Jounce Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2019 Financial Results

On August 7, 2019 Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNCE), a clinical-stage company focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer immunotherapies and predictive biomarkers for patient enrichment, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2019 and provided a corporate update (Press release, Jounce Therapeutics, AUG 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234538304]).

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!

"2019 has been a time of clinical progress and important strategic business development activity for Jounce, with the initiation of our Phase 2 EMERGE trial for vopratelimab, the completion of enrollment in our Phase 1 clinical trial of JTX-4014 and the recently announced renegotiation of our Celgene collaboration. These important developments demonstrate the value and utilization of our novel scientific platform and reverse translational analyses to further advance our immuno-oncology pipeline with an aim to match the right therapies to the right patients," said Richard Murray, Ph.D., chief executive officer and president of Jounce Therapeutics. "Our translational science platform has been further validated by the establishment of our new licensing agreement with Celgene for the worldwide rights to JTX-8064. Now that we have retained full worldwide rights to vopratelimab, JTX-4014 and all of our discovery programs, we look forward to advancing our broad pipeline of potential next-generation immuno-oncology therapies."

Wholly-owned Programs:
Vopratelimab (JTX-2011)

Initiated Phase 2 EMERGE trial: In June 2019, Jounce announced the initiation of dosing in the Phase 2 EMERGE clinical trial of its lead product candidate, vopratelimab, in combination with ipilimumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer or urothelial cancer who have progressed on or after PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapies.

The primary endpoint of EMERGE is overall response rate and secondary endpoints include safety, duration of response, progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Additional important assessments will include close monitoring of ICOS hi CD4 T cell emergence, and a range of other biomarkers, including exploratory assessment of potential predictive biomarkers. Jounce expects to report preliminary efficacy and biomarker relationships to clinical outcomes for up to 80 patients in 2020.

Key data presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2019: In April 2019, Jounce presented two posters on vopratelimab at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. Highlights from the poster presentations include:

Patients in the ICONIC trial with the emergence of ICOS hi CD4 T cells demonstrated improved PFS and OS compared to patients with ICOS lo CD4 T cells, based on an analysis of a subgroup of patients with multiple solid tumor types including PD-1 inhibitor naive and PD-1 inhibitor experienced patients.

The characteristics of ICOS hi CD4 T cells associated with vopratelimab treatment via translational analyses demonstrated that vopratelimab stimulates only primed CD4 T cells with high levels of ICOS. The translational data shows that vopratelimab, unlike PD-1 inhibitors, leads to expansion and activation of peripheral CD4 T effector cells, and that these are observed in patients with clinical benefit.
JTX-4014

Completed enrollment of Phase 1 trial: Jounce is pleased to announce the completion of enrollment in the Phase 1 clinical trial of JTX-4014, its PD-1 inhibitor, and determination of the recommended Phase 2 dose. Jounce plans to report data from the trial in the second half of this year.
Discovery Pipeline

On track to announce next discovery candidate: Jounce continues to advance and develop its broad discovery pipeline, which includes multiple programs targeting T-regulatory cells, macrophages and stromal cells. Jounce expects to move its next novel program into IND-enabling studies later this year.
Licensed Program:

JTX-8064

Licensed JTX-8064: In July 2019, Jounce announced a new agreement in which Celgene exclusively licensed the worldwide rights to JTX-8064, a highly-selective, potential first-in-class antibody that targets the LILRB2 receptor on macrophages. Under this license agreement, Jounce received a $50.0 million non-refundable license fee and is eligible to receive up to $480.0 million in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, as well as potential royalties on worldwide sales. Celgene will be responsible for all development and commercialization of JTX-8064.

Jounce and Celgene also entered into a mutual agreement to terminate the original strategic collaboration agreement, established in July 2016. Jounce now retains full worldwide rights to its pipeline beyond JTX-8064, including vopratelimab, JTX-4014 and all discovery programs.
Second Quarter 2019 Financial Results:

Cash Position: As of June 30, 2019, cash, cash equivalents and investments were $152.0 million, compared to $195.9 million as of December 31, 2018. The decrease in cash, cash equivalents and investments was primarily due to operating costs incurred during the period. In July 2019, Jounce received a $50.0 million license fee pursuant to its new license agreement with Celgene.

