On August 14, 2018 CASI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASI), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and delivery of high quality, cost-effective pharmaceutical products and innovative therapeutics to patients in the U.S., China and throughout the world, reported financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2018 and provided a review of recent accomplishments and anticipated upcoming milestones (Press release, CASI Pharmaceuticals, AUG 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234528921]).

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Ken K. Ren, Ph.D., CASI’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our financial results for the second quarter of 2018 are in line with our expectations. We have made tremendous progress since the start of 2018 and remain committed to working with the relevant regulatory authorities and our strategic partners in the U.S. and in China to provide high quality, life-saving medications to patients. We will continue to advance our current product portfolio while evaluating additional opportunities to add further medicines to our pipeline."

Second Quarter and Recent Business Highlights

China FDA (CFDA) import drug registration priority review of EVOMELA in progress – On April 26, 2018, the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the China FDA held a Clinical Advisory Committee (the "Advisory Committee") meeting to review the EVOMELA application. CASI has recently received a series of standard questions from the CFDA related to EVOMELA drug product production which usually reflect the final stage of CFDA assessment before approval based on the Import Drug Approval registration pathway. CASI is working with Spectrum Pharmaceuticals and its vendors from whom EVOMELA is in-licensed to address the questions and submit the requested documents.

Preparation continues for EVOMELA’s commercial launch in China – CASI is building an in-house marketing and sales team with key members in place. The team is led by Thomas Zhang who has a 20-year track record of commercialization of multiple anti-cancer drugs in China for companies such as Roche and Johnson & Johnson.

CFDA review in progress for MARQIBO and ZEVALIN – CASI continues to work with the CFDA on advancing MARQIBO’s import drug clinical trial application and anticipates that the regulatory agency will complete its review within the next four to six months. The import drug clinical trial application for ZEVALIN is also in process with CFDA. The ZEVALIN antibody kit and the radioactive Yttrium-90 component of the application require separate submissions of which both are currently under technical review by the CDE of CFDA and the quality confirmatory testing by National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) of CFDA as part of the regulatory review process.

Company enters into strategic manufacturing agreement – In June 2018, CASI entered into a strategic and long-term contracting manufacturing agreement for the manufacturing of entecavir and cilostazol. The partnership will support CASI’s plan to market and sell both products in China, U.S. and worldwide markets. Entecavir and cilostazol are part of the 29 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) that were acquired from Sandoz in January 2018.

CASI added to Russell 2000, 3000 and Microcap Indexes – In July 2018, CASI announced that the company has been added to the Russell 2000, 3000 and Microcap Indexes.

Second Quarter and First Half 2018 Financial Results

Cash Position: As of June 30, 2018, CASI had cash and cash equivalents of $66.2 million compared to $49.9 million as of March 31, 2018. This increase primarily reflects the remaining gross proceeds of $20.7 million received in April 2018 related to CASI’s $50 million private placement announced in March 2018, partially offset by costs related to operating expenses during the quarter.

R&D Expenses: Research and development (R&D) expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, were $1.7 million and $3.4 million, respectively, compared to $1.7 million and $2.8 million for the same periods in 2017. The increase in R&D expenses primarily reflects personnel costs associated with the technology transfer activities and regulatory support associated with the recently acquired ANDA portfolio, offset by a decrease in costs related to the timing of the CFDA regulatory process of CASI’s in-licensed U.S. FDA approved assets from Spectrum Pharmaceuticals.

G&A Expenses: General and administrative (G&A) expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, were $4.0 million and $5.3 million, respectively, compared to $0.7 million and $1.3 million for the same periods in 2017. The increase in G&A over the prior year is primarily attributed to non-cash stock-based compensation expense for the stock options issued to the Company’s Executive Chairman and an increase in salary, benefits and recruitment expense in China, largely related to sales and marketing efforts to prepare for the anticipated launch of the Company’s first commercial product in China, as well as other G&A functions. There were also increased costs associated with business development related to exploratory acquisition activities, investor and public relations activities, and an increase in legal and other professional services fees during the 2018 period. G&A expenses include non-cash stock-based compensation of $1.5 million and $1.6 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively, compared to $0.1 million and $0.2 million in the respective periods in 2017.

