On August 7, 2019 Arvinas Inc. (Nasdaq: ARVN), a biotechnology company creating a new class of drugs based on targeted protein degradation, reported that the company is scheduled to present at the 2019 Wedbush PacGrow Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, August 14th, at 9:45 a.m. ET (Press release, Arvinas, AUG 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234538308]).

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A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available at www.arvinas.com under the Events & Presentations page. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Arvinas website for 30 days following the presentation.

On August 7, 2019 Affimed N.V. (Nasdaq: AFMD), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company committed to giving patients back their innate ability to fight cancer, reported financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2019 (Press release, Affimed, AUG 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234538324]).

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"After reaching agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the study protocol design, we are now in the process of preparing to initiate the AFM13 registration-directed Phase 2 study," said Dr. Adi Hoess, Affimed’s CEO. "The recent positive final and interim results from two clinical studies of AFM13 add to the growing body of evidence supporting AFM13’s activity in CD30-positive lymphoma patients, and give us increased confidence in the potential of AFM13 to demonstrate clinical benefit in CD30-positive peripheral T cell lymphoma. To execute the Phase 2 study and to further advance our internal and partnered CD16A-targeting innate cell engager pipeline, we have significantly strengthened our organization through the addition of multiple key hires in the U.S. and Germany of individuals who have substantial drug development experience."

Corporate Updates

Affimed strengthened its drug development team with the addition of experienced personnel in several key areas, including Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Development and Operations, Drug Safety, Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control (CMC), Drug Safety & Pharmacovigilance, Biostatistics and Commercial Strategy. The new hires previously held positions at Novartis, Pfizer Inc., Abbott, Eli Lilly and Company and other large pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies.
In April, Affimed received a payment from Genentech triggered by the achievement of a preclinical milestone under its research collaboration to develop and commercialize novel natural killer (NK) cell engager-based immunotherapeutics based on Affimed’s ROCK platform to treat multiple cancers.
Affimed was added to the Russell 2000, Russell 3000, and Russell Microcap Indexes, effective after the U.S. markets closed on Friday, June 28, 2019 as part of Russell’s annual index rebalance process. Russell U.S. Indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors as the basis for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies.
In June 2019, Affimed’s subsidiary AbCheck entered into a five-year licensing agreement with Icosagen granting AbCheck access to Icosagen’s QMCF protein production technology. Under the terms of the agreement, AbCheck acquires the rights to utilize Icosagen’s QMCF technology platform for its commercial activities in antibody discovery.
Pipeline Updates

CD16A innate cell engager programs

AFM13 (CD30/CD16A)

Affimed reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the design of its planned Phase 2 registration-directed study of AFM13 as monotherapy in relapsed or refractory patients with CD30-positive peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL). The results, if positive, could form the basis for a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission and support an accelerated approval given the unmet medical need for safe and effective new treatments in this hard-to-treat patient population. The study will also enroll a cohort of patients with transformed mycosis fungoides, an aggressive subtype of cutaneous T cell lymphoma. Study start-up activities are under way, with study commencement anticipated in the second half of 2019.
Updated data from an investigator-sponsored translational Phase 1b/2a study of AFM13 in patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive lymphoma with cutaneous manifestation led by Columbia University was presented at the International Conference on Malignant Lymphomas (ICML) in Lugano in June 2019. The data confirmed single-agent activity of AFM13 in CD30-positive lymphoma patients, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 50% (5 out of 10 patients). Tumor biopsies showed increased infiltration of NK cells in responders compared to non-responders, and evidence of NK cell-mediated killing.
Affimed reported the final results from the Phase 1b dose escalation study of AFM13 plus pembrolizumab that showed encouraging efficacy in the intent-to-treat (ITT) patient population (n=30) with an ORR of 83%, including complete responses (CR) in 40% and partial responses (PR) in 43% of patients with hard-to-treat Hodgkin lymphoma. At the highest treated dose (n=24), patients showed an ORR of 88% (CR of 46% and PR of 42%) as determined by independent assessment. Overall, the combination of AFM13 and pembrolizumab showed a favorable safety profile in patients, including some patients who did not respond to first-line chemotherapy and a subgroup of patients who were primary refractory to brentuximab vedotin. Importantly, a deepening of responses was reported over time in multiple patients. In addition, patients previously transplant-ineligible transitioned to transplant after achieving an objective response with the combination of AFM13 and pembrolizumab, thus increasing the chance for a cure. These positive results, taken together with data demonstrating single-agent activity of AFM13 in CD30-positive T cell lymphoma patients, form the basis for Affimed to initiate a registration-directed study of AFM13 as monotherapy in patients with PTCL.
The combination of AFM13 with allogeneic NK cells represents a novel approach in order to further improve response rates and durability of responses in patients with relapsed/refractory CD30-positive lymphoma. In a preclinical collaboration with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), AFM13 has been shown to bind to CD16A with much higher affinity than other CD16A binding moieties such as monoclonal antibodies, thus enabling the formation of a stable complex of AFM13 pre-mixed with cord blood-derived allogeneic NK cells. This stable complex showed strong efficacy in in vitro and in vivo experiments, forming the basis for an investigator-sponsored Phase 1 study by MDACC. In the study, MDACC intends to administer this stable complex in different doses (numbers of pre-loaded NK cells) into patients with relapsed/refractory CD30-positive malignancies.
AFM24 (EGFR/CD16A)

