Amphista Therapeutics Enters Strategic Collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb for Discovery and Development of Targeted Protein Degradation Therapeutics

On May 4, 2022 Amphista Therapeutics, a global leader in the discovery and development of next generation targeted protein degradation (TPD) therapeutics, reported a strategic collaboration and license agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb (Press release, Amphista Therapeutics, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613481]).

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Under the terms of the agreement, Bristol Myers Squibb and Amphista will work collaboratively to discover and develop small molecule protein degraders. Bristol Myers Squibb will be granted a global exclusive license to the degraders developed and will be responsible for further development and commercialization activities. Amphista will receive a $30 million upfront payment, the potential for up to $1.25 billion in performance-based milestone payments and payment for a limited expansion of the collaboration, as well as royalties on global net sales of products. The closing of the transaction is subject to the parties obtaining regulatory clearances or approvals.

Nicola Thompson, CEO of Amphista, said, "Our collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb is a powerful validation of our advances in TPD research and the capabilities of our Eclipsys next-generation TPD platform. Combining our expertise with Bristol Myers Squibb’s strong legacy and experience in the protein degradation space brings new promise to the potential of delivering more effective new treatment to patients seeking treatment options."

TPD therapies are designed to use physiological mechanisms to remove pathogenic protein from the body, offering the potential to access many disease targets previously considered "undruggable." Amphista’s technology is specifically designed to develop next generation TPD therapeutics based on advanced mechanistic insights and novel chemistry approaches that enable the development of novel protein degrading therapeutics.

"Bristol Myers Squibb continues to build its leadership and scientific expertise in the protein degradation space," said Rupert Vessey, M.A., B.M., B.Ch., FRCP, D.Phil., Executive Vice President, Research & Early Development, Bristol Myers Squibb. "We look forward to collaborating with Amphista and using its TPD platform to potentially develop new targeted protein degradation therapies."

Ascendis Pharma A/S Announces First Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Business Update Conference Call on May 11

On May 4, 2022 Ascendis Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ASND) reported that the company will hold a conference call and live webcast on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) to review its first quarter 2022 financial results and provide a business update (Press release, Ascendis Pharma, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613513]).

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Conference Call Details

A live webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investors and News section of the Ascendis Pharma website at www.ascendispharma.com. A webcast replay will be available on this website shortly after conclusion of the event for 30 days.

BIO-TECHNE DECLARES DIVIDEND

On May 4, 2022 Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH) reported that its Board of Directors has decided to pay a dividend of $0.32 per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 (Press release, Bio-Techne, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613530]). The quarterly dividend will be payable May 27, 2022, to all common shareholders of record on May 16, 2022. Future cash dividends will be considered by the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.

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Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH) is a global life sciences company providing innovative tools and bioactive reagents for the research and clinical diagnostic communities. Bio-Techne products assist scientific investigations into biological processes and the nature and progress of specific diseases. They aid in drug discovery efforts and provide the means for accurate clinical tests and diagnoses. With thousands of products in its portfolio, Bio-Techne generated approximately $931 million in net sales in fiscal 2021 and has approximately 2,700 employees worldwide. For more information on Bio-Techne and its brands, please visit www.bio-techne.com.

Merck to Participate in Bank of America Securities 2022 Healthcare Conference

On May 4, 2022 Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, reported that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Caroline Litchfield will participate in a fireside chat at the live Bank of America Securities 2022 Healthcare Conference (Press release, Merck & Co, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613548]).

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The conversation will take place Wednesday, May 11, at 11:40 a.m. ET. Investors, analysts, members of the media and the general public are invited to listen at https://bofa.veracast.com/webcasts/bofa/hc2022/idrK4v7a.cfm.

MorphoSys AG Reports First Quarter 2022 Financial Results

On May 4, 2022 MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; NASDAQ: MOR) reported results for the first quarter 2022 (Press release, MorphoSys, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613566]).

