On May 9, 2022 IGM Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: IGMS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on creating and developing IgM antibodies, reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 and provided an update on recent developments (Press release, IGM Biosciences, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234614001]).

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"IGM took a major step in expanding the scope and support of our research pipeline of IgM antibodies with the recent closing of an exclusive worldwide collaboration agreement with Sanofi for the creation, research and development of agonist IgM antibodies against three oncology targets and three autoimmune/inflammation targets," said Fred Schwarzer, Chief Executive Officer of IGM Biosciences. "We have also made significant progress in the clinical development of our wholly-owned pipeline of IgM antibodies with the start of our two Phase 2 studies for our T cell bispecific antibody, IGM-2323, and the continuation of our Phase 1 trial of IGM-8444. In addition to continued progress in these ongoing clinical trials, we also expect to file INDs for our targeted IL-15 IgM antibody, IGM-7354, and our CD38 x CD3 bispecific IgM antibody, IGM-2644, this year."

Corporate Updates

Closing of collaboration agreement with Sanofi. IGM announced that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the HSR Act), has expired in connection with the Company’s previously announced exclusive worldwide collaboration agreement with Sanofi. In connection with the closing of the collaboration agreement, Sanofi will pay IGM a $150 million upfront payment. The agreement is for the creation, development, manufacture, and commercialization of IgM antibody agonists against three oncology targets and three autoimmune/inflammation targets. In addition to the $150 million upfront payment, IGM is eligible for over $6 billion in aggregate development, regulatory and commercial milestones, a 50:50 profit share in certain major market countries and tiered royalties in the rest of world for oncology targets, and tiered royalties for autoimmune/inflammation targets.

Completed underwritten public offering of common stock. In April 2022, IGM closed a public offering of its common stock with gross proceeds of $230 million, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by IGM.
Pipeline Updates

IGM-2323 (CD20 x CD3)

Phase 2 studies. IGM previously announced the initiation of two Phase 2 studies to assess the safety and efficacy of two doses of IGM-2323, 100 mg and 300 mg, in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL).
IGM-8444 (DR5)

Clinical development of IGM-8444. IGM continues to advance the clinical development of IGM-8444, the Company’s IgM DR5 agonist, in an open-label, multicenter, Phase I study of IGM-8444 in multiple combinations in subjects with relapsed and/or refractory solid and hematologic cancers.
IGM-7354 (IL-15 x PD-L1)

IND application expected to be filed this year. IGM expects to file an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for IGM-7354, the Company’s targeted IL-15 IgM antibody, in solid tumors this year.
IGM-2644 (CD38 x CD3)

IND application expected to be filed this year. IGM expects to file an IND for IGM-2644, the Company’s CD38 x CD3 bispecific IgM antibody, in multiple myeloma this year.
First Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Cash and Investments: Cash and investments as of March 31, 2022 were $187.5 million, compared to $229.5 million as of December 31, 2021.
The March 31, 2022 cash and investments balance does not include the $230.0 million in gross proceeds, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by IGM, received in connection with IGM’s 2022 public offering, which closed in April.
The March 31, 2022 cash and investments balance also does not include the $150.0 million upfront payment that IGM is expected to receive from Sanofi during the second quarter of 2022 under the terms of the collaboration agreement announced in March 2022.
Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: For the first quarter of 2022, R&D expenses were $38.9 million, compared to $23.6 million for the same period in 2021.
General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses: For the first quarter of 2022, G&A expenses were $13.1 million, compared to $8.1 million for the same period in 2021.
Net Loss: For the first quarter of 2022, net loss was $51.9 million, or a loss of $1.53 per share, compared to a net loss of $31.6 million, or a loss of $0.95 per share, for the same period in 2021. The net loss included non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $11.5 million and $5.5 million for the first quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively.
2022 Financial Guidance

IGM reiterates its previously issued financial guidance expecting full year GAAP operating expenses of $250 million to $260 million including estimated non-cash stock-based compensation expense of approximately $50 million. IGM expects to end 2022 with a balance of over $390 million in cash and investments.

