VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS STARTS EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION AT NEW PROTON THERAPY CENTER IN NETHERLANDS

On May 10, 2016 Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) reported the cyclotron for the new multi-room HollandPTC in Delft, which will be equipped with the Varian ProBeam proton therapy system (Press release, Varian Medical Systems, MAY 10, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512267]). The cyclotron, a particle accelerator which accelerates protons to two thirds of the speed of light for clinical use, is a core piece of equipment of the ProBeam system. The delivery marks the start of equipment installation, a key milestone for each new proton therapy center.

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HollandPTC is part of Medical Delta, the medical-technological collaboration of the universities and university medical centers of Leiden, Delft and Rotterdam. Due for completion in 2017, the center will feature two proton therapy treatment rooms with full rotational gantries, one for fixed-beam eye treatments, as well as a dedicated research room.

Proton therapy makes it possible to treat certain types of cancer more precisely and with potentially fewer side effects than is possible with conventional radiation therapy. With proton therapy, the risk of damage to healthy tissues and potential side effects is reduced because the beam is designed to stop and deposit dose within the tumor site rather than passing all the way through the patient. Proton therapy can be used for many of the most common types of cancer.

"Delivery of the cyclotron is the next major milestone in bringing this advanced cancer-fighting technology to patients in the Netherlands," said Dr. Moataz Karmalawy, general manager of Varian’s Particle Therapy division. "As well as offering pencil-beam scanning, the most advanced form of proton therapy, HollandPTC will be a key research site feeding into a national program to study and improve the efficacy of protons."

HollandPTC business director Rob Florijn adds: "The arrival of the cyclotron is an important milestone in the realization of HollandPTC. Varian has been a great partner in achieving this, as well as joining us in our research efforts towards a new generation of proton therapy."

Varian’s ProBeam technology is being used to treat patients at the Scripps Proton Therapy Center in San Diego, the Maryland Proton Therapy Center in Baltimore, the Rinecker Proton Therapy Center in Munich, and at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. Varian also has contracts for system installations at ten other sites around the world. Varian’s ProBeam system with Dynamic Peak Scanning is uniquely capable of high-speed intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) which is the most precise form of proton therapy available.

AMRI Announces First Quarter 2016 Results

On May 10, 2016 AMRI (NASDAQ: AMRI) reported financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 and provided an update to its outlook for 2016 (Press release, Albany Molecular Research, MAY 10, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512169]).

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Highlights:

First quarter contract revenue of $102.8 million, up 37% from 2015
First quarter royalties of $2.7 million, down 59% from 2015 due to expiration of Allegra royalties in Q2-2015
First quarter adjusted contract margins 27%
First quarter adjusted diluted EPS of $0.07, reflecting a $0.07 decrease in EPS from royalties in the current quarter
First quarter adjusted EBITDA of $13.1 million
Confirms standalone full year 2016 financial guidance

"Adjusted contract margins", "Adjusted diluted EPS", and "Adjusted EBITDA" are Non-GAAP measurements. See discussion under the heading "Non-GAAP Adjustment Items" in this release.
"Our first quarter results fell short of expectations largely due to timing of API revenue, combined with increased R&D investment and higher SG&A," said William S. Marth, AMRI’s president and chief executive officer. "While our API results were lower than we would have liked, we believe the results are transitory and revenue will build through the year based on contractual obligations we have in hand. Additionally, strong performances in our Drug Product and DDS businesses give us confidence in our outlook for the full year 2016.

We have also continued our investment in generics, with multiple co-development programs underway, as exhibited by the increase in annual R&D investment, in line with our guidance. While we are sharing the costs of some of these development programs now, longer term, we will capture revenue through commercial supply and royalty revenue that is expected to more than offset the investment we are making today."

We are excited about the Euticals acquisition and the benefits of adding such a highly regarded company to our team. As we have said before, our strategy is to build off our existing platforms of API, Discovery/Development and Drug Product by expanding our capabilities, both organically and inorganically in areas with high barriers to entry, creating greater sustainable value. The addition of Euticals fits that strategy well and offers compelling strategic benefits that we believe will generate meaningful value for our customers and shareholders longer term."

First Quarter 2016 Results

Total revenue for the first quarter of 2016 was $105.6 million, an increase of 29%, compared to total revenue of $81.8 million reported in the first quarter of 2015.

Total contract revenue for the first quarter of 2016 was $102.8 million, an increase of 37%, compared to total contract revenue of $75.1 million reported in the first quarter of 2015. Adjusted contract margins were 27% for the first quarter of 2016, compared with 23% for the first quarter of 2015, driven largely by the addition of Gadea Pharmaceuticals. Adjusted contract margins exclude purchase accounting depreciation and amortization, purchase accounting inventory adjustments, and share-based compensation expense that are included under U.S. GAAP. For a reconciliation of U.S. GAAP contract margins as reported to adjusted contract margins for the 2016 and 2015 reporting periods, please see Table 1 at the end of press release.

