LYNPARZA® (olaparib) Tablets Receive EU Approval for the Treatment of Platinum-Sensitive Relapsed Ovarian Cancer

On May 8,2018 AstraZeneca and Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, reported that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved LYNPARZA (olaparib) tablets (300 mg twice daily) for use as a maintenance therapy for patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed high-grade, epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who are in complete response or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy, regardless of BRCA status (Press release, Merck & Co, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526267]).

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Dave Fredrickson, executive vice president, head of the oncology business unit at AstraZeneca, said, "With this new approval for LYNPARZA, we will now be able to offer more women with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, regardless of their BRCA status, a chance to achieve long-term disease control with an oral medicine that has a well-characterized safety and tolerability profile."

Dr. Roy Baynes, senior vice president and head of global clinical development, chief medical officer, Merck Research Laboratories, said, "This is an important development for the thousands of women in Europe living with advanced ovarian cancer, historically a difficult-to-treat disease. Working with AstraZeneca, we are able to bring this innovative, targeted treatment that helps delay progression of the disease to a broader group of women."

The EU approval was based on two randomized trials, SOLO-2 and Study 19, which showed that LYNPARZA reduced the risk of disease progression or death for platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer patients compared to placebo.

Evotec and Carna Biosciences Collaborate on Indigo Platform

On May 8, 2018 Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) reported a strategic collaboration with Carna Biosciences, Incorporated ("Carna"). Carna will access Evotec’s INDiGO platform to accelerate the development of its programme CB-1763, which is being developed for the treatment of blood cancer, through to the submission of an Investigational New Drug Application ("IND") with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Press release, Evotec, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526179]).

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"We are excited to initiate IND-enabling studies for our next-generation non-covalent BTK inhibitor, CB-1763, in collaboration with Evotec", said Dr Masaaki Sawa, Chief Scientific Officer at Carna Biosciences. "We’ve been working with Evotec from last year and found they are a really reliable partner. We believe Evotec’s INDiGO programme and their team will help us to accelerate the development of our CB-1763 and we are confident that we will achieve our goal to reach IND-filing in the first half of 2019."

Dr Mario Polywka, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, added: "This development of Carna’s key project directly reflects the success of our comprehensive and industry-unique INDiGO service. We are delighted to support Carna’s CB-1763 inhibitor programme, an innovative approach to blood cancer, through to the clinic. Additionally, working with Carna also highlights our increasing presence in the Japanese market."

Carna has another reversible BTK inhibitor in pre-clinical development, AS-871, a novel non-covalent BTK inhibitor targeting autoimmune diseases. AS-871 is also undergoing IND-enabling studies in collaboration with Evotec.

About Evotec’s INDiGO platform The INDiGO platform is a key value-generating component of Evotec’s broad EVT Execute business segment. INDiGO accelerates early drug candidates into the clinic by reducing time from nomination to regulatory submission in 52 weeks, and under circumstances, even less. We achieve accelerated development by tightly integrating traditional drug silos into a single project managed under one roof. The programme has been proven to reduce time and cost while achieving a quality data package for CTA/IND level regulatory filings.

Evotec’s INDiGO projects are managed by our most experienced, dedicated project managers and leading world-class drug development professionals implementing tailored development strategies designed specifically for the molecule, therapeutic area and strategic needs. The project plan is designed to integrate development areas: API Manufacture, Formulation Development, Clinical Supply, Safety Assessment, DMPK, Bioanalysis Studies and Regulatory Submission Documents Preparation.

ABOUT CARNA BIOSCIENCES, INC.

Carna Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of kinase inhibitor drugs to address serious unmet medical needs. Carna has intensively focused its research efforts primarily in the areas of oncology and autoimmune/inflammation, where the company believes its extensive expertise in kinases can be most effectively leveraged. Taking advantage of Carna’s proprietary platform technologies and highly focused kinase expertise, the company continues to challenge to identify and develop innovative drugs. Carna is a publicly traded company in the JASDAQ of the Tokyo Stock Exchange with securities code 4572. For more information, please visit www.carnabio.com.