On May 9, 2022 iBio, Inc. (NYSEA:IBIO) ("iBio" or the "Company"), a developer of next-generation biopharmaceuticals and pioneer of the sustainable FastPharming Manufacturing System, reported a poster presentation on IBIO–101, the Company’s monoclonal antibody candidate for the treatment of solid tumors (Press release, iBioPharma, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234614063]). The presentation will take place at Frontiers in Cancer Immunotherapy 2022 by the New York Academy of Sciences from May 9-11.

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Preclinical evaluation of IBIO-101, produced with iBio’s FastPharming and GlycaneeringSM Systems, showed equivalent efficacy and potency compared with this IL-2 sparing anti-CD25 antibody made using traditional mammalian cell culture methods (RTX-003 from RubrYc Therapeutics, Inc.). Additionally, iBio’s proprietary afucosylation technology enabled the engineering of a more potent version without incremental intellectual property access costs. The Company now plans to advance its Glycaneered anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody for the depletion of regulatory T cells ("Tregs") to the clinic next year.

Dillon Phan, PhD, iBio’s Vice President and Head of Early Research and Development, will present the poster, titled "Plant-Based Expression and Glyco-Engineering of Novel IL-2 Signaling Permissive Anti-CD25 Antibodies for Effective Treg Depletion in Cancer", which highlights:

A CD25 epitope-survey using a novel artificial intelligence/machine learning platform to identify one epitope and corresponding antibodies with particularly high antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity ("ADCC") activity.
The production of a Glycaneered version of IBIO-101, which significantly increased effector function resulting from afucosylation using a deltaXT/FT N. benthamiana host compared with a fucoslyated form of the molecule.
Binding of IBIO-101 specifically to CD25+ cancerous cells with high affinity.
Preserved IL-2 signaling to effector T cells via pSTAT5.
Potent ADCC activity in killing cancer cells.

On May 9, 2022 Ingenium Therapeutics reported that it has applied to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for phase 2 clinical trials of ‘Memory-NK’ cell therapy for relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (Press release, Ingenium Therapeutics, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234643521]).

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This phase 2 will be conducted at three medical institutions in Korea, including Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Samsung Medical Center, and St. Mary’s Hospital in Seoul. The goal is to complete clinical trials and receive conditional approval in 2024.

According to the company, chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) treatment is commercially available for lymphocytic leukemia, but there is currently no specific treatment for relapsed AML. Accordingly, it is expected that Memory-NK treatment will provide an innovative treatment method.
Ingenium’s Memory-NK cell therapy product is expected to have strong anti-cancer properties due to its high expression level of surface-activated receptors and high levels of ‘interferon gamma (IFN-r)’. It was said that cell viability was also high, overcoming the problem of short in vivo survival period, known as a limitation of existing NK cell treatments.

Ingenium said that it confirmed the therapeutic efficacy and safety of Memory-NK cells in a clinical trial conducted by researchers on about 100 patients with recurrent AML. It was said that the anti-cancer treatment potential was also confirmed in animal test models of solid cancers such as lung cancer, liver cancer, and colon cancer. Ingenium plans to formulate and conduct clinical trials of Memory-NK for the treatment of solid tumors in the future.

In addition, basic research on ‘CAR-NK’ and ‘NK engager’ is also being conducted to increase the effectiveness of Memory-NK. Preclinical research is also underway for a self-developed peptide (IGTN13) that has been shown to increase the anti-cancer effect of NK cells. We plan to begin clinical trials of additional candidate substances sequentially within two years.

Ingenium completed ‘Pre-Series A’ funding worth 5.7 billion won in March. We plan to recruit investors for Series A by September.