Royalty revenue in the first quarter of 2016 was $2.7 million, a decrease of 59% from $6.7 million in the first quarter of 2015 due primarily to lower royalties on Allegra (fexofenadine) products which ended in the second quarter 2015, based on the expiration of the underlying patents. Royalty revenue for the first quarter of 2016 includes $2.2 million from the net sales of certain amphetamine salts sold by Actavis and royalties from an API sourced from our business in Spain.

Net loss under U.S. GAAP was $(10.1) million, or $(0.29) per basic and diluted share, in the first quarter of 2016, compared to U.S. GAAP net loss of $(2.2) million, or $(0.07) per basic and diluted share for the first quarter of 2015. Net income on an adjusted non-GAAP basis in the first quarter was $2.4 million or $0.07 per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of $6.4 million or $0.19 per diluted share for 2015.

Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2015 was $13.1 million, a decrease of $2.5 million or 16% compared to the first quarter 2015. For a reconciliation of U.S. GAAP net income (loss), EBITDA and earnings (loss) per diluted share to adjusted net income, EBITDA and earnings per diluted share for the 2016 and 2015 reporting periods, please see Tables 2 and 3 at the end of this press release.

Segment Results

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API)

Three Months Ended

March 31,
(Unaudited; $ in thousands)

2016

2015

API Royalty Revenue

$ 2,741

$ 2,868
API Contract Revenue

54,702

37,848
API Total Revenue

57,443

40,716

Cost of Contract Revenue

40,921

28,583

Contract Gross Profit, excluding royalties

13,781

9,265
Contract Gross Profit, including royalties

16,522

12,133

Contract Gross Margin, excluding royalties

25.2%

24.5%
Contract Gross Margin, including royalties

28.8%

29.8%

Adjusted Contract Gross Profit, excluding royalties (1)

17,244

9,442
Adjusted Contract Gross Margin, excluding royalties (1)

31.5%

24.9%

Adjusted Contract Gross Profit, including royalties (1)

19,985

12,310
Adjusted Contract Gross Margin, including royalties (1)

34.8%

30.2%

(1) Refer to Table 1 included in this release for the reconciliation of U.S. GAAP contract gross profit and contract gross margin to adjusted contract gross profit and adjusted contract gross margin as a percentage of contract revenue.
API contract revenue for the first quarter of 2016 increased 45% compared to the same period of 2015, primarily due to $20 million of incremental revenue from the acquisition of Gadea Pharmaceuticals in July 2015, offset by lower revenue associated with the Holywell, UK site closure. API adjusted contract margin for the first quarter of 2016 increased 7 percentage points from the first quarter of 2015, driven by the margins realized on Gadea’s revenues. API adjusted profit margin including royalties was 35% for the first quarter of 2016, compared to 30% for the same period in 2015.

Drug Discovery Services (DDS)

Three Months Ended

March 31,
(Unaudited; $ in thousands)

2016

2015

DDS Contract Revenue (1)

$ 23,203

$ 17,873
Cost of Contract Revenue (1)

17,170

13,705
Contract Gross Profit

6,033

4,168
Contract Gross Margin

26.0%

23.3%

Adjusted Contract Gross Profit (2)

6,548

4,324
Adjusted Contract Gross Margin (2)

28.2%

24.2%

(1) A portion of the 2015 amounts were reclassified from DDS to DPM to better align business activities within our reporting segments.
(2) Refer to Table 1 included in this release for the reconciliation of U.S. GAAP contract gross profit and contract gross margin to adjusted contract gross profit and adjusted contract gross margin as a percentage of contract revenue.
Discovery and Development Services (DDS) contract revenue for the first quarter of 2016 increased 30% compared to the first quarter of 2015, primarily due to the additions of Whitehouse Laboratories and SSCI, along with organic growth. DDS adjusted gross margins increased to 28% in the first quarter of 2016, from 24% in the first quarter of 2015, driven by margins realized on Whitehouse Labs and SSCI revenue, and higher capacity utilization resulting from previous cost reduction initiatives.

