On May 8, 2018 Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACRS), a dermatologist-led biopharmaceutical company committed to identifying, developing, and commercializing innovative therapies to address significant unmet needs in aesthetic and medical dermatology, and immunology, reported financial results for the first quarter 2018 and provided an update on its clinical development and commercial programs (Press release, Aclaris Therapeutics, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526222]).

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"The first quarter of 2018 was a busy one as we prepared for the launch of ESKATA (hydrogen peroxide) Topical Solution, 40% (w/w), the first and only FDA-approved topical treatment for raised seborrheic keratosis (SK). We held the ESKATA Launch Meeting last week, and ESKATA is now officially available for physicians and their patients," said Brett Fair, Chief Commercial Officer of Aclaris.

Commercial Update:

Successful rollout and implementation of the ESKATA Early Experience Initiative (EEI).

Program expanded to over 700 accounts to accommodate market demand for ESKATA.

Ongoing in-service programs to support successful training and product integration.

Positive initial ESKATA feedback from EEI program captured in physician and patient post-application surveys.

Aclaris sales force successful in generating a significant number of ESKATA pre-orders from targeted accounts ahead of official launch meeting.

Commenced health care provider (HCP) order processing and shipping the week of April 23, 2018.

ESKATA Launch Campaign Highlights:

ESKATA Launch Meeting held April 30 – May 4, 2018; Unveiled New ESKATA Campaign; sales force trained on new tools and resources to support a successful ESKATA launch.

ESKATA Consumer website (www.eskata.com) launched May 1, 2018; includes "Find A Doctor" resource for patients seeking ESKATA treatment.

ESKATA HCP website (www.eskatahcp.com) updated with new campaign and downloadable tools/resources for offices.

ESKATA Peer-to-peer Speaker Programs beginning in May 2018.
"In March, we announced positive results from the 3-month follow-up portion of the WART-203 Phase 2 clinical trial of A-101 45% Topical Solution (A-101 45%) for the treatment of common warts (verruca vulgaris). We are also advancing our topical Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor programs, with results from multiple Phase 2 trials expected this year. As our early-stage pipeline compounds advance towards the clinic, we continue to progress towards our goal of becoming a vertically integrated, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company with a robust clinical-stage pipeline and drug discovery engine," said Dr. Neal Walker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aclaris.

Clinical Pipeline Update:

A-101 45% Topical Solution

In March 2018, announced positive results from the 3-month, post-treatment, follow-up evaluation period of the twice-weekly placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial (WART-203) of A-101 45% Topical Solution (A-101 45%), an investigational new drug consisting of a proprietary high-concentration stabilized hydrogen peroxide topical solution being developed as a prescription treatment for common warts (verruca vulgaris).

Over the 3-month post-treatment follow-up period, clinically and statistically significant greater improvements in common wart reduction and clearance vs. placebo were observed among subjects treated with A-101 45%.

Scheduled an End of Phase 2 meeting with the FDA for mid-2018, and plan to initiate two pivotal Phase 3 trials in the second half of 2018.
JAK Inhibitor Candidates

AA-202 Topical – an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of ATI-502 for the topical treatment of alopecia areata (AA). This trial will evaluate the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of ATI-502 compared with placebo in 12 patients with AA. This randomized, double-blind clinical trial is being conducted at two investigational centers within the United States, and topline data are expected in the first half of 2018. After completing the 28-day portion of the trial, patients will then enter a 6-month open label extension during which all patients will receive drug.

AUATB-201 Topical – an ongoing Phase 2 open-label clinical trial of ATI-502 for the topical treatment of AA. This trial will evaluate the effect of ATI-502 on the regrowth of eyebrows in up to 24 patients with AA. This trial is being conducted at two investigational centers in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, and topline qualitative data are expected mid-2018.

AA-201 Topical – an ongoing Phase 2 dose ranging trial of ATI-502 for the topical treatment of AA. This trial will evaluate the effect of two concentrations of ATI-502 on the regrowth of hair in a randomized, double-blinded, parallel-group, vehicle-controlled trial in up to 120 patients with AA. This trial is being conducted in the United States and data are expected by year end 2018.

