On May 9, 2019 Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN) reported that Chief Financial Officer Matthew Walsh will participate in a fireside chat at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2019 Health Care Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada (Press release, Allergan, MAY 9, 2019, View Source(2) [SID1234536035]). The presentation will begin at 10:40 a.m. Pacific Time (1:40 p.m. Eastern Time) on Tuesday, May 14, 2019.

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The presentation will be webcast live and can be accessed on Allergan’s Investor Relations website at View Source;. The webcast can also be accessed through the following URL: https://www.veracast.com/webca…

An archived version will be available following the live presentation and can be accessed at the same location for 90 days.

On May 9, 2019 BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative molecularly-targeted and immuno-oncology drugs for the treatment of cancer, reported recent business highlights, anticipated upcoming milestones and financial results for the first quarter of 2019 (Press release, BeiGene, MAY 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234536052]).

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"We made good progress in each of our business areas, including strong commercial performance in the first quarter of 2019, as we prepare for our planned launches in China and first new drug application in the United States. Our team is continuing to expand across the globe, with new trials, new indications, and importantly, new hope for patients with cancer who may not have had access or options for treating their disease," said John V. Oyler, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of BeiGene.
Recent Business Highlights and Upcoming Milestones
Clinical Programs
Zanubrutinib (BGB-3111), an investigational small molecule inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) designed to maximize BTK occupancy and minimize off-target effects
Expected Milestones in 2019

Receive approvals in China for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and R/R chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL);

Submit an initial New Drug Application (NDA) for zanubrutinib in the U.S. in 2019 or early 2020;

Announce top-line results from the pivotal Phase 2 trial in Chinese patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) and submit an NDA in China for WM;

Achieve first patient dosing in a Phase 1b trial conducted by MEI Pharma of zanubrutinib in combination with ME-401, an investigational selective oral phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) delta inhibitor;

Complete enrollment of the Phase 3 trial of zanubrutinib compared to bendamustine plus rituximab in patients with previously untreated CLL or SLL;

Present data from the non-randomized MYD88WT cohort of the Phase 3 trial in WM;

Announce top-line results from the randomized cohort of the Phase 3 trial comparing zanubrutinib to ibrutinib in patients with WM; and

Present updated data from the global Phase 1 trial in WM and MCL; pivotal data from the China Phase 2 trials in R/R MCL and R/R CLL/SLL; data from Phase 1 obinutuzumab combination data in CLL/SLL; updated data from the Phase 1 obinutuzumab combination trial in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL); and updated data from the global Phase 1 trial in CLL/SLL.
Tislelizumab (BGB-A317), an investigational humanized IgG4 anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody specifically designed to minimize binding to FcγR on macrophages

Announced Phase 1 long-term exposure data and results from the structural and mechanistic analyses at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in April 2019; and

Initiated a Phase 3 front-line trial in China of tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy compared to placebo with chemotherapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer.
Expected Milestones in 2019

Receive NDA approval in China for treatment of patients with R/R classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma (cHL);

Present preliminary results of tislelizumab in Chinese patients with nasopharyngeal cancer at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, being held in Chicago May 31 – June 4;

Announce top-line results from the pivotal Phase 2 trial in Asian patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) and file an NDA for UC in China;

Announce top-line results from the global Phase 2 trial in second- or third-line patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and have regulatory discussions;

Present updated China pivotal Phase 2 data in R/R cHL; updated Phase 2 chemotherapy combination data; and Phase 1 data from China trials; and

Complete or nearly complete enrollment in all four ongoing Phase 3 trials in lung and liver cancers.
Pamiparib (BGB-290), an investigational small molecule PARP inhibitor
Expected Milestones in 2019

Announce top-line results from the pivotal Phase 2 trial in Chinese patients with previously treated ovarian cancer in late 2019 or early 2020; and

Present data from the global Phase 1 trial in patients with ovarian cancer and Phase 1 combination data in patients with solid tumors or glioblastoma multiforme.
Lifirafenib (BGB-283), an investigational RAF dimer inhibitor

In collaboration with SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc., initiated a Phase 1b combination trial of lifirafenib in combination with PD-0325901, an investigational MEK inhibitor in patients with advanced or refractory solid tumors that harbor RAS mutations, RAF mutations, and other MAPK pathway aberrations.
Manufacturing Facilities

Substantially completed equipment installation and validation of GE Healthcare’s KUBioTM technology-based biologics manufacturing facility in Guangzhou, China.
Commercial Operations

