http://www.medivir.com/investors/press-releases/2016/medivir-strengthens-its-clinical-pipeline-by-entering-into-agreement-to-acquire-a-portfolio-of-clinical-stage-oncology-programs

November 2, 2016 Medivir AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: MVIR) reported that it has entered into an agreement to acquire two clinical stage oncology programs from Tetralogic Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Nasdaq: TLOG), advancing and expanding its clinical pipeline (Press release, Medivir, NOV 2, 2016, View Source [SID1234528400]). The acquisition includes remetinostat, a skin-directed HDAC inhibitor, and birinapant, a bivalent SMAC mimetic, and all intellectual property and data associated with Tetralogic’s HDAC inhibitor and SMAC mimetic projects.

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Remetinostat Clinical Program
Remetinostat is a topical, skin-directed inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACs) and has a strong link to Medivir´s existing expertise in protease inhibition. The compound was designed to effectively inhibit HDACs within cutaneous lesions, but to be rapidly broken down in the bloodstream, preventing the side effects associated with systemically administered HDAC inhibitors.

Remetinostat is currently in a late phase II program aimed to treat early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a chronic, orphan hematologic cancer that presents in the skin. There are few drugs available for the treatment of the disease, and those currently available have generally poor tolerability. As a result, patients are in need of safe and effective new treatment options which remetinostat may represent. The estimated addressable market for early-stage CTCL in the US alone is approximately USD 900m annually.

Medivir currently plans to start a phase III trial with remetinostat in the second half of 2017.

Birinapant Clinical Program
Birinapant is a bivalent, second mitochondrial activator of caspases (SMAC) mimetic that binds cellular inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (cIAPs) and induces their degradation. cIAPs are part of the ubiquitin proteasome system, and birinapant therefore ties in well to Medivir’s existing interests in modulators of protein ubiquitination. Medivir currently plans to start two different clinical studies with birinapant:

A phase I study in combination with KeytrudaTM(pembrolizumab), a PD-1 inhibitor from Merck & Co., Inc. (MSD outside of the US and Canada, "MSD"), in patients with solid tumours, subject to transfer to Medivir of the clinical trial agreement between Tetralogic and MSD and receipt of KeytrudaTMsupply. Preclinical studies have shown that SMAC mimetics such as birinapant are able to enhance the response of T-cells to tumour antigens, and the objective of the planned phase I study is to investigate the safety of the combination and the potential of birinapant to enhance response rates seen with KeytrudaTMalone. PD-1 inhibitors such as KeytrudaTMare immuno-oncology products that have substantially improved treatment outcomes for patients with solid tumours. Revenues of PD-1 inhibitors as reported by MSD and Bristol-Myers Squibb in the last twelve months have totalled approximately USD 3.2b. The PD-1 inhibitor market is expected to continue to grow from increasing use and expansion of the number of indications for which they are approved.
A phase II program, to investigate birinapant in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for the treatment for high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs), including ovarian cancer, in collaboration with clinical investigators at UCLA. The UCLA team have identified that platinum-resistant cells in HGSCs are highly susceptible to birinapant-platinum co-therapy in approximately half of patients, and have developed a bioassay to enable patient selection. High-grade serous carcinomas are tumours that are believed to be derived from cells in the fallopian tube and can present as ovarian, endometrial, tubal or peritoneal cancer. The majority of ovarian cancer cases are high-grade serous carcinomas and these patients have a very poor survival rate. The ovarian cancer market size overall is estimated to be USD 840m, with those patients resistant to platinum treatments representing the group with highest unmet need.
Financial Consideration and Third-Party Arrangements
The acquisition has been structured to provide an upfront cash payment, but with the majority of financial consideration tied to successful clinical development, regulatory approvals and sales milestones. Medivir will also assume agreements or certain obligations with other third parties, including the MSD agreement regarding KeytrudaTM, subject to confirmation from MSD.