AFM24 is a tetravalent, bispecific EGFR- and CD16A-binding innate cell engager from Affimed’s ROCK platform. It is designed to target EGFR-expressing solid tumors by a new mechanism of action that activates innate immunity. This is a differentiated approach from cetuximab and other EGFR targeting approaches that inhibit tumor growth by EGFR-mediated signal transduction. Affimed presented data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2019 Annual Meeting that demonstrated AFM24’s ability to bridge NK cells and macrophages to EGFR expressing tumor cell lines and induce lysis through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), respectively. Due to AFM24’s different mode of action these effects were independent of RAS mutational status. Importantly, AFM24 enhanced tumor infiltration of NK cells and elicited dose-dependent anti-tumor efficacy in in vivo tumor models. AFM24 showed reduced inhibition of EGFR phosphorylation relative to the monoclonal antibody cetuximab. Treatment of cynomolgus monkeys with AFM24 resulted in a favorable safety profile, even when treated at high dose levels, demonstrating AFM24’s potential to have significantly lower toxicities in humans compared to standard of care. Affimed currently anticipates submitting the investigational new drug (IND) application for AFM24 around the end of the third quarter 2019.
Technology Updates

Data describing Affimed’s ROCK antibody platform was published in the mAbs journal, titled, "Redirected optimized cell killing (ROCK): A highly versatile multispecific fit-for-purpose antibody platform for engaging innate immunity." The paper discusses aspects of the modular platform, including the advantages of innate immune cell engagement over monoclonal antibodies and other engager concepts. The article also describes the potential of the ROCK platform to engineer a fit-for-purpose innate immune cell engager format that can be equipped with unique CD16A domains, modules that influence pharmacokinetic properties and molecular architectures that influence the activation of immune effectors, as well as tumor targeting. The article is available at: View Source
Financial Highlights

(Figures for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 are unaudited.)

Cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets totaled €87.7 million as of June 30, 2019, compared to €108.8 million as of December 31, 2018. Based on its current operating and budget assumptions, Affimed anticipates that its cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets as of June 30, 2019 will enable the Company to fund its planned clinical development and early development activities into 2021.

Net cash used in operating activities was €18.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019, compared to net cash used in operating activities of €15.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. The increase is primarily due to higher cash expenditure for research and development efforts.

Total revenue was €4.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 compared to €0.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018. The increase in revenue is attributable to the recognition of €3.7 million as revenue from the Genentech collaboration in the second quarter of 2019.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the second quarter of 2019 were €11.5 million, including accrued termination costs of €1.4 million associated with the wind-down activities for the two Phase 1 studies of AFM11. R&D expenses for the second quarter of 2018 were €7.1 million. The increase was primarily related to higher expenses related to manufacturing activities for clinical study material for AFM13, startup activities for the AFM13 registration study in PTCL, early stage development and discovery activities, and the termination costs for the two AFM11 clinical studies.

