Xspray Pharma får produktpatent för HyNap-Sora och HyNap-Nilo godkända i USA

Den 26 oktober 2017 rapporterade Xspray Pharma att de har fått godkännande för två sökta patent i USA (Press release, Xspray, OCT 26, 2017, View Source [SID1234523286]). Patentet omfattar komposition avseende produktkandidaterna HyNap-Sora och HyNap-Nilo. Det är Xsprays andra och tredje produktpatent som godkänns på huvudmarknaden i USA på kort tid. Bolaget har tidigare offentliggjort ett patentgodkännande i Japan och USA avseende HyNap-Dasa och har pågående ansökningsärenden för flera motsvarande patent i bland annat Japan och Europa.
"Nu har vi patent beviljade i USA som täcker de tre produkter vi avser att introducera på den amerikanska marknaden efter respektive original-substanspatent har löpt ut (under perioden 2020-2023). Vi har arbetar systematiskt och strategiskt med våra innovationer både för att förverkliga dem till produkter men också genom att säkra värdet med ett fullgott patentskydd. Jag ser det här som en bekräftelse på det arbetet," säger Per Andersson, vd för Xspray Pharma.

Xspray Pharma har erhållit godkännande ("notice of allowance") för två patent i USA avseende produktkandidaterna HyNap-Sora och HyNap-Nilo som är tänkta för behandling av vissa cancerformer. Det är Xsprays andra och tredje produktpatent som godkänns på den viktigaste marknaden, USA. Beskedet kommer i enlighet med bolagets plan att söka och erhålla patent för komposition och metod för samtliga tre produktkandidater under utveckling på de tre viktigaste marknaderna, USA, Europa och Japan.

"Med dessa patent, och de positiva resultaten från vår kliniska studie som vi nyligen offentliggjorde, har vi tagit viktiga steg mot målet att utveckla våra tre första produkter för lansering på den amerikanska marknaden," kommenterar Xsprays vd Per Andersson.

Xspray Pharmas aktier introducerades den 28 september på Nasdaq First North, efter en lyckosamt genomförd nyemission som tillförde bolaget 132 miljoner kronor före emissionskostnader. Planen är nu att använda kapitalet för att utveckla tre produktkandidater och blivande cancerläkemedel baserade på bolagets egenutvecklade teknologi, samt att introducera de första produkterna på den amerikanska marknaden under perioden 2020-2023.

CohBar, Inc. to Announce Third Quarter 2017 Financial Results and Host Conference Call for Shareholders on November 13, 2017

On October 26, 2017 CohBar, Inc. (OTCQX: CWBR and TSXV: COB.U), an innovative biotechnology company focused on developing mitochondria based therapeutics (MBTs) to treat age-related diseases, reported that the Company will release its third quarter 2017 financial results on Monday, November 13, 2017 and will host a conference call for the shareholders at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) the same day to provide an update on its lead program, emerging pipeline and business (Press release, CohBar, OCT 26, 2017, http://cohbar.com/cohbar-inc-to-announce-third-quarter-2017-financial-results-and-host-conference-call-for-shareholders-on-november-13-2017/ [SID1234521223]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Details for the Conference Call and Slide Presentation:
Date: November 13, 2017
Time: 2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)

Audio, Dial-in U.S. and Canada: 1-888-599-8667
Audio, Dial-in International: 1-719-325-2494
Conference ID# 6432383

Slide Presentation – go to www.webex.com, click on the ‘Join’ button and enter Meeting Number 921656999 and Password Q3Call.

For individuals participating in the Investor Call and Slide Presentation, we request you please call into the audio and log into WebEx approximately 10 minutes before the start of the presentation so that we can begin promptly.

An audio replay of the call will be available beginning at 6:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) on November 13, 2017, through 9:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) on November 27, 2017. To access the recording please dial 1-844-512-2921 in the U.S. and Canada or 1-412-317-6671 internationally and reference Conference ID# 6432383.

The audio replay along with the slide presentation will also be available at www.cohbar.com beginning November 14, 2017 through November 27, 2017.

Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2017 Results

On October 26, 2017 Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. (“Apollo”) (NASDAQ: APEN), a leader in less invasive medical devices for bariatric and gastrointestinal procedures, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017 (Press release, , OCT 26, 2017, View Source [SID1234521228]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Third Quarter 2017 Highlights

Total revenues increased 4.8% compared to the third quarter 2016
Total Endo-bariatric product sales increased 20.6% compared to the third quarter 2016 and were 56.3% of total revenues
Raised $33.6 million in a public equity offering
Todd Newton, CEO of Apollo Endosurgery, said, “The third quarter was a great quarter of accomplishment and performance for our business as we completed an equity offering, received CE Mark approval for Orbera365, and worked through a challenging disruptive event to the U.S. market for intragastric balloons due to an FDA communication in early August. Total revenue in the third quarter increased by 4.8% as worldwide Endo-bariatric product sales increased 20.6% to $9.3 million, representing 56.3% of total revenues on excellent OverStitch demand both in the U.S. and in our direct markets internationally. While Surgical product sales continued to decline, the rate of decline continued to show improvement this quarter.”

