On August 14, 2018 Array BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq: ARRY) reported results for its fourth quarter and full year of fiscal 2018 and provided an update on the progress of its key commercial products and clinical development programs (Press release, Array BioPharma, AUG 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234528867]).

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"We were thrilled to launch BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI for patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma in the U.S. after receiving FDA approval for the combination in June. Since then, we have seen a very positive reception from melanoma healthcare providers. With the announcement of a median overall survival of 33.6 months from the Phase 3 COLUMBUS trial at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper), and an attractive tolerability profile, our commercial team is well-positioned for success," said Ron Squarer, Chief Executive Officer. "We were also very pleased to announce an observed overall survival of 62% at one year in patients with BRAF-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer in updated safety lead-in results from the Phase 3 BEACON CRC trial. At the time of analysis, the overall survival data were fully mature through 12.6 months and the median overall survival had not yet been reached. FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation was based on the BEACON CRC safety lead-in data, which further demonstrates the opportunity for encorafenib and binimetinib to benefit patients with limited treatment options."

COMMERCIAL
BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI Approval and Launch
On June 27, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved BRAFTOVI capsules in combination with MEKTOVI tablets for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAFV600E or BRAFV600K mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved test. BRAFTOVI is not indicated for the treatment of patients with wild-type BRAF melanoma.

BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI were available for sale beginning on July 2, 2018, and patients began receiving the combination therapy that same week.

In addition, on July 16, 2018, Array submitted supplementary New Drug Applications to seek inclusion of overall survival (OS) data from the Phase 3 COLUMBUS trial in the BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI labels.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Recommendation
On July 13, 2018, the NCCN updated the Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Melanoma to include BRAFTOVI in combination with MEKTOVI as a Category 1 first-line and second-line treatment option for patients with BRAFV600E or BRAFV600K-mutant metastatic or unresectable melanoma. A Category 1 recommendation indicates that, based upon high-level evidence, there is uniform NCCN consensus that the intervention is appropriate.

Positive CHMP Opinion for Advanced BRAF-mutant Melanoma
On July 27, 2018, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI for unresectable or metastatic BRAFV600-mutant melanoma. This opinion is based on data from the COLUMBUS trial and the recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission (EC), which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union (EU). The final EC decision, expected by the end of September, will be applicable to all 28 EU member states, as well as Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway.

COLUMBUS PHASE 3 TRIAL
Updated COLUMBUS Trial Results including Overall Survival Announced at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper)
Array announced updated results from the COLUMBUS trial in BRAF-mutant advanced melanoma as part of an oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) annual meeting on June 4, 2018, and that these results have been selected for the "Best of ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper)" program.

The median OS was 33.6 months for patients treated with the combination of encorafenib and binimetinib compared to 16.9 months for patients treated with vemurafenib as a monotherapy. The combination reduced the risk of death compared to treatment with vemurafenib alone hazard ratio (HR) of 0.61, [95% CI 0.47, 0.79, p <0.0001].
The data showed limited use of post-trial immunotherapy, which is consistent with other published pivotal trials of BRAF and MEK-inhibitors in BRAF-mutant advanced melanoma. [1-2]
As previously reported, the combination of encorafenib and binimetinib was generally well-tolerated. Grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) that occurred in more than 5% of patients receiving the combination were increased gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) (9%), increased blood creatine phosphokinase (CK) (7%) and hypertension (6%). The incidence of selected any grade AEs of special interest, defined based on toxicities commonly associated with commercially available BRAF+MEK-inhibitor treatments for patients receiving the combination of encorafenib and binimetinib included: rash (22%), serous retinopathy (20%), pyrexia (18%) and photosensitivity (5%). Full safety results of COLUMBUS Part 1 were published in The Lancet Oncology.
BEACON CRC PHASE 3 TRIAL
Breakthrough Therapy Designation
On August 7, 2018, Array announced that the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to BRAFTOVI, in combination with MEKTOVI and cetuximab for the treatment of patients with BRAFV600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) as detected by an FDA-approved test, after failure of one to two prior lines of therapy for metastatic disease. BRAFV600E-mutant mCRC patients have a mortality risk more than double that of mCRC patients without the mutation, and currently there are no therapies specifically approved for this high unmet need population. [3-8] Breakthrough Therapy Designation is an FDA process designed to expedite the development and review of drugs that are intended to treat a serious condition where preliminary clinical evidence indicates that they may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints.

