On May 9, 2016 Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM), focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat cancer, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016, and also provided an overview of certain corporate developments (Press release, Verastem, MAY 9, 2016, View Source;p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2166539 [SID:1234512149]).

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"To date in 2016, Verastem has announced two new clinical collaborations with world-class organizations, including Merck KGaA and Pfizer, and Washington University in St. Louis and Merck & Co., to further elucidate the potential of FAK inhibition to enhance the efficacy of PD-(L)1 inhibitors in patients with pancreatic and ovarian cancer," said Robert Forrester, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verastem. "The data generated from these trials will continue to inform the ongoing development of our anti-cancer therapeutics which reduce cancer stem cells and modulate the local tumor microenvironment to allow both cancer treatments and the immune system to do their job more efficiently. We’ve had a strong start to 2016 with the announcement of these clinical collaborations in addition to attracting key strategic hires on the development team, including Dr. Greg Berk as Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Toyin Shonukan as Vice President of Clinical Development, to oversee and execute on our ongoing and future studies. We are well financed with approximately $100 million in available capital and we look forward to keeping you updated in the coming quarters on our progress."

First Quarter 2016 and Recent Highlights:
Focal Adhesion Kinase Inhibition Program
Clinical Collaboration with Pfizer and Merck KGaA to Evaluate Combination of VS-6063 and Avelumab in Ovarian Cancer – In March 2016, the companies announced a clinical trial collaboration agreement to evaluate the combination of Verastem’s focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor VS-6063 and Pfizer and Merck KGaA’s anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy avelumab. Verastem has previously reported initial signs of clinical activity in patients with ovarian cancer when VS-6063 is used in combination with paclitaxel. Under the terms of the agreement, the parties will conduct a planned Phase 1/1b clinical trial evaluating escalating doses of the combination of VS-6063 and avelumab as a potential treatment option for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Washington University in St. Louis Initiated a Clinical Study of VS-6063 in Combination with Merck & Co.’s Pembrolizumab and Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Cancer – In January 2016, Verastem announced the initiation of a Phase 1 dose-escalation study at Washington University to evaluate its FAK inhibitor VS-6063 in combination with Merck & Co.’s anti-PD-1 immunotherapy pembrolizumab and gemcitabine in patients with pancreatic cancer. The trial builds upon preclinical research conducted by Dr. David Denardo, presented at several conferences in late 2015 and early 2016, demonstrating the ability of FAK inhibition to increase the efficacy of checkpoint inhibition in the reduction of tumor volume and overall survival in models of pancreatic cancer. This Phase 1 clinical trial is currently enrolling and is anticipated to enroll approximately 50 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Presented Scientific Data Supporting FAK Inhibition in Combination with Immunotherapy at Key Medical Meetings – During the first quarter of 2016, Verastem presented data in support of its new development programs focused on advancing its FAK inhibitors in combination with immune-oncology agents and other current and emerging standard of care cancer treatments. Data were presented at several medical and scientific meetings, including the 2016 American Academy of Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper), the Society for Gynecologic Oncology’s 2016 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer, the Keystone Symposium on Cancer Pathology, the Keystone Symposium on Stem Cells and Cancer, and Immunotherapy World 2016.

Presented Clinical Data from the Window of Opportunity Study at iMig 2016 – In May 2016, the Company announced results from the ongoing open-label, single-center, neoadjuvant Window of Opportunity study evaluating tolerability, along with biomarker and tumor volume response to VS-6063 (400mg BID) following either 12 days (Cohort 1) or 35 days (Cohort 2) of treatment in surgically-eligible patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Data analysis from Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 showed that VS-6063 was generally well tolerated with early signs of tumor reduction observed, with six of the twenty patients demonstrating an encouraging tumor reduction after brief treatment with VS-6063.

Development of VS-4718 Continues in Solid Tumors – Dosing continues in a Phase 1 dose escalation trial evaluating single-agent VS-4718 and a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating VS-4718 in combination with gemcitabine and Abraxane is currently ongoing. Following results from the dose escalation trial, an expansion cohort of VS-4718 + Gemcitabine/Abraxane vs Gemcitabine/Abraxane alone in patients with pancreatic cancer is planned.

Dual PI3K/mTORC1/2 Inhibition Program
Confirmatory Recommended Phase 2 Dose and Expansion Cohorts – The maximum tolerated dose of single-agent VS-5584 has been reached in a Phase 1 study, and the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) is being confirmed. Reductions in pharmacodynamic markers of PI3K and mTOR activity and clinical activity has been observed in some tumor types.

