On November 7, 2019 Athenex, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATNX), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies for the treatment of cancer and related conditions, reported its financial results and business highlights for the third quarter of 2019 (Press release, Athenex, NOV 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234550720]).

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"We continue to make strong progress across the board, bringing us closer to our goal of becoming a fully integrated global pharma company," stated Dr. Johnson Lau, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Athenex. "We have several major catalysts upcoming, including two anticipated NDA submissions. We are also scheduled to deliver an oral presentation to discuss the Phase III data for Oral Paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December. We have been strategic in building out and integrating our clinical and manufacturing operations in order to maximize the commercial opportunities of our rapidly advancing pipeline. We believe we are in a strong position to develop multiple, potentially successful therapies in the future."

Mr. Jeffrey Yordon, Chief Operating Officer of Athenex, commented, "We are continually optimizing our commercial infrastructure, developing the market, and building awareness of our Athenex Oncology brand in anticipation of commercial launch of Oral Paclitaxel. We have finalized our staffing and organizational plan, and intend to make additional key hires next year, including medical science liaisons and regional sales leaders, with the full sales team expected to come on board in the months leading up to potential approval. In addition to late-stage pipeline progress, we once again achieved strong revenue growth for our existing commercial business. We plan to continue launching additional products in the remainder of 2019 and into next year."

Third Quarter 2019 and Recent Business Highlights:

Clinical Programs:

Phase III Study of Oral Paclitaxel and Encequidar for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Study met primary endpoint showing statistically significant improvement in overall response rate for oral paclitaxel and encequidar ("Oral Paclitaxel") compared to IV paclitaxel.

Strong trend in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of Oral Paclitaxel compared to IV paclitaxel.

Proportion of confirmed responders with duration of response >150 days was 2.5 times higher for Oral Paclitaxel than IV paclitaxel.

Neuropathy was less frequent with Oral Paclitaxel compared to IV paclitaxel.

Planning to meet with the FDA and present data at SABCS.

Other Oral Paclitaxel Developments

European Commission granted orphan designations for paclitaxel and for encequidar for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma.

Presented three posters at European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2019 demonstrating the results from clinical studies of Oral Paclitaxel for patients with a number of advanced solid tumor types as well as in combination with ramucirumab, an anti-VEGFR2 antibody therapy.

Tirbanibulin Ointment for Actinic Keratosis (AK)

Partner Almirall announced a progress update on the program, including AK recurrence rates in those patients who had complete clearance at the primary evaluation endpoint on day 57 and who were followed quarterly in the 12-month extension period.

Athenex completed pre-NDA consultation with the FDA.

Partner Almirall reiterated its expectations for launch of tirbanibulin ointment in the US and Europe in Q1 2021 and Q2 2021, respectively.

Phase I Clinical Study of KX2-361 Oral

Partner Xiangxue Pharmaceutical initiated a Phase I study in China. KX2-361 is the second compound derived from Athenex’s Src kinase inhibition platform, for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme.

Corporate Announcements:

Appointed Daniel Lang, MD, as President of Axis Therapeutics Limited (Axis) and Senior Director of Corporate Development at Athenex.

Completed construction of new API (active pharmaceutical ingredients) facility in Chongqing, China.

The 440,000-square-foot facility is expected to commence operations in the first half of 2020.

The construction of the facility is part of Athenex’s strategy for vertical integration to capture value across the supply chain.

Commercial Business:

Athenex Pharmaceutical Division (APD) currently markets a total of 31 products with 59 SKUs.

Athenex Pharma Solutions (APS) currently markets 5 products with 13 SKUs.

Goal is to launch 3-5 products in the remainder of 2019.

Financial Results for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2019

Product sales for the three months ended September 30, 2019 were $19.2 million, compared with $13.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018, an increase of $5.9 million or 45%. This increase was primarily attributable to an increase in specialty product revenue and 503B revenue of $4.7 million and $2.5 million, respectively. The licensing fees and consulting revenue recorded in the three months ended September 30, 2018 primarily related to our tirbanibulin license agreement with Almirall.

Cost of sales for the three months ended September 30, 2019 totaled $17.1 million, an increase of $5.1 million, or 43%, as compared to $12.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in cost of sales was in line with the increase in product sales.

