On March 19, 2019 Magenta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MGTA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel medicines to bring the curative power of stem cell transplant to more patients, reported financial results and business highlights for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2018 (Press release, Magenta Therapeutics, MAR 19, 2019, View Source [SID1234534504]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"2018 was a transformative year for Magenta, as we progressed our first-in-class programs and achieved multiple clinical and preclinical milestones," said Jason Gardner, D.Phil., Chief Executive Officer and President, Magenta Therapeutics. "As we begin 2019, Magenta is the only company addressing the major barriers to stem cell transplant and gene therapy, with the goal of changing the lives of patients with autoimmune diseases, blood cancers and genetic diseases through curative therapies. We are looking forward to building on this progress as we advance our conditioning, mobilization and cell therapy programs."

Upcoming Anticipated Milestones:

The Company plans to achieve the following key milestones in 2019:

Present preclinical data on C100 anti-CD45 targeted conditioning program in autoimmune diseases and declare development candidate

Present preclinical data on C200 anti-CD117 targeted conditioning in gene therapy, and advance development candidate

Begin Phase 1 study of MGTA-145 first-line mobilization agent in healthy volunteers in the first half of 2019, and present clinical data in the second half of 2019

Present additional clinical data from the Phase 2 study of MGTA-456 in IMDs

Recent Business Highlights:

Updated preclinical data for C100 conditioning program showed potent depletion of hematopoietic stem cells and immune cells: At the Transplant and Cellular Therapy (TCT) meeting in February 2019, Magenta presented data from its C100 targeted conditioning program, showing potent stem and immune cell depletion with an anti-CD45 amanitin antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that was well tolerated at efficacious doses in non-human primates. The Company expects to declare a development candidate for this program in 2019 and intends to develop C100 in both autoimmune diseases and blood cancers.

Declared development candidate in C200 targeted conditioning program and presented preclinical data: At the end of 2018, Magenta declared a development candidate in its C200 targeted conditioning program, which is designed to deplete stem cells in the bone marrow. The Company presented data at the TCT meeting in February 2019 on the development candidate, an anti-CD117 amanitin ADC, showing that it potently and selectively depleted hematopoietic stem cells in non-human primates while preserving the immune system. The ADC was well tolerated at the efficacious doses. Magenta has begun investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies with this ADC and plans to develop it as a conditioning agent for stem cell gene therapy, in patients with genetic disorders such as sickle cell disease, where current conditioning regimens are toxic.

Updated preclinical data for MGTA-145 first-line mobilization therapy showed differentiated efficacy from standard of care: In data presented at the TCT meeting in February 2019, Magenta showed that a single dose of MGTA-145 plus plerixafor mobilized two to three times more stem cells in non-human primates than a multi-day regimen of current standard of care, G-CSF. The cells mobilized with MGTA-145 plus plerixafor rapidly engrafted in non-human primates following autologous transplant. A subset of the MGTA-145-mobilized cells from non-human primates was also shown to suppress graft-vs.-host-disease and extend survival in preclinical models. The company expects to initiate a Phase 1 study of MGTA-145 in the first half of 2019 and share clinical results in the second half of 2019.

Updated clinical data for MGTA-456 cell therapy showed early signs of clinical benefit in IMDs: Magenta presented updated data from the Phase 2 clinical study of MGTA-456 in patients with IMDs at the TCT meeting in February 2019. Patients with cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (cALD) treated with MGTA-456 in the study showed persistent resolution of brain inflammation and stable disease scores. Patients with Hurler syndrome treated with MGTA-456 showed correction of enzyme deficiency and decrease in toxic metabolites. These early clinical benefits are associated with improved long-term disease outcomes in patients undergoing stem cell transplant for IMDs. The Company will next present data from this study at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting in May. A Phase 2 investigator-initiated study of MGTA-456 in blood cancers began in December 2018. After careful review of comprehensive transplant outcomes data in sickle cell disease, the Company will evaluate development of MGTA-456 in sickle cell disease as less toxic conditioning becomes available.

Fourth Quarter Financial Results:

Cash Position: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2018, were $142.6 million compared to $51.4 million on December 31, 2017. The increase is primarily driven by net proceeds from the $52.2 million Series C preferred stock financing completed in April 2018, and net proceeds of $89.9 million from Magenta’s IPO completed in June 2018, offset by $57.6 million in net loss during 2018. Magenta anticipates that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund operations and capital expenditures through 2020 on the Company’s current business plan.