The acquisition includes the following potential payments to Tetralogic and other third party licensees:

Upfront cash consideration of USD 12m;
Remetinostat development milestones through regulatory filings of up to USD 20m;
Remetinostat regulatory approval milestones of up to USD 45m;
Remetinostat tiered royalties capped at an aggregate of 13%;
Additional remetinostat commercialization milestones of up to USD 31m, primarily based on substantial sales achievement levels;
Birinapant development milestones and research support of up to USD 20m;
Birinapant tiered royalties capped at an aggregate of 10%; and
Additional birinapant commercialization milestones of up to USD 110m, primarily based on substantial sales achievement levels.
Strategic Overview
"This is a transformative transaction for Medivir and an important part of our strategy to expand our pipeline with programs in later stage clinical phases, shifting the balance from research to clinical development. The acquisition enables Medivir to build critical mass in development and secures visible value generation, with expected near-term and continuous news flow from multiple studies. These assets are complementary to our oncology efforts in early phases. Both programs have an excellent fit with the Medivir scientific platforms and we are uniquely positioned to recognize the value of both of Tetralogic’s clinical assets." says Niklas Prager, CEO & President of Medivir.

Richard Bethell, CSO of Medivir continues, "We are excited to have acquired these two projects, both of which have the potential to meaningfully advance the care of cancer patients. Medivir has a track record of discovering and developing drugs that are targeted to specific tissues, so we are well placed to rapidly progress remetinostat for the treatment of early-stage CTCL. Many patients with this disease are urgently in need of new treatments that are both safe and effective. We also believe that birinapant, through its effects on both immune and tumour cells, offers the potential to improve the treatment of a number of different cancers. We look forward to rapidly advancing both of these agents into the next round of clinical studies."

Closing Conditions
The transaction is subject to confirmation by MSD of agreement transfer to Medivir, the consent of the Tetralogic Senior Noteholders, approval of the Tetralogic shareholders and other customary closing conditions. Medivir expects the transaction to close by year end 2016.

bluebird bio Reports Third Quarter 2016 Financial Results and Recent Operational Progress

On November 2, 2016 bluebird bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLUE), a clinical-stage company committed to developing potentially transformative gene therapies for severe genetic diseases and T cell-based immunotherapies for cancer, reported business highlights and financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2016 (Press release, bluebird bio, NOV 2, 2016, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2218784 [SID1234516184]).

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"In recent months, we have made important advances in our gene therapy transduction and manufacturing processes, translational research and clinical development that will be critical for us to successfully bring LentiGlobin drug product to patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) and severe sickle cell disease (SCD). This includes implementing a new LentiGlobin manufacturing process that has been shown in vitro to consistently improve the percentage of cells transduced and vector copy number, and making a number of changes to the protocol for our ongoing severe SCD study that we believe have the potential to improve patient outcomes. We look forward to sharing initial clinical data from these improvements in 2017," said Nick Leschly, chief bluebird. "In September we announced a strategic alliance with Medigene around TCRs against four targets, a significant step forward in our efforts to build a broad, fully integrated immuno-oncology franchise. We anticipate sharing further progress in oncology in the first half of 2017, with presentation of initial data from our Phase 1 study of bb2121, our anti-BCMA CAR T program in multiple myeloma."

Recent Highlights

PHASE 3 HGB-207 STUDY OF LENTIGLOBIN OPENED – In September, bluebird bio opened the company’s first Phase 3 study of LentiGlobin drug product. HGB-207 is a global, multi-center study in patients with TDT with non-β0/β0 genotypes. This study will incorporate the addition of bluebird bio’s transduction enhancers to the drug product manufacturing process, and will be conducted under the same Investigational New Drug application (IND) as previous studies of LentiGlobin drug product in TDT. This study, which will include adult and adolescent patients (cohort #1) and pediatric patients (cohort #2), is intended to be pivotal in the U.S. and confirmatory in the E.U. bluebird bio plans to initiate the HGB-212 pivotal study of LentiGlobin drug product in patients with TDT with β0/β0 genotypes in 2017.

GENE THERAPY DAY – In October, bluebird bio held a Gene Therapy Day to provide updates on its LentiGlobin product candidate and its research, development and commercialization strategies. Highlights included:
A head-to-head in vitro comparison of manufacturing Process 1 and Process 2 consistently improved the percentage of cells transduced and vector copy number (VCN) in cells from TDT patients of all genotypes and severe SCD patients.

bluebird bio has implemented several amendments to the protocol of the ongoing HGB-206 study in severe SCD, with the goal of improving patient outcomes by increasing successful engraftment of transduced cells.

bluebird bio has reached general agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on the regulatory paths forward for LentiGlobin in TDT in the U.S. and E.U.