Net Loss: The Company reported a net loss attributable to common shareholders for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 of ($5.9) million, or ($0.07) per share, and ($9.5) million, or ($0.12) per share, respectively, compared to ($2.4) million, or ($0.04) per share, and ($4.1) million, or ($0.07) per share for the same periods in 2017. The larger net loss is primarily due to the non-cash stock-based compensation expense for stock options issued to the Company’s Executive Chairman, costs associated with the technology transfer activities and regulatory support for our ANDA portfolio, the write-off of approximately $0.7 million in January 2018 due to acquired in-process R&D primarily related to ANDAs not approved by the FDA, and increased costs associated with G&A functions, including employment costs for sales and marketing efforts, increased business development and investor relations activities, as well as other professional service fees.

Further information regarding the Company, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, can be found at www.casipharmaceuticals.com.

On August 14, 2018 Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRSN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing a pipeline of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) based on its Dolaflexin and other proprietary platforms, reported financial results and a business update for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 (Press release, Mersana Therapeutics, AUG 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234529009]).

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"Our top priority is to resolve the partial clinical hold placed on our novel drug candidate XMT-1522 for HER2 expressing cancers, and to continue advancing XMT-1536 for solid tumors expressing NaPi2b," said Anna Protopapas, President and CEO of Mersana Therapeutics. "We have submitted our response to the FDA this week and are optimistic that, based on communications with the FDA, we are aligned on a path to lifting the hold."

Clinical Program Status of XMT-1522

As reported on July 19, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed the Phase 1 study of XMT-1522 on partial clinical hold following a report to the FDA of a Grade 5 Serious Adverse Event (patient death) in dose level 7 of the XMT-1522 Phase 1 trial. The company continues to dose patients who had started treatment prior to the hold and continue to participate in the trial consistent with the protocol.

Clinical Update on XMT-1536

XMT-1536 is a first-in-class Dolaflexin ADC targeting NaPi2b, which is broadly expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer and non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, as well as several other rare tumor types. The company continues to dose patients in its Phase 1 dose escalation study. Upon completing the dose escalation phase and selecting a recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D), the company will move into expansion studies in defined patient populations.

Other Recent Highlights and Updates

Further data on our Clinical Programs

·Presented interim dose escalation data on XMT-1522 in select cancers at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. These data showed that as of April 21, 2018, 22 patients had completed the dose limiting toxicity (DLT) evaluation period across 6 dose levels. As of that date, the treatment was well-tolerated, with most adverse events (AEs) for those patients being low grade and manageable; the most common treatment-related AEs were fatigue, nausea, vomiting,

anemia, and transient elevations of AST and ALT. As of the date of the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) disclosure, six patients had been dosed at dose level 7 (28.3 mg/m2), but only three had completed the first evaluation period. Of the thirteen patients enrolled at doses of 16 mg/m2 or greater at that time, including the three from dose level 7, eleven had stable disease (SD) or better, including one confirmed partial response (PR).

Discovery & Platform Progress

·The company has progressed its research on new payloads, platforms and new molecules and plans to present preclinical data at a major scientific meeting in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Upcoming 2018 Events

·The company will give a corporate presentation on August 15, 2018, at the 2018 Wedbush PacGrow Healthcare Conference in New York City.

·The company will give a corporate presentation at the H.C. Wainwright Healthcare Conference in New York City from September 4 to 6, 2018

·The company will give a corporate presentation on September 6, 2018, at the Baird Healthcare Conference in New York City

·The company will be presenting preclinical data on XMT-1536 at the IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer in Toronto on September 25, 2018. Data will be presented demonstrating preferential expression of NaPi2b in lung adenocarcinoma, as determined using a new immunohistochemical reagent developed by the company, that can be used to detect NaPi2b expression in tissue samples.

Financial Results

·Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of June 30, 2018, were $96.5 million, compared to $125.2 million as of December 31, 2017. The company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable it to fund its operating plan for at least the next twelve months.

·Collaboration revenue for the second quarter 2018 was approximately $4.2 million, compared to $3.7 million for the same period in 2017, primarily due to a $1.5 million milestone achieved during the three months ended June 30, 2018.

·Research and development expenses for the second quarter 2018 were approximately $12.6 million, compared to $10.6 million for the same period in 2017, driven primarily by an increase in employee-related costs due to increased headcount and clinical and in regulatory expenses due to the progress of XMT-1522 and XMT-1536.

