Aduro Biotech Presents Early Observations From its Personalized Neoantigen-based pLADD Therapy Clinical Study at European Neoantigen Summit

On April 26, 2018 Aduro Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADRO) reported preliminary observations from a case study of a patient with metastatic colorectal cancer treated in Aduro’s ongoing Phase 1 study of its personalized neoantigen-based immunotherapy (pLADD) (Press release, Aduro Biotech, APR 26, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2344899 [SID1234525729]). This Phase 1 proof-of-concept study is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of pLADD immunotherapy in adults with metastatic colorectal cancer that is microsatellite stable (MSS). Data were presented at the European Neoantigen Summit held in Amsterdam (April 24-26, 2018).

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The immunological data presented demonstrated that neoantigens isolated and sequenced from the patient’s tissue samples, and engineered into a personalized immunotherapy, induced neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cells undetectable before pLADD treatment started. In addition to adaptive immunity, pLADD induced an innate response exemplified by gamma delta T cells, also thought to be important for successful immunotherapy. The patient’s neoantigens were selected using state-of-the-art algorithm identification technology developed by Aduro’s collaborator, Hanlee Ji, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

"Although early, the immunological data obtained from this case study is encouraging, as it indicates that our pLADD immunotherapy has the potential to induce a sustained, antigen-specific effect on the immune system," said Andrea van Elsas, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Aduro. "We believe our pLADD approach could offer a differentiated treatment option to patients with MSS colorectal cancer, who represent the vast majority of the colorectal cancer patient population and who have not been responsive to immune checkpoint inhibitors. In addition, these preliminary observations support our plan to combine pLADD with checkpoint inhibitors, which we believe could enhance the overall response in this patient setting. We look forward to reporting additional immunological data from this Phase 1 trial before the end of 2018."

Preclinical data presented showed that mouse pLADD strains targeting tumor-specific neoepitopes induced a robust immune response, including induction of cytokines, chemokines, and antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. In preclinical models of pLADD, remodeling of the tumor microenvironment with an increase in the CD8:Treg ratio was observed. The combination of pLADD with an anti-PD-1 antibody led to a sustained immune response and significantly improved efficacy in these mouse tumor models.

Clinical Design of Phase 1 pLADD Trial in Adults with Metastatic Corlorectal Cancer
The Phase 1 single-arm clinical trial (see www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT03189030) is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of a personalized immunotherapy using patient-specific neoantigens and Aduro’s proprietary Listeria platform technology. The trial is enrolling patients with metastatic colorectal cancer that is microsatellite stable.

About pLADD
Personalized LADD, or pLADD, is a second-generation LADD technology that is designed to leverage the immune-activating activity of the Listeria bacterial vector in combination with neoantigens, which are unique, patient-specific tumor markers exclusively expressed in an individual’s tumor cells. Once administered, pLADD therapies are expected to mobilize the immune system in two ways–first, through the immediate recognition of the presence of Listeria as being foreign, and subsequently, through a specific and customized immune attack on cells containing the tumor neoantigens presented by pLADD.

To create a patient-specific pLADD therapy, a physician begins by removing tumor cells from the patient. These cells are analyzed in order to molecularly characterize (sequence) the tumor, including any mutations that are unique to the patient’s own tumor cells. Predictive algorithms for antigen processing are run to identify pertinent tumor antigens. Aduro then creates a pLADD strain engineered to enable the presentation of multiple selected neoantigens in dendritic cells, with the aim of inducing a targeted, robust anti-cancer immune response.

Aduro received an exclusive license (for use with Listeria based therapetutics) to the proprietary bioinformatics algorithms and computational workflows for neoantigen identification and selection from Stanford University based on technology developed by Dr. Hanlee Ji. The accurate identification of neoantigens, tumor markers that are unique to an individual’s tumor, is believed to be critical in the development of a patient-specific cancer treatment. Aduro’s LADD technology, which has been shown in clinical studies to remodel the tumor microenvironment, will be used to create a patient-specific immunotherapy that is engineered to enable the presentation of multiple selected neoantigens in dendritic cells, with the aim of inducing a targeted, robust anti-cancer immune response.