On May 9, 2022 RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (Nasdaq: RDHL) ("RedHill" or the "Company"), a specialty biopharmaceutical company, reported that it has entered into a definitive agreement with a single leading healthcare investor for the purchase and sale of 10,563,380 of the Company’s American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") (or ADS equivalents), each ADS representing ten (10) ordinary shares, at a purchase price of $1.42 per ADS (or ADS equivalent), in a registered direct offering (Press release, RedHill Biopharma, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234613885]). RedHill has also agreed to issue to the investor unregistered private warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 13,204,225 ADSs in a concurrent private placement. The warrants have an exercise price of $1.48 per ADS, are exercisable six months after the issuance date and have a term of five and one-half years. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about May 11, 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

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Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the offering.

The gross proceeds to the Company from this offering are expected to be approximately $15 million, before deducting the placement agent’s fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital, acquisitions, and general corporate purposes.

The securities described above (but not the warrants or the ADSs underlying the warrants) are being offered by the Company pursuant to a "shelf" registration statement on Form F-3 (File No 333-258259) previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on July 29, 2021, and declared effective by the SEC on August 9, 2021. The offering of the securities is made only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the securities being offered will be filed with the SEC. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus may be obtained, when available, on the SEC’s website at View Source or by contacting Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., 499 Park Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10022, Attn: Capital Markets Department, or by email at [email protected].

The warrants described above were offered in a private placement under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and Regulation D promulgated thereunder and, along with the ADSs underlying the warrants, have not been registered under the Act, or applicable state securities laws. Accordingly, the warrants and underlying ADSs may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Act and such applicable state securities laws.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

On May 9, 2022 bluebird bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUE) ("bluebird bio" or the "Company") reported financial results and business highlights for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, and shared recent operational progress (Press release, bluebird bio, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234613918]).

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"For more than a decade, bluebird bio has helped chart the path for the field of gene therapy and today, we are closer than ever before to realizing our mission of bringing potentially curative gene therapies to patients and their families," said Andrew Obenshain, chief executive officer, bluebird bio. "We have taken action to sharpen our focus and our finances, as the FDA completes its review of the beti-cel and eli-cel BLAs, and we prepare for the launch of two gene therapies in the second half of the year. In parallel, we are actively collecting the manufacturing comparability data required for lovo-cel and remain focused on submitting our BLA for sickle cell disease to the FDA in Q1 2023."

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

BETI-CEL AND ELI-CEL

ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING ON JUNE 9-10, 2022 – On April 13, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed its plans to review betibeglogene autotemcel (beti-cel) and elivaldogene autotemcel (eli-cel) in an FDA Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee Meeting that will take place over two days on June 9-10, 2022. The advisory committee will discuss the efficacy and safety data supporting the benefit/risk of beti-cel and eli-cel respectively, as well as safety information relevant to both therapies. If approved, beti-cel and eli-cel would be the Company’s first FDA approved therapies as an independent severe genetic disease company. An overview of the agenda was included in the Federal Register announcement posted on April 13. The full agenda will be determined by the FDA and included in briefing materials that will be posted by the FDA closer to the date of the advisory committee meeting.
LOVO-CEL

CONTINUED PROGRESS TOWARD BLA SUBMISSION – bluebird bio has enrolled more than half of the patients in the HGB-210 study that will be needed to support manufacturing data requirements for the lovotibeglogene autotemcel (lovo-cel) biologics licensing application (BLA) and the Company is on track to submit a BLA to the FDA for sickle cell disease (SCD) in the first quarter of 2023. As previously communicated, the Company has treated all patients in HGB-206 Group C who will form the primary basis of efficacy for BLA submission, with the demonstration of analytical comparability and validation of the commercial manufacturing process as the key remaining actions prior to submission of the planned BLA. Enrollment and dosing for patients 18 and older are continuing in the HGB-210 study and the Company remains in active dialogue with the FDA about the resolution of the partial clinical hold for patients under 18.
COMPANY