Generated $57.42 million in product revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2019, from sales in China of ABRAXANE, REVLIMID and VIDAZA, which represents a 147% increase compared to the same period in 2018 and a 52% sequential growth compared to the previous quarter; and

Received supplementary medical insurance coverage for REVLIMID from Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China.
Corporate Developments

Announced a global collaboration agreement with BioAtla, LLC, for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of BioAtla’s investigational Conditionally Active Biologic (CAB) CTLA-4 antibody (BA3071). BA3071 is a novel, CTLA-4 inhibitor that is designed to be conditionally activated in the tumor microenvironment in order to reduce systemic toxicity and potentially enable safer combinations with checkpoint inhibitors. Subject to regulatory clearance of the Investigational New Drug (IND) application, a Phase 1/2 multi-center, open-label study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and antitumor activity of BA3071 alone and in combination with tislelizumab is anticipated to start in the second half of 2019; and

Announced a global research and development collaboration with Ambrx, Inc. to develop next-generation biologics utilizing Ambrx’s proprietary Expanded Genetic Code technology platforms designed to allow the efficient incorporation of non-natural amino acids into proteins in both E. Coli (ReCODETM) and CHO cells (EuCODETM) for precision protein engineering.
First Quarter 2019 Financial Results
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash, and Short-Term Investments were $1.64 billion as of March 31, 2019, compared to $1.81 billion as of December 31, 2018.

The decrease of $171.67 million in the first quarter of 2019 was primarily due to $171.98 million of cash used in operating activities, $29.00 million of upfront payments made under collaboration agreements, and $21.83 million for investments in property, plant and equipment primarily attributable to the build-out of the Guangzhou biologic

manufacturing facility. The decrease was partially offset by $36.70 million in proceeds from an additional drawdown under our Guangzhou factory loan.
Revenue for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 was $77.83 million, compared to $32.54 million in the same period in 2018. The increase is attributable to increased product revenue in China and collaboration revenue under our license and collaboration agreements with Celgene.

Product revenue from sales of ABRAXANE, REVLIMID and VIDAZA in China totaled $57.42 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared to $23.25 million for the same period in 2018.

Collaboration revenue totaled $20.41 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared to $9.29 million for the same period in 2018.
Expenses for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 were $251.59 million, compared to $143.35 million in the same period in 2018.

Cost of Sales for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 were $15.26 million, compared to $4.55 million in the same period in 2018. Cost of sales related to the cost of acquiring ABRAXANE, REVLIMID and VIDAZA for distribution in China.

R&D Expenses for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 were $178.35 million, compared to $109.70 million in the same period in 2018. The increase in R&D expenses was primarily attributable to increased spending on our ongoing and newly initiated late-stage pivotal clinical trials, preparation for regulatory submissions and commercial launch of our late-stage drug candidates, and manufacturing costs related to pre-commercial activities and supply. Employee share-based compensation expense also contributed to the overall increase in R&D expenses, and was $15.77 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared to $12.05 million for the same period in 2018, due to increased headcount.

SG&A Expenses for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 were $57.65 million, compared to $28.92 million in the same period in 2018. The increase in SG&A expenses was primarily attributable to increased headcount, including the expansion of our commercial team to support the distribution of our commercial products in China and the potential launches of our late-stage drug candidates, as well as higher professional service fees and costs to support our growing operations. The overall increase in SG&A expenses was also attributable to higher SG&A-related share-based compensation expense, which was $10.62 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared to $5.34 million for the same period in 2018, due to increased headcount.

Net Loss for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 was $167.64 million, or $0.22 per share, or $2.81 per American Depositary Share (ADS), compared to $104.60 million, or $0.16 per share, or $2.03 per ADS in the same period in 2018.

On May 9, 2019 Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for patients with kidney disease, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 (Press release, Akebia, MAY 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234536069]). The company also announced full enrollment of its global Phase 3 INNO2VATE studies for vadadustat, that it has bolstered its commercial capabilities with the addition of Dell Faulkingham as Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer, and appointed Steven K. Burke, M.D., as Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer.

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"The first quarter marked the achievement of another important milestone for Akebia with the announcement of positive top-line results from two Phase 3, active-controlled, pivotal studies evaluating vadadustat in Japanese patients with anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD)," stated John P. Butler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akebia Therapeutics. "We are excited by these results as they increase our level of confidence in the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) pathway and more specifically, the direction of our clinical program for vadadustat. These results are expected to serve as the basis for a New Drug Application in Japan (JNDA) by our collaboration partner, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC), in 2019."

