argenx reports first quarter 2019 financial results and provides business update

On May 9, 2019 argenx (Euronext & Nasdaq: ARGX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a deep pipeline of differentiated antibody-based therapies for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases and cancer, reported financial results and provided a business update for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 (Press release, argenx, MAY 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234536080]).

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"During the first quarter, we advanced our broad clinical development plan of efgartigimod across four autoimmune indications in both our IV and subcutaneous formulations. Enrollment of our Phase 3 ADAPT clinical trial in generalized myasthenia gravis is on track, and we intend to launch a second Phase 3 program in primary immune thrombocytopenia in the second half of 2019 that will encompass both formulations. There remains a gap in autoimmune disease innovation for therapies that are specific and well-tolerated, and it is this need that drives us in our goal to deliver our FcRn antagonist to patients quickly," commented Tim Van Hauwermeiren, chief executive officer of argenx. "We also closed on our global collaboration with Janssen this quarter, receiving $500 million in upfront payments, to evaluate cusatuzumab for acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes and other potential hematological indications."

"We look forward to our upcoming R&D Day where we will showcase our formula for translating immunology breakthroughs into first-in-class medicines and unveil two new antibody assets in our wholly-owned pipeline."

FIRST QUARTER 2019 AND RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

Pipeline Updates:

Efgartigimod (ARGX-113) Program

Phase 3 ADAPT clinical trial, including one-year open-label extension study, is ongoing for treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis with topline data expected in 2020.

argenx on track to launch global development program in primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in second half 2019; update expected to be provided in third quarter 2019 on development strategy and regulatory feedback, including planned registration path and plan to bridge between intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) formulations.

Orphan drug designation granted in February 2019 by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of primary ITP.

Ongoing open-label extension study from completed Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical trial in ITP expected to close in mid-2019 in preparation for start of Phase 3 development program.

Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical trial ongoing for treatment of pemphigus vulgaris; data expected in 2020.

Phase 2 clinical trial for treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy expected to start in second half of 2019.

Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers planned with ENHANZE SC formulation of efgartigimod as part of collaboration with Halozyme announced in February 2019; data expected before end of 2019.

Collaboration provides argenx access to ENHANZE subcutaneous delivery technology for up to three targets, including exclusive rights to develop therapeutic products targeting human neonatal Fc receptor FcRn.

Upfront payment of $30 million paid to Halozyme with potential future payments up to $160 million per selected target subject to achievement of specified development, regulatory and sales-based milestones.

Cusatuzumab (ARGX-110) Program

Announced closing of exclusive global collaboration and license agreement with Janssen for cusatuzumab.

Received $300 million upfront cash payment, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation made equity investment of €176.7 million ($200.0 million based on exchange rate on date of signing) in argenx.

argenx retains right to co-promote cusatuzumab in United States and share such royalties with Janssen on 50-50 basis.

Orphan drug designation granted by FDA in January 2019 for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.
Received first clinical milestone payment of $30 million for initiation of first-in-human clinical trial with antibody product candidate ABBV-151 (ARGX-115) as part of option agreement with AbbVie.

Corporate Updates

Torsten Dreier will resign from his function as chief development officer of argenx to focus on new role as chief development officer of AgomAb, a company founded through collaboration with argenx to advance ARGX-114, an HFG-mimetic SIMPLE Antibody directed against the MET receptor. Mr. Dreier will continue to serve as a consultant to argenx.

argenx Japan KK is being established as a wholly-owned subsidiary, and Hermann Strenger was appointed as General Manager of argenx Japan. In this role, Mr. Strenger will be responsible for all aspects of early commercial planning for efgartigimod in Japan. He has served in executive positions in the pharmaceutical industry in Japan for the last 23 years.

argenx R&D Day

argenx to host its second R&D Day on Thursday, May 22, 2019, to present new pipeline programs
ARGX-117 and ARGX-118.