VITI-201 Topical – an ongoing Phase 2 open-label clinical trial of ATI-502 for the topical treatment of vitiligo. This trial will evaluate the effect of ATI-502 on the repigmentation of facial skin in up to 24 patients with vitiligo and data are expected in the first half of 2019.

AGA-201 Topical – an ongoing Phase 2 open-label clinical trial of ATI-502 for the topical treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA), also known as male/female pattern hair loss. This trial will evaluate the effect of ATI-502 on the regrowth of hair in up to 24 patients with AGA and data are expected in first half of 2019.

AUAT-201 Oral – a planned Phase 2 dose ranging trial of ATI-501, an oral JAK inhibitor for the treatment of AA, which is anticipated to begin in the first half of 2018. This trial will evaluate the effect of two concentrations of ATI-501 on the regrowth of hair in a randomized, double-blinded, parallel-group, vehicle-controlled trial in 120 to 160 patients with AA. This trial will be conducted in the United States and data are expected in mid-2019.
ATI-450 (MK-2 Inhibitor)

Investigational New Drug application on track for submission to the FDA in mid-2019.
Recent Corporate Highlights

Exclusively licensed the Canadian rights to commercialize A-101 40% Topical Solution for the treatment of raised seborrheic keratoses to Cipher Pharmaceuticals.

Appointed Bryan Reasons as a director and Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Financial Highlights

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of March 31, 2018, Aclaris had aggregate cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $187.0 million compared to $208.9 million as of December 31, 2017. The $21.9 million decrease during the quarter ended March 31, 2018 included:

Net loss of $30.2 million, offset by $5.4 million of non-cash stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, $2.1 million of net cash provided by changes in operating assets and liabilities, and $0.9 million for a non-cash expense associated with an increase in the fair value of a contingent consideration liability.

$0.3 million of cash used for purchases of property and equipment.

$0.4 million in cash proceeds from the exercise of employee stock options.
Aclaris anticipates that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2018 will be sufficient to fund its operations into the second half of 2019, without giving effect to any potential new business development transactions or financing activities.

First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Net loss was $30.2 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to $12.6 million for the first quarter of 2017.

Revenue of $1.1 million and cost of revenue of $1.0 million for the first quarter of 2018 related to Aclaris’s contract research business acquired in August 2017.

Total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2018 were $31.1 million, compared to $12.9 million for the first quarter of 2017.
Research and development expenses were $13.6 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to $7.8 million for the first quarter of 2017. The increase of $5.8 million was primarily attributable to a $2.7 million increase in expenses related to the preclinical and clinical development of Aclaris’s JAK inhibitor portfolio, a $1.3 million increase in medical affairs activities and early-stage drug discovery, a $0.9 million increase in fair value of the contingent consideration liability, a $0.8 million increase in Aclaris’s A-101 45% topical solution program as Phase 2 clinical trials were initiated in June 2017, and a $0.6 million increase in personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation, due to increased headcount. These increases were partially offset by a $0.5 million decrease in ESKATA development expenses in the first quarter of 2018.

Sales and marketing expenses were $11.2 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to $1.4 million for the first quarter of 2017. The $9.8 million increase is mainly due to increases in direct marketing and professional fees, as well as other sales and marketing expenses of $5.8 million, in preparation for the commercial launch of ESKATA in the second quarter of 2018. Personnel expenses, including stock-based compensation, increased by $4.0 million as Aclaris completed the hiring of its field sales force in the first quarter of 2018.

General and administrative expenses were $6.3 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to $3.7 million for the first quarter of 2017. The increase of $2.6 million was primarily attributable to $1.6 million in higher personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation, due to increased headcount, a $0.4 million increase in professional and legal fees, and a $0.5 million increase in facility, support and other general and administrative expenses.
2018 Financial Outlook

Aclaris reiterated its expected 2018 GAAP research and development (R&D) expenses to be in the range of $67 to $75 million, including estimated stock-based compensation of $9 million. The anticipated increase in R&D expenses in 2018 is mainly due to the planned execution of Phase 2 clinical trials in AA, AGA, and vitiligo, two planned pivotal Phase 3 trials in common warts, and the development of our early stage pipeline compounds.