Butler continued, "We are also pleased to announce the completion of enrollment in our global Phase 3 INNO2VATE studies evaluating vadadustat for the treatment of anemia due to CKD in dialysis-dependent CKD subjects. With the addition of Dell Faulkingham to our executive team, we have strengthened our commercial capabilities and believe we are well positioned to execute on our revenue growth strategies for Auryxia. Lastly, we look forward to welcoming Dr. Steven Burke as our new Chief Medical Officer as we continue to execute on the multiple catalysts expected with vadadustat’s Phase 3 program over the next 12 to 18 months."

Auryxia Highlights

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Auryxia net product revenue for the first quarter of 2019 was $23.1 million, representing 12.1 percent growth over the first quarter of 2018.

•
Total Auryxia prescriptions were 40,080, representing 22.5 percent growth over the first quarter of 2018.

Vadadustat Highlights

•
Announced positive top-line results from two Phase 3, active-controlled, pivotal studies evaluating vadadustat in Japanese subjects with anemia due to CKD in March 2019. Data from these two pivotal studies as well as from two additional single-arm studies in peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis subjects, also recently announced, are expected to serve as the basis for a JNDA submission by MTPC in 2019.

•
Expanded license agreement with Vifor Pharma announced in April 2019 creates opportunity for accelerated introduction of vadadustat, if approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in up to 60 percent of U.S. dialysis patients.

•
Enrollment in the global Phase 3 INNO2VATE studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of vadadustat in dialysis-dependent CKD subjects with anemia due to CKD, has been completed. Enrollment in the smaller of the two INNO2VATE studies (the "Correction Study"), was completed in April 2019, with a total of 369 subjects enrolled. Enrollment in the larger INNO2VATE study (the "Conversion Study") was completed in February 2019, with a total of 3,554 subjects enrolled. The company continues to expect to report top-line data from both INNO2VATE studies in the second quarter of 2020, subject to the accrual of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

•
The company expects enrollment in the global Phase 3 PRO2TECT studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of vadadustat in non-dialysis dependent CKD subjects with anemia due to CKD, to be completed in 2019, with up to approximately 3,700 subjects expected to be enrolled. The company continues to expect to report top-line results in mid-2020, subject to the accrual of MACE.

Financial Results

Total revenue for the first quarter of 2019 was $72.7 million, compared to $45.9 million in the first quarter of 2018.

Auryxia net product revenue for the first quarter of 2019 was $23.1 million, compared to $20.6 million, as reported by Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Keryx") prior to its merger with the company, during the same period in 2018. This represents a 12.1 percent increase in net product revenue from the first quarter of 2018. Auryxia is the company’s FDA approved oral iron tablet to treat non-dialysis dependent adult CKD patients for iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and dialysis-dependent adult CKD patients for hyperphosphatemia.

"As we previously discussed, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new prior authorization requirement for Auryxia caused delays in approvals of prescriptions and negatively impacted Auryxia product revenue for the first quarter. We believe our efforts to help patients and prescribers navigate this process are working and we’re encouraged with the growth in weekly prescriptions that we are now seeing. In fact, the prescription demand we’ve seen in the first four weeks of the second quarter exceeded the first four weeks of any quarter since Auryxia was launched," stated Butler. "Looking ahead, we believe continued execution on our growth strategy and underlying market demand, will drive increased revenue for Auryxia in the second quarter and across the year."

Collaboration revenue for the first quarter of 2019 was $49.6 million, compared with $45.9 million in the first quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily due to increased collaboration revenue in the first quarter of 2019 from the company’s cost sharing arrangement under its Otsuka collaboration agreements. The company expects Otsuka to begin funding 80 percent of its development costs for vadadustat in the second quarter of 2019.

Cost of goods sold was $31.3 million for the first quarter of 2019, consisting of $7.6 million of costs associated with the manufacture of Auryxia and $23.7 million related to the application of purchase accounting as a result of the merger with Keryx, including $14.6 million of inventory step-up and $9.1 million of amortization of intangibles.

Research and development expenses were $82.4 million for the first quarter of 2019 compared to $61.4 million for the first quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in external costs related to the continued advancement of the PRO2TECT and INNO2VATE Phase 3 studies.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $34.3 million for the first quarter of 2019 compared to $9.0 million for the first quarter of 2018. The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily attributable to commercialization costs associated with Auryxia, as there were no comparable commercialization costs in the first quarter of 2018.