Drug Product Manufacturing (DPM)

Three Months Ended

March 31,
(Unaudited; $ in thousands)

2016

2015

DPM Contract Revenue (1)

$ 24,933

$ 19,410
Cost of Contract Revenue (1)

21,272

15,851
Contract Gross Profit

3,661

3,559
Contract Gross Margin

14.7%

18.3%

Adjusted Contract Gross Profit (2)

3,972

3,730
Adjusted Contract Gross Margin (2)

15.9%

19.2%

(1) A portion of the 2015 amounts were reclassified from DDS to DPM to better align business activities within our reporting segments.
(2) Refer to Table 1 included in this release for the reconciliation of U.S. GAAP contract gross loss and contract gross margin to adjusted contract gross profit and adjusted contract gross margin as a percentage of contract revenue.
Drug Product Manufacturing contract revenue for the first quarter of 2016 increased 28% compared to the first quarter 2015, reflecting higher commercial manufacturing revenue. Drug Product adjusted contract margins for the first quarter of 2016 decreased 3 percentage points, reflecting higher costs associated with commercial launch preparations at our Burlington facility and planned site maintenance activities at our Albuquerque facility.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

At March 31, 2016, AMRI had cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $47.2 million, compared to $52.3 million at December 31, 2015. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 was primarily due to the use of $11.6 million in capital expenditures and $5.8 million of debt paydown, offset by cash generated by operating activities of $11.7 million. At March 31, 2016, total common shares outstanding, net of treasury shares, were 35,708,100.

Financial Outlook

AMRI’s guidance takes into account a number of factors, including expected financial results for 2016, anticipated tax rates and shares outstanding. AMRI’s guidance also excludes any potential impact from the acquisition of Prime European Therapeuticals S.p.A., ("Euticals"), which is expected to close in the third quarter 2016.

AMRI’s estimates for full year 2016 are consistent with estimates previously provided on February 17, 2016:

Full Year 2016 revenue of $465 to $490 million, an increase of 19% at the midpoint, including
DDS revenue growth of over 20% to approximately $104 million
API revenue growth of 27% to approximately $260 million
Drug Product revenue growth of 8% to approximately $105 million
Adjusted contract margin of approximately 30%
Adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses of approximately 15% of revenue
R&D of between $9 and $10 million
Adjusted EBITDA between $91 and $97 million, an increase of 25% at the midpoint
Adjusted diluted EPS is expected to be between $1.00 and $1.10, based on an average fully diluted share count of approximately 37 million shares
Effective tax rate of between 29% and 30%
Capital expenditures of approximately $45 million

TG Therapeutics, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2016 Financial Results and Business Update

On May 10, 2016 TG Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:TGTX) reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 and recent company developments (Press release, TG Therapeutics, MAY 10, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512227]).

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Michael S. Weiss, the Company’s Executive Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The first quarter was another productive one for TG with the issuance of long term patent protection for both TG-1101 and TGR-1202, the presentation of data at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) providing a scientific rationale for the observed safety differences seen with TGR-1202 in comparison to other PI3K delta inhibitors, and continued enrollment into our CLL Phase 3 trials, which remains our top priority for the year. More recently, we announced the commencement of our first Phase 2 study in Multiple Sclerosis, and plans to enter Phase 3 for MS next year." Mr. Weiss continued, "We have a long term vision to build best-in-class combination treatments across B-cell malignancies and our Phase 3 CLL trials are just the beginning as we look forward to announcing the opening of our UNITY-DLBCL program toward the end of this month and launching UNITY-iNHL before year-end. Our financial resources remain strong, leaving us well positioned to execute on our aggressive business plan."

Recent Developments and Highlights

Announced that a composition of matter patent had been issued in the U.S. for TGR-1202, the Company’s orally available PI3K delta inhibitor, providing patent protection through July 2033, exclusive of patent term extensions.
Announced that a composition of matter patent had been issued in the U.S. for TG-1101, providing patent protection through July 2029, exclusive of patent term extensions.
Presented pre-clinical data describing the differential regulation of human T-cells by TGR-1202 as opposed to other PI3K delta inhibitors in a poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2016.
Recently announced the commencement of the Company’s first clinical trial of TG-1101 in Multiple Sclerosis.
Reaffirming 2016 Milestones

Continue to aggressively recruit into the GENUINE Phase 3 clinical trial of TG-1101 in combination with ibrutinib
Continue to aggressively enroll into the UNITY-CLL combination Phase 3 clinical trial of the Company’s proprietary combination of TG-1101 plus TGR-1202 (aka "TG-1303")
Commence the UNITY-DLBCL Phase 2b clinical trial
Enroll into the Phase 2 clinical trial in Multiple Sclerosis
Commence a registration trial for indolent NHL
Present updated data on the Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials at major hematology/oncology conferences during 2016
Financial Results for the First Quarter 2016

At March 31, 2016 the Company had cash, cash equivalents, investment securities, and interest receivable of $85.3 million, which we believe will be sufficient to fund our operations into the second quarter of 2018.