Corporate
Gregory I. Berk, MD Named Chief Medical Officer – In April 2016, the Company announced the appointment of Gregory I. Berk, MD as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Berk, a highly accomplished physician and a well-regarded oncology veteran with more than 25 years of both industry and academic experience, will be responsible for leading the Company’s global clinical development strategy and clinical operations.

Announced Key Executive Management Appointments and Changes – In April 2016, the Company strengthened its management team through the appointment and promotion of several key individuals. Jonathan Pachter, PhD was promoted to Chief Scientific Officer, David Weaver, PhD was appointed Vice President, Translational Medicine, Joe Chiapponi, Vice President, Finance, was named Treasurer, Principal Accounting and Financial Officer and Oluwatoyin (Toyin) Shonukan, MD, has been appointed Vice President, Clinical Development. Dr. Shonukan most recently served as Senior Medical Director, Oncology Clinical Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and has held previous senior appointments at Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, Novartis Oncology and Eli Lilly.

First Quarter 2016 Financial Results
Net loss for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 (2016 Quarter) was $8.3 million, or $0.22 per share, as compared to a net loss of $15.2 million, or $0.46 per share, for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015 (2015 Quarter). Net loss for the 2016 Quarter and 2015 Quarter, excluding non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $1.7 million and $2.9 million, was $6.6 million and $12.3 million, respectively.

Research and development expense for the 2016 Quarter was $4.2 million compared to $10.5 million for the 2015 Quarter. The $6.3 million decrease from the 2015 Quarter to the 2016 Quarter was primarily related to a decrease of $4.2 million in contract research organization expense for outsourced biology, chemistry, development and clinical services, which includes our clinical trial costs, a decrease in personnel related costs of $1.4 million, a decrease of approximately $550,000 in stock-based compensation, and a decrease of approximately $441,000 in travel, facilities and other research and development costs. These decreases were partially offset by an increase of approximately $276,000 in consulting fees.

General and administrative expense for the 2016 Quarter was $4.3 million compared to $4.7 million for the 2015 Quarter. The decrease of approximately $400,000 from the 2015 Quarter to the 2016 Quarter primarily resulted from approximate decreases in stock-based compensation expense of $734,000 and $148,000 in personnel related costs. These decreases were offset by an increase of approximately $411,000 in consulting and professional fees.

As of March 31, 2016, Verastem had cash, cash equivalents and investments of $99.5 million compared to $110.3 million as of December 31, 2015. Verastem used $10.8 million for operating activities during the 2016 Quarter settling one-time compensation payments, severance payments and paying down accounts payable and accruals.
The number of outstanding common shares as of March 31, 2016, was 36,992,418.

Financial Guidance
Based on current operating plans, we expect to have sufficient cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments to fund our research and development programs and operations into 2018.

About Focal Adhesion Kinase
Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase encoded by the PTK-2 gene that is involved in cellular adhesion and, in cancer, metastatic capability. VS-6063 (defactinib) and VS-4718 are orally available compounds that are potent inhibitors of FAK. VS-6063 and VS-4718 utilize a multi-faceted approach to treat cancer by reducing cancer stem cells, enhancing anti-tumor immunity, and modulating the local tumor microenvironment. VS-6063 and VS-4718 are currently being studied in multiple clinical trials for their ability to improve patient survival.

About VS-5584
VS-5584 is an orally available compound that has demonstrated potent and highly selective activity against class 1 PI3K enzymes and dual inhibitory actions against mTORC1 and mTORC2. In preclinical studies, VS-5584 has been shown to reduce the percentage of cancer stem cells and induce tumor regression in chemotherapy-resistant models. Verastem is currently conducting a dose escalation trial of VS-5584 in patients with advanced solid tumors

On May 9, 2016 Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:BLCM), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel cellular immunotherapies for cancers and orphan inherited blood disorders, reported financial results for the first quarter of 2016 and provided an update on recent developments (Press release, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, MAY 9, 2016, View Source;p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2166540 [SID:1234512148]).