The company reported a net loss for the first quarter of 2019 of $72.4 million, or ($0.62) per share, as compared to a net loss of $23.4 million, or ($0.48) per share, for the first quarter of 2018. The company’s net loss for the first quarter of 2019 includes the impact of merger-related accounting charges totaling $23.7 million, offset by a $2.8 million deferred tax benefit.

The company ended the quarter with cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities of $168.0 million. The decrease from the fourth quarter of 2018 was primarily related to the timing of cash flows between quarters, including reimbursement amounts from the company’s collaboration partners and payments related to its Phase 3 program for vadadustat, including $13.0 million of advanced purchases of comparator drug inventory in anticipation of Brexit. Additionally, cash was impacted by one-time payments of certain previously accrued, merger-related liabilities totaling $30.0 million. The company continues to expect its cash resources, including the prepaid quarterly committed cost-share funding from its collaboration partners, to fund its current operating plan into the third quarter of 2020.

Leadership Team Additions

Steven K. Burke, M.D. will succeed Rita Jain, M.D., who informed the company of her plans to step down from her position as Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer effective June 17, 2019 to pursue other opportunities. Dr. Jain has been a valued member of the company’s leadership team, and during her tenure made important contributions to the vadadustat development program and enhanced the development organization. She has advised the company that she is committed to supporting the company during a transitional period and ensuring a seamless and successful transition to her successor, Dr. Burke.

Dr. Burke will join the company from Proteon Therapeutics, Inc., where he has been Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer since 2006. Prior to joining Proteon, Dr. Burke served as Senior Vice President of Medical and Regulatory Affairs at Genzyme Corporation, where he worked from 2001 to 2006. From 1994 to 2001, Dr. Burke held roles at GelTex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. including Vice President of Clinical Research and Medical Director, and before that he held positions at Glaxo, Inc.. Dr. Burke received an A.B. from Harvard College and an M.D. from Cornell University Medical College. He completed a medical residency and fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Dell Faulkingham joins the company with more than 20 years of commercial experience across a broad range of specialty pharmaceutical categories. His experience includes commercial leadership roles with Biogen Inc., where he held multiple positions of increasing responsibility, most recently serving as Senior Vice President and Head, U.S. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Franchise. Mr. Faulkingham also recently served as Vice President, Head of U.S. MS Marketing and Field Operations at Biogen. Prior to joining Biogen, Mr. Faulkingham held several roles with Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Faulkingham began his career in sales at Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and received a B.S. in biology from the University of Georgia.

Conference Call:

Akebia will host a conference call today, Thursday, May 9, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its first quarter financial results. To listen to the conference call, please dial (877) 458-0977 (domestic) or (484) 653-6724 (international) using conference ID number 4271217. The call will also be webcast LIVE and can be accessed via the Investors section of the company’s website at View Source

A replay of the conference call will be available two hours after the completion of the call through May 15, 2019. To access the replay, dial (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (international) and reference conference ID number 4271217. An online archive of the conference call can be accessed via the Investors section of the company’s website at View Source

On May 9, 2019 Gossamer Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq:GOSS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, acquiring, developing and commercializing therapeutics in the disease areas of immunology, inflammation and oncology, reported that it will report its first quarter 2019 financial results on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 (Press release, Gossamer Bio, MAY 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234536086]).

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In connection with the earnings release, Gossamer’s management team will host a live conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, to discuss the Company’s financial results and provide a corporate update.

The live audio webcast may be accessed through the "Events and Presentations" page in the "Investors" section of the Company’s website at View Source Alternatively, the conference call may be accessed through the following:

Conference ID: 7791474
Domestic Dial-in Number: (866) 221-1654
International Dial-in Number: (470) 495-9466
Live Webcast: View Source

A replay of the audio webcast will be available for 30 days on the Investors section of the Company’s website, www.gossamerbio.com.

On May 9, 2019 Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INO), an innovative biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of its synthetic nucleic technology targeted against cancers and infectious diseases, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 (Press release, Inovio, MAY 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234536135]). Inovio’s management will host a live conference call and webcast at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time today to discuss financial results and provide a general business update.

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Inovio Highlights

VGX-3100/INO-3106; HPV-related Pre-cancers
Inovio’s Phase 3 trials for VGX-3100, REVEAL 1 and REVEAL 2, are both up and running and are executing on track. REVEAL 2 began recruitment in March while REVEAL 1 is anticipated to be fully enrolled with 198 patients by mid-2019. Additionally, Inovio expects interim data from its two Phase 2 trials with VGX-3100 in patients with vulvar and anal dysplasia later this year.