RESTRUCTURING UPDATE – On April 5, 2022, bluebird bio announced a comprehensive restructuring intended to deliver up to $160 million in cost savings over the next two years, reduce its workforce by approximately 30% and extend its cash runway into the first half of 2023. Near-term cost savings were realized in April as bluebird began implementing the restructuring. The Company continues to evaluate additional financing options, including public or private equity financings and monetizing any priority review vouchers that may be issued upon approval of beti-cel or eli-cel.
NEW HEADQUARTERS MOVE –bluebird bio has begun transitioning to its new headquarters in Assembly Row. The Company’s new HQ is designed to reflect modern ways of working and estimated to result in more than $120 million in cost savings over the next six years. bluebird will maintain laboratory space and operations at 60 Binney St. in Cambridge through 2023.
UPCOMING INVESTOR EVENTS

Members of the management team will participate in the following upcoming investor conferences:

BofA Securities 2022 Health Care Conference, Wednesday, May 11, at 3:20 p.m. PT at the Encore Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
2022 RBC Capital Markets Global Healthcare Conference, Tuesday, May 17, at 8:00 a.m. ET at the Intercontinental NY Barclay, New York, NY
Goldman Sachs 43rd Annual Global Healthcare Conference, Wednesday, June 15, at 4:00 p.m. PT at the Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
To access the live webcast of bluebird bio’s presentations, please visit the "Events & Presentations" page within the Investors & Media section of the bluebird bio website at View Source A replay of the webcasts will be available on the bluebird bio website for 90 days following the event.

UPCOMING ANTICIPATED MILESTONES

LOVO-CEL

The Company is in active communication with the FDA to resolve the partial clinical hold and resume enrollment and treatment of patients under the age of 18.
The Company plans to complete manufacturing of commercial drug product validation lots by mid-2022.
The Company expects to confirm vector and drug product analytical comparability by Q4 2022.
The Company plans to submit its BLA for lovo-cel in Q1 2023.
BETI-CEL

The FDA has set a PDUFA goal date of August 19, 2022, for a decision on the approval of beti-cel in patients with β-thalassemia with commercial launch expected to follow in the beginning of Q4 2022 if approved.
An FDA advisory committee meeting for beti-cel and eli-cel will be held over the course of two days on June 9-10, 2022.
ELI-CEL

The FDA has set a PDUFA goal date of September 16, 2022, for a decision on the approval of eli-cel in patients with cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy with therapy availability expected in Q4 2022 if approved.
An FDA advisory committee meeting for beti-cel and eli-cel will be held over the course of two days on June 9-10, 2022.
bluebird bio is in active communication with the FDA to resolve the clinical hold and anticipates the FDA’s questions may be resolved concurrent with the agency’s ongoing review of the Company’s BLA submission.
FIRST QUARTER 2022 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Cash Position: The Company’s restricted cash, cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities balance was approximately $312 million, including restricted cash of approximately $45 million, as of March 31, 2022. The full-year 2022 cash burn is expected to be less than $340 million with a 35 to 40 percent reduction in operating costs anticipated by year-end 2022.

The Company is exploring multiple financing opportunities, including public or private equity financings and monetizing any priority review vouchers that may be issued upon approval of beti-cel or eli-cel.
Revenues: Total revenue was $1.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $0.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses from continuing operations were $77.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $82.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The decrease of $4.9 million was primarily due to decreased employee compensation, benefit, and other head-count related expenses, offset by increased manufacturing costs.
SG&A Expenses: Selling, general and administrative expenses from continuing operations were $36.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $63.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The decrease of $27.5 million was primarily due to decreased employee compensation, benefit, and other head-count related expenses and decreased commercial readiness activities due to the Company’s decision to focus its efforts on the U.S. market for beti-cel, eli-cel, and lovo-cel.
Net Loss: Net loss from continuing operations was $122.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $121.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021.