Research and Development Expenses: Research and development (R&D) expenses were $12.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $5.6 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to increased costs related to drug discovery efforts in our conditioning programs, preclinical costs, toxicology studies and manufacturing to support our mobilization program, the advancement of the MGTA-456 Phase 2 clinical trial, continued progression of the Company’s pipeline and increased costs associated with the growth of the Company.

General and Administrative Expenses: General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $5.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $2.6 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to increased G&A personnel and facility costs associated with the growth of the Company.

Net Loss: Net loss was $16.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to net loss of $8.0 million for the same period in 2017.

On March 19, 2019 Context Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on hormone driven cancers, reported it will present at the following upcoming investor conferences (Press release, Context Therapeutics, MAR 19, 2019, View Source [SID1234534482]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Needham and Company 18th Annual Health Care Conference in New York City on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

On March 19, 2019 VBL Therapeutics (Nasdaq: VBLT), reported the presentation of human data indicating that the viral anti-cancer investigational therapy VB-111 has potential to stimulate the immune system to induce a strong and durable response against ovarian tumors (Press release, VBL Therapeutics, MAR 19, 2019, View Source [SID1234534461]). Administration of VB-111 was associated with an infiltration of immune cells within the tumor, which was followed by tumor necrosis and sustained clinical response. VBL’s study entitled "VB-111, an anti-cancer gene therapy, induces immunotherapeutic effect in platinum resistant ovarian cancer" was presented last evening at the SGO 50th Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The presentation was delivered by Dr. Ronnie Shapira-Frommer from Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv and Dr. Richard Penson from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Ofranergene obadenovec (VB-111) is a targeted anti-cancer investigational gene therapy with a dual mechanism: disruption of the tumor vasculature and induction of an anti-tumor directed immune response. In a Phase 2 clinical trial, VB-111 in combination with chemotherapy (paclitaxel) prolonged survival in patients with recurrent platinum resistant ovarian cancer (median OS 498 days for therapeutic dose VB-111 + paclitaxel combination therapy, compared to 172 days for low dose VB-111 + paclitaxel (p=0.03)). OVAL, VBL’s ongoing pivotal Phase 3 trial, is designed to repeat the successful Phase 2 protocol, with the primary endpoint of improvement in overall survival. An interim analysis of the OVAL study is expected at year-end 2019.

"Cancer cells utilize various mechanisms to proliferate and survive, including silencing of, and escape from, the immune system. We believe that treatment strategies should therefore aim both to target the cancer cells and to stimulate the immune system to attack the tumor," said Dror Harats, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of VBL Therapeutics. "While we initially designed VB-111 as anti-tumor therapy targeting tumor blood supply, it is now evident that VB-111 can also drive immune cells into immunologically `cold` tumors turning the tumors ‘hot,` enabling the immune system to fight the tumor. These clinical findings provide encouraging evidence of the therapeutic potential of VB-111, as we continue to advance our clinical program in ovarian cancer and additional indications."

For a link to VBL’s poster at the SGO 50th Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer refer to: SGO Poster

About Ofranergene Obadenovec (VB-111)
VB-111, a potential first-in-class anticancer therapeutic candidate, is the Company’s lead oncology product currently being studied in the OVAL potential-registration Phase 3 pivotal trial for ovarian cancer (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03398655). VB-111 has received orphan drug designation in both the US and Europe, and fast track designation in the US for prolongation of survival in patients with rGBM. In addition, VB-111 successfully demonstrated proof-of-concept and survival benefit in Phase 2 clinical trials in radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer and recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (NCT01711970). VB-111 has received an Orphan Designation for the treatment of ovarian cancer from the European Commission.