STRATEGIC TCR ALLIANCE WITH MEDIGENE – In September, bluebird bio and Medigene announced that they have established a strategic alliance in cancer immunotherapy focused on four TCR targets. Under the terms of the agreement, Medigene will be responsible for the generation and delivery of TCRs using its TCR isolation and characterization platform. Following collaborative preclinical development, bluebird bio will assume sole responsibility for the clinical development and commercialization of the TCR product candidates and will receive an exclusive license for intellectual property covering the resulting TCRs.
LENTIGLOBIN ACCEPTED INTO EUROPEAN MEDICINES AGENCY (EMA) PRIME PROGRAM – In September, the EMA granted access to its Priority Medicines (PRIME) scheme for LentiGlobin drug product in the treatment of patients with TDT. The PRIME initiative provides enhanced support and increased interaction to companies, with the goal of optimizing development plans and speeding regulatory evaluations to potentially bring innovative medicines to patients more quickly. To be accepted for PRIME, a therapy must demonstrate potential to benefit patients with unmet medical need through early clinical data or nonclinical data.
Upcoming Anticipated Milestones

Presentation of updated TDT and SCD clinical data from the Northstar (HGB-204), HGB-205 and HGB-206 clinical studies at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) annual meeting in December
Presentation of early data from CRB-401, the Phase 1 trial of bb2121 in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma in the first half of 2017
Third Quarter 2016 Financial Results and Financial Guidance

Cash Position: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of September 30, 2016 were $727.6 million, compared to $865.8 million as of December 31, 2015, a decrease of $138.2 million.
Revenues: Collaboration revenue was $1.6 million for the third quarter of 2016 compared to $1.3 million for third quarter of 2015.
R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $64.0 million for the third quarter of 2016 compared to $30.4 million for the third quarter of 2015. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily attributable to increased in-licensing milestones and fees, increased manufacturing costs and increased information technology and facilities costs to support the advancement of our clinical and pre-clinical programs, and increased employee payroll costs to support our overall growth.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $14.6 million for the third quarter of 2016 compared to $13.7 million for the third quarter of 2015. The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily attributable to increased employee compensation expense due to increased headcount, partially offset by decreased stock-based compensation expense.
Net Loss: Net loss was $77.0 million for the third quarter of 2016 compared to $42.9 million for the third quarter of 2015.
Financial guidance: bluebird bio expects that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $727.6 million as of September 30, 2016 will be sufficient to fund its current operations through 2018.

CombiMatrix Corporation Reports Third Quarter 2016 Financial and Operating Results

On November 2, 2016 CombiMatrix Corporation (NASDAQ:CBMX), a family health molecular diagnostics company specializing in DNA-based reproductive health and pediatric testing services, reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, and provided a business update (Press release, CombiMatrix, NOV 2, 2016, View Source [SID1234516186]).

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"Excellent execution on our business initiatives keeps us squarely on the path to profitability," said Mark McDonough, CombiMatrix President and CEO. "Among quarterly financial highlights, we are reporting revenue growth of 29%, our third consecutive quarter of gross margin above 50% and record cash reimbursement of $3.1 million, or 95% of total revenues. Combined with our ability to manage expenses, we reduced both our operating loss and our cash burn by nearly half from one year ago.

"We are pleased with our recent performance and expect continued growth in revenue and test volume, along with consistent cash reimbursement and prudent expense management in the coming year with a focus on creating value for our shareholders," Mr. McDonough added. "Given our outlook, we are increasingly confident we will reach our goal of positive cash flow from operations by the fourth quarter of 2017."