ABOUT CB-1763

CB-1763 is a highly selective, orally bioavailable, non-covalent inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) with a potential application in the treatment of blood cancer. Recent studies have indicated that the emergence of BTK mutations causes ibrutinib resistance. A selective and non-covalent BTK inhibitor is therefore highly demanded to overcome the emerging unmet medical need of ibrutinib resistance. CB-1763 is a next-generation non-covalent BTK inhibitor, designed to inhibit both BTK wild type and BTK C481 mutants in a highly selective and reversible manner.

MEDIA CONTACT:
CORPORATE PLANNING
CARNA BIOSCIENCES, INC.
TEL: +81-78-302-7075

Loxo Oncology Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On May 8, 2018 Loxo Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq:LOXO), a biopharmaceutical company innovating the development of highly selective medicines for patients with genetically defined cancers, reported first quarter 2018 financial results (Press release, Loxo Oncology, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526204]).

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"In the first quarter, we delivered against all of our planned corporate goals. We completed the rolling NDA submission for larotrectinib, enrolled well on the LOXO-292 Phase 1 trial and moved LOXO-305 toward a clinical start in the second half of 2018. We also entered into an important collaboration with Illumina to develop a companion diagnostic test for larotrectinib and LOXO-292," said Josh Bilenker, M.D., chief executive officer of Loxo Oncology. "We look forward to providing a comprehensive update on the Phase 1 study of LOXO-292 at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) on June 2nd."

Recent Highlights

Companion Diagnostic (CDx) Partnership

Global Development and Commercialization Partnership with Illumina: On April 10, 2018, Loxo Oncology announced a global strategic partnership with Illumina to develop and commercialize a CDx version of Illumina’s TruSight Tumor 170 for NTRK fusions and RET fusions/mutations as a Class III FDA-approved companion diagnostic in conjunction with larotrectinib and LOXO-292, respectively. The companies are also planning to broaden the clinical utility of the full panel by seeking approval for the rest of the assay content as a Class II cancer genomic profiling test. More information can be found here.
Larotrectinib

Completion of New Drug Application (NDA) Rolling Submission to FDA: On March 26, 2018, Loxo Oncology completed the rolling submission of an NDA to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for larotrectinib for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors harboring an NTRK gene fusion. More information can be found here.
The Lancet Oncology Publication: On March 29, 2018, The Lancet Oncology published results for larotrectinib in the treatment of pediatric patients with TRK fusion cancer. The publication included results from the ongoing pediatric Phase 1/2 trial. In this trial, larotrectinib induced an objective response rate (ORR) of 93 percent in pediatric patients with TRK fusion-positive solid tumors. The publication can be found here.
LOXO-292

Annals of Oncology Publication: On April 18, 2018, the Annals of Oncology published a manuscript illustrating the preclinical profile of LOXO-292, preclinical work supporting LOXO-292’s selective inhibition of RET, and continued evidence of clinical proof-of-concept. The publication included two patient cases who both presented with RET-altered, multikinase (MKI) inhibitor-resistant cancers. One patient harbored RET M918T-mutant medullary thyroid cancer with an acquired RET V804M gatekeeper resistance mutation, and the other patient harbored KIF5B-RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases. The latter case was previously reported on in October 2017 in a presentation at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 18th World Conference on Lung Cancer. Due to clinical urgency, both were treated with LOXO-292 on intra-patient dose escalation single patient protocols. Both patients achieved RECIST confirmed partial responses. This represents the first clinical report of the predicted RET V804M gatekeeper mutation arising in a patient previously treated with MKIs, and the first successful treatment of a patient in that setting. In this two-patient dataset, LOXO-292 was well-tolerated with no adverse events attributed to LOXO-292. The publication can be found here.
LOXO-292 Oral Presentation Accepted at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting: On April 4, 2018, Loxo Oncology announced that LOXO-292 interim clinical data from the ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial will be presented in an oral presentation at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting held June 1 – 5, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The presentation is entitled "A Phase 1 Study of LOXO-292, A Potent and Highly Selective RET Inhibitor, in Patients with RET-Altered Cancers." Loxo Oncology will host a conference call and live webcast on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. CT to discuss the clinical data after they are presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper). Information on how to access the call and webcast can be found below.
Upcoming Milestones