General and administrative (G&A) expenses for the second quarter of 2019 were nearly unchanged at €2.3 million compared to €2.2 million for the second quarter of 2018.

Net loss was €10.3 million, or €0.17 per common share, for the second quarter of 2019, compared to a net loss of €8.0 million, or €0.13 per common share, for the second quarter of 2018.

Note on IFRS Reporting Standards
Affimed prepares and reports the consolidated financial statements and financial information in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). None of the financial statements were prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) in the United States. Affimed maintains its books and records in Euro.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Affimed will host a conference call and webcast today, Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time to discuss the company’s financial results and recent corporate developments. To access the call, please dial +1 (917) 720-0178 for U.S. callers, or +44 (0) 203 0095710 for international callers, and reference conference ID 9396039 approximately 15 minutes prior to the call. An audio webcast of the conference call can be accessed in the "Webcasts" section on the "Investors" page of the Affimed website at View Source A replay of the webcast will be available on Affimed’s website shortly after the conclusion of the call and will be archived for 30 days following the call.

On August 7, 2019 PDL BioPharma, Inc. ("PDL" or "the Company") (Nasdaq: PDLI) reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 (Press release, PDL BioPharma, AUG 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234538342]):

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Second Quarter and Recent Financial Highlights

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") net loss attributable to PDL’s shareholders of $4.4 million or $0.04 per share.
Non-GAAP net income attributable to PDL’s shareholders of $12.7 million. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial results can be found in Table 3 at the end of this news release.
Cash and cash equivalents of $284.9 million as of June 30, 2019.
Invested $60.0 million in Evofem Biosciences, Inc. ("Evofem") in the second quarter of 2019.
Investment in Evofem resulted in an unrealized gain of $45.5 million due to the significant increase in Evofem’s stock price at the end of the second quarter of 2019.
Repurchased 8.0 million shares of common stock in the open market during the second quarter of 2019 for $26.0 million. The $100 million share repurchase program was completed in July 2019.
"Our investment in Evofem reflects our strategic shift with a focus on applying our capital and expertise to support the successful development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics by our partner companies," said Dominique Monnet, president and CEO of PDL. "We are transitioning away from our legacy portfolio of passive investments to build a focused portfolio of actively managed companies with exciting revenue growth potential.

"Indeed, a highlight of the second quarter is the completion of our $60 million equity investment in Evofem Biosciences," he added. "We are committed to working with Evofem’s experienced and inspired management team to support the successful launch of its flagship product, Amphora, with the ultimate goal of building the company into a leader in women’s health. This investment is a strong fit with our mission of creating value for shareholders and patients alike by enabling partner companies to maximize the potential of their novel therapeutics that address underserved needs. We expect to have an active role in managing this investment, as I have been appointed to the Evofem board of directors and PDL also has a board observer.

"We see significant revenue potential with Evofem’s investigational non-hormonal, on-demand contraceptive, Amphora, which addresses a considerable market opportunity," Monnet continued. "Evofem is preparing for a U.S. commercial launch in 2020, subject to FDA product approval, and has a well-defined commercial strategy designed to maximize product adoption and a strong balance sheet to support precommercial activities.

"The disappointing non-cash writedown of the fair market value of the AcelRx royalty asset underlines the importance of shifting our business model from passive investments to actively managed assets. We are pleased with the continued performance of our operating companies, Noden and LENSAR, which are both on target with the execution of their 2019 plans. We continue to receive significant royalties from the Assertio royalty asset and have ample cash on hand to execute on our business strategy. We expect cash flow generated by our current business will be in excess of our operational needs, thereby providing additional cash to invest in our future. We continue to review numerous opportunities and consider a broad range of potential transactions to build our portfolio," concluded Monnet.