Research and development expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2019 were $19.6 million as compared to $51.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. This was primarily due to a decrease in licensing fees, product development, clinical operations, and R&D related compensation. The licensing fee decrease mainly resulted from a $29.5 million non-cash license fee related to the license of TCR-T technology in connection with the establishment of Axis, recorded in the third quarter of 2018 and which did not recur. The decrease in R&D expenses was offset primarily by an increase in preclinical development costs related to the Arginine Deprivation Therapy and TCR-T Immunotherapy platforms.

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2019 totaled $16.3 million, compared to $11.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. This was primarily due to an increase in costs of preparing to commercialize our proprietary drugs, if approved, and an increase in general administrative expenses including legal fees and other professional service fees. Administrative-related compensation expense remained consistent with the prior year.

Net loss attributable to Athenex for the three months ended September 30, 2019 was $34.8 million, or ($0.45) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $46.2 million, or ($0.70) per diluted share, in the same period last year.

The Company received a $20 million milestone payment from Almirall during the second quarter of 2019 in connection with the partnership on tirbanibulin and expects this payment to be recorded as revenue in the fourth quarter of 2019.

At September 30, 2019, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments of $129.2 million, compared to $107.4 million at December 31, 2018. Based on the current operating plan, we expect that our cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash as of September 30, 2019, together with cash to be generated from our operating activities, will enable us to fund our operations into the third quarter of 2020.

Financial Results for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019

Product sales increased to $66.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019, from $37.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

Total revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 decreased by $1.0 million, to $66.9 million, as compared to $67.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The decrease was primarily due to $30.0 million related to license milestone revenue earned during 2018, and $2.3 million decrease in medical device product sales and contract manufacturing revenue, offset by a $15.2 million increase in specialty product sales, a $13.4 million increase in 503B sales, and a $2.7 million increase in sales of API. Revenue from 503B and API sales is expected to decline for the remainder of the year as we ceased sales of vasopressin in August 2019 and suspended production of API in the second quarter of 2019.

Cost of sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 totaled $53.9 million, an increase of $21.2 million, or 65%, as compared to $32.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. This was primarily due to the increase of $16.9 million in cost of sales from the sale of specialty products and $4.3 million in cost of sales from 503B and API products. The increase in cost of sales was lower than that in product sales, primarily as a result of changes in our product portfolio.

Research and development expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 totaled $62.6 million, as compared to $99.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. This was primarily due to a decrease in licensing fees, as well as expenses in relation to clinical operations and product development, partially offset by an increase in preclinical development costs related to the Arginine Deprivation Therapy and TCR-T Immunotherapy platforms, and an increase of R&D related compensation expense.

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 totaled $48.6 million, as compared to $37.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. This was primarily due to an increase related to the costs of preparing to commercialize our proprietary drugs, if approved, and an increase in general administrative expenses including legal fees and other professional service fees, partially offset by a decrease of in administrative related compensation expense.

Net loss attributable to Athenex for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $102.0 million, or ($1.41) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $90.3 million, or ($1.42) per diluted share, in the same period last year.

Outlook and Upcoming Milestones:

Oral presentation of Phase III results for Oral Paclitaxel at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (December 13, 2019)

Expect to submit an NDA for tirbanibulin ointment in actinic keratosis (Q1 2020)

Expect to submit an NDA for Oral Paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer (Q1 2020)

Raising Financial Guidance:

Athenex provides revenue guidance for product sales only. The Company is raising its product sales guidance for the full year 2019 to an increase of 35% to 40% year-over-year from $56.4 million in 2018, versus prior guidance of 30% to 35% year-over-year. This new revenue guidance has taken into account our discontinuation of vasopressin sales and the suspension of operations at our Taihao API plant. The revenue guidance excludes license and collaboration fees.

Conference Call and Webcast Information:

The Company will host a conference call and live audio webcast today, Thursday, November 7, 2019, at 8:00am Eastern Time to discuss the financial results and provide a business update.

To participate in the call, dial 877-407-0784 (domestic) or 201-689-8560 (international) fifteen minutes before the conference call begins and reference the conference passcode 13694941. The live conference call and replay can also be accessed via audio webcast here and on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website, located at View Source

On November 7, 2019 CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Company"), a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company specializing in the development of novel treatments for brain tumors, reported the pricing of its initial public offering of 2,125,000 shares of common stock at an offering price of $4.00 per share (Press release, CNS Pharmaceuticals, NOV 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234550839]). The gross proceeds from the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company, are expected to be $8.5 million. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 318,750 shares of common stock at the initial price to the public less underwriting discounts and commissions.