Regulatory Update
Based on consultation with the FDA and EMA, Array plans to amend the BEACON CRC protocol to allow for an interim analysis of trial endpoints. Should a planned analysis based primarily on confirmed overall response rate (ORR) and durability of response be supportive, the Company plans to use it to seek accelerated approval in the U.S. The interim analysis may also support regulatory submissions in other regions. The Company anticipates topline results from this analysis in the first half of 2019. This timing allows for the subset of patients required for the interim analysis of ORR to achieve a response and for the durability of responses to be appropriately evaluated.

The BEACON CRC trial continues to enroll well. Based on the updated data presented at the 20thWorld Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer (ESMO World GI), excitement among global investigators continues to increase. As a result of the recent FDA approval for BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI in BRAF-mutant melanoma, Array has made the decision to conclude U.S.-specific patient enrollment in the BEACON CRC trial. This action was based on the recommendation of the trial Steering Committee and Array expects this will help to avoid introducing unwanted informative censoring into the trial, as U.S. patients and investigators now have the potential to access encorafenib and binimetinib via commercial supply. As the number of active global sites has continued to increase since the beginning of the year, Array does not believe this decision will have a material impact on its plan to complete enrollment of the trial around the end of 2018.

Updated BEACON CRC Safety Lead-In Data including Overall Survival Results Announced at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) World GI
Array announced updated safety and efficacy results, including OS, from the safety lead-in of the BEACON CRC trial evaluating the triplet combination of encorafenib, binimetinib and cetuximab, in 29 patients with BRAFV600E-mutant mCRC during an oral presentation at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) World GI on June 23, 2018.

At the time of analysis, the OS data were fully mature through 12.6 months and the median OS had not yet been reached. The observed one-year OS rate for this cohort was 62%.
The median Progression Free Survival (mPFS) for patients treated with the triplet was 8 months [95% CI 5.6-9.3] and is similar between patients receiving one prior line of therapy and patients receiving two prior lines of therapy.
The triple combination was generally well-tolerated with no unexpected toxicities. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events seen in at least 10% of patients were fatigue (13%), anemia (10%), increased blood CK (10%) and increased aspartate aminotransferase (10%).
IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY COLLABORATIONS: TRIALS ADVANCING WITH BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB AND MERCK; TRIAL WITH PFIZER EXPECTED TO START THIRD QUARTER OF 2018
Array is developing binimetinib in combination with PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors and previously announced separate, strategic collaborations with Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck and Pfizer. Each collaboration is pursuing a different rationally designed clinical approach.

Bristol-Myers Squibb

The clinical trial continues to advance and is designed to investigate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of binimetinib in combination with nivolumab (anti-PD-1 therapy), with and without ipilimumab (CTLA-4 antibody), in patients with advanced metastatic microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC and the presence of a RAS mutation who have received one or two prior regimens.
The trial is jointly supported by Array and Bristol-Myers Squibb and sponsored by Array.
Merck

The clinical trial continues to advance and is designed to investigate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of binimetinib in combination with pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1 therapy), with and without FOLFOX or FOLFIRI (chemotherapy), in first or second-line patients with CRC whose tumors are not microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H).
The trial is sponsored and funded by Merck, with Array providing binimetinib supply.
Pfizer