Revenue Highlights

Total revenues for the second quarter of 2019 of negative $22.5 million included:
Product revenue of $17.8 million, which consisted of $7.4 million of product revenue from the LENSAR Laser System and $10.4 million from the sales of the Company’s branded prescription medicine products Tekturna and Tekturna HCT in the U.S. and Rasilez and Rasilez HCT in the rest of the world, as well as revenue generated from the sale of an authorized generic form of Tekturna in the U.S. (collectively, "the Noden Products").
Net royalty payments from acquired royalty rights and a change in fair value of the royalty rights assets of negative $40.4 million, primarily related to the non-cash AcelRx royalty asset fair value decrease of $60.0 million in the second quarter of 2019.
Following is a brief discussion by business segment:

Medical Devices

The Medical Devices segment consists of revenue derived from the LENSAR Laser System sales made by the Company’s subsidiary, LENSAR, Inc. ("LENSAR") and associated costs of operating the business. LENSAR is a medical device company focused on the next generation femtosecond cataract laser technology for refractive cataract surgery.

Product revenue from the LENSAR Laser System was $7.4 million, a 26% increase from the second quarter of 2018, and a 10% increase from the first quarter of 2019. Revenue generated outside the U.S. accounted for the majority of the increases. LENSAR procedure volume for the three months ended June 30, 2019 increased by 28% from the prior-year period and 7% from the first quarter of 2019.

Pharmaceutical

The Company’s Pharmaceutical segment consists of revenue derived from the Noden Products and associated costs of operating the business.

Product revenue from the Noden Products for the three months ended June 30, 2019 was $10.4 million, compared with $25.9 million in the prior-year period. Sales in the three months ended June 30, 2019 were comprised of $2.7 million in the U.S. and $7.7 million in the rest of the world, compared with $10.4 million and $15.5 million, respectively, in the prior-year period.

The decline in U.S. revenue in the three months ended June 30, 2019 is primarily due to the previously disclosed initial inventory stocking of the authorized generic launched late in the first quarter of 2019, which limited shipments of the authorized generic in the second quarter of 2019.
Sales of branded Tekturna in the U.S. declined due to both the Company’s launch of an authorized generic and the launch of a third-party generic form of aliskiren late in the first quarter of 2019.
Branded Tekturna and the authorized generic of Tekturna maintained a 74% U.S. market share at the end of the second quarter of 2019.
Sales of Rasilez and Rasilez HCT in the rest of the world declined primarily due to the initial inventory stocking in Japan in the second quarter of 2018 and to lower sales volume of Rasilez in other territories.
Income Generating Assets

The Company’s Income Generating Assets segment consists of revenue derived from (i) royalty rights – at fair value, (ii) notes and other long-term receivables, (iii) equity investments and (iv) royalties from issued patents in the U.S. and elsewhere covering the humanization of antibodies ("Queen et al. patents") and associated costs to manage these assets.

PDL recognized negative $40.4 million in revenue from royalty rights – change in fair value, compared with $12.8 million in the prior-year period.

The decrease is primarily related to a non-cash adjustment to the AcelRx royalty asset fair value of $60.0 million.
Due to the slower than expected adoption of Zalviso (sufentanil sublingual tablet system) since it was launched in Europe by Grünenthal relative to the Company’s estimates and the increased variance noted between the Company’s forecast model and actual results in the three months ended June 30, 2019, the Company utilized a third-party expert in the second quarter of 2019 to reassess the market and expectations of the product.
Key findings from the third-party study included: the post-surgical PCA (Patient-Controlled Analgesia) market was smaller than previously forecasted; the price of the product was higher relative to alternative therapies; the product was not being used as a replacement for systemic opioids; and, the design of the delivery device, which is pre-filled for up to three days of treatment, restricted its use for shorter recovery time procedures. The reduction in forecasted sales had a direct impact on both the sales-based royalties and the sales-based milestones expected to be received through 2033.
This decline was partially offset by higher royalty rights – change in fair value from the Assertio royalty asset.
PDL received $20.1 million in net cash royalties from all of its royalty rights in the three months ended June 30, 2019 compared with $19.4 million in the three months ended June 30, 2018.
Total revenues for the first half of 2019 were $16.4 million, compared with $85.1 million for the first half of 2018.
Following is a brief discussion by business segment:

Medical Devices

Product revenue from the LENSAR Laser System for the six months ended June 30, 2019 increased by $3.3 million, or 30%, to $14.1 million from $10.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. Revenue generated outside of the U.S. was responsible for the majority of the increase. LENSAR procedure volume for the six months ended June 30, 2019 increased by 31% from the prior-year period.