Larotrectinib (TRK)
FDA is expected to accept the filing of the New Drug Application in the first half of 2018
Marketing Authorisation Application submission by Bayer in the European Union is expected in 2018
Presentation of updated TRK fusion clinical data is expected in the second half of 2018
LOXO-195 (next-generation TRK)
Presentation of updated clinical data is expected in the second half of 2018
LOXO-292 (RET)
Presentation of updated clinical data at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting
LOXO-305 (BTK)
Initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial is expected in the second half of 2018
First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

As of March 31, 2018, Loxo Oncology had aggregate cash, cash equivalents and investments of $735.6 million, compared to $626.2 million as of December 31, 2017. Loxo Oncology received the remaining $150 million of the $400 million upfront payment related to the Bayer collaboration in the first quarter of 2018.

Revenue from the collaboration agreement was $38.4 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to none for the first quarter of 2017. This represents $42.9 million in revenue recognized from the $400 million upfront payment from the Bayer collaboration offset by $4.4 million, Loxo Oncology’s share of the joint larotrectinib co-promotion costs. Loxo Oncology recognizes revenue from the upfront payment on a proportional performance basis utilizing a calculation based on quarterly research and development spending associated with larotrectinib and LOXO-195, relative to cumulative and forecasted research and development spending on larotrectinib and LOXO-195 over the course of the collaboration agreement. As a result, the quarterly revenue recognized for the upfront payment varies from quarter to quarter. A supporting schedule that shows the different components of revenue from the collaboration agreement is included with the attached financial statements.

Research and development expenses were $32.0 million for the first quarter of 2018 compared to $20.2 million for the first quarter of 2017. This increase was primarily due to expanded larotrectinib development activities including clinical costs, as well as additional development expenses related to our other programs, and higher employment costs primarily due to increased headcount. These numbers are net of 50/50 cost-sharing with Bayer for larotrectinib and LOXO-195 development costs. Loxo Oncology recognized research and development-related stock-based compensation expense of $4.3 million during the first quarter of 2018 as compared to $2.4 million for the first quarter of 2017.

General and administrative expenses were $12.2 million for the first quarter of 2018 compared to $4.8 million for the first quarter of 2017. The increase was primarily due to additional headcount and associated employment costs and general and administrative professional fees. Loxo Oncology recognized general and administrative-related stock-based compensation expense of $5.4 million during the first quarter 2018 compared to $1.6 million for the first quarter of 2017.

Net loss was $3.6 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to $24.5 million for the first quarter of 2017. This decrease in net loss is primarily driven by the revenue recognized from the $400.0 million upfront payment from the Bayer collaboration, the larotrectinib and LOXO-195 development reimbursement from the Bayer collaboration, offset by increases in operating expenses.

Non-GAAP net loss was $36.8 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to $20.6 million for the first quarter of 2017. This non-GAAP net loss measure, more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures," excludes the recognition of collaboration revenue related to the Bayer upfront payment and share-based compensation expenses. A reconciliation of the GAAP financial results to non-GAAP financial results is included with the attached financial statements.

Earnings Conference Call Information
Loxo Oncology will host a conference call today at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss the first quarter 2018 financial results and company updates. To participate in the conference call, please dial (877) 930-8065 (domestic) or (253) 336-8041 (international) and refer to conference ID 1979239. A replay will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and archived on the company’s website for 30 days following the call.

ASCO Conference Call and Webcast Information
Loxo Oncology will be hosting a conference call and live webcast with slides and Q&A on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. CT to discuss the interim LOXO-292 clinical data after they are presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper). To participate in the conference call, please dial (877) 930-8065 (domestic) or (253) 336-8041 (international) and refer to conference ID 3597058. A live webcast of the presentation will be available at View Source A replay will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and archived on the company’s website for 30 days following the call.