Third Quarter Financial and Operating Highlights (all comparisons are with the third quarter of 2015)

Total revenues of $3.2 million, up 29%
Total test volume of 2,835, up 14%
Reproductive health revenues of $2.3 million, up 39%
Reproductive health test volume of 1,483, up 17%
Gross margin of 54.0%, up from 43.6%
Number of billable customers of 257, up 10%
Cash collections at new record of $3.1 million, or 95% of total revenue, up 29%

Volumes Revenues (in 000’s)
Q3 ’16 Q3 ’15 # Δ % Δ Q3 ’16 Q3 ’15 $ Δ % Δ
Prenatal 294 272 22 8 % $ 408 $ 368 $ 40 11 %
Miscarriage analysis 990 866 124 14 % 1,622 1,145 477 42 %
PGS 199 127 72 57 % 286 149 137 92 %
Subtotal – reproductive health 1,483 1,265 218 17 % 2,316 1,662 654 39 %
Pediatric 505 509 (4 ) (1 %) 589 558 31 6 %
Subtotal 1,988 1,774 214 12 % 2,905 2,220 685 31 %
FISH and karyotyping 847 721 126 17 % 306 261 45 17 %
Total – all tests 2,835 2,495 340 14 % 3,211 2,481 730 29 %
Royalties 37 45 (8 ) (18 %)
Total revenues $ 3,248 $ 2,526 $ 722 29 %


Volumes Revenues (in 000’s)
9 Mo’s. ’16 9 Mo’s. ’15 # Δ % Δ 9 Mo’s. ’16 9 Mo’s. ’15 $ Δ % Δ
Prenatal 860 936 (76 ) (8 %) $ 1,203 $ 1,214 $ (11 ) (1 %)
Miscarriage analysis 2,886 2,664 222 8 % 4,701 3,467 1,234 36 %
PGS 566 157 409 261 % 759 189 570 302 %
Subtotal – reproductive health 4,312 3,757 555 15 % 6,663 4,870 1,793 37 %
Pediatric 1,454 1,557 (103 ) (7 %) 1,646 1,687 (41 ) (2 %)
Subtotal 5,766 5,314 452 9 % 8,309 6,557 1,752 27 %
FISH and karyotyping 2,497 2,125 372 18 % 881 735 146 20 %
Total – all tests 8,263 7,439 824 11 % 9,190 7,292 1,898 26 %
Royalties 137 112 25 22 %
Total revenues $ 9,327 $ 7,404 $ 1,923 26 %

Financial Results

Three Months Ended September 30, 2016 and 2015

Total revenues for the third quarter of 2016 increased 29% to $3.2 million from $2.5 million for the third quarter of 2015. Reproductive health diagnostic test revenue, which includes prenatal microarrays, miscarriage analysis and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), increased 39% to $2.3 million and testing volume increased 17% to 1,483. The third quarter 2016 revenue increase was driven primarily by higher test volume for reproductive health diagnostics, higher average revenue per test particularly for miscarriage analysis and PGS tests, and from an increase in the number of billable customers, which reached 257 during the third quarter of 2016 compared to 234 in the prior-year period.

Total operating expenses were $4.1 million for the third quarter of 2016 compared with $4.2 for the prior-year period. The decrease was due primarily to lower sales and marketing and research and development expenses, partially offset by higher general and administrative expenses due to higher personnel, investor relations and consulting costs and higher cost of services as a result of higher test volume. Gross margin for the third quarter of 2016 improved to 54.0% from 43.6% for third quarter of 2015.

The net loss attributable to common stockholders for the third quarter of 2016 was $856,000, or $0.38 per share, compared with a net loss attributable to common stockholders for the third quarter of 2015 of $1.7 million, or $2.00 per share, an improvement of $831,000.

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 and 2015

Total revenues for the first nine months of 2016 increased 26% to $9.3 million from $7.4 million for the first nine months of 2015. Revenues for the first nine months of 2016 included $9.2 million in diagnostic services revenue and $137,000 in royalty revenues.

Operating expenses for the first nine months of 2016 were $12.9 million compared with $12.4 million for the prior-year period, with the increase mainly due to higher general and administrative expenses and higher cost of services resulting from increased testing volumes, partially offset by lower sales and marketing expenses. Gross margin improved to 52.9% for the first nine months of 2016 from 44.8% for the first nine months of 2015.