Collaboration Revenue: Collaboration revenue was $17.4 million for the second quarter of 2019, compared to $19.4 million for the same period in 2018. Collaboration revenue during both periods represents non-cash revenue recognition relating to the $225.0 million upfront payment received in July 2016 upon the execution of Jounce’s original strategic collaboration with Celgene. In connection with the termination of the original strategic collaboration, Jounce expects that the remaining deferred revenue relating to the Celgene agreement will be fully recognized in the third quarter of 2019.

Research and Development Expenses: Research and development (R&D) expenses were $18.1 million for the second quarter of 2019, compared to $18.5 million for the same period in 2018. The decrease in R&D expenses was primarily due to $0.5 million of decreased external research and development costs attributable to vopratelimab manufacturing expenses incurred during the second quarter of 2018, $0.4 million of decreased external clinical and regulatory costs and $0.3 million of decreased lab consumables expenses. These decreases were partially offset by $0.7 million of increased employee compensation costs.

General and Administrative Expenses: General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $7.3 million for the second quarter of 2019, compared to $6.5 million for the same period in 2018. The increase in G&A expenses was primarily due to $0.5 million of increased employee compensation costs, including $0.3 million of increased stock-based compensation expense, and $0.3 million of increased other G&A costs to support Jounce’s operations.

Net Loss: Net loss was $7.0 million for the second quarter of 2019, or a basic and diluted net loss per share of $0.21. Net loss was $4.7 million for the same period in 2018, or a basic and diluted net loss per share of $0.14. The increase in net loss and net loss per share was primarily attributable to the decrease in non-cash collaboration revenue from the second quarter of 2018 to the second quarter of 2019.
Financial Guidance:

Jounce reiterates its updated revenue guidance and expects to record $50.0 million in cash revenue in 2019 related to the license of JTX-8064 and approximately $98.0 million in non-cash revenue in 2019 representing the remaining recognition of the Celgene upfront payment received in July 2016.

Based on its operating and development plans, Jounce continues to expect gross cash burn on operating expenses and capital expenditures for the full year 2019 to be approximately $80.0 million to $95.0 million.

Conference Call and Webcast Information:

Jounce Therapeutics will host a live conference call and webcast today at 8:00 a.m. ET. To access the conference call, please dial (866) 916-3380 (domestic) or (210) 874-7772 (international) and refer to conference ID 4484315. The live webcast can be accessed under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors and Media section of the company’s website at www.jouncetx.com. The webcast will be archived and made available for replay on the company’s website approximately two hours after the call and will be available for 30 days.

INmune Bio Reports Positive Preliminary Data from INB03 Phase I Clinical Trial in Cancer

On August 7, 2019 INmune Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: INMB), an immunology company focused on developing treatments that harness the patient’s innate immune system to fight disease, reported positive preliminary data today during a presentation at Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 7th Annual Immuno-Oncology Summit in Boston (Press release, INmune Bio, AUG 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234538303]). INB03 is being developed as part of combination immunotherapy to potentially reverse resistance to treatment.

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 Phase I trial is an open-label, dose-escalation trial in patients with advanced solid tumors. Patients received INB03, a novel, second-generation soluble TNF (tumor necrosis factor) inhibitor that works by a dominant-negative technology. Today, positive preliminary data from the first two cohorts were released. These data will be followed by a final report later this year as the company advances the program into a Phase II study.

"The goal of the Phase I study is to determine, in order of priority, the safety of INB03 in cancer patients, the dose of INB03 to take into the Phase II trials in cancer, and evidence of a biologic effect of INB03," said RJ Tesi, MD, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of INmune Bio. "All of these goals have been met. Using data from this trial, we have begun planning a Phase II trial using INB03 as part of combination immunotherapy in patients with cancer."

To date, 11 of 12 patients have been enrolled in one of three dosing cohorts of INB03 (0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg). Participants were a mix of patients with advanced solid tumors that have progressed after multiple previous lines of therapy. INB03 was given once a week by subcutaneous injection. Safety, INB03 pharmacokinetics and inflammatory biomarkers were followed in all patients.

Preliminary data from patients treated in the first two cohorts are available. Patients included two males and four females, and the average age was 63-years-old. Patients in the study had prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer (two), cholangiocarcinoma and lung cancer, with an average of three previous lines of therapy (range: two to four). INB03 was given for a median of 74 days (range: 12 to 119 days). No drug-related serious adverse events have been reported, and INB03 was well tolerated. Discontinuation of INB03 was due to tumor progression in all patients. INB03 trough drug levels were obtained before each INB03 dose. The target INB03 trough level was reached in three of three patients in the 1.0 mg/kg group. The inflammatory cytokine IL6, a biomarker of soluble TNF function, decreased by more than 50% in half of the patients, suggesting a pharmacodynamic effect of INB03.