Third Quarter 2017 Financial Results

Total sales for the three months ended September 30, 2017 were $16.5 million compared to $15.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016 representing growth of 4.8%.

In the U.S., Endo-bariatric product sales, excluding U.S. Orbera starter kit sales were $3.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017 versus $2.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016, an increase of 14.0%, and $10.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 versus $8.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, an increase of 25.1%. As previously announced by the Company in August 2017, the FDA issued a letter to Health Care Professionals relating to potential risks with liquid-filled intragastric balloons. U.S. Endo-bariatric product sales increased at a slower rate in the third quarter compared to the first half of 2017, due to lower demand for Orbera in the aftermath of the FDA’s letter. Overstitch sales growth remained consistent with its year to date trend.

In markets outside the United States (OUS), Endo-bariatric product sales were $6.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017 versus $4.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016, an increase of 35.3%, and $15.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 versus $12.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, an increase of 21.9% primarily due to higher OverStitch sales in our direct markets. Direct market sales were 72.9% and 70.4% of total OUS sales for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, compared to 53.2% and 66.9%, for the same periods in 2016, respectively.

Surgical product sales decreased $0.9 million, or 11.6%, and $3.2 million, or 12.9%, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, when compared to the same periods in 2016. In the U.S., Surgical product sales decreased $0.9 million, or 16.5%, and $3.0 million or 18.3%, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, when compared to the same periods in 2016 due to reductions in gastric banding procedures being performed in the U.S. In OUS markets, Surgical product sales decreased by $0.1 million, or 1.9%, and $0.2 million, or 2.5%, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 when compared to the same periods in 2016, respectively.

Gross margin as a percentage of revenues was 63.7% and 63.2% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, compared to 66.7% and 60.8% for the same periods in 2016, respectively. Gross margin was impacted by the change in inventory reserve which decreased 0.3% and 6.3% as a percentage of total revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2016. In June 2016, we recorded an inventory impairment charge related to expiring finished good inventory and excess raw materials transferred from Allergen that we were required to purchase in accordance with the transition services agreement. The remaining change in gross margin is due to the ongoing shift in our product sales mix from higher gross margin Surgical products to Endo-bariatric products that realize lower relative gross margins.

Total operating expenses were $14.8 million and $47.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, compared to $14.3 million and $43.0 million for the same periods in 2016. For the three months ended September 30, 2017, sales and marketing expenses increased due to higher incentive compensation, Orbera consumer marketing campaign costs and OverStitch physician training program costs. This increase was partially offset by lower general and administration expenses due to transaction costs incurred during the third quarter of 2016 associated with the Lpath merger. The increase for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 was due to higher sales and marketing expenses for the same reasons referenced above and higher general and administrative expenses due to costs incurred to meet our public company filing and corporate governance obligations. Research and development expenses also increased primarily due to costs associated with new product development efforts.

Interest expense decreased $0.5 million and $0.9 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 when compared to the same periods in 2016 primarily due to reduced cash interest on our senior secured credit facility after principal reductions. The additional decrease for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 was due to the elimination of non-cash interest primarily associated with the convertible notes that converted to equity in December 2016.

Net loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 was $4.9 million and $20.0 million, respectively, compared to $5.9 million and $21.5 million for the same periods in 2016.

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash were $35.5 million as of September 30, 2017.

Capitalization Update

On July 25, 2017, the Company completed a public offering selling 6,542,453 shares at a price of $5.50 per share, including 853,363 shares sold to the underwriters upon exercise of the option to purchase additional shares. The public offering generated net proceeds of approximately $33.6 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and related offering expenses.

Conference Call

Apollo will host a conference call on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. Central Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the Company’s operating results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017.

To participate in the conference call dial (888) 576-4387 for domestic callers and (719) 457-6931 for international callers. The conference ID number is 3769341. A live webcast of the conference call will be made available on the “Events and Presentations” section of our Investor Relations website: ir.apolloendo.com.