Details of Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets totaled €961.6 million on March 31, 2019, compared to €564.6 million on December 31, 2018 and €346.6 million on March 31, 2018. The increase in the cash balance on March 31, 2019 resulted primarily from the closing of the exclusive global collaboration and license agreement for cusatuzumab with Janssen triggering a $300 million upfront payment and a $200 million equity investment in January 2019.

Operating income increased by €33.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 to reach €40.0 million, compared to €6.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018. The increase of €30.9 million in revenue was primarily related to the recognition of a $30.0 million development milestone under the AbbVie collaboration agreement and the partial recognition of the upfront payment received under the Janssen collaboration agreement. Other operating income increased by €2.2 million, resulting mainly from an increase in payroll tax rebates for employing certain research and development personnel.

Research and development expenses increased by €19.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 to €34.8 million, compared to €15.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018. The increase in 2019 resulted primarily from (i) an increase of €11.1 million in external research and development expenses, reflecting higher clinical trials costs and manufacturing expenses related to the development of the late-stage argenx product candidate portfolio, (ii) an increase of €4.3 million in license fee costs payable to one of argenx’ licensors following the achievement of a development milestone under the AbbVie collaboration agreement and (iii) a €2.6 million increase in share-based compensation expenses linked to the grant of stock options to its research and development employees.

Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled €11.3 million and €5.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The increase of €5.4 million in selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2019 primarily resulted from (i) an increase of €2.1 million in share-based compensation expenses linked to the grant of stock options to its selling, general and administrative employees and board members and (ii) higher personnel expenses and consulting fees related to the preparation of potential future commercialization of the lead product candidate efgartigimod.

For the three months ended March 31, 2019, financial income amounted to €3.5 million, compared to €0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018. The increase of €3.0 million in 2019 related primarily to an increase in the interest received on cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets.

Exchange gains totaled €9.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, compared to the €4.0 million exchange losses incurred for the three months ended March 31, 2018. The increase was mainly attributable to unrealized exchange rate gains on the cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets position in U.S. dollars due to the favorable fluctuation of the EUR/USD exchange rate in the first three months of 2019.

The company generated a total comprehensive profit of €6.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, compared to a total comprehensive loss of €17.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018. The total comprehensive profit in the first quarter of 2019 mainly resulted from the recognition of a $30.0 million development milestone under the AbbVie collaboration agreement and the unrealized exchange rate gains accounted during the period.

EXPECTED 2019 FINANCIAL CALENDAR:

August 1, 2019: HY 2019 business update and financial results

October 24, 2019: Q3 2019 business update and financial results

Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. Reports 2019 First Quarter Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

On May 9, 2019 Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLBS) ("Caladrius" or the "Company"), a late-stage therapeutics development biopharmaceutical company pioneering advancements of cell therapies in select cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and provides highlights of progress within the development pipeline (Press release, Caladrius Biosciences, MAY 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234536130]).

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"I am pleased with the pace of our accomplishments so far in 2019 as we continue to enroll subjects in both our ESCaPE-CMD study in the U.S. for CLBS14-CMD and our CLI study in Japan for CLBS12," stated David J. Mazzo, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Caladrius. "The preliminary data for both studies are very promising and we expect to report top-line results for ESCaPE-CMD by the end of 2019 and for CLBS12 in the first half of 2020. In addition, we continue to work closely with the U.S Food and Drug Administration on the protocol design for our no-option refractory disabling angina ("NORDA") program and have targeted initiation of that Phase 3 study before the end of 2019."

"We look forward to building on the momentum we have created in advancing our clinical development pipeline and reporting on a number of important, value-creating milestones throughout the balance of this year," concluded Dr. Mazzo.