Syndax Pharmaceuticals Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results and

Provides Clinical and Business Update

On May 8, 2018 Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Syndax," the "Company" or "we") (Nasdaq: SNDX), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing an innovative pipeline of cancer therapies, reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018 (Press release, Syndax, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526234]). In addition, the Company provided a clinical and business update. As of March 31, 2018, Syndax had $113.2 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.

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"Syndax is off to a strong start in 2018 and we believe this momentum will carry us through the balance of what we expect will be a milestone-rich and potentially transformative year. This includes the progression free survival readout from our ongoing pivotal Phase 3 E2112 trial, for which results are expected in the third quarter," said Briggs W. Morrison, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Syndax. "We also look forward to sharing additional data from multiple cohorts of the ENCORE 601 program, including biomarker analyses, later this quarter at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. The ENCORE program represents a key pillar of our clinical strategy and is supported by an extensive correlative science program designed to identify biomarkers that could predict which patients will respond to our combination therapies."

Pipeline Updates

The Phase 3 registration trial of entinostat plus exemestane in advanced hormone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HR+, HER2-) breast cancer, E2112, is 92% enrolled as of the end of April. ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, the trial sponsor, has notified the Company that the Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC) completed the final progression free survival (PFS) analysis and the first interim analysis for overall survival in November 2017. Earlier this quarter, the DSMC also notified Syndax that it conducted a subsequent interim overall survival analysis. The trial is proceeding as planned, and Syndax continues to anticipate that enrollment will be complete in the third quarter of 2018, at which time the result of the PFS analysis will be released to the Company.

Enrollment in the PD-(L)1 refractory melanoma ENCORE 601 cohort is now complete. The Company will present Phase 2 data from all evaluable patients at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Meeting in June. Later this quarter, the Company plans to communicate a registration strategy for entinostat in this indication.

Enrollment in the PD-(L)1 refractory non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ENCORE 601 cohort is now complete. Phase 2 data from all evaluable patients in this cohort will be presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) next month, including updated results from the Company’s biomarker analyses.

Initial enrollment in the first stage of the ENCORE 601 cohort of patients with microsatellite stable colorectal cancer (MSS-CRC) completed in the third quarter of 2017. The Company expects to share preliminary data from this cohort at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper). The ENCORE 601 trial is being conducted in collaboration with Merck, through a subsidiary. The two companies recently agreed to expand this cohort, and expect to continue enrolling patients to the first stage later this quarter. A decision on whether to continue to the second stage of this cohort is expected in the first half of 2019.

Enrollment of the Phase 2 portion of ENCORE 602, the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating the combination of entinostat plus Genentech’s PD-(L)1 inhibitor atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ) in patients with triple negative breast cancer, remains on track to complete later this quarter. Topline results are now anticipated in the first half of 2019.

Enrollment is now complete in the Phase 2 portion of ENCORE 603, the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating entinostat in combination with Pfizer/Merck KGaA’s BAVENCIO in patients with ovarian cancer. Topline results are expected in the first half of 2019.

Dosing of patients with solid tumors in the Phase 1 multiple ascending dose (MAD) clinical trial of SNDX-6352 is ongoing. The Company anticipates presenting data from this trial and disclosing a Phase 2 strategy in the second half of 2018. In February, the Company entered into a clinical collaboration with AstraZeneca to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SNDX-6352 in combination with durvalumab (IMFINZI), AstraZeneca’s human monoclonal antibody directed against PD-(L)1, in multiple solid tumors. Initial work focusing on establishing the safety of this combination is expected to begin this quarter.

Development of the Company’s portfolio of Menin-Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) inhibitors, in-licensed from Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Allergan plc, is ongoing. Data from this program were recently presented in both oral and poster presentations at the 2018 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. The Company expects to initiate clinical trials for this program in the first half of 2019.

First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

As of March 31, 2018, Syndax had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $113.2 million and 24,697,944 shares issued and outstanding.