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"We continue to make good progress advancing our stem cell transplant, CAR T and TCR programs," said Tom Farrell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bellicum. "Our study of lead product candidate BPX-501, an adjunct T-cell therapy in the haploidentical transplant setting, continued to yield impressive preliminary results. As of the end of the first quarter, with a median follow-up of approximately seven months, we have seen no transplant-related mortality in 49 evaluable patients at our lead European site, including 24 of 24 children with life-long genetic blood diseases who remain alive and disease-free, and 16 of 17 leukemia patients who remain in remission. We were also excited to see that two of three compassionate use relapsed/refractory AML patients treated with multiple doses of BPX-501 remain in remission 13 and 4 months post-transplant respectively."

Continued Mr. Farrell, "We are also preparing to advance three of our next-generation CAR T and TCR product candidates into the clinic in 2016. We believe the inclusion of our proprietary cellular control switches and our novel MC co-stimulatory domains may improve the function of T-cell therapies for attacking both solid and hematologic cancers."

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

BPX-501

Reported new interim data from BP-004 trial, showing disease-free outcomes in pediatric patients, including those with blood cancers who had undergone T-depleted, haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) followed by BPX-501 donor T-cell replacement. At the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), preliminary outcomes of 17 pediatric leukemia patients were reviewed in an oral presentation, showing that BPX-501 cells expand in vivo and persist over time, contributing to adaptive immunity. Additionally, the relapse rate compared favorably with that of historical controls, with 16 of 17 patients in the trial showing disease-free outcomes. The median follow-up period for these patients was approximately seven months. Initial outcomes for nonmalignant patients at the same site were also reviewed, which showed that all 24 children treated remain disease-free (median follow-up period of approximately seven months), consistent with earlier results presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) in December 2015. Transplant-related mortality (TRM) was 0% (0 of 49) across all patients reported.
Received orphan drug designation from FDA for the combination of BPX-501 genetically modified T cells and activator agent rimiducid as "replacement T-cell therapy for the treatment of immunodeficiency and Graft versus Host Disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant."
Preparing to meet with the European Medicines Agency and U.S. FDA, with the goal of defining the path to regulatory filing and approval.
BPX-601: Preparing to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial with BPX-601 GoCAR-T product candidate in mid-2016 in the initial indication of non-resectable pancreatic cancer. GoCAR-T contains Bellicum’s proprietary iMC (inducible MyD88/CD40) activation switch and is designed to treat solid tumors expressing prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA).

BPX-701: Preparing to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial with BPX-701 high affinity T cell receptor (TCR) product candidate in mid-2016. BPX-701 incorporates the CaspaCIDe safety switch and is designed to target malignant cells expressing the preferentially-expressed antigen in melanoma, or PRAME. Initial planned indications include Refractory or Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes, with an additional clinical trial planned for metastatic uveal melanoma.

BPX-401: Continued to advance CIDeCAR CAR T therapy, with plans to initiate clinical development in the second half of 2016.

First Quarter 2016 Financial Results:

Bellicum reported a net loss of $15.1 million for the first quarter of 2016, compared to a net loss of $7.8 million for the first quarter of 2015. The results included non-cash, share-based compensation charges of $3.1 million and $1.5 million for the first quarter of 2016 and 2015, respectively. As of March 31, 2016, cash and investments totaled $151.8 million, compared to $150.4 million at December 31, 2015. In March 2016, we closed on a debt financing agreement that allows for borrowings of up to $30.0 million which we intend to use for the build-out of our manufacturing facilities and for general corporate purposes. We received initial net proceeds of $14.8 million on the closing date.

Research and development expenses were $11.0 million and $5.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015, respectively. The $5.3 million increase in R&D expenses for the 2016 period was due to an increase in BPX-501 clinical and manufacturing costs of $2.3 million, primarily due to increased patient enrollment in our clinical trials. The higher R&D expenses were also due to an increase of $1.0 million for IND enabling activities on our product candidates, BPX-601, BPX-701 and BPX-401, plus an increase of $2.0 million of general research and development costs, which includes an increase of $1.6 million in research and development personnel costs, $0.6 million in allocated overhead costs and a decrease of $0.2 million in other costs.

General and administrative expenses were $4.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and $2.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015. The $2.1 million increase in G&A expenses for the 2016 period was principally due to our overall growth, including an increase of $1.4 million in costs related to personnel, of which $0.8 million was attributable to share based compensation expense, higher facility costs and increased legal, accounting and travel expenses.

On May 9, 2016 Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS) (TSX: AEZ) (the "Company"), a specialty biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing and commercializing novel treatments in oncology, endocrinology and women’s health, reported financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 (Press release, AEterna Zentaris, MAY 9, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512147]).