The clinical trial is designed to investigate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of several novel anti-cancer combinations, including binimetinib, avelumab (anti-PD-L1 therapy) and talazoparib (PARP inhibitor) across various tumor types and is expected to begin during the third quarter of 2018.
Initially, the focus will be in non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, with additional indications being explored at a later stage.
The trial will be sponsored and funded by Pfizer, with Array providing binimetinib supply.
CORPORATE UPDATE
On August 10, 2018, Array announced that Carrie S. Cox joined the Company’s Board of Directors as Chairman, effective immediately. Ms. Cox served as Executive Vice President and President of both Schering-Plough and Pharmacia’s Global Pharmaceutical Businesses and has been named to FORTUNE Magazine’s list of the "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" six times. As an experienced corporate director with a wealth of commercial expertise and a distinguished career in the biopharmaceutical industry, Ms. Cox’s leadership will help drive the success of the Company’s recent launch of BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI and advance Array’s innovative treatments for patients in critical need. Kyle Lefkoff, General Partner of Boulder Ventures Ltd., and former Array Chairman, will continue to serve as a director.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2018 Compared to Third Quarter of Fiscal 2018 (Sequential Quarters Comparison)

Revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 was $35.4 million, compared to $66.4 million for the prior quarter. The decrease was primarily due to a one-time upfront license fee from ASLAN Pharmaceuticals received during the prior quarter as well as lower Novartis reimburseable activities.
Cost of partnered programs for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 was $16.2 million, compared to $17.7 million for the prior quarter. The decrease was primarily due to timing of clinical trial expense.
Research and development expense for proprietary programs was $48.1 million, compared to $53.6 million in the prior quarter. The decrease was driven by activity on the Novartis transitioned trials.
Selling, General and Administrative for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 was $19.3 million, compared to $15.6 million for the prior quarter, primarily driven by increased commercial expenses.
Loss from operations for the quarter was $48.1 million, compared to a loss from operations of $20.6 million in the previous quarter. The increase in net loss was primarily due to lower partner revenue during the current quarter.
Net loss for the fourth quarter was $52.4 million, or ($0.25) per share, compared to $22.9 million, or ($0.11) per share, in the prior quarter.
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of June 30, 2018 were $413 million.
Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2018 Compared to Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2017 (Prior Year Comparison)

Revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 increased by $1.7 million compared to the same quarter of fiscal 2017. The increase was primarily due to increased reimbursement of BEACON CRC trial expenses as well as new and expanded collaborations and milestones earned.
Cost of partnered programs increased $6.1 million compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017. The increase was primarily due to higher costs incurred for the BEACON CRC trial, and more resources engaged on collaborations.
Research and development expense for proprietary programs increased $9.0 million, compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017. The increase was driven by research and clinical activity on our proprietary programs.
Selling, General and Administrative increased $8.3 million compared to fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, primarily driven by increased commercial expenses.
Net loss for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 was $52.4 million, or ($0.25) per share, compared to $29.6 million, or ($0.17) per share, for the same quarter in fiscal 2017. The increase in net loss was primarily due to increased research and development expense and costs to establish our commercial infrastructure in preparation for the BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI launch.
Full Year of Fiscal 2018 Compared to Full Year of Fiscal 2017 (Prior Year Comparison)

Revenue was $173.8 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, compared to $150.9 million in fiscal 2017. This increase was primarily driven by higher license and milestone revenue earned in 2018 from Asahi Kasei Pharmaceutical, ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, Loxo Oncology, Mirati and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Net loss for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, was $147.3 million, or ($0.74) per share, compared to a net loss of $116.8 million, or ($0.72) per share, in fiscal 2017. The increase in net loss was primarily due to increased research and development expense to advance our proprietary programs and costs to establish our commercial infrastructure in preparation of the BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI launch.
Net cash used in operating activities for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, was $119.8 million, compared to $39.4 million in fiscal 2017. The increase in cash used in 2018 was driven by increased research and development expense and costs to establish our commercial infrastructure in preparation for the BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI launch.
CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION
Array will hold a conference call on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss these results and provide an update on the progress of its key commercial products and clinical development programs. Ron Squarer, Chief Executive Officer, will lead the call.

Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Time: 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Toll-Free: (844) 464-3927
Toll: (765) 507-2598
Pass Code: 1766079

Webcast, including Replay and Conference Call Slides:
View Source

About BRAF-mutant Metastatic Melanoma
Melanoma develops when unrepaired DNA damage to skin cells triggers mutations that may lead them to multiply and form malignant tumors. Metastatic melanoma is the most serious and life-threatening type of skin cancer and is associated with low survival rates. [10,11] There are a variety of gene mutations that can lead to metastatic melanoma. The most common genetic mutation in metastatic melanoma is BRAF. There are about 200,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed worldwide each year, approximately half of which have BRAF mutations, a key target in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. [10,12-14]

About BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI
BRAFTOVI is an oral small molecule BRAF kinase inhibitor and MEKTOVI is an oral small molecule MEK inhibitor which target key enzymes in the MAPK signaling pathway (RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK). Inappropriate activation of proteins in this pathway has been shown to occur in many cancers including melanoma, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, thyroid and others. In the U.S., BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI are approved for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAFV600E or BRAFV600K mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved test. BRAFTOVI is not indicated for treatment of patients with wild-type BRAF melanoma.

Array has exclusive rights to BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI in the U.S. and Canada. Array has granted Ono Pharmaceutical exclusive rights to commercialize both products in Japan and South Korea, Medison exclusive rights to commercialize both products in Israel and Pierre Fabre exclusive rights to commercialize both products in all other countries, including Europe, Asia and Latin America.

BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI are not approved outside of the U.S. The European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the Swiss Medicines Agency (Swissmedic) and the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), are currently reviewing the Marketing Authorization Applications submitted by Pierre Fabre, and Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency has accepted the Manufacturing and Marketing Approval applications submitted by Ono Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd.

Indications and Usage
BRAFTOVI (encorafenib) and MEKTOVI (binimetinib) are kinase inhibitors indicated for use in combination for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAFV600E or BRAFV600K mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved test.

Limitations of Use: BRAFTOVI is not indicated for the treatment of patients with wild-type BRAF melanoma.

BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI Important Safety Information
The information below applies to the safety of the combination of BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI unless otherwise noted.

Warnings and Precautions New Primary Malignancies: New primary malignancies, cutaneous and non-cutaneous malignancies can occur. In the COLUMBUS trial, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, including keratoacanthoma, occurred in 2.6% and basal cell carcinoma occurred in 1.6% of patients. Perform dermatologic evaluations prior to initiating treatment, every 2 months during treatment, and for up to 6 months following discontinuation of treatment. Discontinue BRAFTOVI for RAS mutation-positive non-cutaneous malignancies.

Tumor Promotion in BRAF Wild-Type Tumors: Confirm evidence of BRAFV600E or BRAFV600Kmutation prior to initiating BRAFTOVI.

Cardiomyopathy: In the COLUMBUS trial, cardiomyopathy occurred in 7% and Grade 3 left ventricular dysfunction occurred in 1.6% of patients. Cardiomyopathy resolved in 87% of patients. Assess left ventricular ejection fraction by echocardiogram or MUGA scan prior to initiating treatment, 1 month after initiating treatment, and then every 2 to 3 months during treatment. The safety has not been established in patients with a baseline ejection fraction that is either below 50% or below the institutional lower limit of normal.

Venous Thromboembolism (VTE): In the COLUMBUS trial, VTE occurred in 6% of patients, including 3.1% of patients who developed pulmonary embolism.

Hemorrhage: In the COLUMBUS trial, hemorrhage occurred in 19% of patients and ≥Grade 3 hemorrhage occurred in 3.2% of patients. Fatal intracranial hemorrhage in the setting of new or progressive brain metastases occurred in 1.6% of patients.

Ocular Toxicities: In the COLUMBUS trial, serous retinopathy occurred in 20% of patients; 8% were retinal detachment and 6% were macular edema. Symptomatic serous retinopathy occurred in 8% of patients with no cases of blindness. In patients with BRAF mutation-positive melanoma across multiple clinical trials, 0.1% of patients experienced retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Permanently discontinue MEKTOVI in patients with documented RVO. In COLUMBUS, uveitis, including iritis and iridocyclitis, was reported in 4% of patients. Assess for visual symptoms at each visit. Perform ophthalmic evaluation at regular intervals and for any visual disturbances.

Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD): ILD, including pneumonitis, occurred in 0.3% of patients with BRAFmutation-positive melanoma across multiple clinical trials. Assess new or progressive unexplained pulmonary symptoms or findings for possible ILD.

Hepatotoxicity: In the COLUMBUS trial, the incidence of Grade 3 or 4 increases in liver function laboratory tests was 6% for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and 2.6% for aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Monitor liver laboratory tests before and during treatment and as clinically indicated.

Rhabdomyolysis: In the COLUMBUS trial, elevation of laboratory values of serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) occurred in 58% of patients. Rhabdomyolysis was reported in 0.1% of patients with BRAF mutation-positive melanoma across multiple clinical trials. Monitor CPK periodically and as clinically indicated.

QTc Prolongation: In the COLUMBUS trial, an increase in QTcF to >500 ms was measured in 0.5% (1/192) of patients. Monitor patients who already have or who are at significant risk of developing QTc prolongation. Correct hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia prior to and during BRAFTOVI administration. Withhold, reduce dose, or permanently discontinue for QTc >500 ms.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity: BRAFTOVI or MEKTOVI can cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women. Nonhormonal contraceptives should be used during treatment and for at least 30 days after the final dose for patients taking BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI.

Adverse Reactions
The most common adverse reactions (≥20%, all Grades, in the COLUMBUS trial) were: fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, arthralgia, myopathy, hyperkeratosis, rash, headache, constipation, visual impairment, serous retinopathy.

In the COLUMBUS trial, the most common laboratory abnormalities (≥20%, all Grades) included: increased creatinine, increased CPK, increased gamma glutamyl transferase, anemia, increased ALT, hyperglycemia, increased AST, and increased alkaline phosphatase.

Drug interactions
Avoid concomitant use of strong or moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers and sensitive CYP3A4 substrates with BRAFTOVI. Modify BRAFTOVI dose if concomitant use of strong or moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors cannot be avoided.

Please see full Prescribing Information for BRAFTOVI and full Prescribing Information for MEKTOVI for additional information. You may report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to Array at 1-844-Rx-Array (1-844-792-7729).

About COLUMBUS
The COLUMBUS trial (NCT01909453) is a two-part, international, randomized, open label Phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of BRAFTOVI (encorafenib) in combination with MEKTOVI (binimetinib) compared to vemurafenib and encorafenib monotherapy in 921 patients with locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAFV600 mutation. All secondary efficacy analyses, including overall survival, are descriptive in nature. Over 200 sites across North America, Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia participated in the trial.

About Colorectal Cancer
Worldwide, colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in men and the second most common in women, with approximately 1.4 million new diagnoses in 2012. Globally in 2012, approximately 694,000 deaths were attributed to colorectal cancer. [15] In the U.S. alone, an estimated 140,250 patients will be diagnosed with cancer of the colon or rectum in 2018, and approximately 50,000 are estimated to die of their disease. [16] In the U.S., BRAF mutations are estimated to occur in 10% to 15% of patients with colorectal cancer and represent a poor prognosis for these patients. [7,8,17,18] The risk of mortality in CRC patients with the BRAFV600E mutation is more than two times higher than for those with wild-type BRAF. [19] Several irinotecan and cetuximab-containing regimens, similar to the BEACON CRC control arm, have established clinical activity benchmarks in BRAFV600E-mutant mCRC patients, whose disease has progressed after one or two prior lines of therapy. These benchmarks include ORR of 4% to 8% ,mPFS of 1.8 to 2.5 months and median OS of 4 to 6 months. [3-9]

About BEACON CRC
BEACON CRC is a randomized, open-label, global trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of BRAFTOVI, MEKTOVI and cetuximab in patients with BRAFV600E-mutant mCRC whose disease has progressed after one or two prior regimens. BEACON CRC is the first and only Phase 3 trial designed to test a BRAF/MEK combo targeted therapy in BRAFV600E-mutant mCRC. Thirty patients were treated in the safety lead-in and received the triplet combination (BRAFTOVI 300 mg daily, MEKTOVI 45 mg twice daily and cetuximab per label). Of the 30 patients, 29 had a BRAFV600E mutation. MSI-H, resulting from defective DNA mismatch repair, was detected in only 1 patient. As previously announced, the triplet combination demonstrated good tolerability, supporting initiation of the randomized portion of the trial.