Our net loss for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016, excluding non-cash items, was approximately $12.1 million, which included approximately $4.3 million of manufacturing and CMC expenses in preparation for Phase 3 clinical trials and potential commercialization. The net loss for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016, inclusive of non-cash items, was $13.8 million, or $0.28 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $14.6 million during the comparable quarter in 2015, or $0.35 per basic and diluted share. The decrease in net loss during the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 was the result of a decrease in non-cash compensation expense related to equity incentive grants over the comparable period in 2015, partially offset by an increase in other research and development expenses as a result of clinical trial expenses related to ongoing and planned future Phase 3 registration programs.

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

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals has filed a 10-Q – Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Filing, 10-Q, Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, MAY 10, 2016, View Source [SID1234512437]).

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Immune Design Reports First Quarter 2016 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

On May 10, 2016 Immune Design (Nasdaq:IMDZ), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on oncology, reported financial results and a corporate review for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 (Press release, Immune Design, MAY 10, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512268]).

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"During the first quarter, we progressed both clinical product development and discovery research activities," said Carlos Paya, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Immune Design. "We continued to enroll patients in randomized Phase 2 studies evaluating both of our lead immuno-oncology product candidates, CMB305 and G100, and we are initiating activities in the emerging field of neoantigen-based personalized therapies."

Recent Highlights

Product Development Progress

Specific Antigen Approach: Targeting NY-ESO-1 positive Soft Tissue Sarcomas

LV305 Phase 1 single agent trial

Enrollment is complete with sufficient follow-up of a large cohort of patients indicating a favorable safety profile and a positive signal in clinical endpoints such as progression-free survival (PFS) and survival.

The complete data will be presented at the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.

CMB305 Phase 1 single agent trial

Enrollment in the expansion arm is in progress.

Thus far the safety profile is favorable, and a positive signal in PFS- related endpoints was observed.

The Company plans to provide data at the Immune Design Company Update event in New York City on Wednesday, June 8.

Immune Design recently received Orphan Designation from the FDA for this product.

CMB305 randomized Phase 2 trial

Enrollment is ongoing in the 80-patient trial evaluating CMB305 with atezolizumab, Genentech’s anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor, versus atezolizumab alone.

A first analysis is planned for the fourth quarter of this year.
Intratumoral Immune Activation Approach: Evaluation in Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), Sarcoma and follicular non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (fNHL)

G100 single agent and in combination with radiation Phase 1 trial in MCC patients

Enrollment has completed, with a consistent safety and clinical benefit profile.

A thorough analysis of the tumor micro-environment before and after G100 injection demonstrates increased tumor inflammation ("hot" tumor).

Full data set will be presented at the upcoming ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) meeting.

G100 single agent and in combination with radiation Phase 1 trial in sarcoma patients

Investigator-sponsored trial at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is ongoing in sarcoma patients with accessible lesions.

Evaluating dose response of G100 for safety, clinical signal and tumor micro-environment changes of a traditionally "cold" tumor.

Initial data will be presented at the upcoming ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) meeting.

G100 and low dose radiation in combination or not with Keytruda Phase 1/2 trial in fNHL

Enrollment is ongoing in part 1: G100 dose-escalation.

We expect enrollment for part 1 and part 2 (randomized with Keytruda) to be completed by year-end.
New Clinical Collaboration targeting Neoantigens with Gritstone Oncology

A collaboration announced on May 9, 2016 will involve the application of Immune Design’s ZVexTM discovery platform with Gritstone’s proprietary genomics and proteomics platform for identification of patient-specific tumor antigens to develop neoantigen-based immunotherapies.
Research Activities Progress

Immune Design is evaluating the ZVex IL-12 vector as a potential addition to its intratumoral activation approach.

Preclinical results were presented at the recent American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) annual meeting.
Financial Results

First Quarter

Immune Design ended the first quarter of 2016 with $100.8 million in cash and investments, compared to $112.9 million as of December 31, 2015. Net cash used in operations for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $12.1 million.

Net loss and net loss per share for the first quarter of 2016 were $12.3 million and $0.61, respectively, compared to $9.4 million and $0.56, respectively, for the first quarter of 2015.

Revenue for the first quarter of 2016 was $1.9 million and was attributable primarily to the Sanofi G103 (HSV2 therapeutic vaccine) collaboration established in the fourth quarter of 2014. Revenue for the first quarter of 2015 was similar, $1.9 million, and was attributable primarily to $1.8 million in collaboration revenue associated with Sanofi G103 collaboration and $0.1 million in product sales.

Research and development expenses for the first quarter of 2016 were $10.6 million, compared to $7.5 million for the first quarter of 2015. The $3.1 million increase was primarily attributable to continuing advancement of Immune Design’s ongoing research and development programs, including ongoing Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials.

General and administrative expenses did not materially differ over the comparative periods. For the first quarter of 2016 general and administrative expenses were $3.9 million, compared to $3.8 million for the first quarter of 2015.