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Commenting on first quarter results, David A. Dodd, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, stated, "During the first quarter, we made steady progress in the areas of product development, commercial performance and financial operations. I am pleased to report that we remain on track to attain our 2016 corporate objectives. We still expect to complete the pivotal Phase 3 Zoptrex trial in Q3 of 2016 and to report top-line results by year-end."

Mr. Dodd continued his commentary with a discussion of the development of Macrilen, which, if approved, will be the only FDA-approved means of evaluating adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD), "Since announcing patient recruitment in the fourth quarter of last year, our CRO has opened approximately 20 of our anticipated 30 sites, enrolling approximately 30 patients. The pace of recruitment is accelerating, confirming our expectation that the confirmatory Phase 3 clinical study of Macrilen will be concluded in Q3 of 2016, also with top-line results being reported as soon as possible following trial conclusion. We feel very confident that the confirmatory study, which will consist of approximately 30 sites and a minimum of 110 patients, is on schedule."

Concluding, Mr. Dodd addressed the Company’s commercial operations, stating, "We are pleased with the building of success from our promotion of Saizen during the first quarter. Exceeding our baseline by 66% during the quarter was a great accomplishment by our sales team. Now that they have a number of targets that more closely matches our promotional capacity, we believe they should be in a position to produce meaningful commission revenue this year. I am hopeful that we will be able to add even more targets as EMD Serono recognizes the success of our efforts. Our full sales force sold APIFINY for only half of the first quarter but managed to generate commission revenue nevertheless. We are hopeful about the commercial potential of APIFINY because it is the only cancer-specific, non-PSA blood test for the evaluation of the risk of prostate cancer. Physicians have long needed such an adjunct to the PSA test. With APIFINY, we believe we can satisfy that need. As a result of our promotional efforts, we are realizing an increasing penetration and acceptance of APIFINY. More recently, we announced the expansion of our APIFINY agreement to reflect our exclusive rights to promote this product throughout the U.S. We believe that such an expanded agreement opens significant revenue opportunities in support of this exciting product."

First Quarter 2016 Financial Highlights

R&D costs were $3.7 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2016, compared to $4.5 million for the same period in 2015. The decrease for the three-month period ended March 31, 2016, as compared to the same period in 2015, is mainly attributable to lower comparative third-party costs. The decrease in third-party costs is mainly attributable to the fact that the number of patients in active treatment in the clinical trial for Zoptrex was lower in the first quarter of 2016, as compared to the same period in 2015. The overall decrease in R&D costs is also explained by lower employee compensation and benefits costs, lower facilities rent and maintenance as well as lower other costs. A substantial portion of this decrease is due to the realization of cost savings in connection with our effort to streamline our R&D activities and to increase our commercial operations and flexibility by reducing our R&D staff, which was started in 2014 (the "Resource Optimization Program"), for which a provision was recorded in the third quarter of 2014.

G&A expenses were $1.9 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2016, as compared to $3.4 million for the same period in 2015. The decrease is mainly attributable to the recording during three-month period ended March 31, 2015 of certain transaction costs associated with the completion of a public, registered offering of shares and warrants in March 2015.

Selling expenses were $1.7 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2016, essentially unchanged as compared to the same period in 2015. The selling expenses for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 represent the costs of our contracted sales force related to the co-promotion activities as well as our internal sales management team. Those activities were launched during the fourth quarter of 2014.

Net loss for the three-month period ended March 31, 2016 was $3.7 million, or $0.37 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $9.7 million, or $13.59 per basic and diluted share for the same period in 2015. The decrease in net loss for the three-month period ended March 31, 2016, as compared to the same period in 2015, is due largely to lower operating expenses and higher comparative net finance income.

Cash and cash equivalents were approximately $33.0 million as at March 31, 2016, compared to $41.5 million as at December 31, 2015.

CPI-444 is an orally administered antagonist of the adenosine A2A receptor (Company Pipeline, Corvus Pharmaceuticals, MAY 9, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512139]). It is designed to block the action of adenosine that is produced by tumors. CPI-444 will enter a Phase 1b study in early 2016. In collaboration with Genentech, this study will evaluate CPI-444 as a single agent and in combination with the investigational agent, atezolizumab, an anti-PDL-1 antibody.

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On May 9, 2016 Juno Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:JUNO), a biopharmaceutical company focused on re-engaging the body’s immune system to revolutionize the treatment of cancer, reported financial results and business highlights for the first quarter 2016 (Press release, Juno, MAY 9, 2016, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2166580 [SID:1234512138]).