Protalix BioTherapeutics to Hold First Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Corporate Update Conference Call on May 9, 2018

On April 26, 2018 Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American:PLX) (TASE:PLX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through its proprietary plant cell-based expression system, ProCellEx, reported that it will report first quarter 2018 financial results and provide a corporate update on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 8:30 am ET (Press release, Protalix, APR 26, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2344829 [SID1234525747]).

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To participate in the conference call, please dial the following numbers prior to the start of the call: United States: +1-844-358-6760; International: +1-478-219-0004. Conference ID number 8190507.

The conference call will also be broadcast live and available for replay for two weeks on the Company’s website, www.protalix.com, in the Events Calendar of the Investors section. Please access the Company’s website at least 15 minutes ahead of the conference to register, download, and install any necessary audio software.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Reports First Quarter Financial Results

On April 26 2018, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) reported results for the first quarter of 2018 which were highlighted by strong sales for Opdivo , Eliquis , and Orencia , important regulatory progress in Immuno-Oncology and strategic business development transactions (Press release, Bristol-Myers Squibb, APR 26, 2018, View Source [SID1234525712]).

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"We delivered strong commercial performance with continued growth for our key franchises, Opdivo and Eliquis, and obtained FDA approval for Opdivo plus Yervoy in renal cell carcinoma, a disease with high unmet need which represents an important opportunity for the company," said Giovanni Caforio, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "I am confident that strong commercial execution, upcoming Phase 3 readouts across our oncology pipeline and continued strategic use of business development position us well for future growth."


First Quarter

$ amounts in millions, except per share amounts
2018


2017


Change

Total Revenues $5,193 $4,929 5%
GAAP Diluted EPS 0.91 0.94 (3)%
Non-GAAP Diluted EPS 0.94 0.84 12%

FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS

Bristol-Myers Squibb posted first quarter 2018 revenues of $5.2 billion, an increase of 5% compared to the same period a year ago. Revenues increased 1% when adjusted for foreign exchange impact.
U.S. revenues increased 1% to $2.8 billion in the quarter compared to the same period a year ago. International revenues increased 10%. When adjusted for foreign exchange impact, international revenues increased 1%.
Gross margin as a percentage of revenue decreased from 74.3% to 69.5% in the quarter primarily due to product mix.
Marketing, selling and administrative expenses decreased 10% to $980 million in the quarter.
Research and development expenses decreased 4% to $1.3 billion.
The effective tax rate was 16.0% in the quarter, compared to 21.9% in the first quarter last year.
The company reported net earnings attributable to Bristol-Myers Squibb of $1.5 billion, or $0.91 per share, in the first quarter compared to net earnings of $1.6 billion, or $0.94 per share, for the same period in 2017.
The company reported non-GAAP net earnings attributable to Bristol-Myers Squibb of $1.5 billion, or $0.94 per share, in the first quarter, compared to $1.4 billion, or $0.84 per share, for the same period in 2017. An overview of specified items is discussed under the "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information" section.
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $9.0 billion, with a net cash position of $1.3 billion, as of March 31, 2018.
FIRST QUARTER PRODUCT AND PIPELINE UPDATE

Product Sales/Business Highlights

Global revenues for prioritized brands increased in the first quarter of 2018 by 21% compared to the first quarter of 2017, driven by:

Product


Growth %

Eliquis 37%
Opdivo 34%
Orencia

11%
Sprycel

(5)%
Yervoy (25)%

Opdivo

Regulatory

In April, the European Commission approved an every four-week Opdivo dosing schedule of 480 mg infused over 60 minutes as an option for patients with advanced melanoma and previously treated renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as well as the approval of a two-week Opdivo flat dose option of 240 mg infused over 30 minutes to replace weight-based dosing for all six approved monotherapy indications in the European Union.
In April, the company announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for priority review its supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Opdivo to treat patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) whose disease has progressed after two or more prior lines of therapy. The FDA action date is August 16, 2018.
In April, the company announced the FDA approved the combination of Opdivo plus Yervoy for previously untreated patients with intermediate- and poor-risk advanced RCC.
In March, the company announced the FDA accepted for priority review a sBLA for the Opdivo plus Yervoy combination for the treatment of adults with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan. The FDA action date is July 10, 2018.
In March, the company announced the FDA approved a sBLA updating the Opdivo dosing schedule to include 480 mg infused every four weeks for a majority of approved indications as well as a shorter 30 minute infusion across all approved indications.
Clinical