Pharmaceutical

Product revenue from the Noden Products for the six months ended June 30, 2019 was $30.4 million, a $13.8 million decrease from $44.2 million for the prior-year period. Sales in the six months ended June 30, 2019 were comprised of $14.9 million in the U.S. and $15.5 million in the rest of the world, compared with $20.9 million and $23.3 million, respectively, in the prior-year period.

The decrease in sales of the Noden Products in the U.S. is due primarily to the launch and related initial inventory stocking of an authorized generic form of Tekturna in the U.S. and the launch of a third-party generic form of aliskiren late in the first quarter of 2019.
The decline in sales in the rest of the world is due to initial inventory stocking in Japan in the second quarter of 2018 and lower sales volume of Rasilez in other territories, in part reflecting additional measures to maximize the product profitability.
Income Generating Assets

Revenue from royalty rights – change in fair value was negative $28.1 million for the first half of 2019, compared with $23.9 million in the prior-year period.

The decrease is primarily related to a non-cash adjustment to the AcelRx royalty asset fair value of $60.0 million.
PDL received $32.7 million in net cash royalties from its royalty rights in the first half of 2019.
Royalties from PDL’s licensees to the Queen et al. patents were less than $0.1 million for the first half of 2019, compared with $4.0 million for the prior-year period, reflecting the runout of the royalties on the sales of Tysabri.

Interest revenue decreased by $1.5 million from the prior-year period due to modifications to the Company’s agreement with CareView Communications which suspended interest payments for the first half of 2019.

Operating Expense Highlights

Operating expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2019 were $27.4 million, a $144.3 million decrease from $171.7 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018. The decrease was primarily a result of:
the $152.3 million impairment of the Noden Products intangible assets in the second quarter of 2018 due to the increased probability of a third-party generic version of aliskiren being launched in the U.S.,
a $4.8 million decline in amortization expense for the Noden intangible assets as a result of the 2018 impairment recorded for these intangible assets,
a $4.0 million, or 28%, decline in general and administrative expenses primarily due to lower professional fees,
a $3.3 million, or 62% decline in sales and marketing expenses, reflecting the cost savings from the change in the Company’s marketing strategy for the Noden Products, and
a $2.2 million decrease in cost of product revenue.
The decrease was partially offset by:
the $22.1 million reduction to the contingent liability in the second quarter of 2018 for future Noden products milestone payments that were less likely to be made with the increased probability of a third-party generic version of aliskiren being launched in the U.S., and
increased research and development expenses of $0.2 million associated with product development in our Medical Devices segment.
Operating expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2019 were $55.8 million, a $150.1 million decrease from $205.9 million for the prior-year period. The decrease was primarily a result of:
the net impact of the above-described impairment of the Noden Products intangible assets in the second quarter of 2018 and related reductions to the Noden Products contingent liability and amortization expense associated with those intangible assets, which, in aggregate, accounted for $139.1 million of the decrease,
a $5.2 million, or 20%, decline in general and administrative expenses primarily due to lower professional fees, and
a $6.1 million, or 56%, decline in sales and marketing expenses, reflecting the cost savings from the change in the Company’s marketing strategy for the Noden Products.
The decrease was partially offset by:
increased research and development expenses of $0.3 million associated with product development in our Medical Devices segment.
Stock Repurchase Programs

In November 2018, PDL began repurchasing shares of its common stock pursuant to the $100.0 million share repurchase program authorized by the Company’s board of directors in September 2018. During the second quarter of 2019, the Company repurchased 8.0 million shares for an aggregate purchase price of $26.0 million.
Subsequent to the close of the second quarter of 2019, the Company repurchased 1.3 million shares of its common stock for a total of $4.1 million. These repurchases concluded this share repurchase program. Under this program, the Company repurchased a total of 31.0 million shares for $100.0 million, at an average cost of $3.22 per share.
Since initiating its first stock repurchase program in March 2017, the Company has repurchased a total of 53.1 million shares for $155.0 million, at an average cost of $2.92 per share.
As of July 30, 2019, the Company had approximately 114.2 million shares of common stock outstanding.
Other Financial Highlights