Inovio recently announced that VGX-3100 has been granted an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product certificate by the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Advanced Therapies following an extensive evaluation of its chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) data and nonclinical results. Since the inception of the program in 2009, only 11 ATMP Certifications have been awarded by the EMA. This certificate is an important developmental milestone for VGX-3100 as it will facilitate the preparation, filing, and review of a future European market application for VGX-3100.

In April, VGX-3100 was selected at the World Vaccine Congress as the 2019 "Best Therapeutic Vaccine."

Extending its portfolio into additional HPV-related diseases, Inovio announced its novel therapy, INO-3106, against the human papilloma virus type 6 (HPV 6) demonstrated clinical efficacy in a pilot clinical study of two patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a rare orphan disease. Results presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) demonstrated that following both patient’s last dose of INO-3106, the patients have been surgery-free, due to lack of tumor recurrence. One patient has not needed surgery for over two years; the other has been surgery-free for over one year. A complete study report is being prepared for publication in a medical journal, and Inovio plans to further develop INO-3106 as a novel, non-invasive immunotherapy for the treatment of RRP, for both adult and pediatric populations.
MEDI0457 (VGX-3100 + IL-12; licensed to AstraZeneca)
Inovio achieved a third cancer indication milestone under its collaboration with AstraZeneca, triggered by AstraZeneca dosing a patient in a Phase 2 combination trial evaluating MEDI0457 (formerly called INO-3112) in combination with durvalumab, an anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, targeting cervical, anal, penile, and vulvar cancers associated with human papilloma virus (HPV). AstraZeneca continues to evaluate MEDI0457 in combination with durvalumab in multiple Phase 2 trials in patients with HPV-related cancers.

In January, Inovio announced that two patients with HPV-related head and neck cancer, who were treated with MEDI0457 in a Phase 1 trial, achieved a sustained complete response (full remission) following subsequent treatment with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor.
INO-5401 – Cancer Combination Trials
Inovio completed enrollment of its Phase 1/2 immuno-oncology trial in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM). The enrollment of 52 patients was achieved three months ahead of schedule. The trial is designed to evaluate Inovio’s INO-5401 T cell activating immunotherapy encoding multiple antigens expressed by GBM and INO-9012, an immune activator encoding IL-12, in combination with cemiplimab-rwlc (also known as Libtayo or REGN2810), a PD-1 inhibitor developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in collaboration with Sanofi. Interim results evaluating safety, immunological impact, progression-free survival and overall survival from this study are expected before the end of this year.
DNA-Encoded Bi-specific T Cell Engagers (dBTEs)
Inovio presented pre-clinical results at a major cancer conference (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) on the company’s novel DNA-encoded Bi-specific T Cell Engagers (dBTE) technology. Inovio, with its collaborators at The Wistar Institute, developed a novel dBTE targeting the HER2 molecule which was tested in therapeutic models for the treatment of ovarian and breast cancers. Importantly, just a single dose of Inovio’s HER2 dBTE resulted in high levels of corresponding BiTE in mice for four months, far exceeding what is typically displayed with conventional BiTE’s short half-life of only a few hours. The HER2 dBTE effectively killed HER2-expressing tumor cells resulting in a near-complete tumor clearance. Also presented was Inovio’s CD19 dBTE which can kill B cell cancers by targeting B cell specific marker CD19.

These results were subsequently published in a JCI Insight journal article entitled, "DNA-encoded bi-specific T cell engagers and antibodies present long-term antitumor activity."
DNA-Encoded Monoclonal Antibody (dMAb)
In February, the company dosed a subject in the first-ever human study of Inovio’s DNA-encoded monoclonal antibody (dMAb) technology evaluating the ability of our technology to express Zika virus-specific mAbs. This study is being fully funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. While the trial’s focus is on evaluating the dMAb for Zika infection, the clinical results are intended to help advance Inovio’s dMAb and dBTE programs in infectious diseases and cancer.
Infectious Diseases
Phase 1 data for INO-4201, the company’s Ebola vaccine, was published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, further supporting the advancement of the intradermal delivery platform for vaccines. Significantly, the study demonstrated that intradermal (skin) administration with Inovio’s CELLECTRA efficacy enhancing device resulted in 100% of evaluable subjects generating antigen-specific antibody responses that persisted for more than one year in most subjects and generated robust T cell responses. The published data further validates the safety, potency, and product stability advantages of Inovio’s immunotherapy platform.
Geneos Therapeutics, Inc.
In February, Inovio’s personalized cancer vaccine subsidiary Geneos, secured a Series A financing round with potential proceeds of up to $10.5 million. With this funding, Geneos is fully operational as a standalone entity in its efforts to develop the next generation of neoantigen-targeting cancer immunotherapies. Geneos has an exclusive license to Inovio’s immunotherapy platform in the area of personalized cancer immunotherapy; Inovio holds majority equity position in Geneos and continue to develop and commercialize all global population-based (non-personalized) cancer immunotherapies based on its proprietary SynCon design. Geneos is now focused on initiating its first clinical study in 2019.
Management and Board Updates
During the first quarter, Inovio announced the appointment of Jacqueline E. Shea, PhD, as Inovio’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Executive Vice President. Dr. Shea will be responsible for Inovio’s manufacturing, commercial, business development, and alliance management operations as well as serving as a key member of the executive team along with the CFO and CSO in formulating and implementing overall corporate strategy.