Aclaris reiterated its expected 2018 GAAP selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses to be in the range of $80 to $86 million, including estimated stock-based compensation of $14 million. The anticipated increase in SG&A expenses in 2018 is primarily the result of the deployment of Aclaris’s new sales force in January 2018 and the additional selling, marketing and consumer initiatives to support the commercial launch of ESKATA.
Company to Host Conference Call
Management will conduct a conference call at 5:00 P.M. ET today to discuss Aclaris’ financial results and provide a general business update. The conference will be webcast live over the Internet and can be accessed by logging on to the "Investors" page of the Aclaris Therapeutics website, www.aclaristx.com, prior to the event. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Aclaris Therapeutics website for 30 days following the call.

To participate on the live call, please dial (844) 776-7782 (domestic) or (661) 378-9535 (international), and reference conference ID 7386579 prior to the start of the call

On May 8, 2018 OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPK) reported financial results and business highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2018 (Press release, Opko Health, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526238]).

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Financial Highlights

Consolidated revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2018 were $254.9 million compared with $266.4 million for the comparable period of 2017.

Revenue from services were $211.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared with $228.6 million for the comparable 2017 period. While not directly comparable, this represents a marked improvement from the most recently completed quarter ended December 31, 2017.

Revenue from products included $3.7 million of revenue from RAYALDEE during the first quarter of 2018. Revenues from RAYALDEE were deferred during the initial launch period so there is no prior-year comparison.
During the three months ended March 31, 2018, operating expenses included investment in commercial activities supporting the launch of RAYALDEE of $7.3 million and continued investment in our pharmaceutical pipeline, with R&D expense increasing $6.3 million to $32.9 million compared with $26.6 million for the 2017 period.

Net loss of $43.1 million or $0.08 per share during the three months ended March 31, 2018 compares with a net loss of $34.5 million or $0.06 per share for the comparable period of 2017

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $99.9 million as of March 31, 2018.

"We are pleased to report steady sequential-quarter growth for RAYALDEE and 4Kscore, as well as improvement in our lab business from Q4 of last year," said Phillip Frost, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OPKO Health. "The improved first quarter results were in line with our expectations, starting 2018 positively coming off challenging fourth quarter 2017 results. These factors, taken together, reflect progress across the breadth of our commercial and laboratory services."

Business Highlights

RAYALDEE total prescriptions reported by IMS for Q1 2018 increased 730% compared with Q1 2017 and 38% compared with Q4 2017: As of May 1, 2018, more than 79% of patients had access to RAYALDEE under their insurance plans.

4Kscore utilization in Q1 2018 increased 13% compared with Q1 2017: Five abstracts of studies further demonstrating the utility of the 4Kscore test in the management of prostate cancer are to be presented at the American Urological Association meeting May 18-21.

Appointed Geoff Monk as General Manager, BioReference Laboratories: Mr. Monk is well prepared to lead BRL with more than 20 years of management experience in the diagnostic laboratory business. Mr. Monk was previously Managing Director of the New York and New Jersey unit of Quest Diagnostics.

Advanced the Phase 2b trial for our SARM (selective androgen receptor modulator) to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): Enrollment is ongoing in this dose-ranging study for our orally administered SARM. This medicine is expected to improve the symptoms of BPH by reducing prostate size and, on the basis of data from a previous trial in 350 men, increase muscle mass and bone strength and decrease body fat. BPH affects approximately 50 million men in the U.S.

Initiated a Phase 2b clinical trial for OPK88003, our once-weekly oxyntomodulin dual GLP1-Glucagon agonist to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity: In a previous Phase 2 trial in 420 overweight patients with type 2 diabetes, the drug was shown to be safe and effective. The current trial is to study a new dosing schedule to achieve even greater weight loss.

Premarket Approval (PMA) application for Claros point-of-care PSA test under review by FDA: OPKO has submitted a PMA for a PSA test utilizing the Claros 1 immunoassay analyzer, a novel diagnostic instrument that can provide rapid, quantitative blood test results in 10 minutes in the physician’s office with only a finger stick drop of whole blood. A second product utilizing the Claros platform to measure testosterone is advancing toward a 510(k) submission to the FDA later this year.