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The common stock is expected to begin trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market on November 8, 2019 under the symbol CNSP. The offering is expected to close on November 13, 2019, subject to customary closing conditions.

The Benchmark Company, LLC is acting as sole Book Running Manager for the offering.

A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-232443) relating to the shares was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and became effective on November 7, 2019. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus, when available, may be obtained from The Benchmark Company, LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, 150 E 58th Street, 17th floor, New York, NY 10155, 212-312-6700, Email: [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

On November 7, 2019 Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (NASDAQ: CORT), a commercial-stage company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs to treat severe metabolic, oncologic and psychiatric disorders by modulating the effects of the stress hormone cortisol, reported its results for the quarter ended September 30, 2019 (Press release, Corcept Therapeutics, NOV 7, 2019, https://ir.corcept.com/news-releases/news-release-details/corcept-therapeutics-announces-third-quarter-2019-financial [SID1234552971]).

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Revenue of $81.5 million, a 26 percent increase from third quarter 2018
GAAP diluted net income of $0.22 per share, compared to $0.14 per share in third quarter 2018
Non-GAAP diluted net income of $0.31 per share, compared to $0.22 per share in third quarter 2018
Cash and investments of $266.9 million, compared to $225.7 million in second quarter 2019
2019 revenue guidance narrowed to $300 – $315 million
Corcept reported quarterly revenue of $81.5 million in the third quarter, compared to $64.4 million in the third quarter of 2018. Third quarter GAAP net income was $26.3 million, compared to $17.7 million in the same period last year. Excluding non-cash expenses related to stock-based compensation and the utilization of deferred tax assets, together with related income tax effects, non-GAAP net income in the third quarter was $37.8 million, compared to $27.9 million in the third quarter of 2018. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP net income is included below.

The company narrowed 2019 revenue guidance to $300 – $315 million. Guidance had previously been
$285 – $315 million.

Third quarter operating expenses were $48.5 million, compared to $41.5 million in the third quarter of 2018, primarily due to increased spending to recruit and compensate additional personnel and discover and develop new selective cortisol modulators, as well as increased legal expense. Cash and investments were $266.9 million at September 30, 2019, an increase of $41.2 million from June 30, 2019.

"Our Cushing’s syndrome business had an excellent quarter," said Joseph K. Belanoff, MD, Corcept’s Chief Executive Officer. "We expect the number of patients receiving Korlym and physicians prescribing the medication to continue to increase. To reach more doctors, we are expanding our sales force. We expect the clinical specialists we are hiring now to begin contributing to our results next year.

"I am also pleased to announce an important advance in our program to treat serious metabolic disorders. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy subjects, our selective cortisol modulator miricorilant significantly reduced the weight gain caused by the commonly prescribed antipsychotic medication olanzapine (Eli Lily’s drug, Zyprexa). We have already initiated one of two planned Phase 2 trials to further test miricorilant’s activity in this indication."

Cushing’s Syndrome

European sites begin dosing patients in Phase 3 trial ("GRACE") of relacorilant to treat patients with Cushing’s syndrome
Double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 trial of relacorilant in patients whose Cushing’s syndrome is caused by adrenal adenomas to start in the first quarter of next year
"As of today, 42 of 62 planned sites are recruiting patients for GRACE," said Andreas Grauer, MD, Corcept’s Chief Medical Officer. "We expect to open an additional 13 sites by the end of the year. The activation pace of ex-US sites, which we expect will provide the majority of enrollments, has refined our estimate of the trial’s completion date. Our plan is to submit our NDA in the fourth quarter of 2021.

We spent substantial time in Europe in the past quarter helping clinical site activation and speaking to investigators. Most important, our investigators are highly enthusiastic about GRACE1, because of relacorilant’s positive Phase 2 efficacy and side effect profile."

Patients in relacorilant’s Phase 2 trial exhibited meaningful improvements in glucose control and hypertension – two of Cushing’s syndrome’s most common and pernicious symptoms. The trial also met a wide range of secondary endpoints, including weight loss, liver function, coagulopathy, insulin resistance, cognitive function, mood and quality of life. These results were achieved without relacorilant causing Korlym’s significant off-target effects – vaginal bleeding, endometrial thickening and low potassium.2

In addition to GRACE, Corcept plans to start a Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of relacorilant in patients whose Cushing’s syndrome is caused by an adrenal adenoma – a population that has not been rigorously studied. Patients with adrenal Cushing’s syndrome typically experience a slower onset of symptoms, but their ultimate health outcomes are poor. Corcept expects to enroll 130 patients at sites in the United States and Europe in the study. Most of the planned investigators and sites are also participating in GRACE.