· General and administrative expenses for the second quarter 2018 were approximately $4.2 million, compared to $2.2 million for the same period in 2017, driven primarily by increased employee-related expenses due to increase in headcount and increased consulting and professional fees.

· Net loss for the second quarter 2018 was $12.4 million, or $0.54 per share, compared to a net loss of $8.9 million, or $6.33 per share, for the same period in 2017. Weighted average common shares outstanding for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 were 22,966,314 and 1,412,308 for the quarter ended June 30, 2017.

Conference Call

Mersana Therapeutics will host a conference call and webcast at 8:00 am ET on August 15 to report financial results for the second quarter 2018 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 2895337. A live webcast of the presentation will be available on the Investors & Media section of the Mersana website at www.mersana.com.

About Dolaflexin

The Dolaflexin platform is designed to increase the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ADCs by overcoming key limitations of existing technologies based on direct conjugation of a payload molecule to an antibody. Dolaflexin consists of Fleximer, a biodegradable, highly biocompatible, water soluble polymer, to which are attached multiple molecules of Mersana’s proprietary auristatin drug payload using a linker specifically optimized for use with Mersana’s polymer. The high water-solubility of the Fleximer polymer compensates for the low solubility of the payload, surrounding the payload and protecting it from aggregation and maintaining stability in circulation. Multiple molecules of this Dolaflexin polymer-drug conjugate can then be attached to an antibody of choice, which significantly increases the payload capacity of the resulting ADC. This approach differs from most other ADC technologies that conjugate the payload directly to the antibody. Using its Dolaflexin platform, Mersana has been able to generate ADCs with a very high Drug-to-Antibody Ratio (DAR), between 12 to 15, while maintaining desirable pharmacokinetics and drug-like properties in animal models. This represents a three to four-fold increase in DAR relative to traditional ADC approaches. The Dolaflexin platform also incorporates DolaLock technology, an engineered controlled bystander effect. AF-HPA, the initial auristatin drug release product, is freely cell permeable and has bystander-killing capabilities. Intra-tumor metabolism then facilitates the conversion of AF-HPA to AF, which is non-cell permeable, highly potent, and "locked" into the tumor. This enhancement improves both the efficacy and tolerability of Mersana’s ADC candidates.

On August 14, 2018 Aradigm Corporation (NASDAQ: ARDM) (the "Company") reported financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2018 (Press release, Aradigm, AUG 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234529247]).

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Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

The Company recorded $256,000 in revenue in the second quarter of 2018 compared with $7.7 million in revenue in the second quarter of 2017. The Company recognized $96,000 in contract revenue – related party, $95,000 in government contract revenue and $65,000 in government grant revenue for the second quarter of 2018, as compared to $7.5 million in contract revenue – related party, $196,000 in government contract revenue and $7,000 in government grant revenue for the second quarter of 2017.

Total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2018 were $3.0 million, compared with total operating expenses of $5.7 million for the second quarter of 2017. The decrease in research and development expenses of $2.1 million was due to a decrease in spend in support of the Linhaliq regulatory process towards US and EU approvals for market authorization and lower employee-related expenses due to a reduction in headcount. The decrease in general and administrative expenses of $0.5 million was primarily related to lower legal expenses, lower expenses for Board of Director fees and lower employee-related expenses due to a reduction in headcount.

Net loss for the second quarter of 2018 was $3.8 million or $(0.25) per share, compared with a net income of $1.0 million or $0.07 per share in the second quarter of 2017. For the quarter ended June 30, 2018, the shift to a net loss from net income resulted primarily from a decrease in revenue of $7.4 million and a decrease in operating expenses of $2.7 million.

Liquidity and Capital Resources and Related Matters

As of June 30, 2018, the Company reported cash and cash equivalents of $2.1 million.

In January, Aradigm received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) from the FDA regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for Linhaliq as a treatment for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis NCFBE patients with chronic lung infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa).

The CRL states that the FDA has determined that it cannot approve the NDA in its present form and provides specific reasons for this action along with recommendations needed for resubmission; the areas of concern include clinical data, human factor validation study and product quality. We remain confident in the efficacy, safety and quality of Linhaliq (now named Apulmiq for the FDA) and are formally interacting with the FDA to discuss the topics covered in the CRL with the goal of developing plans to move towards resubmission of the Linhaliq NDA as soon as possible. We are committed to continuing to work on obtaining regulatory approval of Linhaliq in the US for NCFBE patients who suffer from this very severe disease which carries a burden of high morbidity and mortality with no treatment options.