In April, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, the company presented results from numerous studies of novel agents and Opdivo-based combinations. Key clinical data presented at the meeting include:
CheckMate -227: First presentation of data from the Phase 3 study assessing the Opdivo plus Yervoy combination versus platinum-doublet chemotherapy in first-line advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with high tumor mutational burden (≥10 mutations/megabase). (link)
CheckMate -568: First presentation of data from a Phase 2 study evaluating Opdivo plus Yervoy in treatment naïve patients with advanced NSCLC. Results demonstrated Opdivo 3 mg/kg plus low-dose Yervoy (1mg/kg) identified high tumor mutational burden of ≥10 mutations/megabase (mut/Mb) as an effective cutoff for selecting which patients were most likely to respond to first-line treatment of Opdivo plus Yervoy regardless of tumor PD-L1 expression.
CheckMate -078: First presentation of data from the Phase 3 study evaluating Opdivo monotherapy versus docetaxel in a predominantly Chinese patient population with previously treated advanced NSCLC. (link)
CheckMate -141: Announced a two-year overall survival (OS) update from the Phase 3 study evaluating patients treated with Opdivo over standard of care in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) after failure on platinum-based therapy. (link)
Eliquis

Clinical

In March, at the American College of Cardiology’s 67th Annual Scientific Session & Expo, the company and Pfizer Inc. announced the largest real-world data analysis from studies evaluating different direct oral anticoagulants, including Eliquis, rivaroxaban and dabigatran, for non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients. (link)
FIRST QUARTER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

In April, the company and Illumina, Inc. announced a collaboration that will utilize Illumina’s next-generation sequencing technology to develop and globally commercialize in-vitro diagnostic assays in support of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s oncology portfolio.
In April, the company and Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced a worldwide collaboration to develop and commercialize Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Factor Xia inhibitor program, including BMS-986177, an anticoagulant compound being studied for prevention and treatment of major thrombotic conditions.
In April, the company and the Harvard Fibrosis Network of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute announced a research collaboration to discover and develop potential new therapies for fibrotic diseases, including fibrosis of the liver and heart.
In February, the company announced that Yale Cancer Center will join the International Immuno-Oncology Network, a global peer-to-peer collaboration between Bristol-Myers Squibb and academia that aims to advance translational Immuno-Oncology science.
In February, the company and Nektar Therapeutics announced a global strategic development and commercialization collaboration for Nektar’s lead Immuno-Oncology program, NKTR-214. The companies will jointly develop and commercialize NKTR-214 in combination with Opdivo and Opdivo plus Yervoy in more than 20 indications across nine tumor types.
2018 FINANCIAL GUIDANCE

Bristol-Myers Squibb is decreasing its 2018 GAAP EPS guidance range from $3.00 – $3.15 to $2.70 – $2.80 and increasing its non-GAAP EPS guidance range from $3.15 – $3.30 to $3.35 – $3.45. Both GAAP and non-GAAP guidance assume current exchange rates. Key revised 2018 GAAP and non-GAAP line-item guidance assumptions are:

Worldwide revenues increasing in the mid-single digits.
Research and development expenses increasing in the low-single digits for GAAP.
An effective tax rate between 17% and 18% for both GAAP and non-GAAP.
The financial guidance for 2018 excludes the impact of any potential future strategic acquisitions and divestitures, and any specified items that have not yet been identified and quantified. The non-GAAP 2018 guidance also excludes other specified items as discussed under "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information." Details reconciling adjusted non-GAAP amounts with the amounts reflecting specified items are provided in supplemental materials available on the company’s website.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

