Cytori Completes Acquisition of Azaya Therapeutics Assets, Initiates Nanomedicine Program

On February 15, 2017 Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CYTX) reported it has completed its acquisition of assets of privately held Azaya Therapeutics, Inc., a leader in the research, development and manufacturing of nanoparticle therapeutics (the "Acquisition"). The Acquisition provides Cytori with a proprietary liposomal nanoparticle technology platform that is intended to complement Cytori’s leadership position in regenerative medicine and expand its pipeline with two promising nanoparticle oncology drugs.

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"This acquisition is a very important step in the development of Cytori," said Dr. Marc Hedrick, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cytori. "The Acquisition provides Cytori both a near term opportunity to seek regulatory approval in Europe for the acquired ATI-0918 drug candidate, a generic form of nanoparticle encapsulated doxorubicin, with the goal of launching it in Europe as early as 2019, and bolsters Cytori’s early and intermediate stage pipeline with new drug candidates in regenerative medicine and oncology".

Cytori plans to develop nanoparticle-based therapeutics under the name Cytori Nanomedicine in the areas of oncology and regenerative medicine. In addition to ATI-0918, the generic nanoparticle encapsulated doxorubicin, Cytori has added the clinical stage ATI-1123 drug candidate, a protein-stabilized nanoparticle formulation of docetaxel and a preclinical stage regenerative medicine drug candidate for scleroderma.

Incyte and Agenus Amend Collaboration Agreement

On February 14, 2017 Incyte Corporation (Nasdaq:INCY) and Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq:AGEN) reported that the companies have amended the License, Development and Commercialization Agreement that was originally entered into January 9, 2015 (Press release, Incyte, FEB 14, 2017, View Source [SID1234517737]). The amended agreement converts the ongoing GITR and OX40 antibody programs from co-funded development and profit-sharing arrangements to royalty-bearing programs, with Incyte now responsible for funding and conducting global development and commercialization. Should candidates from either of these two programs be approved, Agenus would now become eligible to receive 15 percent royalties on global net sales of each approved product.

The ongoing TIM-3 and LAG-3 antibody programs remain royalty-bearing programs, at tiered rates of 6 to 12 percent, with Incyte retaining exclusive world-wide clinical development and commercial responsibilities.

Pursuant to the amended agreement, Agenus will receive today accelerated milestone payments of $20 million from Incyte related to the clinical development of INCAGN1876 (anti-GITR agonist) and INCAGN1949 (anti-OX40 agonist). Across all programs in the collaboration, Agenus will now be eligible to receive up to a total of $510 million in future potential development, regulatory and commercial milestones.

The parties have also entered into a separate Stock Purchase agreement whereby Incyte will purchase 10 million shares of Agenus common stock today at $6 per share.

"The antibody discovery collaboration between Incyte and Agenus has progressed well and has already resulted in two programs in clinical trials. We look forward to further developing our GITR and OX40 antibody programs, and exploring immunotherapy combinations with these compounds and other agents in the near future," said Hervé Hoppenot, CEO of Incyte.

"We believe the amended agreement will help streamline the development of our collaboration portfolio, provide the opportunity to prioritize our other internal programs towards rapid commercialization and help foster the development of our portfolio of novel I-O programs," said Garo Armen, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Agenus. "The revised agreement will also strengthen Agenus’ balance sheet and reduce cash burn."

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Genomic Health Announces 2016 Fourth Quarter and Year-End Financial Results, Provides 2017 Financial Outlook

On February 14, 2017 Genomic Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GHDX) reported financial results and business progress for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2016 (Press release, Genomic Health, FEB 14, 2017, View Source [SID1234517742]).

Total revenue was $327.9 million in the full year 2016, compared with $287.5 million in 2015, an increase of 14 percent.

U.S. product revenue was $280.1 million in the full year 2016, compared with $246.0 million in 2015, an increase of 14 percent. Prostate test revenue in the U.S. was $10.8 million and contributed to approximately 3 percent of total product revenue growth in the year.

International revenue for the full year 2016 was $46.8 million compared with $41.5 million in 2015, an increase of 13 percent, and an increase of 15 percent on a constant currency basis.i

"In 2016, we delivered double-digit revenue and test growth for the year, and achieved profitability in the fourth quarter," said Kim Popovits, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and president of Genomic Health. "With substantial opportunity for growth in our global breast and U.S. prostate business and leverage of our unique commercial channel with the planned launch this year of Oncotype DX AR-V7 Nucleus Detect, we expect to continue to deliver long-term revenue growth with improved profitability."

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Operating loss was $15.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with an operating loss of $34.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. Net loss was $13.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with a net loss of $33.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Basic and diluted net loss per share was $0.42 for the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with a basic and diluted net loss per share of $1.03 for the year ended December 31, 2015.

More than 118,570 Oncotype test results were delivered for the year ended December 31, 2016, an increase of 11 percent, compared with more than 107,030 test results delivered in 2015. Oncotype DX breast cancer tests delivered in the U.S. grew 7 percent in the full year, compared to the prior year. Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score tests delivered in the U.S. grew 16 percent in the full year, including 29 percent in the fourth quarter, and represented approximately 8 percent of total test volume in 2016. International tests delivered grew 23 percent in the full year compared to the prior year and represented approximately 24 percent of total test volume in 2016.

Additional Fourth Quarter 2016 Financial Results

Total revenue was $82.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2016, compared with $75.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2015, an increase of 10 percent.