First Quarter Financial Highlights

Research and development expenses for the first quarter of 2019 were $2.0 million, a 10% decrease compared with $2.3 million for the first quarter of 2018. Research and development in both periods focused on the advancement of our ischemic repair platform and related to (i) expenses associated with our ongoing Phase 2 study of CLBS12 in critical limb ischemia development program in Japan, (ii) expense associated with our ongoing Phase 1b/2a study for CLBS14-CMD in coronary microvascular dysfunction, and (iii) expenses associated with the planning of our CLBS14-NORDA program in refractory angina.

General and administrative expenses, which focus on general corporate related activities, were $2.6 million for the first quarter of 2019, a 12% decrease compared with $2.9 million for the first quarter of 2018.

The net loss for the first quarter of 2019 was $4.4 million, or $0.44 per share, compared with $5.0 million, or $0.52 per share, for the first quarter of 2018.

Balance Sheet Highlights

As of March 31, 2019, Caladrius had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $38.4 million. Based on existing programs and projections, the Company remains confident that its cash balances will allow it to fund its current business plan through the second quarter of 2020.

Conference Call

Caladrius’ management will host a conference call beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 9, 2019 to discuss the financial results, provide a company update and answer questions.

Shareholders and other interested parties may participate on the conference call by dialing (866) 595-8403 (domestic) or (706) 758-9979 (international), using the conference ID number: 2576003. The conference call will also be webcast live and can be accessed from the Company’s website at www.caladrius.com/investors/news-events.

For those unable to participate in the live conference call or webcast, an audio recording will be available for replay approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call until 11:59 p.m. ET on May 16, 2019. To access the audio replay, dial (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (international) and provide conference ID number: 2576003.

A webcast replay of the conference call will remain available on the Company’s website for 90 days.

Probiodrug AG to Publish its First Quarter 2019 Business Update on May 16, 2019

On May 9, 2019 Probiodrug AG (Euronext Amsterdam: PBD, ISIN: DE0007921835), is focusing on the discovery and development of drugs acting on enzymes which are modulating the activity of cellular signalling pathways connected to human disease, reported that it will publish its first quarter business update for the period ended March 31, 2019 on Thursday, May 16, 2019, in the form of an interim management report (Press release, Vivoryon Therapeutics, MAY 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234537419]).

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For more information, please contact:

Probiodrug
Dr. Ulrich Dauer, CEO
Email: [email protected]

MC Services AG
Anne Hennecke, Susanne Kutter
Tel: +49 (0) 211 529 252 27
Email: [email protected]

Mersana Therapeutics Announces First Quarter 2019 Financial Results and Provides Business Updates

On May 9, 2019 Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRSN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing a pipeline of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting cancers in areas of high unmet medical need, reported financial results and a business update for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 (Press release, Mersana Therapeutics, MAY 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234536007]).

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"We have continued to make important progress in advancing XMT-1536, our first-in-class ADC clinical candidate targeting NaPi2b. We are very pleased with the safety, efficacy, and duration of treatment seen to date in unselected and heavily pretreated ovarian cancer and NSCLC adenocarcinoma patients. This profile provides us with the confidence to move forward with expansion studies in these two indications with high unmet medical need. We look forward to presenting interim data from the dose escalation phase of the study at the upcoming ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2019 annual meeting," said Anna Protopapas, President and CEO of Mersana Therapeutics. "We also continue to advance our earlier-stage ADC programs and remain on track to disclose our next clinical candidate in the fourth quarter of 2019. With our successfully completed financing, we have the resources necessary to drive these promising programs forward."

Recent Highlights and Updates

Clinical Program

· The Phase 1 dose escalation study of XMT-1536 for the treatment of NaPi2b-expressing cancers remains ongoing. XMT-1536 is a first-in-class Dolaflexin ADC targeting NaPi2b, which is broadly expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) adenocarcinoma. The data to date from the ongoing XMT-1536 dose escalation study indicate that the trial has reached clinically relevant dose levels, starting at 20 mg/m2 but has not yet reached a maximum tolerated dose. The Company continues to evaluate patients in the 36 mg/m2 once-every-four-week dosing cohort. Mersana plans to present data from the once-every-three-week dosing schedule and from patients dosed up to and including, the 30 mg/m2 dose cohort in the once-every-four-week dosing schedule, at the upcoming ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in June 2019.