A replay of the webcast will remain available on Apollo’s website, apolloendo.com, until Apollo releases its fourth quarter 2017 financial results. In addition, a telephonic replay of the call will be available until November 2, 2017. The replay dial-in numbers are (844) 512-2921 for domestic callers and (412) 317-6671 for international callers. The replay conference ID number is 3769341. A transcript of the earnings call will be made available on the “Events and Presentations” section of our Investor Relations website: ir.apolloendo.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our financial results presented on a GAAP basis, we provide certain non-GAAP financial measures including adjusted total revenues, excluding U.S. Orbera starter kit sales. Adjusted total revenues, excluding U.S. Orbera starter kit sales is defined as GAAP total revenues excluding one-time U.S. Orbera starter kit sales. Adjusted total revenues, excluding U.S. Orbera starter kit sales is a supplemental measure of our performance that is not required by, and is not determined in accordance with, GAAP.

Non-GAAP financial information is not a substitute for any financial measure determined in accordance with GAAP and should be read only in conjunction with Apollo’s condensed consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Apollo’s management uses certain supplemental non-GAAP financial measures internally to understand, manage and evaluate Apollo’s business, and make operating decisions. Reconciliations for each non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is provided in the tables below. Management believes that making non-GAAP financial information available to investors, in addition to GAAP financial information, may facilitate more consistent comparisons between the company’s performance over time with the performance of other companies in the medical device industry, which may use similar financial measures to supplement their GAAP financial information.

Alkermes plc Reports Third Quarter 2017 Financial Results

On October 26, 2017 Alkermes plc (NASDAQ: ALKS) reported financial results for the third quarter of 2017 (Press release, Alkermes, OCT 26, 2017, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2311524 [SID1234521192]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"Our third quarter results reflect solid year-over-year topline growth of more than twenty percent and disciplined expense management. We continue to focus on executing on our business strategy to grow our commercial products and invest in the late-stage development programs that we expect will be the growth drivers for the future," commented James Frates, Chief Financial Officer of Alkermes. "As we head into the final months of the year, today we are reiterating our guidance for non-GAAP results and improving guidance for GAAP net loss. These expectations reflect reduced revenues, largely due to VIVITROL sales growth being slightly lower than expected in the third quarter, offset by lower cost forecasts."

"VIVITROL and ARISTADA both operate in markets where there remains significant unmet patient need. With new health and economic data being generated to support the long-term potential of these important medicines, we continue to progress VIVITROL and ARISTADA and work toward ensuring access for the patients that need these medicines," said Richard Pops, Chief Executive Officer of Alkermes. "Looking ahead, 2018 will be a transformative year for Alkermes’ proprietary development pipeline, with key events across the development portfolio, highlighted by FDA review of the ALKS 5461 NDA, the phase 3 data readout for ALKS 3831, submission of the ALKS 8700 NDA and important phase 1 data for ALKS 4230."

Quarter Ended Sept. 30, 2017 Highlights

Total revenues for the quarter were $217.4 million. This compared to $180.2 million for the same period in the prior year.
Net loss according to generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (GAAP) was $36.3 million, or a basic and diluted GAAP loss per share of $0.24, for the quarter. This compared to GAAP net loss of $62.7 million, or a basic and diluted GAAP loss per share of $0.41, for the same period in the prior year.
Non-GAAP net income was $4.2 million, or a non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per share of $0.03. This compared to non-GAAP net loss of $14.1 million, or a non-GAAP basic and diluted loss per share of $0.09, for the same period in the prior year.
Quarter Ended Sept. 30, 2017 Financial Results

Revenues

Net sales of VIVITROL were $69.2 million, compared to $55.8 million for the same period in the prior year.
Net sales of ARISTADA were $24.5 million, compared to $14.0 million for the same period in the prior year.
Manufacturing and royalty revenues from RISPERDAL CONSTA, INVEGA SUSTENNA/XEPLION and INVEGA TRINZA/TREVICTA were $79.4 million, compared to $73.3 million for the same period in the prior year.
Manufacturing and royalty revenues from AMPYRA/FAMPYRA1 were $24.5 million, compared to $12.9 million for the same period in the prior year.
Costs and Expenses

Operating expenses were $255.7 million, compared to $241.4 million for the same period in the prior year, reflecting increased investment in the company’s development pipeline and commercial organization.
Balance Sheet
At Sept. 30, 2017, Alkermes had cash and total investments of $568.9 million, compared to $560.8 million at June 30, 2017. At Sept. 30, 2017, the company’s total debt outstanding was $282.0 million.

Financial Expectations
Alkermes is updating its financial expectations for 2017 to reflect year-to-date results and expectations for the fourth quarter of 2017. The following outlines Alkermes’ updated financial expectations for 2017.