Global and Japanese Phase 3 registration trials for hGH-CTP in pediatric growth hormone deficient children are continuing to enroll patients: The global pediatric study compares a single weekly administration with daily injections of a currently marketed growth hormone product. The global and Japanese pediatric studies utilize the pen device and formulation that will be launched commercially upon approval. The pediatric segment represents more than 80% of the market for treatment of hGH deficiency.

Initiation of three additional Phase 2 clinical trials are anticipated in 2018:

RAYALDEE line extension in dialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT): Together with our partners, Vifor Fresenius and Japan Tobacco, OPKO is developing RAYALDEE for Stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with SHPT undergoing dialysis and anticipates initiating a global Phase 2 trial during Q3 of this year.

OPKO’s NK-1 antagonist to treat pruritus (itching) in Stage 5 CKD patients undergoing dialysis: An Investigational New Drug application was submitted to the FDA and plans are being finalized to begin a single-dose Phase 2a trial in dialysis patients to treat severe itching. Approximately 50% of renal dialysis patients experience pruritus.

OPKO’s AntagoNAT oligonucleotide OPK88001 to treat Dravet’s syndrome: Three clinical research centers in the United States are expected to participate in this first-in-human trial of OPKO’s AntagoNAT to treat Dravet’s syndrome.
Conference Call & Webcast Information

OPKO’s senior management will provide a business update and discuss results in greater detail in a conference call and live audio webcast at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time today. The conference call dial-in and webcast information is as follows:

WHEN: Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time.
DOMESTIC DIAL-IN: 866-634-2258
INTERNATIONAL DIAL-IN : 330-863-3454
PASSCODE: 5976529
WEBCAST: View Source

For those unable to participate in the live conference call or webcast, a replay will be available beginning May 8, 2018 two hours after the close of the conference call. To access the replay, dial (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406. The replay passcode is: 5976529. The replay can be accessed for a period of time on OPKO’s website at View Source.

On May 8, 2018 Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLCM), a leader in developing novel, controllable cellular immunotherapies for cancers and orphan inherited blood disorders,reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018, and provided an update on recent developments(Press release, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526254]).

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"We remain very encouraged with interim results from our BPX-501 program in malignant and nonmalignant pediatric patients, and remain on track for filing of MAAs in the European Union in 2019," said Bellicum’s President & CEO Rick Fair. "We are also working to expand the BPX-501 opportunity into the U.S. and into the adult stem cell transplant population with the planned initiation of two new clinical trials later this year. In our BPX-601 GoCAR-T program, we reported early promising first-in-human data on CAR-T cell expansion with the use of our iMC activation switch. We look forward to sharing data readouts on all our clinical programs during 2018, and providing further guidance on our plans to advance two new dual-switch controllable CAR-T candidates into clinical studies."

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS AND CURRENT UPDATES

Clinical Hold Lifted by FDA on U.S. Studies of BPX-501
The Company is now working with U.S. clinical sites to resume patient recruitment based on amended study protocols, including guidance on monitoring and management of neurologic adverse events. The FDA clinical hold did not affect the BP-004 registration trial in Europe.

BPX-501 E.U. Registration Trial Enrollment Complete
Enrollment was recently completed in the treatment arm of the BP-004 E.U. registration trial in malignant and nonmalignant pediatric patients undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant (haplo-HSCT). The Company expects to have topline data at the end of 2018, followed by a readout of comparative data from its ongoing C-004 observational study in children receiving a matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplant without BPX-501. Bellicum expects to file for E.U. approvals of BPX-501 and rimiducid in 2019.

BPX-501 Interim Survival Results Reported
In March, the Company announced favorable interim results in pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with overall survival of 97.3% in patients with a median follow-up of over one year. The Company also reported new updated interim data in pediatric patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) undergoing a curative haplo-HSCT with BPX-501. Abstracts providing more comprehensive interim data on these patients have been accepted for presentation at the 23rd Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) to be held in Stockholm in June.