Metabolic Disease

Positive top-line results from double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 1b trial of miricorilant to reduce antipsychotic-induced weight gain
Recruiting underway in double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 trial of miricorilant to reverse recent antipsychotic-induced weight gain
"Our program to develop miricorilant as a treatment for metabolic disorders is off to an excellent start," said Dr. Grauer. "Antipsychotic medications such as olanzapine are essential to the health of millions of patients, but the weight gain and other metabolic side effects they cause are life-threatening and often lead patients to discontinue treatment. At the first dose level tested in our Phase 1b trial, healthy subjects given olanzapine plus miricorilant gained less weight than subjects receiving olanzapine plus placebo (see Figure 1). In addition, markers of liver damage that often rise temporarily at the start of olanzapine therapy increased less sharply in subjects receiving miricorilant, suggesting that miricorilant may have protective effects in the liver (see Figure 2). Five subjects in the olanzapine alone group were unable to complete the study due to elevated liver enzymes, while one patient in the miricorilant group experienced this problem."

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at View Source

The Phase 1b trial’s first part enrolled 66 healthy subjects, each of whom received olanzapine (10 mg) and either miricorilant (600 mg) or placebo daily. The trial’s duration was two weeks. The second part of the trial, which is planned to start in December, will test a higher dose of miricorilant (900 mg) in 30 healthy subjects. The study’s full results will be presented at a scientific meeting in 2020.

"These preliminary results are especially encouraging given the short duration of treatment and the low dose of miricorilant. They are consistent with the effects we had previously seen in animal studies. Our plan is to confirm these findings and explore the full breadth of miricorilant’s activity," said Dr. Grauer.

In addition to the second part of its Phase 1b trial, Corcept plans to conduct two double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trials of miricorilant for the treatment of patients with antipsychotic-induced weight gain. The first trial, which is underway, will test miricorilant’s activity in reversing recent weight gain. It is expected to enroll 100 patients with schizophrenia at 20 sites in the United States. Patients will continue to receive their established antipsychotic medication and will have either miricorilant or placebo added to their regimen for 12 weeks. A second Phase 2 trial is planned to start next year. It will enroll patients with long-standing weight gain. A third Phase 2 trial, testing miricorilant’s activity in preventing antipsychotic-induced weight gain, is under consideration.

Next year, Corcept also plans to start a double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 trial of miricorilant as a treatment for patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a serious liver disorder that afflicts millions of people.

Solid Tumors

European Commission designates relacorilant orphan drug for treatment of pancreatic cancer
Phase 3 trial of relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer to start upon completion of consultations with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
"We are pleased the European Commission (EC) has joined the FDA in designating relacorilant an orphan drug for the treatment of pancreatic cancer," said Dr. Grauer. "The EC based its decision on the European Medicines Agency’s finding that relacorilant has the potential to significantly benefit patients.

"We presented the clinical data reviewed by the EMA at last year’s ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) meeting and it was indeed promising," said Dr. Grauer. "Seven of 25 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel (Celgene’s drug, Abraxane) achieved durable disease control, meaning their tumors either shrank or ceased growing for 16 weeks or longer. Tumor response in two patients lasted more than 50 weeks.3 All of these patients’ tumors had progressed during multiple lines of prior therapy, including treatments with nab-paclitaxel or another taxane. That any of them responded is remarkable. We have sought FDA guidance as to the optimum development path in pancreatic cancer and plan to start a Phase 3 trial promptly upon the conclusion of our discussions."

Corcept’s 180-patient, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial of relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel in ovarian cancer continues to enroll patients at sites in the United States and the European Union. Dosing also continues in the company’s Phase 1/2 study of exicorilant plus enzalutamide in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Conference Call

We will hold a conference call on November 7, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Time). To participate, dial 1-877-260-1479 from the United States or 1-334-323-0522 internationally approximately ten minutes before the start of the call (passcode 8532239). A replay will be available through November 21, 2019 at 1-888-203-1112 in the United States and 1-719-457-0820 internationally (passcode 8532239).