On March 19, 2019 Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH / TSX: AUP) ("Aurinia" or the "Company") reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2018 (Press release, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, MAR 19, 2019, View Source [SID1234534506]). Amounts, unless specified otherwise, are expressed in U.S. dollars.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

2018 and Recent Highlights

Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") for claims which have the potential to cover voclosporin’s method of use and dosing protocol for lupus nephritis ("LN’) until December 2037.
Phase 2a Dry Eye Study results released in January 2019 demonstrating statistically superior efficacy of voclosporin ophthalmic solution ("VOS") versus Restasis.
AURORA Phase 3 trial in LN completed patient enrollment, ahead of schedule, in September 2018 – on track for top-line data in late 2019.
Phase 2 FSGS study with voclosporin initiated in June 2018 with patient recruitment ongoing.
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $125.9 million as of December 31, 2018.
Balance sheet strengthened with additional $30 million raised through ATM facility during Q1 2019.
"The team at Aurinia has made extraordinary progress throughout 2018 by achieving a number of significant clinical milestones with voclosporin, and we are excited for what lies ahead in 2019. In addition to completing enrollment in the AURORA Phase 3 trial ahead of schedule last September, we also released Phase 2a dry eye study results with VOS that we believe further demonstrate the potential of voclosporin", commented Richard M. Glickman, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals."

Dr. Glickman further commented, "With the recent Notice of Allowance we received from the USPTO for claims covering voclosporin’s method of use and dosing protocol for the treatment of proteinuric kidney diseases including LN, we are very pleased with the additional exclusivity that could extend to December 2037 which I believe provides additional value creating opportunities for our shareholders.

Highlights

USPTO Notice of Allowance

On February 25, 2019, Aurinia announced that it received a Notice of Allowance from the USPTO for claims directed at its novel voclosporin dosing protocol for LN (U.S. patent application 15/835,219, entitled "PROTOCOL FOR TREATMENT OF LUPUS NEPHRITIS").

The allowed claims broadly cover the novel voclosporin individualized flat-dosed pharmacodynamic treatment protocol adhered to and required in both the previously reported Phase 2 AURA-LV trial and the Company’s ongoing Phase 3 confirmatory AURORA trial. Notably, the allowed claims cover a method of modifying the dose of voclosporin in patients with LN based on patient specific pharmacodynamic parameters.

This Notice of Allowance concludes a substantive examination of the patent application at the USPTO, and after administrative processes are completed and fees are paid, is expected to result in the issuance of a U.S. patent with a term extending to December 2037. If the FDA approves the use of voclosporin for LN and the label for such use follows the dosing protocol under the Notice of Allowance, the issuance of this patent will expand the scope of intellectual property protection for voclosporin, which already includes robust manufacturing, formulation, synthesis and composition of matter patents.

AURORA LN Clinical Trials

Aurinia’s Phase 3 clinical trial ("AURORA") is evaluating voclosporin for the treatment of LN, which was initiated in May of 2017, completed enrollment in September 2018. The target enrolment of 324 patients was surpassed due to high patient and investigator demand with 358 LN patients randomized in sites across 27 countries. Top-line data is expected to be available in Q4 2019.

A significant percentage of patients who have completed the AURORA trial are rolling over into the AURORA blinded extension trial ("AURORA 2"). The purpose of AURORA 2 is to assess the long-term benefit/risk of voclosporin in patients with LN; this trial is not a requirement for potential regulatory approval of voclosporin.

Dry Eye Syndrome ("DES")

In July 2018, Aurinia initiated a Phase 2a head-to-head study of voclosporin ophthalmic solution ("VOS") versus Restasis (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion) 0.05% for the treatment of moderate to severe DES. This four-week study enrolled a total of 100 patients.

In January 2019 the Company announced results from this study. The study evaluated efficacy, safety and tolerability head to head with Restasis.

VOS showed statistical superiority to Restasis on FDA-accepted objective signs of DES
42.9% of VOS subjects vs 18.4% of Restasis subjects (p=0.0055) demonstrated ≥ 10mm improvement in Schirmer Tear Test ("STT") at Week 4
VOS showed statistical superiority to Restasis in Fluorescein Corneal Staining ("FCS") (p=0.0003)
The primary endpoint of drop discomfort at 1-minute on the first day of therapy showed no statistical difference between the treatment groups, as both groups exhibited low drop discomfort scores
With respect to the primary endpoint of drop discomfort, VOS did not meet the primary endpoint as both drugs were well tolerated and demonstrated less than anticipated drop discomfort. However, secondary outcome measures on efficacy, namely the STT and FCS, demonstrated statistically superior results over Restasis.

Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis ("FSGS")

Aurinia initiated a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study for FSGS in June 2018 and is currently in the process of enrolling patients with this disease. This proof-of-concept Phase 2 open-label study aims to enroll approximately 20 treatment-naïve patients diagnosed with primary FSGS.

