On August 6, 2024 Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Corvus or the Company) (Nasdaq: CRVS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, reported a business update and announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024 (Press release, Corvus Pharmaceuticals, AUG 6, 2024, View Source [SID1234645414]).
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!
"We have seen growing evidence supporting the central role of ITK in T cell biology and the significant potential of ITK inhibition as a new mechanism to treat a broad range of immune diseases and cancers," said Richard A. Miller, M.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Corvus. "This includes early data from our Phase 1 clinical trial of soquelitinib in atopic dermatitis and our ongoing preclinical work exploring ITK inhibition in autoimmunity and inflammation. Based on this, we are increasingly optimistic that our ITK platform has the potential to improve clinical outcomes for a range of indications as an oral medication with an attractive tolerability profile. We have leveraged our experience in T cell lymphomas which has allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the role of ITK in T cell biology that we can now apply to immune diseases. We remain on track to initiate a Phase 3 registrational trial in PTCL in the third quarter."
Business Update and Strategy
Prioritized Program: Soquelitinib (formerly CPI-818, Corvus’ selective ITK inhibitor)
Soquelitinib for Immune Diseases
Corvus continues to enroll patients at multiple clinical sites in its randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial of soquelitinib in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. The trial is planned to enroll 64 patients that have failed at least one prior therapy across four different 28-day dosing regimens of soquelitinib compared to a placebo group. The endpoints include safety and improvement in Eczema Area and Severity Index. Patients and physicians will be blinded to treatment assignment.
Initial results, as of July 31, 2024, from three evaluable patients in the first cohort of the trial that completed the 28-day dosing regimen and follow-up visit demonstrated signs of clinical activity and corresponding changes in serum cytokine levels that are consistent with soquelitinib’s mechanism of action. These patients received a dose of 100 mg two-times a day, the lowest dose level planned for the study.
Corvus anticipates interim data from the Phase 1 clinical trial will be presented in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Recent published data from researchers at Cornell University demonstrated that ITK controls the fate of inflammatory Th17 cells. When ITK is inhibited by soquelitinib, the Th17 cells convert or switch to Treg cells that suppress inflammation. Soquelitinib treatment in an asthma model of mice with allergic airway inflammation significantly reduced the percentage of Th17 cells in the lung resulting in an increase in the ratio of Treg to Th17 cells. These studies confirm our understanding of the role of specific ITK inhibition in inflammation and are relevant to many immune diseases.
Corvus continues to advance its next-generation ITK inhibitor preclinical product candidates, which were designed to deliver precise T-cell modulation that is optimized for specific immunology indications. The next-generation ITK inhibitor candidates are part of the Company’s ongoing business development efforts to maximize the potential of the Company’s ITK inhibitor programs in immune diseases and cancers.
Soquelitinib for T Cell Lymphoma
Corvus continues to follow patients with relapsed T cell lymphoma in its Phase 1/1b clinical trial (no longer enrolling new patients) evaluating single agent therapy with soquelitinib. Updated interim data as of July 16, 2024:
A total of 25 patients were enrolled in the Phase 1/1b trial at the optimum 200 mg two-times a day dose and meet the eligibility criteria for the planned registrational Phase 3 clinical trial based on ≥1 and ≤3 prior therapies, including 23 evaluable patients.
For the 23 evaluable patients, objective responses (complete response, CR plus partial response, PR) were seen in nine patients (39%), including six CRs (26%) and three PRs. Compared to the prior data reported as of May 3, 2024, one patient with continued tumor regression achieved a CR that previously had a PR at the first follow up visit. See waterfall plot below.
Disease control (CR, PR and stable disease) was seen in 14 of 23 patients (61%). The stable disease group included five patients who achieved tumor reductions that did not meet the criteria for a PR.
Corvus anticipates initiating a registrational Phase 3 clinical trial of soquelitinib in patients with relapsed PTCL in the third quarter of 2024. There are currently no FDA fully approved agents for the treatment of relapsed PTCL and the FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation for soquelitinib for the treatment of T cell lymphoma. Recently, the Company received a Pediatric Waiver from the FDA indicating that it would not be required to conduct clinical trials in a pediatric population for this indication.