This press release contains non-GAAP financial measures, including non-GAAP earnings and related EPS information, that are adjusted to exclude certain costs, expenses, gains and losses and other specified items that are evaluated on an individual basis. These items are adjusted after considering their quantitative and qualitative aspects and typically have one or more of the following characteristics, such as being highly variable, difficult to project, unusual in nature, significant to the results of a particular period or not indicative of future operating results. Similar charges or gains were recognized in prior periods and will likely reoccur in future periods including restructuring costs, accelerated depreciation and impairment of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, R&D charges in connection with the acquisition or licensing of third party intellectual property rights, divestiture and equity investment gains or losses, upfront payments from out-licensed assets, pension charges, legal and other contractual settlements and debt redemption gains or losses, among other items. Deferred and current income taxes attributed to these items are also adjusted for considering their individual impact to the overall tax expense, deductibility and jurisdictional tax rates. Non-GAAP information is intended to portray the results of our baseline performance, supplement or enhance management, analysts and investors overall understanding of our underlying financial performance and facilitate comparisons among current, past and future periods. For example, non-GAAP earnings and EPS information is an indication of our baseline performance before items that are considered by us to not be reflective of our ongoing results. In addition, this information is among the primary indicators we use as a basis for evaluating performance, allocating resources, setting incentive compensation targets and planning and forecasting for future periods. This information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net earnings or diluted EPS prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Statement on Cautionary Factors

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, statements relating to goals, plans and projections regarding the company’s financial position, results of operations, market position, product development and business strategy. These statements may be identified by the fact that they use words such as "anticipate", "estimates", "should", "expect", "guidance", "project", "intend", "plan", "believe" and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. These factors include, among other things, effects of the continuing implementation of governmental laws and regulations related to Medicare, Medicaid, Medicaid managed care organizations and entities under the Public Health Service 340B program, pharmaceutical rebates and reimbursement, market factors, competitive product development and approvals, pricing controls and pressures (including changes in rules and practices of managed care groups and institutional and governmental purchasers), economic conditions such as interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations, judicial decisions, claims and concerns that may arise regarding the safety and efficacy of in-line products and product candidates, changes to wholesaler inventory levels, variability in data provided by third parties, changes in, and interpretation of, governmental regulations and legislation affecting domestic or foreign operations, including tax obligations, changes to business or tax planning strategies, difficulties and delays in product development, manufacturing or sales including any potential future recalls, patent positions and the ultimate outcome of any litigation matter. These factors also include the company’s ability to successfully execute its strategic plans, including its business development strategy, the expiration of patents or data protection on certain products, including assumptions about the company’s ability to retain patent exclusivity of certain products, and the impact and result of governmental investigations. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that future clinical studies will support the data described in this release, that the compounds will receive necessary regulatory approvals, or that they will prove to be commercially successful; nor are there guarantees that regulatory approvals will be sought, or sought within currently expected timeframes, or that contractual milestones will be achieved. For further details and a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see the company’s periodic reports, including the annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Company and Conference Call Information

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

There will be a conference call on April 26, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. EDT during which company executives will review financial information and address inquiries from investors and analysts. Investors and the general public are invited to listen to a live webcast of the call at View Source or by calling the U.S. toll free 866-548-4713 or international 323-794-2093, confirmation code: 4713257. Materials related to the call will be available at the same website prior to the conference call. A replay of the call will be available beginning at 1:30 p.m. EDT on April 26, 2018 through 1:30 p.m. EDT on May 10, 2018. The replay will also be available through View Source or by calling the U.S. toll free 888-203-1112 or international 719-457-0820, confirmation code: 4713257.

