Ultragenyx to Host Conference Call for First Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Corporate Update

On May 1, 2018 Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ:RARE), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel products for rare and ultra-rare diseases, reported that it will host a conference call on Monday, May 7, 2018 at 5pm ET to discuss first quarter 2018 financial results and provide a corporate update (Press release, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, MAY 1, 2018, http://ir.ultragenyx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ultragenyx-host-conference-call-first-quarter-2018-financial [SID1234525930]).

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The live and replayed webcast of the call will be available through the company’s website at View Source To participate in the live call by phone, dial 855-797-6910 (USA) or 262-912-6260 (international) and enter the passcode 3748439. The replay of the call will be available for one year.

Gilead Sciences Announces First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On May 1, 2018 Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) reported its results of operations for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018 (Press release, Gilead Sciences, MAY 1, 2018, View Source [SID1234525893]).

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The financial results that follow represent a year-over-year comparison of the first quarter 2018 to the first quarter 2017. Total revenues were $5.1 billion in 2018 compared to $6.5 billion in 2017. Net income was $1.5 billion or $1.17 per diluted share in 2018 compared to $2.7 billion or $2.05 per diluted share in 2017. Non-GAAP net income, which excludes amounts related to acquisition-related, stock-based compensation and other expenses, and unrealized gains from marketable equity securities, was $2.0 billion or $1.48 per diluted share in 2018 compared to $2.9 billion or $2.23 per diluted share in 2017.

Three Months Ended
March 31,
(In millions, except per share amounts) 2018 2017
Product sales $ 5,001 $ 6,377
Royalty, contract and other revenues 87 128
Total revenues $ 5,088 $ 6,505

Net income attributable to Gilead $ 1,538 $ 2,702
Non-GAAP net income*

$ 1,958 $ 2,949

Diluted earnings per share $ 1.17 $ 2.05
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share*

$ 1.48 $ 2.23

*


Non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share exclude acquisition-related, stock-based compensation and other expenses, and unrealized gains from marketable equity securities. A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP financial information is provided in the tables on pages 7 and 8.

Product Sales

Total product sales for the first quarter of 2018 were $5.0 billion compared to $6.4 billion for the same period in 2017. Product sales for the first quarter of 2018 were $3.5 billion in the United States, $1.0 billion in Europe and $469 million in other locations. Product sales for the first quarter of 2017 were $4.5 billion in the United States, $1.3 billion in Europe and $661 million in other locations.

Antiviral Product Sales

Antiviral product sales, which include sales of HIV, chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and chronic hepatitis C (HCV) products, were $4.4 billion for the first quarter of 2018 compared to $5.8 billion for the same period in 2017.

HIV and HBV product sales were $3,329 million for the first quarter of 2018 compared to $3,265 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to the continued uptake of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF)-based products, which include Genvoya (elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 10 mg), Descovy (emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg) and Odefsey (emtricitabine 200 mg/rilpivirine 25 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg).
HCV product sales, which consist of Epclusa (sofosbuvir 400 mg/velpatasvir 100 mg), Harvoni (ledipasvir 90 mg/sofosbuvir 400 mg), Vosevi (sofosbuvir 400 mg/velpatasvir 100 mg/voxilaprevir 100 mg) and Sovaldi (sofosbuvir 400 mg), were $1,046 million for the first quarter of 2018 compared to $2,576 million for the same period in 2017. The decline was primarily due to lower sales of Harvoni and Sovaldi across all major markets and lower sales of Epclusa in the United States as a result of increased competition.
Other Product Sales

Other product sales, which include Letairis (ambrisentan), Ranexa (ranolazine), AmBisome (amphotericin B liposome for injection) and Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel), were $626 million for the first quarter of 2018 compared to $536 million for the same period in 2017.

Operating Expenses

Three Months Ended
March 31,
(In millions) 2018 2017
Research and development expenses (R&D) $ 937 $ 931
Non-GAAP R&D expenses* $ 814 $ 889

Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) $ 997 $ 850
Non-GAAP SG&A expenses* $ 884 $ 807

*
Non-GAAP R&D and SG&A expenses exclude acquisition-related, stock-based compensation and other expenses. A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP financial information is provided in the tables on pages 7 and 8.