About INB03

INB03, a novel dominant-negative TNF inhibitor, is a selective second-generation TNF inhibitor that neutralizes soluble TNF (sTNF) without blocking the function of trans-membrane TNF or TNF receptors. In animal studies, INB03 neutralization of sTNF alters the immunobiology of the tumor microenvironment (TME) to improve tumor killing by decreasing populations of cells in the TME that protect the tumor from the patient’s immune system and immunotherapy – myeloid derived suppressor cells, T regulatory cells and tumor activated macrophages. The unique mechanism of action suggests INB03 may have safety and efficacy advantages over currently approved non-selective TNF inhibitors in the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

CymaBay Reports Second Quarter 2019 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

On August 7, 2019 CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAY), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for liver and other chronic diseases with high unmet need, reported financial results and a corporate update for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 (Press release, CymaBay Therapeutics, AUG 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234538302]).

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!

"In the second quarter of 2019, we made significant progress advancing the development of seladelpar for PBC and NASH and began activities to further diversify development into PSC," said Sujal Shah, President and CEO of CymaBay. "Enrollment in our ENHANCE Phase 3 registration study in PBC, expected to be completed by year-end, continued on track during the quarter. Topline 12-week results from our 52-week, dose-ranging Phase 2b study in NASH showed clinically meaningful reductions in multiple biomarkers of inflammation and liver injury despite minimal reductions in total liver fat. At two of the three doses being tested, mean reductions in alanine aminotransferase exceed thresholds that have been correlated to histologic improvement in NASH. In this ongoing study, the effects of seladelpar on the two key histologic endpoints, NASH resolution and fibrosis, will be assessed from a liver biopsy taken at 52 weeks. We expect to share these data in the second quarter of 2020. In June, we announced plans to initiate a Phase 2, dose-ranging study of seladelpar in patients with PSC in the third quarter of 2019."

Second Quarter and Recent Business Highlights

Janet Dorling joined the CymaBay executive team as Chief Commercial Officer
Ms. Dorling is a seasoned commercial leader with over 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical sales and marketing at Achaogen, Roche and Genentech.
Continued enrollment of ENHANCE, a global, Phase 3 registration study of seladelpar for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).
ENHANCE is intended to establish the efficacy and safety of seladelpar for the treatment of PBC to support the submission of a global registration dossier with health authorities to obtain approval.
The study is expected to be fully enrolled by the end of 2019 with the 52-week treatment period targeted for completion by the end of 2020 and topline data in 2021.
Topline data from our Phase 2b dose-ranging, paired liver biopsy study of seladelpar for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) was released in June 2019.
Treatment with seladelpar resulted in robust and clinically meaningful reductions in markers associated with liver injury.
Treatment with seladelpar resulted in minimal reductions in liver fat that were not significant when compared to placebo.
Seladelpar demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile at all doses evaluated in this study.
Announced FDA acceptance of an IND to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study of seladelpar in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).
PSC is a rare, chronic cholestatic liver disease that is characterized by diffuse inflammation and fibrosis of the bile ducts for which there are no FDA-approved treatments.
The Phase 2 study is expected to be initiated in the third quarter of 2019 and will be a randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study that will enroll approximately 100 patients at 60 sites globally.
Second Quarter Financial Highlights & Results

Held $241.2 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at June 30, 2019. Existing cash is expected to fund the current operating plan into 2021.
Research and development expenses were $21.1 million in the second quarter of 2019 as compared to $14.4 million in the same period of 2018. The increase was primarily driven by increases in seladelpar-related clinical trial expenses including:
start-up and enrollment activities related to our ENHANCE PBC Phase 3 clinical study
continued treatment of patients in our PBC Phase 2 clinical study
start-up activities related to our PSC Phase 2 clinical study
execution of other NDA-enabling studies
General and administrative expenses were $4.5 million in the second quarter of 2019 as compared to $3.6 million in the same period of 2018. The increase was driven primarily by higher employee compensation and other administrative expenses as we hired additional personnel to support our expanding operations.
Net loss was $24.0 million, or ($0.35) per diluted share in the second quarter of 2019, as compared to $17.5 million, or ($0.30) per diluted share, in the same period of 2018. Net loss was higher primarily due to increased research and development expenses.
First Half Financial Highlights & Results