· Site initiation for the dose expansion portion of the XMT-1536 Phase 1 study is underway. Mersana is in the process of initiating additional sites in anticipation of dosing patients in two expansion groups in the third quarter of 2019. In the first group, the Company plans to enroll platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients who have failed standard therapy. The second patient group will enroll NSCLC adenocarcinoma patients who have failed front line platinum-based chemotherapy as well as anti-PD-1 or anti-PDL-1 therapy.

Discovery & Platform Progress

· On track to disclose its next ADC clinical candidate in the fourth quarter of 2019, further strengthening its scientific leadership in ADC development. The Company is targeting the filing of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the first half of 2020.

·Presented data on its novel Dolasynthen platform and modular Synthemer scaffold at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in April 2019. Key details of the data presented are summarized below:

· The presentation, titled "Dolasynthen – A Novel, Homogeneous Auristatin F Hydroxypropyl Amide Antibody-Drug Conjugate Platform" provided an overview of Dolasynthen, Mersana’s novel, fully synthetic, structurally homogeneous drug conjugation platform with a tunable drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) from 2 to 24. Precisely defined ADCs created for multiple targets displayed excellent drug-like properties, as well as potent activity, excellent tolerability, and a broad therapeutic index in preclinical in vivo models, demonstrating the significant potential for clinical application and differentiation.

·The poster, titled "An Antibody-Drug Conjugate Carrying a Microtubule Inhibitor and a DNA Alkylator Exerts Both Mechanisms of Action on Tumor Cells" characterized Mersana’s use of its modular Synthemer platform to engineer a dual-payload ADC to deliver two mechanistically distinct payloads simultaneously to each target cell. This data further demonstrates the flexibility of the modular Synthemer approach and its potential to address a broad set of set of applications.

Corporate Updates

· Successful completion of equity financing further strengthens balance sheet. On March 5, 2019, the Company announced the closing of a public offering with aggregate gross proceeds from the offering of approximately $97.8 million.

· Completed non-dilutive debt financing for additional financial flexibility. On May 8, 2019, the Company completed a non-dilutive debt financing with Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) that provides Mersana with the ability to draw up to $20.0 million, the proceeds of which will be used for general corporate and working capital purposes. The first tranche of $5.0 million was drawn down by the Company upon execution of the relevant Loan and Security Agreement, and under the terms of the Agreement, the Company has the option to draw additional advances over time. Further information describing the Agreement with SVB will be included in the Form 10-Q to be filed by Mersana with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Upcoming Events

·The Company will present interim Phase 1 dose escalation clinical data for XMT-1536 at the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2019 medical meeting on June 1, 2019 in Chicago, IL. The presentation format will be a poster, followed by a poster discussion.

2019 Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2019, were $137.3 million, compared to $70.1 million as of December 31, 2018. On March 5, 2019 the Company completed a public equity offering with gross proceeds of $97.8 million. The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable it to fund its operating plan into at least mid-2021.

First Quarter 2019

·Collaboration revenue for the first quarter 2019 was approximately $41.0 million, compared to $3.1 million for the same period in 2018. The increase in collaboration revenue was primarily due to the recognition of the remaining $40.0 million in deferred revenue associated with the discontinuation of the XMT-1522 program and Takeda collaboration announced in January 2019.

·Research and development expenses for the first quarter 2019 were approximately $15.1 million, compared to $12.3 million for the same period in 2018, driven primarily by an increase in external costs for the manufacturing activities for XMT-1536 and the Company’s next clinical candidate as well as modest increases in headcount and facilities costs. The increase was offset by a decrease in external clinical and regulatory expenses due to the discontinuation of the XMT-1522 clinical program.