During the first quarter of 2018, compared to the same period in 2017:

R&D expenses increased primarily due to stock-based compensation expenses associated with Gilead’s acquisition of Kite Pharma, Inc. (Kite). The increase was partially offset by lower expenses resulting from Gilead’s purchase of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) priority review voucher in the first quarter of 2017.
Non-GAAP R&D expenses* decreased primarily due to the 2017 impact of Gilead’s purchase of an FDA priority review voucher.
SG&A expenses increased primarily due to stock-based compensation expenses associated with Gilead’s acquisition of Kite, higher costs to support Gilead’s product launches including Biktarvy (bictegravir 50 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg) and Yescarta, geographic expansion and increased expenses to support the growth of Gilead’s business following the acquisition of Kite.
Non-GAAP SG&A expenses* increased primarily due to higher costs to support Gilead’s product launches including Biktarvy and Yescarta, geographic expansion and increased expenses to support the growth of Gilead’s business following the acquisition of Kite.
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities

As of March 31, 2018, Gilead had $32.1 billion of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities compared to $36.7 billion as of December 31, 2017. During the first quarter of 2018, Gilead generated $2.3 billion in operating cash flow, fully repaid the $4.5 billion term loans borrowed in connection with Gilead’s acquisition of Kite, utilized $1.0 billion on stock repurchases and paid cash dividends of $753 million.

Full Year 2018 Guidance Reiterated

Gilead reiterates its full year 2018 guidance, initially provided on February 6, 2018:

(In millions, except percentages and per share amounts)
Initially Provided
February 6, 2018

Net Product Sales $20,000 – $21,000
Non-GAAP*
Product Gross Margin 85% – 87%
R&D Expenses $3,400 – $3,600
SG&A Expenses $3,400 – $3,600
Effective Tax Rate 21.0% – 23.0%
Diluted EPS Impact of Acquisition-related, Up-front Collaboration, Stock-based Compensation and Other Expenses $1.41 – $1.51
*
Non-GAAP Product Gross Margin, R&D and SG&A expenses and effective tax rate exclude acquisition-related, up-front collaboration, stock-based compensation and other expenses, fair value adjustments of marketable equity securities and potential measurement period adjustments relating to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Reform). A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP full year 2018 guidance is provided in the tables on page 9.

Corporate Highlights

Announced that Norbert Bischofberger, Ph.D., has decided to step down from his role as Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer, effective at the end of April 2018. John McHutchison, M.D., Executive Vice President, Clinical Research, has been appointed Chief Scientific Officer and assumed responsibility for the company’s research and development organization. Also effective in April, Andrew Cheng, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Clinical Research & Development Operations, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer.
Announced that James Meyers, Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations, has retired.
Announced that Jacqueline K. Barton, Ph.D., has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors.
Product and Pipeline Updates announced by Gilead during the First Quarter of 2018 include:

HIV Programs

Presented data at the 2018 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, which included the announcement of:
Detailed 48-week results from a Phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of switching from a regimen containing abacavir, dolutegravir and lamivudine (600/50/300 mg) (ABC/DTG/3TC) to Biktarvy, a once-daily single tablet regimen, in virologically suppressed adults with HIV. Through week 48, Biktarvy was found to be statistically non-inferior to ABC/DTG/3TC with a numerically lower incidence of mild or moderate study drug-related adverse events and no treatment-emergent resistance;
48-week results from a Phase 3 study of 470 virologically suppressed adult women with HIV infection, evaluating the efficacy and safety of switching from a boosted protease inhibitor (bPI) or boosted elvitegravir-containing regimen to Biktarvy. In the ongoing study, Biktarvy was found to be statistically non-inferior to regimens containing a bPI or boosted elvitegravir and demonstrated no treatment-emergent resistance at 48 weeks; and
Results from a preclinical study conducted in collaboration with researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center evaluating the combination of a proprietary investigational oral toll-like receptor 7 agonist, GS-9620, and a proprietary investigational broadly neutralizing antibody, as part of an HIV eradication strategy.
Announced that FDA has approved Biktarvy for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
Oncology and Cell Therapy Programs

Announced a worldwide collaboration with Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. (Sangamo) using Sangamo’s zinc finger nuclease technology platform for the development of next-generation ex vivo cell therapies in oncology.
Announced a clinical trial collaboration with Pfizer, Inc. (Pfizer) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the investigational combination of Yescarta and Pfizer’s utomilumab, a fully humanized 4-1BB agonist monoclonal antibody, in patients with refractory large B-cell lymphoma.