Revenues: The company now expects total revenues to range from $850 million to $880 million, reduced from a previous range of $870 million to $920 million. Included in this total revenue expectation, the company now expects VIVITROL net sales to range from $265 million to $275 million, reduced from a previous range of $280 million to $300 million.
Cost of Goods Manufactured and Sold: The company continues to expect cost of goods manufactured and sold to range from $150 million to $160 million.
Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: The company now expects R&D expenses to range from $400 million to $420 million, reduced from $405 million to $435 million, reflecting the timing of certain expenses related to various ongoing programs.
Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Expenses: The company now expects SG&A expenses to range from $410 million to $430 million, reduced from $425 million to $455 million, reflecting disciplined expense management and the timing of certain commercial initiatives.
Amortization of Intangible Assets: The company continues to expect amortization of intangibles to be approximately $60 million.
Net Interest Expense: The company continues to expect net interest expense to be approximately $10 million.
Other Income, Net: The company now expects net other income of approximately $10 million.
Income Tax Benefit: The company now expects an income tax benefit of approximately $5 million, improved from an income tax expense of up to $10 million.
GAAP Net Loss: The company now expects GAAP net loss to range from $160 million to $190 million, or a basic and diluted loss per share of $1.04 to $1.23, based on a weighted average basic and diluted share count of approximately 154 million shares outstanding. This compares to previous expectations of GAAP net loss in the range of $180 million to $210 million, or a basic and diluted loss per share of $1.17 to $1.36, based on a weighted average basic and diluted share count of approximately 154 million shares outstanding.
Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss): The company continues to expect its non-GAAP financial measure to be in the range of non-GAAP net loss of $15 million to non-GAAP net income of $15 million. This equates to a non-GAAP basic loss per share of $0.10 to a non-GAAP basic income per share of $0.10, based on a weighted average basic share count of approximately 154 million shares outstanding, and a non-GAAP diluted loss per share of $0.10 to a non-GAAP diluted income per share of $0.09, based on a weighted average diluted share count of approximately 161 million shares outstanding.
Capital Expenditures: The company now expects capital expenditures to range from $50 million to $60 million, reduced from $70 million to $80 million.
Conference Call
Alkermes will host a conference call and webcast presentation with accompanying slides at 8:30 a.m. ET (1:30 p.m. BST) on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, to discuss these financial results and provide an update on the company. The webcast player may be accessed on the Investors section of Alkermes’ website at www.alkermes.com. The conference call may be accessed by dialing +1 888 424 8151 for U.S. callers and +1 847 585 4422 for international callers. The conference call ID number is 6037988. A replay of the conference call will be available from 11:00 a.m. ET (4:00 p.m. BST) on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 through 5:00 p.m. ET (9:00 p.m. GMT) on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, and may be accessed by visiting Alkermes’ website or by dialing +1 888 843 7419 for U.S. callers and +1 630 652 3042 for international callers. The replay access code is 6037988.

GeneCentric Therapeutics to Present Data on Potential of its Cancer Subtyping Platform to Identify Responders to PARP Inhibitors for Treating Lung Cancer

On October 26, 2017 GeneCentric Therapeutics reported that it will present data on the potential of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) biologic subtypes based on its Cancer Subtyping Platform (CSP) to provide novel biomarkers for response to PARP inhibitors (Press release, GeneCentric Therapeutics, OCT 26, 2017, View Source [SID1234521242]). The data will be presented at a poster session during the 2017 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) – National Cancer Institute – European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (AACR-NCI-EORTC) (Free AACR-NCI-EORTC Whitepaper) International Conference on Molecular Targets and Therapeutics being held October 27-30, 2017 at the Philadelphia Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

GeneCentric’s core CSP technology is based on generating high resolution, genomic-defined cancer subtypes that characterize disease-related molecular pathways and immune cell expression, and employing the subtypes as biomarkers for response to specific drugs. To date the company has generated subtype-based profilers for NSCLC, head and neck, and bladder cancers.

In the research to be presented at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)-NCI-EORTC meeting company scientists evaluated the potential susceptibility of GeneCentric lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma gene expression subtypes to PARP inhibitors. By examining differential expression of homologous recombination genes and several previously published BRCAness signatures, the study identifies subtype-associated differences that might inform likely response to PARP inhibitors, an emerging class of drugs targeting DNA damage response. The researchers show that variable expression of DNA damage response genes in lung squamous cell carcinoma is maintained following adjustment for proliferation and BRCAness signatures, suggesting underlying biologic differences in lung squamous cell carcinoma subtype susceptibility to DNA damage response inhibitors. Confirmation of these findings via prospective cohorts could substantiate their utility as novel biomarkers for PARP inhibitor response.

Details of the presentation are as follows:

Title: “Differences in BRCAness/PARP inhibitor response signatures and homologous recombination
gene expression across lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma gene expression subtypes.”
Poster Number: 37
Abstract Number: A037
Date: Saturday, October 28, 2017
Time: 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Location: Hall E, Pennsylvania Convention Center
Presenter: Hawazin Faruki, DrPH, Chief Scientific Officer, GeneCentric

To read the abstract, please visit: View Source!/4557/presentation/144