Also in the first quarter, the Company announced that Mr. Simon X. Benito, former Merck Vaccines executive, was appointed Chairman of Inovio’s Board of Directors. In addition, the Company appointed Ms. Lota Zoth, former CFO of MedImmune, and Dr. Ann C. Miller, former commercial executive with Merck, Amgen, Eisai and Sanofi, to its Board of Directors.
Cash Position
As of March 31, 2019, cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments were $128.0 million compared to $81.2 million as of December 31, 2018. In the first quarter 2019, the Company completed a private placement of $78.5 million aggregate principal amount of 6.50% convertible senior notes due 2024, or the Notes. The Notes were sold in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Net proceeds from the offering were approximately $75.7 million, after deducting the initial purchasers’ discount and offering expenses payable by the Company.
Dr. J. Joseph Kim, Inovio’s President & CEO said, "The last several months have been extremely productive for Inovio by validating the company’s versatile technology platform. We ended the first quarter by featuring positive data from our Phase 1 Ebola study in a prestigious publication. Inovio further highlighted its capabilities in treating HPV-associated disease after presenting positive data from patients diagnosed with RRP, where we demonstrated a clinical benefit for these patients. Additionally, we initiated the first ever clinical study for our dMAb platform during the first quarter and unveiled an exciting new component within our platform involving our novel dBTE technology, which we’re working towards rapidly advancing the first product into clinical testing. Inovio enters the second quarter well-financed following the February raise, placing us in a prime position to continue to deliver on our game-changing clinical programs."

First Quarter 2019 Financial Results

Total revenue was $2.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, compared to $1.5 million for the same period in 2018. Total operating expenses were $31.4 million compared to $34.3 million for the same period in 2018.

Inovio’s net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 was $29.2 million, or $0.30 per basic and diluted share, compared to $32.4 million, or $0.36 per basic and diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2018.

Revenue

The year over year increase in revenue under collaborative research and development arrangements was primarily due to the milestone payment recognized in the first quarter 2019 from AstraZeneca.

Operating Expenses

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2019 were $24.4 million compared to $24.6 million for the same period in 2018. The decrease in R&D expenses was primarily related to a sub-license expense of $1.9 million recorded in 2018 related to the ApolloBio collaboration, partially offset by an increase of $1.2 million related to Inovio’s VGX-3100 Phase 3 clinical trials, among other variances.

General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $7.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 versus $9.7 million for the same period in 2018. The decrease in G&A expenses was primarily related to the foreign non-income taxes and advisory fees incurred in connection with the ApolloBio upfront payment Inovio received in 2018.

Capital Resources

As of March 31, 2019, cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments were $128.0 million compared to $81.2 million as of December 31, 2018. As of March 31, 2019, the Company had 97.9 million common shares outstanding and 125.3 million common shares outstanding on a fully diluted basis, after giving effect to outstanding options, restricted stock units, convertible preferred stock and convertible notes.

In the first quarter 2019, the Company completed a private placement of $78.5 million aggregate principal amount of 6.50% convertible senior notes due 2024. Net proceeds from the offering were approximately $75.7 million.

Inovio’s condensed consolidated balance sheet and statement of operations are provided below. Additional information is included in Inovio’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, which can be accessed at: View Source

Conference Call / Webcast Information

Inovio’s management will host a live conference call and webcast at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time today to discuss Inovio’s financial results and provide a general business update.

The live webcast and a replay may be accessed by visiting the Company’s website at View Source Telephone replay will be available approximately one hour after the call at 877-344-7529 (US toll free) or 412-317-0088 (international toll) using replay access code 10131163.