CAR-T and TCR Phase 1 Studies Enrolling
Bellicum and its collaborators are currently enrolling Phase 1 clinical trials of three CAR-T and TCR programs featuring its industry-leading cellular control technology: BPX-601, BPX-701, and an academic collaborator’s CaspaCIDe-enabled CD19 CAR-T. The Company expects to report preliminary findings from all three studies at medical meetings later this year. BPX-601, the Company’s first GoCAR-T product candidate—differentiated by the inclusion of its proprietary iMC activation switch—is the first controllable CAR-T to enter clinical trials and is being studied in adults with nonresectable pancreatic cancer who test positive for prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA). The Company recently reported that the first patient dosed with rimiducid in the BPX-601 trial showed a robust expansion of circulating BPX-601 cells following a single dose of rimiducid, providing initial clinical proof of concept of the iMC activation switch. As enrollment continues, the Company is preparing to amend the trial to include additional PSCA-expressing tumors. In the Phase 1 study with BPX-701, Bellicum is working to add clinical sites to accelerate enrollment.

Progressing Next-Generation Dual-Switch Preclinical Programs
Leveraging its innovative technology platform, Bellicum has created next-generation controllable CAR-Ts that incorporate both activation and safety switches in the same T cell. At the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in April, the Company presented promising preclinical results highlighting the ability to manage expansion, persistence and safety of tumor antigen-specific CAR-T cells, potentially allowing for more aggressive anti-tumor therapies. The Company has nominated two new dual-switch CAR-Ts for clinical trials next year, and will provide additional details on these programs later this year.

Underwritten Public Offering of Common Stock
In April, Bellicum completed a public offering of 9.2 million shares, including 1.2 million shares sold under the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, at $7.50 per share. The aggregate offering size was $69.0 million before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses.

First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Cash Position and Guidance: Bellicum ended the quarter on March 31, 2018 with cash, restricted cash and investments totaling $88.0 million, compared to $106.5 million at December 31, 2017. Based on current operating plans, Bellicum expects that current cash resources, including proceeds from its April 2018 public offering, will be sufficient to meet operating requirements through the end of 2019.

R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $16.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, compared to $15.3 million for the comparable period in 2017. The increase of approximately $1.2 million is primarily due to increased general research and development and collaboration costs of $1.9 million and increased costs related to BPX-701 of $0.2 million, partially offset by reduced costs related to BPX-501 of $0.9 million. Costs related to BPX-601 were comparable in each of the three-month periods.

G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $5.7 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018, compared to $5.9 million during the comparable period in 2017. The decrease in G&A expenses in 2018 is primarily due to severance costs related to former executive officers incurred in the three months ended March 31, 2017.

Net Loss: Bellicum reported a net loss of $22.8 million during the first quarter of 2018 and $22.0 million during the comparable period in 2017. The results include non-cash, share-based compensation charges and depreciation of $5.0 million and $4.1 million in the first quarters of 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Shares Outstanding:

Bellicum had 34,288,556 and 42,873,045 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2018 and April 30, 2018, respectively. The increase in the number of outstanding shares was primarily attributable to the public offering of 9.2 million shares in April.

About BPX-501
BPX-501 is an adjunct T-cell therapy administered after allogeneic HSCT, comprising genetically modified donor T cells incorporating Bellicum’s CaspaCIDe safety switch. It is designed to provide a safety net to eliminate alloreactive BPX-501 T cells (via administration of activator agent rimiducid) should uncontrollable GvHD or other T-cell mediated transplant complications occur. This may enable physicians to more safely perform stem cell transplants by administering BPX-501 engineered T cells to speed immune reconstitution, provide control over viral infections, and enhance graft-versus-leukemic activity while minimizing GvHD side effects.

About BPX-601
BPX-601 is a GoCAR-T product candidate containing Bellicum’s proprietary inducible MyD88/CD40, or iMC, activation switch, designed to treat solid tumors expressing prostate stem cell antigen, or PSCA. Preclinical data show enhanced T cell proliferation, persistence and in vivo anti-tumor activity compared to traditional CAR-T therapies. In addition to pancreatic cancer, PSCA is expressed in several other solid tumor indications, including: gastric, esophageal, cholangiocarcinoma, glioblastoma, prostate and bladder cancers. The Company plans to expand the clinical development of BPX-601 to include additional PSCA expressing cancer types.