The randomized portion of the BEACON CRC trial is designed to assess the efficacy of BRAFTOVI in combination with cetuximab with or without MEKTOVI compared to cetuximab and irinotecan-based therapy. Approximately 615 patients are expected to be randomized 1:1:1 to receive triplet combination, doublet combination (BRAFTOVI and cetuximab) or the control arm (irinotecan-based therapy and cetuximab). The primary endpoint of the trial is overall survival of the triplet combination compared to the control arm. Secondary endpoints address efficacy of the doublet combination compared to the control arm, and the triplet combination compared to the doublet therapy. Other secondary endpoints include PFS, ORR, duration of response, safety and tolerability. Health related quality of life data will also be assessed. The trial is being conducted at over 200 investigational sites in North America, South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. The BEACON CRC trial is being conducted with support from Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Pierre Fabre and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany (support is for sites outside of North America).

On August 14, 2018 RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) a biotechnology company developing the next generation of immuno-oncology therapeutics based on its proprietary self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNA) therapeutic platform reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 and provided a business update (Press release, RXi Pharmaceuticals, AUG 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234528883]).

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"The Q2 financial report provides good insights into the progress of the transition announced in January 2018, when RXi management informed its shareholders of the corporate focus on immuno-oncology and adoptive cell transfer therapy," said Dr. Geert Cauwenbergh, President & CEO of RXi Pharmaceuticals. He added that, "For the first 6 months of 2018, spending has been reduced by 26% as compared to the first half of 2017, with about half the reduction from one-time charges relating to the acquisition of MirImmune in Q1 of 2017, and the remainder resulting from a reduction in general and administrative expenses as compared to the same period last year." He indicated that: "The successful completion of our clinical studies in dermatology and ophthalmology have added significant human clinical data on efficacy and safety of the sd-rxRNA platform to our data packages, that should be valuable for companies that are considering a potential acquisition of those assets, including potential licenses to our self-delivering platform for those therapeutic categories. We would expect the execution of such an agreement to provide us with non-dilutive cash that could extend our financial runway significantly." He finally added that: "In comparison with our track record for deal-making in dermatology and ophthalmology between 2012 and 2017, our partnering history of the past 9 months, including strong IO & ACT partnerships with leading academic and industrial partners, indicates a much better visibility with stronger interest in our sd-rxRNA approach than ever before. We aim to take advantage of this surge in partnering interest, to enhance the value of our Company for our shareholders."

The Company will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss financial results and provide an update on the Company. The webcast link will be available under the "Investors – Event Calendar" section of the Company’s website, www.rxipharma.com. The event may also be accessed by dialing toll-free in the United States and Canada: +1 844-376-4678. International participants may access the event by dialing: +1 209-905-5958. An archive of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website approximately two hours after the presentation.

Select Second Quarter 2018 Financial Highlights

Cash Position

At June 30, 2018, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $5.3 million as compared with $3.6 million at December 31, 2017.

On April 11, 2018, the Company closed on a registered direct offering of 1,510,604 shares of the Company’s common stock at a purchase price of $3.15 per share. Concurrently, the Company also commenced a private placement, whereby it issued and sold warrants exercisable for a total of 1,132,953 shares of common stock with a purchase price per share of $0.125 per underlying warrant share and with an exercise price of $3.15 per share. Assuming the warrants are not exercised, net proceeds to the Company were approximately $4.2 million after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses.

Under the Company’s purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC ("LPC"), the Company sold a total of 420,000 shares of common stock to LPC for net proceeds of approximately $1.3 million during the six months ended June 30, 2018. There remains approximately $13 million available under the purchase agreement with LPC, subject to certain limitations and conditions set forth therein.

