On May 16, 2022 Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: CNTA), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company with a Research & Development ("R&D") innovation engine that aims to discover, develop and ultimately deliver impactful medicines to patients, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 and provided business updates (Press release, Centessa Pharmaceuticals, MAY 16, 2022, View Source [SID1234614702]).

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"We continue to execute against our focused strategy and advance our pipeline of innovative, high impact rare disease and immuno-oncology assets that we believe will position Centessa for multiple value-creating milestones through our extended cash runway. Our model is focused on judicious capital and resource allocation decisions which, combined with our strong balance sheet, provide us with significant optionality to meet our ‘4×24’ goal of four registrational programs in 2024," said Saurabh Saha, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Centessa. "Our most advanced program, lixivaptan for ADPKD, continues to progress in the ongoing registrational ACTION Study. In addition, ZF874 for AATD is on track for data later this year from the ongoing Phase 1 study, we continue to anticipate SerpinPC in Hemophilia to enter registrational trials this year, and we recently commenced dosing in the Phase 1 study of CBS001, an anti-LIGHT monoclonal antibody. In the near term, we are excited to share initial preclinical data for LB101, our PD-L1xCD47 LockBody at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2022 in June."

First Quarter 2022 Highlights and Recent Business Updates
Clinical Development Programs:
•SerpinPC: Based on the FDA feedback received in the first quarter of 2022, the Company is proceeding with a streamlined, integrated registrational development plan initially for Hemophilia B (with and without inhibitors).
•Lixivaptan: Commenced dosing in the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial ("ACTION Study") evaluating lixivaptan as a potential treatment for ADPKD. In addition, a key US patent was issued on

February 8, 2022, which covers the use of lixivaptan for the treatment of ADPKD. The patent term expires June 8, 2038, before considering possible patent term extensions or adjustments.
•CBS001 in inflammatory / fibrotic diseases: Commenced dosing of healthy volunteers in a Phase 1 study of CBS001, a high affinity anti-LIGHT monoclonal antibody.

Business Highlights:
•During the first quarter of 2022, the Company named Antoine Yver, MD, MSc, Executive Vice President and Chairman of Development; Javad Shahidi, MD, MSc, Chief Medical Officer; and Josh Hamermesh, MBA, Senior Vice President, Business Development.
•In March 2022, the Company announced ‘4×24’, its corporate goal to have four registrational programs in 2024.
•In March 2022, the Company announced plans to discontinue the small molecule EGFR inhibitor discovery programs (PearlRiver Bio) and the dual-STAT3/5 degrader program (Janpix Limited) and is now winding down operations at both subsidiaries. The Company also continues to evaluate strategic options, including potential divestment, for imgatuzumab (Pega-One).
•In February 2022, dosing of the first patient with lixivaptan in the Phase 3 ACTION Study triggered settlement of the contingent value rights ("CVRs") originally issued to the former shareholders and option holders of Palladio Biosciences in connection with its acquisition by Centessa in January 2021.

Anticipated Upcoming Program Milestones
•LB101 in Solid Tumors: Preclinical data for LB101, a PD-L1xCD47 LockBody, will be presented in a poster at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2022 on June 5, 2022. An IND for LB101 is planned for late 2022.
•ZF874 in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD): The Company expects to share data from the ongoing Phase 1 study in the second half of 2022. This interim data will include multiple dose cohorts with PiMZ and PiZZ subjects.
•SerpinPC in Hemophilia: In the second half of 2022, the Company expects to initiate a streamlined clinical program to support registration for SerpinPC for the treatment of Hemophilia B (with and without inhibitors). Additionally, the Company expects to report data from the Phase 2a open label extension study in the fourth quarter of 2022 for the 48-week flat dose portion and the 24-week high dose portion (1.2mg/kg every two weeks). This is anticipated to provide two years of safety and efficacy data across multiple dose levels.
•CBS004 in Autoimmune Diseases: IND is planned for late 2022.

First Quarter 2022 Financial Results
•Cash and Cash Equivalents: $544.5 million as of March 31, 2022 which the Company expects will fund operations to mid-2024, without drawing on the remaining available tranches under the Oberland credit facility.

•Research & Development Expenses: $36.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to $10.1 million for the period from January 30, 2021 through March 31, 2021.
•General & Administrative Expenses: $14.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to $5.6 million the period from January 30, 2021 through March 31, 2021.
•Net Loss Attributable to Ordinary Shareholders: $54.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to $238.7 million for the period from January 30, 2021 through March 31, 2021 (which includes a special non-cash $220.5 million charge for acquired in-process R&D associated with the Centessa subsidiary acquisitions).