About BPX-701
BPX-701 is a high affinity T cell receptor product candidate designed with the CaspaCIDe safety switch. In preclinical studies, PRAME-specific clones showed high reactivity against a panel of PRAME positive tumor cell lines, metastatic melanoma, sarcomas and neuroblastoma tissues. In vitro study data showed that BPX-701 demonstrated strong affinity to panels of cancer cells presenting PRAME peptides and low affinity to non-tumor cells, as well as complete elimination of BPX-701 cells in response to rimiducid.

On May 8, 2018 Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN), a global leader in molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine, reported financial results for its fiscal third-quarter 2018, provided an update on recent business highlights and raised its fiscal year 2018 financial guidance (Press release, Myriad Genetics, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526272]).

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"We saw strong results in the third quarter with financial performance once again exceeding our expectations due to better than anticipated hereditary cancer volumes, strong new product volume growth and the success of our Elevate 2020 program," said Mark C. Capone, president and CEO, Myriad Genetics. "Our diversification efforts achieved record results in the third quarter, with new products now representing 71 percent of sample volume and 36 percent of revenue. And the landmark GeneSight clinical trial results have led to our first commercial coverage decision. Given that this new product growth is being built upon a solid hereditary cancer foundation, we are raising our financial guidance for fiscal year 2018."

Business Highlights

Hereditary Cancer

Achieved the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year hereditary cancer volume growth with total hereditary cancer volume exceeding our three percent growth target on a year-over-year basis.

riskScore led to accelerating growth in our preventive care segment over the last two quarters.

GeneSight

Revenue increased 27 percent year-over-year to $30.4 million with record volumes in the quarter.

Myriad has been notified of a commercial coverage decision from a top-20, mid-Atlantic payer.

Presented data from the largest-ever pharmacogenomics clinical study in patients with moderate-to-very severe depression at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting in New York City, demonstrating that patients were 50 percent more likely to achieve remission and 30 percent more likely to respond to treatment when their medication selection was guided by the GeneSight Psychotropic genetic test.

Submitted the randomized controlled trial study manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal and anticipate publication around the end of fiscal year 2018.

Submitted manuscripts for the IMPACT study and a second major health economic study utilizing the

Optum Healthcare Solutions dataset.

Vectra DA

Revenue increased 34 percent year-over-year in the quarter with volumes growing in the double-digits on a sequential basis.

Initiated plans to move the Vectra DA customer service group and commercial laboratory to our Salt Lake City headquarters with plans to complete both moves by the end of fiscal year 2019.

Prolaris

Revenue in the quarter increased 91 percent year-over-year to $6.5 million and test volumes grew 10 percent sequentially.

NCCN issued new guidelines supporting Prolaris as standard of care for treatment decisions in patients with low and favorable-intermediate risk prostate cancer. The guidelines also support the broad use of hereditary cancer testing in 40,000 specific prostate cancer patients diagnosed every year in the United States and support the use of biomarkers such as myChoice HRD Plus to identify prostate cancer patients for targeted therapies.

American Association of Clinical Urology and the Large Urology Group Practice Association, that represent 70 percent of urologists in the country, issued a position paper supporting the new NCCN guidelines.

Received positive medical policy recommendations for Prolaris in the quarter from 14 Medicaid states, first Blue Cross Blue Shield plan and several regional payers.

EndoPredict

Reported $2.3 million in the quarter an increase of 15 percent sequentially.

Received final Medicare local coverage decision from Noridian which became effective on January 30 increasing total coverage to approximately 90 percent of the United States market.

One of the largest private insurers in the United States has expanded its coverage policy on EndoPredict to aid in the clinical decision of whether or not to extend adjuvant hormonal therapy beyond five years of treatment.

Companion Diagnostics

Received Food and Drug Administration approval for BRACAnalysis CDx as a companion diagnostic in conjunction with AstraZeneca’s Lynparza (olaparib) for HER2- metastatic breast cancer.

Launched BRACAnalysis CDx to approximately 3,000 oncologists who treat greater than two-thirds of metastatic breast cancer and saw a 70 percent increase in metastatic breast cancer testing in the third quarter compared to the second quarter.

International

Received a revised draft guidance document from the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) which includes EndoPredict as one of three approved breast cancer prognostic tests.