Raised $107.7 million in net proceeds through our March public offering of common stock.
Research and development expenses were $39.7 million in the first half of 2019 as compared to $23.9 million in the same period of 2018. The increase was primarily driven by increases in seladelpar-related clinical trial expenses including:
start-up and enrollment activities related to our ENHANCE PBC Phase 3 clinical study
final enrollment activities and ongoing treatment of patients in our NASH Phase 2b clinical study
continued treatment of patients in our PBC Phase 2 clinical study
start-up activities related to our PSC Phase 2 clinical study
execution of other NDA-enabling studies
General and administrative expenses were $10.2 million in the first half of 2019 as compared to $6.9 million in the same period of 2018. The increase was driven primarily by higher employee compensation and other administrative expenses as we hired additional personnel to support our expanding operations.
Net loss was $47.1 million, or ($0.72) per diluted share in the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $34.5 million, or ($0.61) per diluted share, in the same period of 2018. Net loss was higher primarily due to increased research and development expenses.
Conference Call Details

CymaBay management will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss second quarter 2019 financial results and provide a business update. To access the live conference call, please dial 877-407-0784 from the U.S. and Canada, or 201-689-8560 internationally, Conference ID# 13692706. To access the live and subsequently archived webcast of the conference call, go to the Investors section of the company’s website at View Source

CytomX Therapeutics Announces Second Quarter 2019 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

On August 7, 2019 CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTMX), a clinical-stage oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of investigational antibody therapeutics based on its Probody therapeutic technology platform, reported second quarter 2019 financial results (Press release, CytomX Therapeutics, AUG 7, 2019, View Source/news-releases/news-release-details/cytomx-therapeutics-announces-second-quarter-2019-financial" target="_blank" title="View Source/news-releases/news-release-details/cytomx-therapeutics-announces-second-quarter-2019-financial" rel="nofollow">View Source [SID1234538301]).

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!

As of June 30, 2019, CytomX had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $349.1 million.

"CytomX continues to make progress across its pipeline. Highlights of the second quarter included additional presentations of clinical data for our lead, wholly owned assets, CX-072 and CX-2009, which further demonstrated the potential of these two novel anti-cancer agents," said Sean McCarthy, D.Phil., president, chief executive officer and chairman of CytomX Therapeutics. "Our clinical work to date with our lead programs provides validation for our unique approach to targeting antibody therapies to the tumor microenvironment and, accordingly, the discovery and development of new and differentiated treatments for cancer patients."

Business Highlights and Recent Developments

PROCLAIM-CX-072 (PD-L1 Probody Therapeutic) Clinical Program

CX-072 is a wholly owned Probody therapeutic targeting PD-L1, a clinically and commercially validated anti-cancer target.
CytomX presented updated clinical data from monotherapy expansion cohorts (Part D) of the PROCLAIM-CX-072 Phase 1/2 study, evaluating the safety and efficacy of CX-072 in multiple tumor types at 10 mg/kg at the 2019 Annual Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. These data demonstrated a favorable safety profile and evidence of anti-cancer activity in certain patients with triple negative breast cancer, anal squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma.
David Page, M.D., Medical Oncologist, Providence Cancer Center presented clinical data from PROCLAIM-CX-072 monotherapy and in combination with ipilimumab (YERVOY) as part of a Poster Discussion Session at the 2019 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.
PROCLAIM-CX-2009 (CD166 Probody Drug Conjugate) Clinical Program

CX-2009 is a wholly owned, first in class Probody drug conjugate (PDC) targeting CD166, a novel antigen that is broadly and highly expressed in many types of cancer.
CytomX reported preliminary data from the dose-escalation phase (Part A and A2) of the ongoing PROCLAIM-CX-2009 Phase 1/2 study, evaluating the safety and antitumor activity of CX-2009 in seven selected tumor types, at the 2019 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. CX-2009 was generally well tolerated. Single agent anti-cancer activity was observed in certain patients with breast cancer, ovarian cancer and head and neck cancer.
CX-2029 (CD71 Probody Drug Conjugate) Clinical Program

