Synlogic to Webcast Presentation at the 2018 Wedbush PacGrow Healthcare Conference

On August 7, 2018 Synlogic(Nasdaq:SYBX) reported that Aoife Brennan, M.B., B.Ch., Synlogic’s interim president and chief executive officer, and chief medical officer, will present a corporate update at the 2018 Wedbush PacGrow Healthcare Conference at 3:05pm ET on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, in New York City (Press release, Synlogic, AUG 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234528792]).

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A live webcast of the presentation can be accessed under "Event Calendar" in the Investors & Media section of the Company’s website. An archived webcast recording will be available on the Synlogic website for approximately 30 days after the event.

Checkpoint Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Recent Corporate Highlights

On August 7, 2018 Checkpoint Therapeutics, Inc. ("Checkpoint") (NASDAQ: CKPT), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology biopharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of novel treatments for patients with solid tumor cancers, reported financial results and recent corporate highlights for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 (Press release, Checkpoint Therapeutics, AUG 7, 2018, http://checkpointtx.com/press-releases/checkpoint-therapeutics-reports-second-quarter-2018-financial-results-and-recent-corporate-highlights/ [SID1234528783]).

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James F. Oliviero, President and Chief Executive Officer of Checkpoint, said, "In the second quarter of 2018, we continued to advance the Phase 1 clinical development of our lead therapies CK-101, a third-generation EGFR inhibitor, and CK-301, a fully human anti-PD-L1 antibody. We look forward to reporting topline safety and efficacy data from the initial CK-101 dose-expansion cohort in EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer ("NSCLC") patients in the coming weeks, and from the initial CK-301 expansion cohort around year-end, with the goal of initiating registration trials for both molecules in 2019."

Financial Results:
• Cash Position: As of June 30, 2018, Checkpoint’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $28.3 million, compared to $19.2 million at December 31, 2017, an increase of $9.1 million yearto-date.

• R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses for the second quarters of 2018 and 2017 remained the same at $5.5 million each.

• G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2018 were $1.4 million, compared to $1.3 million for the second quarter of 2017, an increase of $0.1 million.

• Net Loss: Net loss attributable to common stockholders for the second quarter of 2018 was $6.6 million, or $0.23 per share, compared to a net loss of $6.4 million, or $0.28 per share, for the second quarter of 2017

XOMA Reports Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On August 7, 2018 XOMA Corporation (Nasdaq: XOMA), a pioneer in the discovery, development and licensing of therapeutic antibodies, reported its second quarter 2018 financial results (Press release, Xoma, AUG 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234528769]).

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"We continue to focus our efforts on expanding our portfolio of partner-funded programs through both acquisition and out-license activities," said Jim Neal, Chief Executive Officer at XOMA. "We believe we are well-positioned to execute on our royalty-aggregator strategy to create near- and long-term value for shareholders."

Financial Results
XOMA recorded total revenues of $2.3 million for the second quarter of 2018, $1.8 million of which was recognized under XOMA’s license agreement and common stock purchase agreement with Rezolute. In the second quarter of 2017, XOMA reported $10.9 million in revenue, $10.0 million of which was milestone revenue earned under one of the Company’s license agreements with Novartis.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $0.4 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared to $2.9 million for the second quarter of 2017. The decrease in R&D expenses was due primarily to reductions of $1.0 million in clinical trial costs, $0.4 million in consulting costs, $0.4 million in the allocation of facilities costs, $0.4 million in external manufacturing activities, and $0.1 million in stock-based compensation. The significant reduction in R&D spending is a result of the discontinuation of clinical trial activities and the execution of the Company’s royalty-aggregator business model.

General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $4.4 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared to $5.2 million for the second quarter of 2017. The decrease in G&A expenses was due primarily to reductions of $0.9 million in stock-based compensation, $0.2 million in legal and accounting fees, and $0.1 million in information technology costs, partially offset by increases of $0.2 million in consulting services and $0.4 million in the allocation of facilities costs due to a greater proportion of G&A personnel after the Company’s restructuring activities.

The Company recorded a lease-related restructuring charge of $0.5 million in the second quarter of 2018, compared with $1.5 million for personnel-related restructuring expenses in the same period of 2017.

Total other income, net was $1.2 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared to other expense of $0.7 million for the second quarter of 2017. During the second quarter of 2018, we recorded $1.0 million in income from Ology Bioservices related to the disposition of our biodefense business in March 2016. Separately, we received long-term equity securities that consisted of an investment in Rezolute Inc.’s common stock under the terms of a licensing agreement. As of June 30, 2018, the fair value of the long-term equity securities had decreased, and we recognized a loss of $0.4 million.