First quarter 2018 research and development expenses increased to $15.3 million from $9.6 million for the comparable period in the prior year. The increases were primarily due to an increase in development activities of $2.8 million, legal and professional fees of $1.7 million and increased employee compensation expense of $1.3 million. The increase in development activities was primarily due to increases in spending related to the increased CMC costs for SNDX-6352, and development of the Menin program, partially offset by completion of the Phase 1 clinical pharmacology trials and decrease in E2112 costs. The increase in employee compensation costs was primarily due to increased headcount.

General and administrative expenses totaled $4.8 million during the first quarter of 2018, compared to $3.9 million for the comparable period in the prior year. The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to an increase in professional fees of $0.7 million as well as an increase in legal fees of $0.2 million. The increase in professional fees was primarily due to pre-commercialization activities. The increase in legal fees was primarily due to an increase in patent-related legal expenses.

For the three months ended March 31, 2018, Syndax reported a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $19.4 million or $0.79 per share compared to $13.0 million or $0.71 per share for the comparable prior year period.

Financial Guidance

Today the Company provided operating expense guidance for the second quarter and full year 2018. For the second quarter and full year 2018, research and development expenses are expected to be $15 to $18 million and $62 to $70 million, respectively, and total operating expenses are expected to be $20 to $23 million and $82 to $90 million, respectively.

Conference Call and Webcast

In connection with the earnings release, Syndax’s management team will host a conference call and live audio webcast at 4:30 p.m. ET today, Tuesday, May 8, 2018.

The live audio webcast and accompanying slides may be accessed through the Events & Presentations page in the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.syndax.com. Alternatively, the conference call may be accessed through the following:

Conference ID: 7087078
Domestic Dial-in Number: 1-855-251-6663
International Dial-in Number: 281-542-4259
Live webcast: View Source

For those unable to participate in the conference call or webcast, a replay will be available for 30 days on the Investors section of the Company’s website, www.syndax.com.

EyePoint Pharmaceuticals Reports Fiscal Third Quarter 2018 Results

On May 8, 2018 EyePoint Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:EYPT), a specialty biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing innovative ophthalmic products, reported operating and financial results for its fiscal 2018 third quarter and nine months ended March 31, 2018 and provided a company update (Press release, pSivida, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526250]).

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"The acquisition of Icon Bioscience, Inc. and its FDA approved product, DEXYCU, significantly increases EyePoint Pharmaceuticals’ revenue potential and accelerates our planned transformation to a sustainable growth company," said Nancy Lurker, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The combination of experienced executives leading our commercial team and the additional capital from EW Healthcare and SWK positions EyePoint to successfully execute on the launch of two new products in the first half of 2019, pending favorable regulatory review of YUTIQ. In addition, we anticipate the annual revenue potential for DEXYCU to be $150 – $200 million by the end of the third year on the market."

Key Recent Accomplishments

Acquired privately-held Icon Bioscience, Inc. and its FDA approved product, DEXYCU.

DEXYCU was approved by the FDA on February 9, 2018, for the treatment of postoperative inflammation and is administered as a single intraocular injection at the end of surgery.

EyePoint has expanded the DEXYCU global IP portfolio with Notices of Allowance for two additional patents, including potential claims relating to a method of treating inflammation of an eye following cataract surgery by delivering extremely small (4-6µL) amounts of dexamethasone in acetyl triethyl citrate. These two additional patents, once allowed, will extend to 2032 and 2034.

A New Drug Application (NDA) for YUTIQ (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant) 0.18 mg three-year treatment for noninfectious posterior segment uveitis was submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January and was accepted for filing in March with a November 5, 2018 PDUFA date.

EyePoint has enhanced the healthcare and capital markets expertise of the Board of Directors with the appointment of Ron Eastman, a Managing Director at EW Healthcare Partners with over 40 years of experience in building healthcare companies.

EyePoint has hired experienced executives to lead the Company’s commercial team and to ensure successful execution of the launches of DEXYCU and YUTIQ

EyePoint presented data on YUTIQ at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2018 Annual Meeting.

