, Japan and Korea.
Presented Scientific Posters at APSARD’s 2019 Annual Meeting
On January 18, 2019, KemPharm announced that research assessing the oral and intranasal human abuse potential of SDX, KemPharm’s prodrug of d-methylphenidate (d-MPH), as well as new pharmacokinetic data for KP415, were presented in four posters and one oral "data blitz session" at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Professional Society for ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD).
Announced FDA Approval of sNDA for Two Additional Strengths of APADAZ (4.08 mg benzhydrocodone/325 mg APAP and 8.16 mg benzhydrocodone/325 mg APAP
On January 7, 2019, KemPharm announced that the FDA approved a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for two additional strengths of APADAZ. The approval of these new dosage strengths, 4.08 mg benzhydrocodone/325 mg APAP and 8.16 mg benzhydrocodone/325 mg APAP, follows the NDA approval on February 23, 2018 of the 6.12 mg benzhydrocodone/325 mg APAP dosage strength of APADAZ.