Net loss for the second quarter of 2018 was $1.9 million, compared to net income of $0.3 million for the second quarter of 2017.

On June 30, 2018, XOMA had cash and cash equivalents of $38.7 million. The Company ended December 31, 2017, with cash and cash equivalents of $43.5 million. The Company’s current cash and cash equivalents are expected to be sufficient to fund its operations for multiple years.

PTC Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Provides a Corporate Update

On August 7, 2018 PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTCT) reported a corporate update and reported financial results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2018 (Press release, PTC Therapeutics, AUG 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234528767]).

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"We have made significant progress towards delivering on our strategic plan this year," said Stuart W. Peltz, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, PTC Therapeutics, Inc. "This includes furthering our underlying business as well as executing on two external transactions. We look forward to bringing value to both patients and shareholders with the acquisition of Agilis, the LATAM commercialization rights for Tegsedi and Waylivra and realizing additional growth in the second half of the year."

Second Quarter Financial Highlights:

Total revenues for the second quarter of 2018 were $68.7 million, compared to $48.0 million in the same period in 2017. The change in total revenue was a result of Emflaza, which launched in May 2017, and the expanded commercialization of Translarna.

Translarna net product revenues were $47.8 million for the second quarter of 2018, representing 4% growth over $45.8 million reported in the second quarter of 2017.

Emflaza net product revenues were $20.3 million for the second quarter of 2018, from $2.1 million reported in the second quarter of 2017.

GAAP R&D expenses were $32.6 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared to $30.8 million for the same period in 2017. Non-GAAP R&D expenses were $28.7 million for the second quarter of 2018, excluding $3.9 million in non-cash, stock-based compensation expense, compared to $26.9 million for the same period in 2017, excluding $3.9 million in non-cash, stock-based compensation expense. The increase in GAAP and non-GAAP R&D expense was primarily due to increased investment in research programs and advancement of the clinical pipeline.

GAAP SG&A expenses were $33.5 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared to $28.9 million for the same period in 2017. Non-GAAP SG&A expenses were $29.4 million for the second quarter of 2018, excluding $4.1 million in non-cash, stock-based

compensation expense, compared to $24.9 million for the same period in 2017, excluding $4.0 million in non-cash, stock-based compensation expense. The increase in GAAP and non-GAAP SG&A expense was primarily due to continued investment in commercial activities to support the Duchenne muscular dystrophy franchise.

Net loss for the second quarter of 2018 was $9.5 million, compared to a net loss of $17.5 million for the same period in 2017.

In April 2018, PTC completed a public offering of 4,600,000 shares of common stock, resulting in net offering proceeds of $117.9 million.

Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaled approximately $296.1 million at June 30, 2018, compared to approximately $191.2 million at December 31, 2017.

Shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2018 were 46.7 million.

2018 Guidance

Full year 2018 net product revenues are anticipated to be between $260 and $295 million. PTC anticipates Translarna net product revenue for the full year 2018 to be between $170 and $185 million. PTC projects a 5-year (December 31, 2022) compound annual growth rate of 15% for net product revenues, representing continued strong growth year-over-year by increasing penetration in current countries and pursuing opportunities for label expansion. PTC anticipates Emflaza net product revenue for the full year 2018 to be between $90 and $110 million.

GAAP R&D and SG&A expense for the full year 2018 is anticipated to be between $280 and $290 million.

Non-GAAP R&D and SG&A expense for the full year 2018 is anticipated to be between $250 and $260 million, excluding estimated non-cash, stock-based compensation expense of approximately $30 million.

Key Second Quarter and Other Corporate Highlights:

Agreement to acquire Agilis Biotherapeutics gene therapy platform and four CNS clinical assets diversify and strengthen PTC’s existing pipeline. Following successful completion of the transaction, PTC plans a smooth transition of operations and to rapidly accelerate the programs. PTC plans to submit a Biologics Licensing Application with FDA in 2019 for the lead program in AADC deficiency, based on compelling long-term clinical data. An IND submission to the U.S. FDA is expected in 2019 for the second lead program in Friedreich ataxia. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018.

In-licensed LATAM commercial rights to Tegsedi (inotersen) and Waylivra (volanesorsen) from Akcea Therapeutics. The collaboration leverages its global commercial infrastructure and adds to growing commercial pipeline. Tegsedi has received marketing authorization approval from the European Commission for the treatment of stage 1 or stage 2 polyneuropathy in adult patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR amyloidosis). PTC estimates that there are approximately 6,000 patients in LATAM and that it is well positioned to file for registration in key countries in LATAM for Tegsedi. Tegsedi has a PDUFA date of October 6, 2018. Waylivra is under

regulatory review in the U.S., Europe and Canada for the treatment of people with familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS). Waylivra recently received a positive vote from the FDA’s Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products Advisory Committee and has a PDUFA date of August 30, 2018. Waylivra is also in clinical development for Familial Partial Lipodystrophy, or FPL.