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"In the first quarter, we continued to advance our CD19-directed portfolio – enrolling multiple trials, commencing manufacturing of clinical trial material from our Juno-operated facility, and securing Celgene’s opt-in to product candidates in our CD19 program, which will accelerate our pace outside of North America. Also, we recently reported encouraging early data for product candidates against two other targets, CD22 and WT-1, as our pipeline and research continue to progress beyond CD19," said Hans Bishop, Juno’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "Juno’s capabilities are growing, and we look forward to sharing more data with you later this quarter at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) and throughout 2016."

First Quarter 2016 and Recent Corporate Highlights
Clinical Progress:
CD19 Portfolio – An investigational new drug (IND) amendment cleared the FDA, allowing Juno to begin clinical manufacturing of JCAR015 for the Phase II ROCKET trial out of a Juno-operated manufacturing facility in Bothell, Washington. Juno plans to use this facility to manufacture product for Juno’s first commercial launches. Juno also announced the initiation of enrollment for its trial combining JCAR014 and MedImmune’s anti-PDL-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, durvalumab.

JCAR018 – This CD22-directed, fully-human chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell product candidate has the potential to treat or prevent CD19-negative relapses. JCAR018 reached two clinical milestones in a Phase I trial conducted at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in pediatric and young adult relapsed or refractory (r/r) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients, which triggered payments to Opus Bio in the first quarter of 2016 totaling 603,364 shares of Juno common stock. Investigators presented data from the ongoing Phase I study in pediatric and young adult r/r ALL patients at the American Association for Clinical Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2016, showing all three patients at dose level 2 (1 x 106 cells/kg) achieved a complete remission and complete molecular remission as measured by flow cytometry. These patients remain in complete remission with follow-up ranging from 3 to 6 months. Limited cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and no severe neurotoxicity was seen at dose level 2. Dose limiting toxicity was observed at higher doses, so dosing will continue at dose level 2 (1 x 106 cells/kg). CD22-directed CAR T treatment has the potential, when combined with CD19-directed CARs, to meaningfully increase the percentage of ALL patients that experience long-term remissions.
JTCR016 – This WT-1-directed, T cell receptor (TCR) cell product candidate is currently being studied in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), refractory mesothelioma, and non-small cell lung cancer. In the first three solid organ tumor patients treated to date, all with mesothelioma, preliminary data presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2016 showed one patient with an ongoing partial response to the WT-1 TCR and one with stable disease. The clinical activity appeared to correlate with the pharmacokinetics of the engineered T cells, as the patient with the partial response had the best T cell expansion and persistence. JTCR016 was generally well-tolerated in these three refractory mesothelioma patients, with no evidence of severe CRS or severe neurotoxicity.