U.S. product revenue was $70.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2016, an increase of 9 percent, compared with $64.5 million in the same period in the prior year. Prostate test revenue in the U.S. of $3.6 million contributed to approximately 4 percent of the year-over-year growth.

International product revenue was $12.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2016, compared with $10.6 million a year ago, an increase of 13 percent, and an increase of 16 percent on a constant currency basis.i

In the fourth quarter of 2016, more than 30,020 Oncotype test results were delivered, an increase of 8 percent, compared with more than 27,730 test results delivered in the same period in 2015.

Operating income for the fourth quarter of 2016 was $1.5 million, compared with an operating loss of $3.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2015. Net income was $1.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2016 compared with a net loss of $2.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2015.

Basic and diluted net income per share was $0.04 for the fourth quarter of 2016 compared with basic and diluted net loss per share of $0.08 for the same period in 2015.

Cash and cash equivalents and short-term marketable securities at December 31, 2016 were $87.7 million excluding the fair value of the company’s investment in a marketable security of $9.3 million, compared with $76.8 million at December 31, 2015 excluding the fair value of the company’s investment in a marketable security of $18.1 million.

2017 Financial Guidance

"In 2017 at the mid-point of revenue guidance, we expect to deliver 11 percent revenue growth and positive net income for the full year, which requires operating leverage of more than 40 percent," said Brad Cole, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Genomic Health. "We anticipate that expected reimbursement progress in the second half of the year will contribute to accelerated revenue growth."

The company is providing the following financial guidance for the full year ending December 31, 2017:

· Total product revenue of between $355 to $370 million, representing growth of between 9 and 13 percent compared to 2016; and

· Positive net income at mid-point of revenue guidance.

Recent Business Highlights

Oncotype DX Commercial Progress

· The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) incorporated the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score in its recently published Eighth Edition AJCC Cancer Staging Manual. Representing a rigorous, multi-disciplinary assessment, the updated criteria identify Oncotype DX as the only multi-gene test with Level I evidence to be used by pathologists and clinicians for formal staging of breast cancer patients.

· Established additional coverage for the Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score, bringing the total number of U.S. covered lives to more than 65 million.

· Knappschaft, one of Germany’s largest public health insurance funds, began offering Oncotype DX to early-stage breast cancer patients through an exclusive agreement, bringing the total number of German private covered lives to nearly 9 million.

Presentations and Publications

· Received acceptance to present results from a large Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score validation study, conducted in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente Northern California, at the Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium, the European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress and the American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting. With these new data, Oncotype DX is the first and only genomic prostate test validated in all major short- and long-term endpoints, including adverse pathology, biochemical recurrence, metastasis and prostate cancer specific death.

· Investigators from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and Epic Sciences Inc. published findings in European Urology demonstrating that only nuclear localization of the AR-V7 protein in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patient blood samples is predictive of therapeutic benefit. Genomic Health expects to begin offering the Oncotype DX AR-V7 Nucleus Detect test this year.

· Presented results from multiple studies demonstrating the unparalleled value of the Oncotype DX test in individualizing breast cancer treatment decisions for patients with various stages of the disease at the 2016 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Presentations included two overviews of prospective outcomes data and clinical evidence supporting use of the test in both node-positive and node-negative disease.

· The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published results of an NSABP-led study demonstrating the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score is an independent predictor of locoregional recurrence risk in node-positive breast cancer patients treated with chemo-endocrine therapy.

· The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published results of an additional analysis from the second clinical validation study of the Oncotype DX DCIS Score demonstrating its ability to identify women with low risk of recurrence following surgery who can avoid radiation therapy.

· The European Journal of Surgical Oncology published a UK decision impact study of node-negative and node-positive breast cancer patients demonstrating the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score significantly reduced the use of chemotherapy and can lead to significant cost savings for the National Health Service (NHS).

· Received acceptance to present four Oncotype DX studies at the upcoming Miami Breast Cancer Conference and 15 Oncotype DX studies at the upcoming St. Gallen Breast Cancer Conference in March.

Novimmune and LegoChem Biosciences collaborate on antibody drug conjugate

On February 13, 2017 Novimmune and LegoChem Biosciences reported that they have entered into a research collaboration to evaluate an antibody drug conjugate candidate (Press release, LegoChem Biosciences, FEB 13, 2017, View Source;sc_seq=373 [SID1234617970]).

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Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but shares of LegoChem were down 3.8% at 27,950 South Korean won by late afternoon trading.

LegoChem has been successfully developing global partnerships through the potential of its proprietary ADC platform technology. In 2015, LegoChem out-licensed an anti-Her2-ADC molecule to Fosun Pharma. In October 2016 it signed a deal with Norway’s Nordic Nanovector (OSE: NANO) to develop novel CD37-targeting antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of leukemias, and in January this year, signed a research licensing deal with Japan’s largest drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502), to evaluate next-generation ADC candidates.

"Our antibody expertise married with LCB’s proprietary ADC technology, supports our quest to provide better options to cancer patients," said Novimmune chairman and chief executive, Eduard Holdener.

ADCs are molecules composed of a tumor specific monoclonal antibody linked to a cytotoxic agent. Unlike chemotherapy, they are intended to target only cancer cells and spare healthy cells. Novimmune brings expertise in the field of targeted therapies with their anti-CD47/anti-CD19 and anti-CD47/anti-mesothelin bispecific antibodies that selectively bind to hematological and solid tumors, respectively.

10-Q – Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)]

Myovant Sciences has filed a 10-Q – Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Filing, 10-Q, Myovant Sciences, 2017, FEB 13, 2017, View Source [SID1234522021]).

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