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY

PRODUCT REVENUE

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2018 AND 2017

(Unaudited, dollars in millions)

Worldwide Revenues U.S. Revenues
2018 2017
%
Change

2018 2017
%
Change

Three Months Ended March 31,

Prioritized Brands
Opdivo $ 1,511 $ 1,127 34 % $ 938 $ 761 23 %
Eliquis 1,506 1,101 37 % 885 699 27 %
Orencia 593 535 11 % 385 362 6 %
Sprycel 438 463 (5 )% 214 247 (13 )%
Yervoy 249 330 (25 )% 162 243 (33 )%
Empliciti 55 53 4 % 37 36 3 %

Established Brands
Baraclude 225 282 (20 )% 10 14 (29 )%
Sustiva Franchise 84 184 (54 )% 10 153 (93 )%
Reyataz Franchise 124 193 (36 )% 51 88 (42 )%
Hepatitis C Franchise 3 162 (98 )% 5 42 (88 )%
Other Brands 405 499 (19 )% 81 93 (13 )%

Total $ 5,193 $ 4,929 5 % $ 2,778 $ 2,738 1 %

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2018 AND 2017

(Unaudited, dollars and shares in millions except per share data)


Three Months Ended
March 31,

2018 2017
Net product sales $ 4,972 $ 4,580
Alliance and other revenues 221 349
Total Revenues 5,193 4,929

Cost of products sold 1,584 1,265
Marketing, selling and administrative 980 1,085
Research and development 1,250 1,303
Other income (net) (400 ) (679 )
Total Expenses 3,414 2,974

Earnings Before Income Taxes 1,779 1,955
Provision for Income Taxes 284 429

Net Earnings 1,495 1,526
Net Earnings/(Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest 9 (48 )
Net Earnings Attributable to BMS $ 1,486 $ 1,574

Average Common Shares Outstanding:
Basic 1,633 1,662
Diluted 1,640 1,671

Earnings per Common Share
Basic $ 0.91 $ 0.95
Diluted $ 0.91 $ 0.94

Other income (net)
Interest expense $ 46 $ 45
Investment income (36 ) (26 )
Equity investment gains (15 ) (7 )
Provision for restructuring 20 164
Litigation and other settlements — (484 )
Equity in net income of affiliates (24 ) (18 )
Divestiture gains (45 ) (127 )
Royalties and licensing income (367 ) (199 )
Transition and other service fees (4 ) (7 )
Pension and postretirement (11 ) 1
Intangible asset impairment 64 —
Other (28 ) (21 )
Other income (net) $ (400 ) $ (679 )

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY

SPECIFIED ITEMS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2018 AND 2017

(Unaudited, dollars in millions)


Three Months Ended
March 31,

2018 2017
Impairment charges $ 10 $ —
Accelerated depreciation and other shutdown costs 3 —
Cost of products sold 13 —

Marketing, selling and administrative 1 —

License and asset acquisition charges 60 50
IPRD impairments — 75
Site exit costs and other 20 72
Research and development 80 197

Equity investment gains (15 ) —
Provision for restructuring 20 164
Litigation and other settlements — (481 )
Divestiture gains (43 ) (100 )
Royalties and licensing income (50 ) —
Pension charges 31 33
Intangible asset impairment 64 —
Other income (net) 7 (384 )

Increase/(decrease) to pretax income 101 (187 )

Income taxes on specified items (8 ) 72
U.S. tax reform provisional amount adjustment (32 ) —
Income taxes (40 ) 72

Increase/(decrease) to net earnings 61 (115 )

Noncontrolling interest — (59 )

Increase/(decrease) to net earnings used for diluted Non-GAAP EPS calculation $ 61 $ (174 )

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY

RECONCILIATION OF CERTAIN GAAP LINE ITEMS TO CERTAIN NON-GAAP LINE ITEMS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2018 AND 2017

(Unaudited, dollars in millions)

Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
GAAP
Specified
Items(a)


Non-
GAAP

Gross Profit $ 3,609 $ 13 $ 3,622
Marketing, selling and administrative 980 (1 ) 979
Research and development 1,250 (80 ) 1,170
Other income (net) (400 ) (7 ) (407 )
Earnings Before Income Taxes 1,779 101 1,880
Provision for Income Taxes 284 (40 ) 324
Noncontrolling interest 9 — 9

Net Earnings Attributable to BMS used for Diluted EPS Calculation $ 1,486 $ 61 $ 1,547

Average Common Shares Outstanding – Diluted 1,640 1,640 1,640
Diluted Earnings Per Share $ 0.91 $ 0.03 $ 0.94