Financial Liquidity at December 31, 2018

At December 31, 2018, Aurinia had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $125.9 million compared to $173.5 million of cash and short-term investments at December 31, 2017. Net cash used in operating activities was $51.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to $41.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017.

At-The-Market ("ATM") Facility

On November 30, 2018, Aurinia entered into an open market sale agreement with Jefferies LLC pursuant to which the Company could from time to time sell, through ATM offerings, common shares that would have an aggregate offering amount of up to $30 million. Subsequent to year-end, the ATM was fully utilized. Aurinia received gross proceeds of $30 million and issued 4.6 million common shares. The Company incurred share issue costs of $1.2 million including a 3% commission and professional and filing fees related to the ATM offering.

February 14, 2014 Warrant Exercises

The derivative warrants outstanding related to the February 14, 2014 private placement offering were exercised subsequent to December 31, 2018. Certain holders of these warrants elected the cashless exercise option and the Company issued 687,000 common shares on the cashless exercise of 1.3 million warrants. Three holders of 464,000 warrants exercised these warrants for cash, at a price of $3.2204. We received cash proceeds of $1.5 million and issued 464,000 common shares.

The Company believes, based on its current plans that Aurinia has sufficient financial resources to fund the existing LN program, including the AURORA trial and the AURORA 2 extension trial, complete the NDA submission to the FDA, conduct the ongoing Phase 2 study for FSGS, commence additional DES studies and fund operations into mid-2020.

Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter Ended December 31, 2018

The Company reported a consolidated net loss of $14.6 million or $0.17 per common share for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2018, as compared to a consolidated net loss of $3.3 million or $0.04 per common share for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017.

The loss for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2018 reflected an increase of $593,000 in the estimated fair value of derivative warrant liabilities compared to a reduction of $9.0 million in the estimated fair value of derivative warrant liabilities for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017.

The net loss before this non-cash change in estimated fair value of derivative warrant liabilities was $13.9 million for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2018 compared to $12.3 million for the same period in 2017.

Research and development ("R&D") expenses increased to $10.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $8.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. The increase in these expenses primarily reflected costs incurred for the AURORA 2 extension trial, the DDI study and the FSGS and DES Phase 2 studies which were newly enrolled studies in 2018.

Corporate, administration and business development expenses increased to $3.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $3.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2017, reflecting higher professional fees incurred during the fourth quarter of 2018.

Financial Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2018

For the year ended December 31, 2018, Aurinia recorded a consolidated net loss of $64.1 million or $0.76 per common share, which included a non-cash increase of $10.0 million related to the estimated fair value annual adjustment of derivative warrant liabilities at December 31, 2018. After adjusting for this non-cash impact, the net loss before this change in estimated fair value of derivative warrant liabilities was $54.1 million.

This compared to a consolidated net loss of $70.8 million or $0.92 per common share in 2017, which included a non-cash increase of $23.9 million in the estimated fair value of derivative warrant liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2017. After adjusting for this non-cash impact for 2017, the net loss before this change in estimated fair value of derivative warrant liabilities was $46.9 million.

The change in the revaluation of the derivative warrant liabilities is primarily driven by the change in our share price. Our share price of $6.82 was significantly higher at December 31, 2018, compared to our share price of $4.53 at December 31, 2017. This increase in our share price resulted in large increases in the estimated fair value of derivative warrant liabilities for each of 2018 and 2017. The derivative warrant liabilities will ultimately be eliminated on the exercise or forfeiture of the warrants and will not result in any cash outlay by Aurinia.

We incurred R&D expenses of $41.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, as compared to $33.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in R&D expenses in 2018 primarily reflected costs related to the AURORA 2 extension trial, the DDI study and the FSGS and DES Phase 2 studies.

We incurred corporate, administration and business development expenses of $13.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, as compared with $12.1 million for the same period in fiscal 2017. The increase in these expenses reflected higher corporate activity levels overall, and higher personnel compensation costs which included a non-cash stock compensation expense of $4.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to $3.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017.

The audited financial statements and the Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2018, are accessible on Aurinia’s website at www.auriniapharma.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.

Aurinia will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2018 financial results today, Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. ET. This event can be accessed on the investor section of the Aurinia website at www.auriniapharma.com.