Infinity Announces The Date Of Its First Quarter 2018 Financial Results Conference Call And Webcast

On May 1, 2018 Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INFI) reported that it will host a conference call on Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at 4:30 p.m. ET to review its first quarter 2018 financial results and provide an update on the company (Press release, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, MAY 1, 2018, View Source [SID1234525913]).

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A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed in the Investors/Media section of Infinity’s website at www.infi.com. To participate in the conference call, please dial 1-877-316-5293 (domestic) and 1-631-291-4526 (international) five minutes prior to start time. The conference ID number is 2479309. An archived version of the webcast will be available on Infinity’s website for 30 days.

VBL Therapeutics to Report First Quarter 2018 Financial Results on May 17

On May 1, 2018 VBL Therapeutics (Nasdaq:VBLT), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class treatments for cancer, reported that it will host a conference call and live audio webcast on Thursday, May 17 at 8:30am Eastern Time to report first quarter ended March 31, 2018 financial results (Press release, VBL Therapeutics, MAY 1, 2018, View Source [SID1234525931]).

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Thursday, May 17th @ 8:30am Eastern Time
US Domestic: 877-222-6394
International: 1-703-925-2702
Conference ID: 9993639
Webcast: View Source

Replays, Available through May 31, 2018
US Domestic: 855-859-2056
International: 1-404-537-3406
Conference ID: 9993639

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Enters into a Next-Generation Sequencing Companion Diagnostic Partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific

On May 1, 2018 Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NasdaqGS: SPPI), a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations with a primary focus in hematology and oncology, reported it has entered into an agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific to leverage the Oncomine Dx Target Test as a companion diagnostic for Spectrum’s novel pan-HER inhibitor, poziotinib, which is in development for the treatment of non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR and HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations (Press release, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, MAY 1, 2018, View Source [SID1234525894]).

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"Spectrum is committed to precision medicine for unmet medical needs in oncology," said Tom Riga, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating and Commercial Officer of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. "Thermo Fisher pioneered next-generation sequencing as the first multi-drug companion diagnostic for patients with non-small cell lung cancer when Oncomine Dx Target Test received premarket approval by the FDA in June 2017. Therefore, we believe Thermo Fisher will be an outstanding partner to help us advance the development of poziotinib. As promising clinical data continue to emerge with poziotinib for the treatment of patients with EGFR and HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations, the expansion of Oncomine Dx Target Test will aid in faster detection and future treatment of patients who are not well-served by currently available therapies."

Oncomine Dx Target Test is FDA approved to simultaneously report 23 genes clinically associated with NSCLC. Of those 23, three contain markers that are approved for use as companion diagnostics, enabling physicians to match patients to three FDA-approved therapies in days instead of weeks. The test uses Thermo Fisher’s proprietary Ion PGM Dx sequencing platform to interrogate patient samples with high reproducibility and rapid turnaround times, even when limited tumor tissue is available.

Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, the goal of the expanded use of the Oncomine Dx Target Test is to identify NSCLC patients with EGFR or HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations who may be candidates for treatment with poziotinib in Spectrum’s global territories.

"We are pleased to partner with Spectrum Pharmaceuticals to help advance its drug development program and expand the clinical utility of Oncomine Dx Target Test," said Joydeep Goswami, president of Clinical Next-Generation Sequencing and Oncology at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "We remain committed to help drive better health outcomes for patients who can benefit from targeted therapies more quickly."

About Poziotinib

Poziotinib is a novel, Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (EGFR TKI) that inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity of EGFR as well as HER2 and HER4. Importantly this, in turn, leads to the inhibition of the proliferation of tumor cells that overexpress these receptors. Mutations or overexpression/amplification of EGFR family receptors have been associated with a number of different cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), breast cancer, and gastric cancer. Spectrum received exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize worldwide excluding Korea and China from Hanmi Pharmaceuticals. Poziotinib is currently being investigated by Spectrum and Hanmi in several mid-stage trials in multiple solid tumor indications.