Initiated a restructuring to shift all laboratory developed testing to United States laboratories which will lead to closing the laboratory in Munich Germany and the sale of the German Clinic.

Received pre-market approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare for our BRACAnalysis CDx test for HER2- metastatic breast cancer.

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call will be held today, Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at 7:30 a.m. EST to discuss Myriad’s financial results for the fiscal third-quarter, business developments and financial guidance. The dial-in number for domestic callers is 1-800-699-0623. International callers may dial 1-303-223-4362. All callers will be asked to reference reservation number 21887258. An archived replay of the call will be available for seven days by dialing (800) 633-8284 and entering the reservation number above. The conference call along with a slide presentation will also will be available through a live webcast at www.myriad.com.

On May 8, 2018 Alligator Bioscience (Nasdaq Stockholm: ATORX), a biotechnology company developing antibody-based pharmaceuticals for tumor-directed immunotherapy, and Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: APVO), a biotechnology company focused on developing novel immuno-oncology and hematology therapeutics, reported the presentation of new preclinical data supporting ALG.APV-527 as a promising new immunotherapeutic candidate for the treatment of a variety of 5T4-expressing solid tumors (Press release, Alligator Bioscience, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234538677]).

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ALG.APV-527 is designed to simultaneously target 5T4 and the co-stimulatory receptor 4-1BB (CD137) to promote potent, tumor-directed immune T-cell activation. 5T4 is a well-defined tumor antigen expressed on many different types of malignancies including, non-small cell lung, renal, pancreas, prostate, breast, colorectal, gastric, ovarian and cervical cancers. Conversely, 5T4 has limited expression on normal tissues, making it an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy.

New ALG.APV-527 preclinical data show that ALG.APV-527 has the potential to selectively activate and enhance tumor specific T cell responses at the tumor site without triggering systemic immune activation. Notably, the preclinical in vitro and in vivo data show that ALG.APV-527:

Stimulates increased T cell activation in the presence of 5T4-expressing cells
Localizes to the site of 5T4 positive tumors in an in vivo melanoma tumor model
Inhibits tumor growth in a 5T4 expressing in vivo human colon carcinoma model
Has an extended, antibody-like serum half-life of 9 days in an experimental model
The data were recently presented at the PEGS Summit 2018 and American Association of Immunologists (AAI) annual meeting and will be presented next week at the Annual Meeting of Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT) (Free CIMT Whitepaper).

"Taken together, the accumulating preclinical data package for ALG.APV-527 support its potential to provide effective tumor-directed immune activation with reduced systemic side effects. We are continuing to advance this candidate and look forward to commencing clinical development in 2019," said Christina Furebring, Senior Vice President Research at Alligator.

"Our collaboration with Alligator Bioscience continues to yield encouraging data supporting the advantages of this novel pathway for targeted immunotherapy of cancer," said Jane Gross, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer for Aptevo. "As a first-in-class molecule, ALG.APV-527 showcases the versatility of our ADAPTIR platform in generating bispecific antibodies with unique mechanisms of action and a therapeutic profile that is more consistent with traditional antibodies, including an extended half-life, desirable antibody-like manufacturing characteristics and increased potency and stability."

Aptevo and Alligator believe that the precise targeting of 4-1BB within the tumor microenvironment can overcome some of the limitations seen with other 4-1BB therapies. ALG.APV-527 employs a novel mechanism of action, 4-1BB x 5T4 binding, to direct the therapeutic immune response towards the tumor, thereby potentially reducing the harmful side effects of systemic immune stimulation while providing a strong tumor directed immune activation.

About ALG.APV-527
ALG.APV-527 is a bispecific antibody (4-1BB x 5T4) intended for tumor-directed treatment of solid cancers. ALG.APV-527 was built using Aptevo’s ADAPTIR bispecific platform and combines binding domains sourced from the ALLIGATOR-GOLD human scFV library. The ALG.APV-527 bispecific antibody consists of two parts, one part activating tumor-specific T cells through the co-stimulatory receptor 4-1BB, the other part binding to the 5T4 protein expressed on the surface of tumor cells. This enables the immune-activating effect of ALG.APV-527 to be directed specifically to the tumor and not against normal tissue.