The net loss attributable to common stockholders for the first nine months of 2016 was $5.2 million, or $3.48 per share, compared to $6.0 million, or $7.21 per share in 2015. The net loss attributable to common stockholders in 2016 reflected one-time, non-cash charges of $1.9 million related to deemed dividends from the issuance of Series F convertible preferred stock and warrants in the $8.0 million public offering that closed on March 24, 2016. This increase was partially offset by the reversal of the $890,000 Series E deemed dividend recognized in 2015 from the repurchase of those securities upon closing of our Series F public offering, partially reduced by the $656,000 deemed dividend paid to the Series E investors in February of 2016.

The Company reported $4.3 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as of September 30, 2016, compared with $3.9 million as of December 31, 2015. The Company used $813,000 and $3.4 million in cash to fund operating activities during the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, compared with $1.5 million and $4.2 million used to fund operating activities during the comparable 2015 periods, respectively. The significant decreases in net cash used to fund operating activities for the 2016 periods resulted primarily from improved cash reimbursement of $3.1 million and $8.5 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, compared with $2.4 million and $7.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively.

Ocera Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2016 Financial Results and Company Update

On November 2, 2016 Ocera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OCRX), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on acute and chronic orphan liver diseases, reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2016, and provided updates on its clinical development programs of OCR-002 for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a debilitating liver disorder and significant burden on the healthcare system (Press release, Ocera Therapeutics, NOV 2, 2016, View Source [SID1234516192]).

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"We are pleased to report significant progress in our clinical programs. Enrollment in our STOP-HE Phase 2b study for acute hepatic encephalopathy has now surpassed 220 patients and, consistent with previous guidance, we expect to complete full enrollment of approximately 230 patients by year-end and publish top-line results of the study in the first quarter of 2017," said Linda Grais, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Ocera. "In addition, dosing has commenced with our oral formulation of OCR-002 in a Phase 1 study in patients with cirrhosis as a chronic use option to maintain remission of HE. We remain on track to report results of part one of this study by year-end and initiate part two in the first half of 2017."

Select Third Quarter Financial Results

As of September 30, 2016, Ocera had cash, cash equivalents and investments of $32.5 million.
Net loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $7.1 million and $21.7 million, respectively. Net loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 was $6.6 million and $19.4 million, respectively. Basic and diluted net loss per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $0.32 and $1.01, respectively. Basic and diluted net loss per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 was $0.33 and $0.98, respectively.
Research and development (R&D) expense for the three months ended September 30, 2016 was $4.3 million, compared to $4.2 million for the same period in 2015. R&D expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $12.9 million, compared to $12.0 million for the same period in 2015. The increase in R&D expense for both the three and nine month periods was due primarily to an increase in headcount and related costs.
General and administrative (G&A) expense for the three months ended September 30, 2016 was $2.6 million, compared to $2.4 million for the same period in 2015. G&A expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $8.1 million, compared to $7.5 million for the same period in 2015. The increase in G&A expense for the three and nine month periods was due primarily to an increase in personnel-related costs, including stock-based compensation expense, as well as costs associated with professional service fees.
Net interest expense of $262,000 and $758,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, was primarily attributable to interest and amortization associated with the debt facility which closed in July 2015.
Net cash proceeds generated from the Company’s "at the market" equity facility totaled approximately $6.0 million for the nine month period ended September 30, 2016.
Financial Guidance

Ocera reiterates its previous guidance and expects net use of cash for 2016 to be in the range of $22 million to $26 million, and updates its expectation that it will have sufficient cash to fund operations into the first quarter of 2018 based on its current operating plan. The Company previously estimated its cash runway into the fourth quarter of 2017. This improvement in projected cash runway is due primarily to the deferral of certain external development costs for OCR-002, lower than expected internal operating expenses, and cash proceeds generated from the "at the market" equity facility.