As recently announced, soquelitinib has received Fast Track designation for treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T cell lymphoma after at least 2 lines of systemic therapy.
Waterfall Plot for Patients in the 200 mg Dose Cohort of the Soquelitinib Phase 1/1b Clinical Trial for Peripheral T Cell Lymphoma. The plot shows the best percent change in tumor volume in the 23 evaluable patients (eligible patient population), as of July 16, 2024, that were measurable by CT scan or by Modified Severity-Weighted Assessment Tool (mSWAT) for patients with cutaneous involvement. PTCL-NOS, peripheral T cell lymphoma not otherwise specified; CTCL, cutaneous T cell lymphoma of either Sezary or mycosis fungoides type; NKTCL, natural killer cell T cell lymphoma; ALCL, anaplastic large cell lymphoma; AITL, angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma.
Collaboration with Kidney Cancer Research Consortium: Ciforadenant (adenosine A2a receptor inhibitor)
Corvus is collaborating with the Kidney Cancer Research Consortium in a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating ciforadenant as a potential first line therapy for metastatic renal cell cancer (RCC) in combination with ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) and nivolumab (anti-PD-1). The efficacy endpoint for the trial is deep response rate, defined as CR plus PRs of greater than 50% tumor volume reduction. The clinical trial is expected to enroll up to 60 patients and as of May 31, 2024 a total of 32 patients were enrolled in the trial. The protocol defined, interim pre-specified statistical threshold for efficacy is a 50% increase above the 32% deep response rate seen with previous ipilimumab/nivolumab combination trials in RCC conducted by investigators at the Kidney Cancer Research Consortium. As of May 31, 2024, the interim analysis of the clinical trial has met the threshold for efficacy and therefore enrollment continues.
In July 2024, a new U.S. patent was issued (United States Patent No. 12,023,337) by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that covers the use of ciforadenant for the treatment of cancer; foreign counterparts are pending.
Partner Led Program: Mupadolimab (anti-CD73)
Angel Pharmaceuticals, Corvus’ partner in China, is enrolling patients in an expansion cohort of a Phase 1/1b clinical trial of mupadolimab in patients with relapsed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this clinical trial, patients will receive mupadolimab monotherapy.
Financial Results
As of June 30, 2024, Corvus had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $47.2 million as compared to $27.1 million as of December 31, 2023. During the quarter ended June 30, 2024, the Company completed a registered direct offering in which it sold shares of common stock, pre-funded warrants and common warrants, generating $30.3 million in net proceeds.
Corvus expects full year 2024 net cash used in operating activities to be between approximately $24 million and $27 million, resulting in a projected cash balance of between approximately $31 million and $34 million at December 31, 2024. Based on its current plans, Corvus expects its cash to fund operations into the fourth quarter of 2025.
Research and development expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2024 totaled $4.1 million compared to $4.0 million for the same period in 2023. The increase of $0.1 million was primarily due to higher clinical trial costs associated with the development of soquelitinib.
The net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2024 was $4.3 million compared to a net loss of $6.5 million for the same period in 2023. Total stock compensation expense for the three months ended June 30, 2024 was $0.8 million compared to $0.5 for the same period in 2023 and the non-cash loss from Corvus’ equity method investment in Angel Pharmaceuticals was $0.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024 compared to a loss of $1.3 million for the same period in 2023. In addition, the Company recorded a non-cash gain of $1.8 million from the change in fair value of its warrant liability during the three months ended June 30, 2024 due to the warrants issued in the registered direct offering.
Conference Call Details
Corvus will host a conference call and webcast today, Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT), during which time management will provide a business update and discuss the second quarter 2024 financial results. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 1- 800-717-1738 (toll-free domestic) or 1- 646-307-1865 (international) or by clicking on this link for instant telephone access to the event. The live webcast may be accessed via the investor relations section of the Corvus website. A replay of the webcast will be available on Corvus’ website for 90 days.