Effective Tax Rate 16.0 % 1.2 % 17.2 %

Three Months Ended March 31, 2017
GAAP
Specified
Items(a)

Non-
GAAP

Gross Profit $ 3,664 $ — $ 3,664
Marketing, selling and administrative 1,085 — 1,085
Research and development 1,303 (197 ) 1,106
Other income (net) (679 ) 384 (295 )
Earnings Before Income Taxes 1,955 (187 ) 1,768
Provision for Income Taxes 429 72 357
Noncontrolling interest (48 ) (59 ) 11

Net Earnings/(Loss) Attributable to BMS used for Diluted EPS Calculation $ 1,574 $ (174 ) $ 1,400

Average Common Shares Outstanding – Diluted 1,671 1,671 1,671
Diluted Earnings/(Loss) Per Share $ 0.94 $ (0.10 ) $ 0.84

Effective Tax Rate 21.9 % (1.7 )% 20.2 %
(a)

Refer to the Specified Items schedule for further details. Effective tax rate on the Specified Items represents the difference between the GAAP and Non-GAAP effective tax rate.

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY

NET CASH/(DEBT) CALCULATION

AS OF MARCH 31, 2018 AND DECEMBER 31, 2017

(Unaudited, dollars in millions)

March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
Cash and cash equivalents $ 5,342 $ 5,421
Marketable securities – current 1,428 1,391
Marketable securities – non-current 2,252 2,480
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities 9,022 9,292
Short-term debt obligations (1,925 ) (987 )
Long-term debt (5,775 ) (6,975 )
Net cash position $ 1,322 $ 1,330

Alnylam to Webcast Conference Call Discussing First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On April 26, 2018 Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), the leading RNAi therapeutics company, reported that it will report financial results for the first quarter ending March 31, 2018 on Thursday, May 3, 2018, after the U.S. financial markets close (Press release, Alnylam, APR 26, 2018, http://investors.alnylam.com/news-releases/news-release-details/alnylam-webcast-conference-call-discussing-first-quarter-2018 [SID1234525730]).

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Management will provide an update on the Company and discuss first quarter 2018 results as well as expectations for the future via conference call on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 4:30 pm ET. To access the call, please dial 877-312-7507 (domestic) or 631-813-4828 (international) five minutes prior to the start time and refer to conference ID 3294608. A replay of the call will be available beginning at 7:30 pm ET on the day of the call. To access the replay, please dial 855-859-2056 (domestic) or 404-537-3406 (international) and refer to conference ID 3294608.

A live audio webcast of the call will be available on the Investors section of the Company’s website, www.alnylam.com. An archived webcast will be available on the Alnylam website approximately two hours after the event.

Seattle Genetics Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On April 26, 2018 Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGEN) reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018 (Press release, Seattle Genetics, APR 26, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2345077 [SID1234525748]). The company also highlighted ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) commercialization and clinical development accomplishments, and progress with its late-stage clinical programs and pipeline of targeted therapies for cancer.

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"The first quarter of 2018 marked several significant milestones across our business," said Clay Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. "We delivered record ADCETRIS sales that were up 36 percent from the first quarter of 2017, received FDA approval for ADCETRIS in frontline advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, completed the acquisition of Cascadian Therapeutics and were granted FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for our late-stage program enfortumab vedotin in metastatic urothelial cancer. Looking ahead, we are on track to achieve several additional milestones this year, which include reporting data from our phase 3 ECHELON-2 trial of ADCETRIS, completing enrollment of urothelial cancer patients who have received both a platinum-based therapy and a CPI in the pivotal trial of enfortumab vedotin, and initiating a pivotal trial of tisotumab vedotin in cervical cancer. We are striving to build a global oncology company with multiple transformative therapies, and we believe our recent progress illustrates our dedication to making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives."