CX-2029 is a first in class PDC targeting CD71, the Transferrin Receptor, a highly efficient cellular mechanism for the internalization of antibody drug conjugates in preclinical models.
CD71 is widely expressed on normal tissues and therefore is considered to be an undruggable clinical target for conventional antibody drug conjugate technology.
CytomX discovered and is developing CX-2029 in collaboration with AbbVie to potentially turn CD71 into a druggable target.
CytomX continues to enroll patients in the PROCLAIM-CX-2029 Phase 1/2 study evaluating CX-2029 as monotherapy in patients with solid tumors or lymphomas.
BMS-986249 (CTLA-4 Probody Therapeutic) Clinical Program

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) continues enrollment in a Phase 1/2 dose escalation clinical study evaluating BMS-986249 alone and in combination with OPDIVO (nivolumab) in solid tumors that are advanced and have spread.
BMS is preparing to initiate the Phase 2 portion of this clinical trial, upon which CytomX is entitled to a $10 million milestone payment.
AbbVie Second Target Selection Under Strategic Oncology Collaboration

In July 2019, CytomX announced its partner AbbVie selected a second target under the companies’ 2016 Discovery Collaboration and Licensing Agreement to discover and develop Probody drug conjugates. The target selection triggered a $10 million payment to CytomX.
Second Quarter 2019 Financial Results
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $349.1 million as of June 30, 2019, compared to $436.1 million as of December 31, 2018. The decrease of $87.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 included certain infrequent payments such as $5.0 million for the acquisition from an Astellas subsidiary of technical know-how related to drug conjugate linker-toxin and CD3-based bispecific antibody technology in the first quarter, a $13.7 million federal tax payment for the 2018 tax return filing in the second quarter and approximately $4.7 million related to the UCSB license agreement, also in the second quarter.

Revenue was $9.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019, compared to $21.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018. The decrease in revenue of $12.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 compared to the corresponding period in 2018 was primarily due to the $21.0 million milestone payment (net of the associated sublicense fee of $4.0 million) earned in May 2018 under the CD71 Agreement with AbbVie, of which $9.9 million was recognized in the second quarter of 2018 reflecting the percentage completed-to-date of the project related to this milestone.

Research and development expenses increased $5.3 million during the three months ended June 30, 2019 compared to the corresponding period in 2018. The increase was attributable to $3.4 million in license fees and maintenance fees related to an amendment to the UCSB Licensing Agreement (which included the issuance of 150,000 shares of Company common stock valued at $1.6 million, an upfront payment of $1.0 million and an additional annual maintenance fee of $0.8 million), an increase of $0.8 million sublicense expense pertaining to the $10.0 million milestone payment earned upon the AbbVie selection of the second target in the second quarter of 2019 under the Amended and Restated Discovery Collaboration and License Agreement, an increase of $2.4 million in personnel-related expenses due to an increase in headcount, an increase of $0.5 million in clinical related expenses resulting from increased clinical trial activities and an increase of $0.7 million in the allocation of information technology and facilities related expenses resulting from an increase in headcount, partially offset by a decrease of $2.3 million in laboratory contracts and services as a result of timing of manufacturing activities.

General and administrative expenses increased by $0.4 million during the three months ended June 30, 2019 compared to the corresponding period in 2018. The increase was attributable to an increase of $1.0 million in personnel-related expenses due to an increase in headcount, an increase of $0.3 million for dues and subscriptions primarily related to software and other IT services and an increase of $0.2 million in professional service expenses, partially offset by a decrease of $0.5 million in consulting and contract services and a decrease of $0.7 million through increased expense allocation of information technology and facilities-related expenses to research and development due to an increase in research and development headcount.

Teleconference Scheduled Today at 5:00 p.m. ET
Conference Call/Webcast Information

CytomX management will host a conference call today at 5:00 p.m. ET. Interested parties may access the live audio webcast of the teleconference through the "Investor & News" section of CytomX’s website at View Source or by dialing 1-877-809-6037 (U.S. and Canada) or 1-615-247-0221 (International) and using the passcode 7785617. An archive of the webcast will be available on the CytomX website from August 7, 2019, until August 21, 2019.

ATHERSYS REPORTS SECOND QUARTER 2019 RESULTS

On August 7, 2019 Athersys, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHX) reported its financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2019 (Press release, Athersys, AUG 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234538300]).
Highlights of the second quarter of 2019 and recent events include:

Received Fast Track designation from the FDA for our clinical development program involving administration of MultiStem cell therapy for treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome ("ARDS");

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!