On March 19, 2019 DiaMedica Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: DMAC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for kidney diseases and neurological disorders, reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2018 (Press release, DiaMedica, MAR 19, 2019, View Source [SID1234534492]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Business Highlights

"In the past year, DiaMedica has achieved important development goals for our two lead programs, DM199 for chronic kidney disease and acute ischemic stroke. We expect to build upon this success in 2019 as we work toward advancing our pipeline of clinical programs, which hold the potential to have significant impact on patients suffering from chronic kidney disease and acute ischemic stroke," stated Rick Pauls, DiaMedica’s President and CEO. "After our successful Nasdaq IPO in December, we have sufficient capital to obtain Phase II read-outs in our two lead programs. We are well positioned to execute on our clinical development plans to achieve meaningful milestones in the next year, and we look forward to sharing our progress."

U.S. IPO, Nasdaq Uplisting and U.S. Reporting Company

On December 6, 2018, DiaMedica completed an initial public offering ("IPO") of its common shares in the United States and uplisted to the Nasdaq Capital Market, raising $16.4 million in gross proceeds and $14.7 million in net proceeds. This was an important milestone for DiaMedica that expanded its investor base, adding several U.S. institutional investors, and strengthened its balance sheet. The IPO also provided the capital to complete Phase II clinical trials for DM199 in patients suffering acute ischemic strokes ("AIS") and chronic kidney disease ("CKD").

License of DM199 with Ahon Pharma, subsidiary of Fosun Pharma.

In September 2018, DiaMedica signed a license and collaboration agreement with Fosun Pharma’s Ahon Pharma subsidiary for acute ischemic stroke in China. Fosun is one of the largest Chinese pharmaceutical firms with an extensive hospital sales force. The agreement provides exclusive rights to clinically develop and commercialize DM199 solely for acute ischemic stroke in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Under the terms of the agreement, DiaMedica may receive approximately $32 million in milestone payments, plus sales-based royalties of up to approximately 10%. In addition, DiaMedica has retained full control over the manufacturing of DM199. Ahon Pharma is currently preparing an application for an investigational new drug application to the China National Medical Products Administration. In China, a form of the KLK1 protein extracted from human urine, known as u-KLK1 or Kailikang, has been approved and is considered a standard of care for AIS patients.

Clinical Developments

DM199 for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease

Enrolling Patients in Phase Ib Clinical Study in Patients with CKD

In December 2018, the United States Food & Drug Administration ("FDA") accepted DiaMedica’s investigational new drug ("IND") application to study DM199 in patients with CKD. In February 2019, the Company began enrolling patients in its Phase Ib clinical study, which is being conducted at 3 sites in the U.S. and all sites are actively enrolling patients. The open label clinical trial is evaluating three dose levels of DM199, administered in a single subcutaneous ("SC") dose, in 32 patients with moderate or severe CKD. Primary endpoints include safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, change in KLK1 levels, albumin to creatine ratios and kidney biomarkers measured over a 12-day period. This study is intended to assist in identifying dose levels for use in subsequent Phase II trials. The Company expects a readout on the results of the CKD study in mid-2019.

Released Chronic Kidney Disease White Paper

Today, DiaMedica also released a white paper that further details the potential of KLK1/DM199 to treat patients with chronic kidney disease. The paper can be accessed at www.diamedica.com/product-candidates/chronic-kidney-disease.

DiaMedica is currently planning a randomized Phase II study in patients with rare forms of chronic kidney disease to be initiated in the second half of 2019. The Company will have updates on the rare forms to be targeted in this study and other details to follow.

DM199 for the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke

DM199 Acute Ischemic Stroke Phase II "REMEDY" Trial Update.

In 2018, the Company initiated treatment of patients in its Phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-center evaluation to assess the safety, tolerability and markers of DM199 in acute ischemic stroke patients, the REMEDY trial. With the success of its IPO, DiaMedica raised its target enrollment in the REMEDY trial from 60 to approximately 100 patients to provide additional data to support the design of a robust and efficient Phase III study. In this trial, the study drug (DM199 or placebo) is administered as an intravenous ("IV") infusion within 24 hours of stroke symptom onset, followed by SC injections later that day and once every 3 days for 21 days (8 SC doses). Multiple plasma-based biomarkers (e.g. C-reactive protein), the Modified Rankin Scale, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and the Barthel Index will be assessed at multiple points throughout the study, including 90 days post-stroke. This study will also include multiple tests to investigate DM199’s therapeutic potential. With the increase in the enrollment target, the Company expects to complete this trial in the fourth quarter of 2019 or first quarter of 2020.