EyePoint delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange effective as of May 7, 2018.
Strengthened Balance Sheet

The Company had cash and cash equivalents totaling $16.3 million at March 31, 2018 and, subject to stockholder approval at a special meeting of shareholders scheduled for June 22, 2018, has capital commitments of an additional $30.5 million from EW Healthcare, a third-party investor and SWK. Therefore, the Company is currently projecting a cash balance of approximately $38.0 million at June 30, 2018, the end of its current fiscal year.

The Company expects these proceeds will provide the financial resources to commence the launch of DEXYCU and YUTIQ.
Near-Term Goals and Upcoming Milestones

Gain approval of the second tranche investment by EW Healthcare at the June 22, 2018 special meeting of stockholders.

Implement the Company’s four-pillar commercialization plan:
— Complete the build out of the sales organization;
— Implement the marketing plan;
— Continue to progress market access programs; and
— Initiate medical education initiatives.

Secure pass-through reimbursement for DEXYCU.

Receive FDA approval for YUTIQ based on the PDUFA action date of November 5, 2018.

Present data at leading medical congresses, including for YUTIQ at the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) annual meeting being held in Vancouver from July 20-25.

Launch DEXYCU and YUTIQ (subject to FDA approval) in the first half of calendar 2019.
Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine-Month Results

Revenue for the third fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2018, totaled $928,000 compared to $590,000 for the prior year quarter. Revenues in both periods were derived from feasibility study agreements and royalty income. Operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2018 decreased slightly to $5.6 million from $5.8 million a year earlier, due primarily to lower clinical trial costs and stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by higher regulatory and clinical consulting services in support of YUTIQ and higher personnel and related expenses. Net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 was $7.0 million, or $0.15 per share, compared to a net loss of $5.1 million, or $0.15 per share, for the prior year quarter.

Revenue for the nine months ended March 31, 2018 was $2.2 million compared to $6.8 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2017. The prior year period included the recognition of deferred collaborative research and development revenue totaling $5.6 million resulting from the termination of the Pfizer collaboration agreement. Excluding Pfizer, revenues from feasibility study agreements and royalty income increased to $2.2 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2018 compared to $1.2 million in the prior year period. Operating expenses for the first nine months of fiscal 2018 were $18.7 million compared to $19.3 million a year earlier. Net loss for the nine months ended March 31, 2018 was $18.7 million, or $0.43 per share, compared to a net loss of $12.4 million, or $0.36 per share for the corresponding fiscal 2017 year-to-date period. There are currently 54,029,917 common shares outstanding.

In connection with the first tranche EW Healthcare investment, and subject to stockholder approval, the Company agreed to issue units to EW Healthcare and a participating third-party investor, with each unit consisting of the right to purchase (a) one share of Common Stock and (b) one warrant to purchase a share of Common Stock. The purchase price of the common stock and the exercise price of the warrant are both subject to price collars that provide for either a premium or discount to the original price paid in the first tranche investment by EW Healthcare. Because of the collar, the number of units to be issued will be subject to some variability. This second tranche investment will be voted upon at a special meeting of stockholders to be held on June 22, 2018. Accounting guidance required that the future obligation to issue units in the second tranche transaction be recorded as a derivative liability and to be re-measured to fair value at each balance sheet date. As a result of the initial re-measurement, the Company recorded a non-cash charge to non-operating expense of $2.3 million as change in fair value of derivative liability for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2018.

Conference Call Information

The conference call may be accessed by dialing (877) 312-7507 from the U.S. and Canada, or (631) 813-4828 from international locations. The conference ID is 1758647. A live webcast will be available on the Investor Relations section of the corporate website at View Source

A replay of the call will be available beginning May 8, 2018, at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET and ending on May 15, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The replay may be accessed by dialing (855) 859-2056 within the U.S. and Canada or (404) 537-3406 from international locations, Conference ID Number: 1758647. A replay of the webcast will also be available on the corporate website during that time.