Foundation Medicine Announces 2016 Third Quarter Results and Recent Highlights

On November 2, 2016 Foundation Medicine, Inc. (NASDAQ:FMI) reported financial and operating results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2016 (Press release, Foundation Medicine, NOV 2, 2016, View Source [SID1234516193]). Highlights for the quarter included:

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Achieved third quarter revenue of $29.4 million, 16% year-over-year growth;
Reported 11,627 clinical tests in the third quarter, 45% year-over-year growth;
Grew FoundationCORE, the company’s molecular information knowledgebase, to nearly 100,000 patient cases;
Announced acceptance of FoundationOne for Parallel Review by FDA and CMS. If approved, FoundationOne could be the first FDA-approved comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) assay to incorporate multiple companion diagnostics to support precision medicine in oncology and would be offered as a covered benefit to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide;
Added new immunotherapy clinical markers, Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) and Microsatellite Instability (MSI), to FoundationOne and FoundationOne Heme to help guide personalized immunotherapy-based treatment plans;
Published an additional 17 manuscripts in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals and delivered six podium and poster presentations at various medical and scientific meetings providing further evidence for the clinical impact of integrating CGP into routine cancer care;
Expanded patient access to CGP through Palmetto, the Medicare Administrative Contractor in North Carolina, who broadened a Local Coverage Determination, covering CGP for all stage IIIB and IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients at diagnosis by removing a patient’s smoking status as a coverage factor.
Foundation Medicine reported total revenue of $29.4 million in the third quarter of 2016, compared to $25.4 million in the third quarter of 2015. Revenue from biopharmaceutical partners grew 77% to $20.7 million in the third quarter of 2016, compared to $11.7 million in the third quarter of 2015. The increase in revenue demonstrates the company’s leading role in molecular information and the value of this information in informing and accelerating drug development for its oncology focused biopharmaceutical customers.

Revenue from clinical testing in the third quarter of 2016 was $8.7 million, compared to $13.7 million in the third quarter of 2015. The decrease was driven by various factors, the most significant of which was the transition in-network with a large national payer for stage IV NSCLC testing, which resulted in the termination of payments for testing in other indications.

The company reported 11,627 clinical tests in the third quarter of 2016, a 45% increase from the same quarter last year. This reported volume number includes 9,398 FoundationOne tests, 1,325 FoundationOne Heme tests and 904 FoundationACT tests.

"Foundation Medicine delivered another solid quarter highlighted by strong biopharma revenue and record clinical testing volume," said Michael Pellini, M.D., chief executive officer of Foundation Medicine. "We believe our progress on building distinct, yet synergistic clinical and biopharma businesses, developing applications that enable patient access to therapies and clinical trials, aggressively working towards reimbursement coverage and payment for our comprehensive genomic profiling assays and pursuing parallel review with FDA and CMS for FoundationOne will drive continued growth and value creation."

The company’s molecular information knowledgebase, FoundationCORE, grew to nearly 100,000 patient cases at the end of the third quarter. FoundationCORE is a unique asset and critical component of the value that Foundation Medicine delivers to its biopharmaceutical and physician customers. The increasing scale and breadth of this high quality, clinically relevant oncology data set derived from the company’s testing platform continues to enhance clinical practice and help enable improved outcomes for patients.

Total operating expenses for the third quarter of 2016 were approximately $44.9 million compared with $35.6 million for the third quarter of 2015. Net loss was approximately $31.3 million in the third quarter of 2016, or a $0.90 loss per share. At September 30, 2016, the company held approximately $167.9 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.

Recent Enterprise Highlights

Announced a collaboration with Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) in which SCRI will utilize Foundation Medicine’s full suite of assays to accelerate patient enrollment into clinical trials and facilitate data sharing across its network in the U.S.
Selected as the molecular information provider of choice by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for its landmark Beat AML Master Trial, a prospective study aimed at delivering a precision medicine approach to treat newly diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia patients.
Announced the election of life sciences leader, Michael R. Dougherty, to its Board of Directors and the Board’s Audit Committee. Mr. Dougherty joins as an independent director and fills an existing vacancy on the Board.
2016 Outlook

Foundation Medicine’s business and financial outlook for 2016 is the following:

The company continues to expect 2016 revenue will be in the range of $110 to $120 million.
The company is increasing the bottom-end of its clinical volume guidance range and now expects to deliver between 40,000 and 41,000 FoundationOne and FoundationOne Heme clinical tests in 2016.
The company continues to expect operating expenses will be in the range of $175 and $185 million.