·General and administrative expenses for the first quarter 2019 were approximately $4.4 million, compared to $3.6 million for the same period in 2018, driven primarily by increased employee-related expenses due to an increase in headcount and increased professional fees.

· Net income for the first quarter 2019 was $21.9 million, or $0.72 per share, compared to a net loss of $12.4 million, or $0.54 per share, for the same period in 2018. Net income for the first quarter 2019 was driven by recognition of the remaining $40.0 million in deferred revenue associated with the discontinuation of the XMT-1522 program and Takeda collaboration announced in January 2019. Weighted average common shares outstanding for the quarters ended March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018, were 30,299,650 and 22,816,521 respectively.

Conference Call

Mersana Therapeutics will host a conference call and webcast today at 8:00 a.m. ET to report financial results for the first quarter of 2019 and provide certain business updates. To access the call, please dial 877-303-9226 (domestic) or 409-981-0870 (international) and provide the Conference ID 1378664. A live webcast of the presentation will be available on the Investors & Media section of the Mersana website at www.mersana.com.

About XMT-1536

XMT-1536 is a Dolaflexin ADC targeting the sodium-dependent phosphate transport protein (NaPi2b) and is comprised of an average of 10-15 DolaLock payload molecules conjugated to XMT-1535, a proprietary humanized anti-NaPi2b antibody. NaPi2b is an antigen highly expressed in the majority of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) adenocarcinoma and ovarian cancer. XMT-1536 is in Phase 1 clinical trials in patients with tumors expressing NaPi2b, including ovarian cancer, NSCLC adenocarcinoma and other cancers. More information on the ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial can be found at clinicaltrials.gov.

Intrexon Reports First Quarter 2019 Financial Results

On May 9, 2019 Intrexon Corporation (NASDAQ: XON), a leader in the engineering and industrialization of biology to improve the quality of life and health of the planet, reported its first quarter financial results for 2019 (Press release, Intrexon, MAY 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234536047]).

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Recent Business Highlights:

Intrexon announced alignment of its operations into two units, Intrexon Health and Intrexon Bioengineering, to better deploy resources, realize inherent synergies and position the company for growth with a core focus on healthcare. Intrexon Health, will be led by Randal J. Kirk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Intrexon while Intrexon Bioengineering will be led by LTG (Ret.) Thomas Bostick, PhD, PE, Chief Operating Officer of Intrexon, who will also assume the title of President, Intrexon Bioengineering; and

As Intrexon announced previously, the Company believes it will end the year with approximately the same net cash and short-term investment position that it held on April 3, 2019. The Company is making progress toward this goal through a combination of partnering, asset sales and operating cost reductions. The Company has initiated plans to reduce its original 2019 operating budget by approximately $70 million and commenced actions toward achieving this goal.

Intrexon Health

Precigen, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intrexon, opened its new nearly 5,000 square foot facility in Germantown, Maryland to support gene therapy manufacturing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) good manufacturing practices (GMP) compliant facility was designed with agility and control in mind, focusing on rapid manufacturing and the ability to scale production appropriately to meet early stage clinical trial needs;

Intrexon and its majority-owned subsidiary Triple-Gene LLC (formerly Xogenex LLC) completed enrollment in the first cohort of a Phase 1 clinical trial of INXN-4001, an investigational new drug which is the world’s first triple effector gene drug candidate being evaluated for the treatment of heart failure; and

Intrexon continues advancing its proprietary yeast-based platform for robust production of cannabinoids with consistent yield and purity and with production of CBGA at 700 mg/L in stirred tank fermenter. The platform is on track to realize a target cost of goods of <$1000 USD/kg.