Compelling data from FIREFISH study and advancement of SMA clinical programs. Data presented at the CureSMA conference demonstrated that at Day 182, over 90% of the babies in the FIREFISH study achieved a greater than 4-point increase in CHOP-INTEND score compared to baseline. The CHOP-INTEND data were further supported by video presented by the investigator in which babies demonstrated improved motor function including head control, rolling from supine, and sitting. Three babies were depicted sitting independently. Updated SMA data including additional sitting babies from part 1 of the FIREFISH study will be presented at the upcoming World Muscle Congress. Part 2 of the pivotal FIREFISH study is ongoing. SUNFISH, a pivotal trial in Type 2/3 SMA patients is also ongoing.

European Commission ratifies CHMP’s positive opinion for the label expansion of Translarna for children as young as 2 years of age. The authorization allows PTC to market Translarna for the treatment of nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy in ambulatory patients aged two years and older in the 28 countries that are Member States of the European Union, as well as European Economic Area members Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Focus on intensifying the conversion of Emflaza bridge patients. There are currently hundreds of patients who have been prescribed Emflaza for whom commercial shipments were not yet made. PTC plans to intensify the efforts and programs to expedite the conversion of those prescriptions to commercial shipment in the second half of the year.

Publication of additional data demonstrating the clinically differentiated benefit of deflazacort. The results published in Muscle and Nerve demonstrated Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients treated with deflazacort had notably less decline from baseline in 6-minute walk distance at Week 48 than those treated with prednisone/prednisolone. The extrapolated time to loss of ambulation was 8.58 years for deflazacort and 4.74 years with prednisone/prednisolone. In addition to the time to delay of loss of ambulation, patients on deflazacort demonstrated a slowing of disease progression as measured by physical function endpoints.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In this press release, the financial results and financial guidance of PTC are provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) and using certain non-GAAP financial measures. In particular, the non-GAAP financial measures exclude stock-based compensation expense. This non-GAAP financial measure is provided as a complement to financial measures reported in GAAP because management uses this non-GAAP financial measure when assessing and identifying operational trends. In management’s opinion, this non-GAAP financial measure is useful to investors and other users of PTC’s financial statements by providing greater transparency into the historical and projected operating

performance of PTC and the company’s future outlook. Quantitative reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to their closest equivalent GAAP financial measures are included in the tables below.

Today’s Conference Call and Webcast Reminder:
Today’s conference call will take place at 4:30 pm ET and can be access by dialing (877) 303-9216 (domestic) or (973) 935-8152 (international) five minutes prior to the start of the call and providing the passcode 8284468. A live, listen-only webcast of the conference call and corresponding slides can be accessed on the investor relations section of the PTC website at www.ptcbio.com. A webcast replay of the call will be available approximately two hours after completion of the call and will be archived on the company’s website for two weeks. PTC’s current Investor Presentation and R&D Day slides are available at the same website location.

Merrimack Reports Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On August 7, 2018 Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MACK), a clinical-stage oncology company focused on biomarker-defined cancers, reported its second quarter 2018 financial results for the period ended June 30, 2018 (Press release, Merrimack, AUG 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234528764]).

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"A cornerstone of Merrimack’s approach to drug development is our commitment to test targeted therapies in biomarker-enriched patient populations, resulting in smaller, shorter and more personalized studies that lower development costs and accelerate the timeframe to clinically meaningful data. This quarter, we have continued to demonstrate prudent adherence to this clinical strategy," said Richard Peters, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. "Additionally, we are pleased to have strengthened our financial position with non-dilutive sources of capital, including an $18 million milestone announced today and the $15 million debt facility we closed in July, which we believe extend our cash runway into at least the first quarter of 2020 and position us to deliver on our corporate goals. Looking ahead, we anticipate significant progress across our pipeline, with two clinical readouts expected in the second half of 2018 from MM-121 in non-small cell lung cancer and MM-310 in solid tumors."