Hypercortisolism

Hypercortisolism, often referred to as Cushing’s syndrome, is caused by excessive activity of the hormone cortisol. Endogenous Cushing’s syndrome is an orphan disease that most often affects adults aged 20-50. In the United States, an estimated 20,000 patients have Cushing’s syndrome, with about 3,000 new patients diagnosed each year. Symptoms vary, but most patients experience one or more of the following manifestations: high blood sugar, diabetes, high blood pressure, upper-body obesity, rounded face, increased fat around the neck, thinning arms and legs, severe fatigue and weak muscles. Irritability, anxiety, cognitive disturbances and depression are also common. Hypercortisolism can affect every organ system in the body and can be lethal if not treated effectively.

On November 7, 2019 Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NasdaqGS: SPPI), a biopharmaceutical company focused on novel and targeted oncology therapies, reported financial results for the three-month period ended September 30, 2019 (Press release, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, NOV 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234550611]).

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"Spectrum has an expanding pipeline, significant near-term milestones, solid capitalization and a highly focused team," said Joe Turgeon, President and CEO, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. "In December, we look forward to results from Cohort 1 of our ZENITH20 study investigating poziotinib in lung cancer patients with hard-to-treat mutations. We recently submitted our BLA for ROLONTIS to the FDA, a key milestone, as we continue to execute on our strategic priorities."

Pipeline Updates

Poziotinib, an irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting EGFR and HER2 mutations

Topline results from the EGFR previously treated non-small cell lung cancer cohort (Cohort 1) in the ZENITH20 trial are expected in December. These data could potentially support a New Drug Application (NDA) filing with the FDA.
The HER2 previously-treated non-small cell lung cancer cohort (Cohort 2) of the ZENITH20 trial is fully accrued and is expected to have topline results by mid-year 2020. This cohort also has the potential to support an NDA filing with the FDA in the future.
A basket study has been initiated to investigate poziotinib in patients with EGFR or HER2 mutation-positive malignant solid tumors in an investigator-led study, with the first patient enrolled at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
In September, new preclinical data from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was presented during the IASLC 2019 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona, Spain. These scientific data support the recently announced expansion of the ZENITH20 trial.
ROLONTIS (eflapegrastim), a novel long-acting GCSF

Spectrum submitted the ROLONTIS BLA to the FDA on October 24, 2019.
In October, Spectrum presented a poster at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium in San Francisco, CA, highlighting integrated efficacy data from the Phase 3 ROLONTIS clinical trials, ADVANCE and RECOVER which studied more than 600 patients combined and met all primary and secondary endpoints.
Integrated safety data from the ROLONTIS studies will be presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium meeting in December.
Three-Month Period Ended September 30, 2019 (All numbers are from Continuing Operations and are approximate)

GAAP Results

Spectrum recorded a loss of $26.6 million, or $0.24 loss per basic and diluted share, in the three-month period ended September 30, 2019, compared to net loss of $69.2 million, or $0.66 loss per basic and diluted share, in the comparable period in 2018. Total research and development expenses were $17.2 million in the quarter, as compared to $15.3 million in the same period in 2018. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $13.1 million in the quarter, compared to $13.1 million in the same period in 2018.

The company ended the quarter with cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and marketable securities of $252 million.

Non-GAAP Results

Spectrum recorded a non-GAAP loss of $24.5 million, or a non-GAAP loss of $0.22 per basic and diluted share, in the three-month period ended September 30, 2019, compared to a non-GAAP loss of $25.3 million, or a non-GAAP loss of $0.24 per basic and diluted share, in the comparable period in 2018. Non-GAAP research and development expenses were $16.1 million, as compared to $14.7 million in the same period of 2018. Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses were $9.9 million, as compared to $11.1 million in the same period in 2018.

Conference Call:

Thursday, November 7, 2019 @ 4:30 p.m. Eastern/1:30 p.m. Pacific

Domestic: (877) 837-3910, Conference ID# 1469173
International: (973) 796-5077, Conference ID# 1469173

This conference call will also be webcast. Listeners may access the webcast, which will be available on the investor relations page of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals’ website: View Source on November 7, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern/1:30 p.m. Pacific.

On November 7, 2019 Bicycle Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ:BCYC), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new and differentiated class of therapeutics based on its proprietary bicyclic peptide (Bicycles) technology, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019 and discussed recent corporate updates (Press release, Bicycle Therapeutics, NOV 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234550656]).