AIS Review Paper Supporting the Use of DM199 for AIS Published in Peer-Reviewed Journal

On January 22, 2019, DiaMedica announced that a manuscript titled "Human Tissue Kallikrein in the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke" was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal "Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders (TAND)." The paper reviews the scientific literature covering the biochemical role of KLK1 and presents the mechanistic rationale for using KLK1 as an additional pharmacological treatment for AIS. In addition to the biochemical mechanism of KLK1, the paper highlights supporting results from human genetics and preclinical animal models of brain ischemia. It also reviews published clinical results for treatment of AIS by a form of KLK1 that is isolated from human urine. This form has been approved for post-infarct treatment of AIS in China and data has been published on clinical trials involving over 4,000 patients. The paper offers a series of testable therapeutic hypotheses for demonstrating the long-term beneficial effect of KLK1 treatment in AIS patients and the reasons for this action.

Financial Results

License revenue for 2018 was comprised of the initial $500,000 license payment DiaMedica received in connection with the license and collaboration agreement with Ahon Pharma.

Research and development expenses were $4.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $3.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, an increase of $1.3 million. The increase was primarily due to the additional preclinical testing and related costs required to support an application for an investigational new drug application in the United States, higher study costs for the REMEDY Phase II stroke study as compared with the DM199 bridging study which was substantially completed in 2017, and increased personnel and non-cash stock-based compensation costs.

General and administrative expenses were $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $1.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. General and administrative costs increased due to one-time costs incurred associated with the Company’s planned IPO in the United States, primarily the Nasdaq listing process and related legal and accounting fees. Higher salaries, fees and short-term benefits due to the addition of staff and higher share-based compensation also contributed to the increase during 2018.

Other income, net, was $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $259,000 for 2017. The increase resulted primarily from the recognition of the research and development incentive from the Australia Government paid for qualifying research work performed by DiaMedica Australia. This increase was partially offset by increased foreign currency transaction losses.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

Total cash resources were $16.8 million as of December 31, 2018, compared to $1.4 million as of December 31, 2017. Total current assets were $18.0 million and $1.5 million as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. These increases resulted primarily from net proceeds of $20.6 million received from the sale of common shares and warrants during 2018, partially offset by the use of cash to fund operations in the current year,

Current liabilities increased to $1.3 million as of December 31, 2018, compared to $1.0 million as of December 31, 2017. The increase in current liabilities resulted primarily from the increase in costs accrued related to clinical trials.

Net cash used in operating activities was $5.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, up from $3.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The net cash used in each of these periods primarily reflects the net loss for these periods, and was partially offset by non-cash charges for stock-based compensation and the net effects of changes in operating assets and liabilities.

Conference Call Information

DiaMedica management will host a conference call to discuss these results on Wednesday March 20, 2019, at 8:00 a.m. Central Time:

Date:

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Time:

8:00 AM CT

Web access:

View Source

Dial In:

(866) 962-3583 (domestic)

(630) 652-5857 (international)

Conference ID:

6773627

Listeners should log on to the website or dial in 15 minutes prior to the call. The webcast will remain available for play back on our website, under investor events and presentations, following the earnings call and for 12 months thereafter. A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available until March 28, 2019, by dialing 1(855) 859-2056 (US Toll Free Dial In), (404) 537-3406 (international), replay passcode 6773627.

About DM199

DM199 is a recombinant (synthetic) form of the human serine protease, KLK1. The KLK1 protein plays an important role in the regulation of diverse physiological processes including blood flow, inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress and neurogenesis via a molecular mechanism that increases production of nitric oxide and prostacyclin. KLK1 deficiency may play a role in multiple vascular and fibrotic diseases such as chronic kidney disease, retinopathy, stroke, vascular dementia, and resistant hypertension where current treatment options are limited or ineffective. DiaMedica is the first company to have developed a recombinant form of the KLK1 protein. The KLK1 protein, produced from porcine pancreas and human urine, has been used to treat patients in Japan, China and Korea for decades. DM199 is currently being studied in patients with acute ischemic stroke and patients with chronic kidney disease.