ADCETRIS Program Activities

Label Expansion in Frontline Hodgkin Lymphoma: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ADCETRIS in combination with chemotherapy in adult patients with previously untreated Stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The approval is based on the successful outcome of the phase 3 ECHELON-1 clinical trial. In addition, data from the ECHELON-1 trial converted the U.S. accelerated approval of ADCETRIS for the treatment of adults with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) after failure of at least one multi-agent chemotherapy regimen to regular approval.
ECHELON-2 Phase 3 Trial: Data are expected in 2018 from the ECHELON-2 phase 3 trial in frontline CD30-expressing peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), also known as mature T-cell lymphoma (MTCL). Approximately 4,000 people are diagnosed annually with CD30-expressing PTCL.
ADCETRIS is not currently approved for use in frontline PTCL.

Enfortumab Vedotin (EV) Program Activities

Breakthrough Therapy Designation Granted: The FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to EV for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who were previously treated with checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) based on data from a phase 1 trial.
EV-201 Pivotal Trial Enrollment Update: By the end of the third quarter of 2018, Seattle Genetics and Astellas expect to complete enrollment in the ongoing EV-201 pivotal trial of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who previously received both a platinum-based chemotherapy and a CPI therapy. Positive data in this subgroup could serve as the basis for a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission under the FDA’s accelerated approval regulations. In addition, the companies plan to continue enrollment in EV-201 for patients who previously received a CPI but not a platinum agent. The additional data could potentially serve as the basis for a second labeled indication.
EV-301 Phase 3 Trial Planned: Seattle Genetics and Astellas plan to initiate in 2018 a phase 3 trial called EV-301 in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer who received prior CPI. The phase 3 trial is intended to support global regulatory submissions for approval and serve as a confirmatory trial in the United States to support conversion of a potential accelerated approval to regular approval.
Tucatinib Program Activities

Cascadian Therapeutics Acquisition Complete: In March 2018, Seattle Genetics completed its acquisition of Cascadian Therapeutics for $10.00 per share in cash, or approximately $614 million. The most advanced program in the Cascadian pipeline is tucatinib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is highly selective for HER2.
HER2CLIMB Pivotal Trial: Enrollment is ongoing in the tucatinib HER2CLIMB trial, a global randomized pivotal trial for patients with HER2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer, including patients with or without brain metastases. The HER2CLIMB trial is expected to be fully enrolled in 2019.
Tisotumab Vedotin (TV) Program Activities

Planned Pivotal Trial Initiation: Seattle Genetics and Genmab plan to advance TV into a pivotal phase 2 trial for recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer that relapses or progresses after standard of care treatment for cervical cancer. The single-arm trial is designed to enroll approximately 100 women and could potentially support registration under the FDA’s accelerated approval regulations. The trial is expected to begin in the first half of 2018.
Expanding Clinical Development Program: Seattle Genetics and Genmab plan to initiate in 2018 a phase 2 trial of TV as part of a combination regimen in women with first-line metastatic cervical cancer. In addition, a phase 2 trial is expected to begin in 2018 to evaluate TV monotherapy in a range of other solid tumors.
Other Recent Activities

Initiated Ladiratuzumab Vedotin (LV) Combination Trial: The first patient was treated in a phase 1b/2 clinical trial of LV in combination with the CPI pembrolizumab for first-line metastatic triple negative breast cancer. The trial is part of a broad clinical development program evaluating LV both as monotherapy and in combination regimens.
Initiated SGN-CD48A Trial: The first patient was dosed in a phase 1 clinical trial of SGN-CD48A for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. SGN-CD48A is an investigational antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeted to CD48 that employs the company’s latest ADC technology.
Pipeline Updates: Based on portfolio and resource prioritization, Seattle Genetics is no longer planning to develop denintuzumab mafodotin and its clinical-stage PBD-based ADC programs.
AACR Presence: Data from multiple research and early clinical abstracts were presented at the 2018 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) annual meeting. These data presentations illustrated the company’s novel antibody and ADC technologies, rationale for combining ADCs with CPIs, and its proprietary immuno-oncology programs. Additionally, Seattle Genetics reported preclinical data describing novel empowered antibody SEA-BCMA for multiple myeloma, which is expected to enter a phase 1 clinical trial during 2018.
ADC Collaborator Milestone: Seattle Genetics achieved a milestone payment under its ongoing collaboration with AbbVie triggered by a phase 2 trial initiation of an ADC for cancer. As of March 31, 2018, the company had generated approximately $400 million from its ADC collaborations, primarily from upfront and milestone payments.
Pieris Collaboration: Seattle Genetics entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Pieris Pharmaceuticals to develop targeted bispecific immuno-oncology treatments.
PharmaMar Collaboration: Seattle Genetics licensed exclusive worldwide rights to certain PharmaMar molecules for use in the development of ADCs.
First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Total revenues in the first quarter ended March 31, 2018 increased to $140.6 million, compared to $109.1 million for the same period in 2017. Revenues in the first quarter of 2018 included:

ADCETRIS net sales of $95.4 million, a 36 percent increase from net sales of $70.3 million in the first quarter of 2017.
Royalty revenues of $15.7 million, compared to $17.0 million in the first quarter of 2017. Royalty revenues are primarily driven by international sales of ADCETRIS by Takeda. The decrease was a result of the company adopting the new accounting standards for revenue recognition.
Amounts earned under the company’s ADCETRIS and ADC collaborations totaling $29.6 million, compared to $21.8 million in the first quarter of 2017.
Total costs and expenses for the first quarter of 2018 were $234.4 million, compared to $168.4 million for the first quarter of 2017. Costs and expenses in the first quarter of 2018 included:

Research and development expenses of $152.5 million, compared to $118.2 million for the same period in 2017. The increase in 2018 reflects tucatinib development activities and $35.0 million in upfront costs related to technology licensing with Pieris and PharmaMar. In addition, 2018 expenses reflect increased activities for tisotumab vedotin, ladiratuzumab vedotin and the company’s pipeline programs.
Selling, general and administrative expenses of $66.2 million, compared to $38.4 million for the same period in 2017. The increase reflects transaction costs associated with the acquisition of Cascadian Therapeutics and increased commercial costs to support the launch of ADCETRIS in frontline Hodgkin lymphoma.
Non-cash, share-based compensation cost for the first quarter of 2018 was $16.8 million, compared to $14.5 million for the first quarter of 2017.

Net loss for the first quarter of 2018 was $111.7 million, or $0.73 per share, compared to a net loss of $60.0 million, or $0.42 per share, for the first quarter of 2017. Net loss for the quarter includes a non-cash charge of $18.8 million associated with Seattle Genetics’ common stock holdings in Immunomedics and Unum Therapeutics.

As of March 31, 2018, Seattle Genetics had $399.9 million in cash and investments, excluding its Immunomedics and Unum common stock investments, which were valued at $179.5 million. The cash and investments balance reflects net proceeds of $658.2 million from the company’s equity financing completed in February 2018, which was primarily used to fund the March 2018 acquisition of Cascadian Therapeutics for approximately $614.1 million.

2018 Financial Outlook

As a result of the recent approval of ADCETRIS in combination with chemotherapy in adult patients with previously untreated Stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma, the company’s full year 2018 ADCETRIS sales guidance provided in February 2018 no longer reflects management’s expectations and is being withdrawn. For the second quarter of 2018, Seattle Genetics expects sales of ADCETRIS will be in the range of $105 million to $110 million.

As a result of expenses totaling approximately $50 million in the first quarter of 2018 related to the acquisition of Cascadian and upfront technology in-licensing costs, as well as additional forecasted operating costs attributed to the tucatinib program, the company increased its expectations for 2018 operating expenses and other costs as follows:

Conference Call Details

Seattle Genetics’ management will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its first quarter financial results and provide an update on business activities. The event will be held today at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (PT); 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The live event will be available from the Seattle Genetics website at www.seattlegenetics.com, under the Investors section, or by calling 800-263-0877 (domestic) or 646-828-8143 (international). The conference ID is 9171561. A replay of the discussion will be available on April 26, 2018 from the Seattle Genetics website or by calling 888-203-1112 (domestic) or 719-457-0820 (international), using conference ID 9171561. The telephone replay will be available until 5:00 p.m. PT on Monday, April 30, 2018.