Intrexon Bioengineering

Intrexon entered into a strategic licensing agreement with Surterra Wellness to utilize Intrexon’s Botticelli next generation plant propagation platform to enable rapid production of Surterra’s proprietary cannabis cultivars for the Florida market;

Oxitec, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intrexon, signed two, multi-year development agreements with a collaborator to apply its 2nd generation, self-limiting technology to develop solutions for the soybean looper and fall armyworm, two insect pests that cause significant damage to agricultural crops globally; and

AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQB), an investment of Intrexon, announced the FDA lifted the Import Alert on AquAdvantage Salmon (AAS) in March. Environment and Climate Change Canada has also approved the company’s Rollo Bay production facility for the commercial manufacture and grow-out of AAS.

First Quarter 2019 Financial Highlights:

Total revenues of $23.3 million;

Net loss of $60.7 million attributable to Intrexon, or $(0.40) per basic share, including non-cash charges of $17.8 million;

Adjusted EBITDA of $(39.2) million, or $(0.26) per basic share; and

Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $181.6 million and the value of common equity securities totaled $1.8 million at March 31, 2019.

"Our realignment into Intrexon Health and Intrexon Bioengineering is well underway," commented Mr. Kirk. "On the healthcare side it is satisfying and exciting for all of us that we currently are dosing in clinical trials several novel therapeutic candidates of our design that incorporate our unique technology. Moreover, as we prepare to get underway with patient dosing of two Ultra-CAR-T candidates, we see the potential realization of a set of aspirations that we have held — and declared — since before our IPO and believe that these should constitute major advances in immuno-oncology. We await data with great anticipation."

Mr. Kirk concluded, "Our share price carries implications as well, so we are determined to prosecute all that we have set ourselves to accomplish in healthcare while realizing maximum value for our shareholders from our non-healthcare assets, the portfolio of Intrexon Bioengineering. These realizations may be participating or transactional in nature, but we are determined to achieve them and indeed are currently advancing several such prospects. Combined with the cost-cutting program that we have implemented, we expect our company will be a leaner, more-focused enterprise but not one lacking ambition or impact."

"Intrexon Bioengineering’s highly skilled teams are contributing their breadth of expertise across diverse fields to advance programs in food, agriculture, environmental, and industrial fields. We believe these programs offer a unique opportunity to realize the potential of engineered solutions in generating more efficient and sustainable approaches than current industry practices. Intrexon Bioengineering is focused on delivering these technologies and products with the goal of increasing shareholder value," added Dr. Bostick.

First Quarter 2019 Financial Results Compared to Prior Year Period

Total revenues decreased $16.3 million from the quarter ended March 31, 2018. Collaboration and licensing revenues decreased $13.9 million from the quarter ended March 31, 2018 primarily due to the reacquisition of rights previously licensed to certain significant collaborators, including ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc., and ARES Trading S.A., the result of which eliminated or substantially reduced revenues generated from those collaborations. The decline was also attributable to the mutual termination of the Company’s ECC with OvaScience, Inc., in March 2018. Product revenues decreased $2.3 million, or 32%, primarily due to lower customer demand for pregnant cows and cloned products. Gross margin on products declined in the current period as a result of fewer products sold and increased costs associated with new product offerings. Service revenues decreased $0.9 million, or 7%. The decrease in service revenues and the gross margin thereon relates to fewer embryos produced per bovine in vitro fertilization cycle performed as a result of unfavorable production results.

Research and development expenses decreased $4.2 million, or 11%. Research and development depreciation and amortization expense decreased $2.0 million primarily due to intangible assets that were impaired or abandoned in 2018. Research and development salaries, benefits and other personnel costs decreased $1.3 million primarily due to the closing of one of the Company’s research

and development facilities in Brazil in 2018. Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses decreased $6.1 million, or 16%. SG&A salaries, benefits and other personnel costs decreased $4.8 million primarily due to decreased compensation expenses related to performance and retention incentives for SG&A employees as well as decreased share-based compensation expense as a result of certain 2014 stock option grants becoming fully vested in March 2018.

The Company will not host a conference call associated with this financial results release.