Presented positive results from the MUST-ARDS study at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in May 2019;

Announced first patient enrolled in the ONE-BRIDGE study in Japan being conducted by our partner in Japan, HEALIOS K.K. ("Healios"), evaluating MultiStem cell therapy treatment of patients suffering from pneumonia-induced ARDS;

Advanced our ischemic stroke program, both through support of Healios’ TREASURE study in Japan and increased enrollment in our MASTERS-2 Phase 3 registrational study;

Entered into an open market sales agreement with Jefferies LLC, i.e., an ‘at-the-market’ equity program, providing additional flexibility and capital markets access as we progress to important milestones;

Hosted a successful investor day in New York City in May 2019 highlighting our capabilities and technologies, as well as progress made developing the MultiStem product platform;

Increased our media exposure as we were featured in video, podcasts and articles in the major publications Fortune and Forbes;

Participated in several events at the International Society of Cell and Gene Therapy Conference in June 2019, including podium presentations, a panel participation and chairing a session, further establishing the Company as a leader and significant contributor in the field of cell therapy;

Recognized revenues of $4.3 million and net loss of $9.7 million, or $0.06 net loss per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2019; and

Ended the 2019 second quarter with $44.2 million of cash and cash equivalents.
"We continue to make steady progress in key areas, including advancing our Phase 3 clinical program for treating ischemic stroke, while supporting Healios in the advancement of its TREASURE study for stroke patients and ONE-BRIDGE study for ARDS patients in Japan," commented Dr. Gil Van Bokkelen, Chairman & CEO at Athersys. "Given our progress in multiple areas, including the recently announced Fast Track designation and promising results from our ARDS clinical program, we are exploring partnering opportunities in several important geographic areas, while we continue to advance our key initiatives and expand core capabilities. This includes continuing to advance our manufacturing activities and initiatives, that we believe will represent a significant competitive advantage as we move into commercialization.
"While we advance our programs through clinical development and toward commercialization, we have also taken prudent and appropriate steps to maintain a solid balance sheet, ensuring we have access to additional capital while we continue to maintain a long-term focus on creating value for our shareholders," concluded Dr. Van Bokkelen.

Second Quarter Results
Revenues were $4.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 compared to $19.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018. Revenues from our collaboration with Healios were $4.2 million in the second quarter of 2019 compared to $18.8 million for the same period last year, which included the impact of the June 2018 collaboration expansion. Royalty revenue from RTI Surgical, Inc. ceased late in 2018 upon its decision to discontinue distribution of the licensed product. Our revenues are generally derived from license fees, manufacturing-related activities for Healios, other contract revenue from our collaborations and grant revenue.
Research and development expenses increased to $11.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 from $10.1 million for the comparable period in 2018. The $1.0 million net increase is associated with increases in clinical trial and manufacturing process development costs of $0.7 million, personnel costs of $0.4 million, internal research supplies of $0.3 million and stock compensation costs of $0.2 million, with such increases partially offset by a decrease in license fees of $0.6 million. Included in our clinical expenses are costs associated with providing manufacturing services to Healios, which are invoiced to Healios in accordance with our collaboration agreements.
General and administrative expenses increased to $2.9 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 from $2.4 million in the comparable period in 2018. The $0.5 million increase was due primarily to increased personnel costs, legal and professional fees, travel costs and stock compensation costs compared to the same period last year.
Net loss for the second quarter of 2019 was $9.7 million compared to net income of $6.9 million in the second quarter of 2018. The variance of $16.6 million is primarily attributable to the June 2018 expansion of the Healios collaboration.
In the six months ended June 30, 2019, net cash used in operating activities was $17.0 million compared to $1.3 million in the six months ended June 30, 2018, with 2018 being impacted by proceeds from the Healios collaboration expansion. At June 30, 2019, we had $44.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $51.1 million at December 31, 2018.
Conference Call
William (B.J.) Lehmann, President and Chief Operating Officer, and Laura Campbell, Senior Vice President of Finance, will host a conference call today to review the results as follows:

Date

August 7, 2019
Time

4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Telephone access: U.S. and Canada

(877) 396-3286
Telephone access: International

(647) 689-5528
Access code

5087881
Live webcast

www.athersys.com, under the Investors section

We encourage shareholders to listen using the webcast link and to use the phone line if you intend to ask a question. A replay will be available at www.athersys.com under the Investors section approximately two hours after the call has ended. Shareholders may also call in for on-demand listening shortly after the completion of the call until 11:59 PM Eastern Time on August 14, 2019 by dialing (800) 585-8367 or (416) 621-4642 and entering Encore passcode 5087881.