Revenues

Revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2018 were $58,000 and related to the work performed by the Company as a sub-awardee under the government grant awarded to our collaborator BioAxone Biosciences, Inc. from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The grant provides funding for the development of a novel sd-rxRNA compound, BA-434, that targets PTEN for the treatment of spinal cord injury. The Company had no revenues during the three months ended June 30, 2017.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $1.2 million, as compared with $1.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in clinical-trial related expenses as subject participation is now complete for all of the Company’s clinical trials.

Acquired In-process Research and Development Expense

The Company did not have acquired in-process research and development expense for the three months ended June 30, 2018. During the three months ended June 30, 2017, the Company recorded acquired in-process research and development expense related to the fair value of consideration given in the acquisition of MirImmune.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $0.8 million, as compared with $1.1 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. The decrease was primarily due to decreases in professional fees for legal-related services and payroll-related expenses as a result of a decrease in headcount.

Net Loss

Net loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 was $1.9 million, compared with $2.5 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in operating expenses, as discussed above.

Select Second Quarter 2018 and Recent Corporate Highlights

Select Business and Corporate Highlights

Immuno-oncology

In addition to its internal development programs, the Company has entered into several partnerships across the globe to expand its pipeline to advance development of the next generation immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. In May 2018, RXi established a research collaboration with Iovance Biotherapeutics to evaluate potential synergies between RXi’s novel sd-rxRNA therapeutic compounds and Iovance’s autologous cell therapy based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) for use in the treatment of cancer.

On April 16, 2018, the journal Molecular Therapy published "Self-Delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNA) Targeting PD-1 using Adoptive Cell Therapy Approach for the Treatment of Malignant Melanoma". In this paper scientists demonstrate the potential of improving therapy with patient-derived tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) by treatment with RXi’s novel sd-rxRNA compound that specifically targets PD-1.

Clinical Trials – Dermatology and Opthalmology

The Company issued positive news from both its Dermatology and Opthalmology Franchises, with each franchise comprising advanced clinical programs, robust discovery assets and substantial Intellectual Property rights. The Company has an active process underway to monetize these assets, which would support a return on investment for stockholders and accelerated growth in the immuno-oncology focus area.

Samcyprone for the Treatment of Cutaneous Warts

Samcyprone is a proprietary topical formulation of the small molecule diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP), a topical immunomodulator that works by initiating a T-cell response. Completed Phase 2 trial RXI-SCP-1502, was a multi-center, multi-dose trial conducted in subjects with at least one cutaneous, plantar or periungual wart present for at least four weeks. The study successfully met its primary effectiveness objectives and its secondary safety and tolerability objectives. In addition to the key study objectives, a large amount of data was collected that can inform the design of further pivotal studies in support of future marketing applications.

RXI-109 for the Reduction of Retinal Scarring

RXI-109 is a self-delivering therapeutic RNAi compound that targets connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a key regulator in fibrosis and scar formation. RXI-109-1501 was a multi-dose, dose escalation trial conducted in subjects with advanced neovascular or ‘wet’ age-related macular degeneration and accompanying subretinal fibrosis. This study successfully met its primary objective by showing that RXI-109 is safe and well tolerated in this dose escalation study. This was shown by the absence of dose-limiting and serious toxicities, and only mild to moderate procedure-related adverse events. None of the adverse events were drug related. In addition, comprehensive ocular examinations showed no indications of inflammation or any other tolerability issues related to the treatment. In addition, RXI-109 met its secondary objectives, with improved or stable disease in the study eyes in several subjects.

Intellectual Property

The European Patent Office (EPO) and Japan Patent Office (JPO) have granted patents for the Company’s novel self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNA) therapeutic platform. The EPO Patent #: 2949752 B1 and JPO Patent #: 620309 cover composition of matter, specifically structural and chemical attributes of sd-rxRNA. These patents will be set to expire in 2029.

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.