PDL had cash and cash equivalents of $284.9 million as of June 30, 2019, compared with cash and cash equivalents of $394.6 million as of December 31, 2018.
The $109.7 million reduction in cash and cash equivalents during the first six months of 2019 was primarily the result of common stock repurchases of $71.3 million and the Company’s investment in Evofem of $60.0 million, partially offset by the proceeds from royalty rights.
In August 2019, PDL received a royalty payment from Bausch Health in the amount of $11.3 million for royalties earned on sales of Glumetza for the month of June. This royalty payment will be recognized in the third quarter of 2019.
Conference Call and Webcast Details

PDL will hold a conference call to discuss financial resultsand provide a business update at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time today. Slides to accompany the conference call will be available in the Investor Relations section of www.pdl.com.

To access the live conference call via phone, please dial 844-535-4071 from the U.S. and Canada or 706-679-2458 internationally. The conference ID is 9787426. A telephone replay will be available beginning approximately one hour after the call through one week following the call and can be accessed by dialing 855-859-2056 from the U.S. and Canada or 404-537-3406 internationally. The replay passcode is 9787426.

To access the live and subsequently archived webcast of the conference call, go to the Investor Relations section of www.pdl.com and select "Events & Presentations."

On August 7, 2019 Cambrex Corporation (NYSE: CBM), the leading small molecule company providing drug substance, drug product and analytical services across the entire drug lifecycle, reported that it has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of the Permira funds in a transaction valued at approximately $2.4 billion, including Cambrex’s net debt (Press release, Cambrex, AUG 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234538416]). Under the terms of the merger agreement, Cambrex shareholders will receive $60.00 in cash for each share of Cambrex common stock, which represents a 47.1% premium to the August 7 closing stock price and a 37.3% premium to the 60-day volume weighted average closing price leading up to this announcement.

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Cambrex has grown to become the premier contract development and manufacturing organization in the small molecule space over the last several years. The recent acquisitions of Halo Pharma in 2018 and Avista Pharma Solutions in 2019 added drug product manufacturing and a full range of early stage and analytical testing services to the company’s leading position in drug substance manufacturing, allowing Cambrex to broaden customer relationships over the full product lifecycle, from pre-clinical through commercial.

"We are excited to announce this transaction with Permira, a global private equity firm that has made significant investments in the pharma services space. This agreement is a strong endorsement of our strategy and represents significant value for our shareholders," commented Steve Klosk, President and CEO of Cambrex. "Cambrex will continue to invest aggressively in our commitment to our global customer base, where we are constantly looking at ways to provide the broadest possible range of world class services."

"We are very excited to back Cambrex in its next phase of growth," said Henry Minello, Principal in the Global Healthcare Group of Permira. "Over many years, Cambrex has built a leading position with best-in-class capabilities and facilities, backed by an excellent reputation for quality and technical expertise. We look forward to partnering with Cambrex’s talented management and employees to support the growth of its integrated services offering."

Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of approval by Cambrex’s shareholders and customary regulatory approvals. Closing is expected to occur during the fourth quarter of 2019.

The transaction will be financed through a combination of debt and equity financing.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cambrex may actively solicit acquisition proposals from third parties during a 45-day "go-shop" period starting from the date of the agreement (which period may be extended under certain circumstances for an additional 15 days), and subject to customary requirements included in the agreement, enter into or recommend a transaction with a person or group that makes a superior proposal. There can be no assurance that this process will result in a superior proposal. Cambrex does not intend to disclose developments during this process unless and until the Board makes a decision with respect to any superior proposal it may receive.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis, LLP is serving as legal advisor to Cambrex. RBC Capital Markets is acting as exclusive financial advisor and provided committed debt financing to the Permira funds and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP is serving as legal advisor to the Permira funds.

On August 7, 2019 CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTMX), a clinical-stage oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of investigational antibody therapeutics based on its Probody therapeutic technology platform, reported second quarter 2019 financial results (Press release, CytomX Therapeutics, AUG 7, 2019, View Source/news-releases/news-release-details/cytomx-therapeutics-announces-second-quarter-2019-financial" target="_blank" title="View Source/news-releases/news-release-details/cytomx-therapeutics-announces-second-quarter-2019-financial" rel="nofollow">View Source [SID1234538448]).

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

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

Business Highlights and Recent Developments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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