Corporate News:
Juno announced that Celgene exercised its option to develop and commercialize product candidates from Juno’s CD19 program outside North America and China. With the exercise of this option, Celgene paid Juno a fee of $50.0 million and the companies will now share global development expenses for product candidates in the CD19 program. Celgene has commercial rights outside of North America and China, and will pay Juno a royalty at a percentage in the mid-teens on any future net sales in Celgene’s territories of therapeutic products developed through the CD19 program. Juno retains commercialization rights in North America and China.
Juno acquired AbVitro, a leading next-generation single cell sequencing platform company that will augment Juno’s capabilities to create best-in-class engineered T cells against a broad array of cancer targets, including significantly improving the speed of generating TCR binders, while also enabling comprehensive profiling of functional immune repertoires with cancer tissues. Juno and Celgene have agreed in principle to enter an agreement to license Celgene a subset of the acquired technology and grant Celgene options to certain related potential product rights emanating from the acquired technology.
Juno announced, along with WuXi AppTec, the formation of a new company, JW Biotechnology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., with a mission to develop novel cell-based immunotherapies for patients with hematologic and solid organ cancers in China. The new company will leverage Juno’s world-class CAR and TCR technologies and WuXi AppTec’s research and development and manufacturing platform and local expertise.
Juno announced the creation of a new, best-in-class clinical trials unit dedicated to immuno-oncology, in collaboration with the University of Washington, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC). The clinical trials unit has been established to accelerate the clinical care of patients and the generation of translational medicine insights with cutting-edge immuno-oncology therapeutic candidates.
Juno reported that Celgene exercised its annual "top-up" right, purchasing 1,137,593 shares of Juno common stock at a price of $41.32 per share for an aggregate cash purchase price of $47.0 million.
First Quarter 2016 Financial Results
Cash Position: Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of March 31, 2016 were $1.13 billion compared to $1.22 billion as of December 31, 2015. The decrease of $91.0 million is due to cash used in connection with the acquisition of AbVitro and cash used to fund operations, offset by cash proceeds of $47.0 million from Celgene for the purchase of 1,137,593 shares of Juno’s common stock. Celgene’s CD19 opt-in payment of $50.0 million occurred after the end of the first quarter.
Cash Burn: Excluding cash inflows and outflows from business development activities, cash burn in the first quarter of 2016 was $61.0 million including $4.0 million of capital expenditures, compared to $26.4 million in the first quarter of 2015. The increase of $34.6 million was primarily driven by cash outflows in connection with the overall growth of the business.
Revenue: Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $9.8 million and included milestone revenue of $5.8 million received from Novartis and revenue recognized in connection with the Celgene collaboration agreement of $3.8 million.
R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses in the first quarter of 2016, inclusive of non-cash expenses and computed in accordance with GAAP, were $73.7 million compared to $57.8 million in the first quarter of 2015. The increase of $15.9 million was due to a $23.2 million non-cash expense associated with milestones achieved under its license agreement with Opus Bio related to Juno’s JCAR018 product candidate, which were paid through the issuance of 603,364 shares of Juno’s common stock, a $5.0 million payment to St. Jude in connection with the milestone achieved by Juno’s sublicensee Novartis, as well as increased costs incurred to execute Juno’s clinical development strategy, manufacture its product candidates, and expand its overall research and development capabilities.

For the three months ended March 31, 2016, Juno recorded a gain of $6.6 million related to the success payment liability and an expense of $38.9 million for the same period in 2015. The gain recorded in the first quarter of 2016 was primarily due to a decline in Juno’s stock price at March 31, 2016 compared to December 31, 2015.
Non-GAAP R&D Expenses: Non-GAAP research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 were $80.1 million and $17.0 million, respectively. Non-GAAP research and development expenses for the first quarter of 2016 include $9.1 million of stock-based compensation expense, $2.2 million of which was paid in connection with the acquisition of AbVitro, as well as the milestone payments described above. Non-GAAP research and development expenses for the first quarter of 2015 include $1.7 million of non-cash stock-based compensation expense. Non-GAAP research and development expenses for the first quarter of 2016 exclude the following:
A gain of $6.6 million associated with the change in the estimated value and elapsed service period for Juno’s potential success payment liabilities to FHCRC and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK).
Non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $1.2 million related to a 2013 restricted stock award to a co-founding director that became a consultant upon his departure from Juno’s board of directors in 2014.
A gain of $1.0 million associated with the change in estimated fair value of the contingent consideration recorded in connection with the Stage and X-Body acquisitions.
Non-GAAP research and development expenses for the first quarter of 2015 exclude the following:
An expense of $38.9 million associated with the change in the estimated value and elapsed service period for Juno’s potential success payment liabilities to FHCRC and MSK.
Non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $1.9 million related to a 2013 restricted stock award to a co-founding director that became a consultant upon his departure from Juno’s board of directors in 2014.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses on a GAAP basis for the first quarter of 2016 were $16.0 million compared to $7.4 million for the first quarter of 2015. The increase of $8.6 million was primarily due to increased personnel expenses, including non-cash stock-based compensation expense, an increase in consulting fees including costs related to commercial readiness, and other expenses related to the growth of the business. General and administrative expenses include $4.9 million and $1.8 million of non-cash stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
GAAP Net Loss: Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $71.1 million, or $0.72 per share, compared to $65.0 million, or $0.79 per share, for the same period in 2015.
Non-GAAP Net Loss: Non-GAAP net loss, which incorporates the non-GAAP R&D expense, for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $77.5 million, or $0.78 per share, compared to $24.2 million, or $0.30 per share, for the same period in 2015.
A reconciliation of GAAP net loss to non-GAAP net loss is presented below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
2016 Financial Guidance
Juno expects 2016 cash burn, excluding cash inflows or outflows from business development activities, to be between $220 million and $250 million.
Operating burn estimated to be between $170 million and $195 million.
Capital expenditures estimated to be between $40 million and $55 million, the vast majority of which are related to one-time infrastructure build-outs.