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"The significant progress we have made in the past few months is instrumental to our goal of advancing our novel pipeline of Bicycle drug candidates through the clinic," said Kevin Lee, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Bicycle Therapeutics. "We’ve bolstered all three areas of the pipeline, namely, our wholly-owned Bicycle Toxin Conjugate and immuno-oncology programs, as well as our collaborations to develop new Bicycle-based therapies for indications beyond oncology. We have also continued to strengthen our leadership team both at the corporate and Board levels. These efforts further position the Company to evaluate the potential of Bicycles to enable possible first-in-class medicines that transform the treatment paradigm for people living with a broad range of serious diseases, in ways that existing modalities cannot."

Third Quarter 2019 and Recent Highlights

Presenting New Preclinical Data for Novel, Fully Synthetic Bicycle Tumor-targeted Immune Cell Agonists (TICAs) at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper)’s (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2019 Annual Meeting. This week, Bicycle is presenting new data showing that its lead immuno-oncology candidate, BT7480, a TICA targeting Nectin-4 and agonizing CD137, rapidly penetrates tumors and effects powerful anti-tumor activity in preclinical models. In addition to data on BT7480, the Company will present preclinical research at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) on other emergent Bicycle TICA strategies. Details of the Company’s poster presentations on Saturday, November 9, 2019 can be found in the News section of bicycletherapeutics.com.
Enhanced Executive Team and Board of Directors. In October 2019, Bicycle announced the appointment of Nigel Crockett, Ph.D., as Chief Business Officer and of Veronica Jordan, Ph.D., to the Company’s Board of Directors.
Expanded Neuroscience Collaborations to Include Oxford University’s Oxford Drug Discovery Institute (ODDI). Bicycle announced that it will collaborate with ODDI to use Bicycle technology for the development of novel therapeutics for dementia. This expands upon the collaboration announced in May 2019 between Bicycle and the Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF), a specialized venture capital fund focused on discovering and developing novel therapies for dementia. If promising lead compounds are identified, Bicycle will have rights to the development of the resulting intellectual property and, with DDF, will have the option to jointly establish a new company to develop those compounds.
Presented New Translational Data for Lead Asset BT1718 and Preclinical Data for Other Bicycle Toxin Conjugates at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)-NCI-EORTC 2019. Bicycle presented new translational data for BT1718 and preclinical data for BT5528 and BT8009 during poster sessions at the 2019 AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)-NCI-EORTC AACR-NCI-EORTC (Free AACR-NCI-EORTC Whitepaper) International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (EORTC-NCI-AACR) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) (Free EORTC-NCI-AACR Whitepaper). The translational data for BT1718 characterize enrollment criteria for identifying expansion cohorts in the Phase IIa part of the ongoing Phase I/IIa trial.
Presented Updated Data from Phase I/IIa Trial Evaluating BT1718 in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2019 Annual Congress. Bicycle and Cancer Research UK presented updated data from the ongoing Phase I portion of the Phase I/IIa trial evaluating BT1718 in patients with advanced solid tumors. As of August 7, 2019, 54% of evaluable patients dosed had stable disease at the eight-week timepoint, including a patient who experienced a 45% reduction in a target lesion, and BT1718 appeared tolerable with once-weekly dosing.
Upcoming Investor Presentations

Bicycle will present at the following investor conferences in the fourth quarter of 2019:

Jefferies London Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 2:40 p.m. GMT (9:40 a.m. ET) in London, England
Piper Jaffray 31st Annual Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. ET in New York, NY
A live webcast of each presentation will be accessible in the Investors & Media section of Bicycle’s website at bicycletherapeutics.com. Archived replays of the webcasts will be available for 90 days following the presentation dates.

Financial Results

Cash was $96.0 million as of September 30, 2019, compared with $63.4 million as of December 31, 2018. The September 30, 2019 cash balance excludes a UK research and development incentive payment of approximately $6.0 million received in October 2019.
Research and development expenses were $6.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019, compared to $5.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase of $0.4 million is primarily due to $0.3 million of incremental non-cash share-based compensation expense, as well as other personnel related costs.
General and administrative expenses were $4.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019, compared to $2.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase of $2.5 million is primarily due to a $0.9 million unfavorable effect of foreign exchange rates, $0.7 million in personnel related costs, including $0.3 million of incremental non-cash share-based compensation expense, as well as increased professional fees related to operations as a public company.
Net loss was $9.5 million, or $(0.53) basic and diluted net loss per share, for the three months ended September 30, 2019, compared to net loss of $7.7 million, or $(17.73) basic and diluted net loss per share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2018.