Key events from the second quarter and more recently include:

Receipt of $18 million milestone payment from Shire, resulting from the sale of ONIVYDE in two additional major European countries;

Closing in July of $25 million debt facility with Hercules Capital, $15 million of which was funded at closing, with eligibility for up to an additional aggregate of $10 million;

Announcement of top-line results from the CARRIE study, a randomized Phase 2 trial of MM-141 in front-line metastatic pancreatic cancer, in which MM-141 was added to standard-of-care chemotherapy treatments and evaluated in patients screened for high serum levels of the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). As MM-141 did not demonstrate a clinical benefit in the study, Merrimack will cease all of its development activities for MM-141; and

Presentation of two posters at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, held June 1-5, 2018 in Chicago, IL:

Clinical data from MM-121 (seribantumab) in a poster titled, "Evaluation of fixed-dose regimens of seribantumab in patients with solid tumors," containing an analysis of pharmacokinetic and safety data comparing different dosing regimens from previous Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies of MM-121 in solid tumors. Data presented support use of the dosing regimen currently being evaluated in Merrimack’s two ongoing randomized Phase 2 studies of MM-121, SHERLOC in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and SHERBOC in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer; and

A Trials-in-Progress poster for MM-310, Merrimack’s antibody-directed nanotherapeutic (ADN) targeting the EphA2 receptor, titled, "A Phase 1 study evaluating the safety, pharmacology and preliminary activity of MM-310 in patients with solid tumors."

Upcoming Clinical Milestones

Merrimack anticipates the following upcoming clinical milestones:

Top-line results in 2018 from the SHERLOC study, a randomized Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating MM-121, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the HER3 receptor, added to standard of care in patients with heregulin positive non-small cell lung cancer; and

Safety data and maximum tolerated dose in 2018 from the Phase 1 clinical trial of MM-310, an antibody-directed nanotherapeutic targeting the EphA2 receptor, in patients with solid tumors.

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

The following summarizes Merrimack’s financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018:

Research and development expenses for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $13.7 million, compared to $19.8 million for the comparable period of 2017. Research and development spending for the second quarter of 2018 was lower versus the comparable period in 2017 primarily due to Merrimack’s refocused clinical and preclinical pipeline;

General and administrative expenses for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $3.5 million, compared to $14.8 million for the comparable period of 2017. General and administrative spending for the second quarter of 2018 was lower versus the comparable period in 2017 primarily due to a decrease in corporate expenses related to headcount levels following the asset sale to Ipsen;

Net loss for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 was $17.8 million, or $1.33 per share, compared to a net loss of $28.9 million, or $2.18 per share, for the comparable period of 2017; and

As of June 30, 2018, Merrimack had 13.3 million shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, outstanding.

Financial Outlook

Merrimack believes that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $60.0 million as of June 30, 2018, in addition to $14.7 million in net borrowings from its July 2, 2018 loan and security agreement with Hercules Capital and the $18 million ONIVYDE milestone received from Shire, will be sufficient to fund its planned operations into at least the first quarter of 2020.

Merrimack remains eligible to receive additional milestone payments from Shire and Ipsen, resulting from the Company’s asset sale to Ipsen in 2017:

Merrimack is entitled to receive up to an additional $15 million in milestone payments from Shire, which are excluded from the Company’s cash runway guidance until achieved, consisting of:

$5.0 million related to the sale of ONIVYDE in the first major non-European, non-Asian country; and

$10.0 million for the first patient dosed in a pivotal clinical trial in an indication other than pancreatic cancer.

Merrimack is also entitled to receive up to an aggregate of $450 million in regulatory-based milestone payments from Ipsen, which Merrimack has said it expects to pass through to stockholders, net of any taxes owed and subject to there being sufficient surplus at that time, consisting of:

$225.0 million upon approval by the FDA of ONIVYDE for the first-line treatment of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, subject to certain conditions;

$150.0 million upon approval by the FDA of ONIVYDE for the treatment of small cell lung cancer after failure of first-line chemotherapy; and

$75.0 million upon approval by the FDA of ONIVYDE for an additional indication unrelated to those described above.

Conference Call and Webcast

Merrimack will host a live conference call and webcast today, Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 8:30 am ET, to provide an update on its operational progress and a summary of these financial results.

Investors and the general public are invited to listen to the call by dialing (877) 564-1301 (domestic) or (224) 357-2394 (international) five minutes prior to the start of the call and providing the passcode 6476538. A listen-only webcast of the call can be accessed in the Investors section of Merrimack’s website, investors.merrimack.com, and a replay of the call will be archived there for six weeks following the call.

Upcoming Investor Conferences

Merrimack is scheduled to present at the 2018 Baird Global Healthcare Conference on Thursday, September 6, 2018, at 8:30 am ET in New York. A live webcast of the presentation can be accessed under "Events and Presentations" in the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.merrimack.com. A replay of the webcast will be archived there for approximately 30 days following the presentation.