The Aradigm Board of Directors approved temporary measures on February 9, 2018 intended to preserve the Company’s cash resources.

During the quarter ended June 30, 2018 Aradigm raised $4.0 million through the issuance of bridge notes and obtained commitments for additional monthly funding through September of 2018 totaling approximately $3.0 million. This $3.0 million along with the cash balance of $2.1 million will be sufficient to fund operations through the third quarter of 2018.

Aradigm is pursuing potential alternatives to resolve our cash position in the short term as well as developing strategic options that would provide for our long term viability. We feel it is very important to bring Linhaliq to commercialization in as many countries as possible to allow patients suffering from (NCFBE) to receive the benefits of Linhaliq. Patients, patient advocacy groups and key opinion leaders have expressed support for regulatory approval of Linhaliq as we work towards this goal. The MAA was filed on March 8, 2018 followed by the EMA validation of the MAA. The EMA review of the MAA for Linhaliq will be according to standard timelines, with an opinion of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) expected within 210 days from the formal procedural start date of March 29, 2018. The time needed by us to respond to EMA questions during the MAA review will trigger formal clock-stops of the procedure and may add several months to the nominal 210 day duration, until the final CHMP opinion will be issued.

About Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

NCFBE is a severe, chronic and rare disease characterized by abnormal dilatation of the bronchi and bronchioles, frequently associated with chronic lung infections. It is often a consequence of a vicious cycle of inflammation, recurrent lung infections, and bronchial wall damage. NCFBE represents an unmet medical need with high morbidity and mortality that affects more than 150,000 people in the US. and over 200,000 people in Europe. There is currently no drug approved for the treatment of this condition.

On August 14, 2018 Mateon Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB:MATN), a biopharmaceutical company developing investigational drugs for the treatment of orphan oncology indications, reported second quarter 2018 financial results (Press release, Mateon Therapeutics, AUG 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234528884]).

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For the three months ended June 30, 2018, Mateon reported a net loss of $0.6 million, compared to a net loss of $3.9 million reported for the three months ended June 30, 2017. R&D expenses decreased to $0.3 million for the second quarter of 2018 compared to $3.0 million for the same period in 2017, while general and administrative expenses decreased to $0.6 million for the second quarter of 2018 compared to $0.9 million for the same period in 2017. In the second quarter of 2018, Mateon reported non-operating income of $0.3 million. As of June 30, 2018, Mateon had cash and cash equivalents of $2.0 million.

"Following the closing of our financing transaction in April, we re-initiated enrollment into our study of OXi4503 for relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. We continue to enroll patients into the trial’s sixth cohort, and are approximately halfway to our current ten patient target," said William D. Schwieterman, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Mateon Therapeutics. "We also are close to finalizing our regulatory submission for a new clinical phase 2a study in patients with advanced melanoma, where we will be using CA4P as an immuno-oncology agent in combination with Opdivo. We have shown in animal studies that the necrotic tumor cell death induced by CA4P strongly stimulates an anti-tumor immune response when used in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, and are hopeful it will do the same in patients with metastatic melanoma who have failed currently approved treatments."

On August 14, 2018 CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBAY), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for liver and other chronic diseases with high unmet need, reported that management will participate in upcoming investor conferences, including the Wedbush PacGrow Healthcare Conference, the H.C. Wainwright 20th Annual Global Investment Conference, and the Citi’s 13th Annual Biotech Conference (Press release, CymaBay Therapeutics, AUG 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234528922]).

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Wedbush PacGrow Healthcare Conference
Date: Wednesday, August 15
Time: 2:30pm Eastern Time
Location: Parker New York, New York, NY
Webcast: View Source

H.C. Wainwright 20th Annual Global Investment Conference
Date: Wednesday, September 5
Time: 9:10am Eastern Time
Location: St. Regis Hotel, New York, NY
Webcast: View Source

Citi’s 13th Annual Biotech Conference
Date: Thursday, September 6
Time: 1-on-1 meetings only
Location: Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, MA