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"Our clinical pipeline has never been stronger as it is today. We continue to see strong patient enrollment in our pivotal Phase 3 studies that are examining pelabresib and tafasitamab for some of the most difficult to treat blood cancers for which only limited treatment options are available," said Jean-Paul Kress, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of MorphoSys. "Our cancer immunotherapy Monjuvi remains the market leader in second line relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma new patient starts, and we expect its performance to sequentially increase in subsequent quarters this year. We remain confident in our late-stage pipeline and in delivering on our growth strategy."

Tafasitamab Highlights:

Monjuvi (tafasitamab-cxix) U.S. net product sales of US$ 18.7 million (€ 16.6 million) for the first quarter 2022 (Q1 2021: US$ 15.5 million (€ 12.9 million)).

Minjuvi Royalty revenue of € 0.7 million for sales outside of the U.S. in the first quarter 2022.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guideline update. On March 15, 2022, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network updated the Clinical Practice Guidelines (NCCN Guidelines) in Oncology for B-cell Lymphomas and the designation for Monjuvi (tafasitamab-cxix) in combination with lenalidomide is now a Preferred Regimen for second-line therapy in patients with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) who are not candidates for transplant.

Minjuvi conditional approval in Switzerland. On March 22, 2022, MorphoSys and Incyte announced that the Swiss agency for therapeutic products (Swissmedic), has granted temporary approval for Minjuvi (tafasitamab) in combination with lenalidomide, followed by Minjuvi monotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), after at least one prior line of systemic therapy including an anti-CD20 antibody, who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). Incyte holds exclusive commercialization rights for Minjuvi in Switzerland.

Financial Results for the First Quarter of 2022 (IFRS):

Total revenues for the first quarter 2022 were € 41.5 million compared to € 47.2 million for the same period in 2021. Q1 2021 revenues benefited from € 16 million of milestone payments from GSK.

Cost of Sales: In the first quarter 2022, cost of sales was € 7.9 million compared to € 5.0 million for the comparable period in 2021.

Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: In the first quarter 2022, R&D expenses were € 65.0 million (Q1 2021: € 33.3 million). The increase in R&D expenses is primarily due to the inclusion of R&D expenses from Constellation and higher investment to support the advancement of clinical programs, especially the pivotal Phase 3 studies.

Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Expenses: Selling expenses in the first quarter 2022 were € 21.9 million (Q1 2021: € 28.2 million) and general and administrative (G&A) expenses amounted to € 14.6 million (Q1 2021: € 10.3 million). The year-over-year reduction in Selling expenses was driven by additional investments that were made in 2021, the first full year of the Monjuvi launch. The year-over-year increase in G&A expenses was primarily driven by the inclusion of Constellation and higher legal and professional fees.

Operating Loss: Operating loss amounted to € 68.0 million in the first quarter 2022 (Q1 2021: operating loss of € 29.6 million).

Consolidated Net Loss: For the first quarter 2022, consolidated net loss was € 122.7 million (Q1 2021: consolidated net loss of € 41.6 million).

Full Year 2022 Financial Guidance:

The Financial Guidance was initially provided on January 7, 2022 and reiterated on March 16, 2022 and on May 4, 2022.

Amounts in million

2022 Financial Guidance

2022 Guidance Insights

Monjuvi U.S. Net Product Sales

US$ 110m to 135m

100% of Monjuvi U.S. product sales are recorded on MorphoSys’ income statement and related profit/loss is split 50/50 between MorphoSys and Incyte.

Gross Margin for Monjuvi U.S. Net Product Sales

75% to 80%

100% of Monjuvi U.S. product cost of sales are recorded on MorphoSys’ income statement and related profit/loss is split 50/50 between MorphoSys and Incyte.

R&D expenses

€ 300m to 325m

2022 growth over 2021 will be driven primarily by investment in ongoing pivotal phase-3 studies, excluding transaction/restructuring/other charges related to Constellation acquisition recorded in 2021.

SG&A expenses

€ 155m to 170m

51% to 56% of mid-point of SG&A expenses represent Monjuvi U.S. selling costs of which 100% are recorded in MorphoSys’ income statement. Incyte reimburses MorphoSys for half of these selling expenses.

For 2022, we anticipate a year-over-year decline in SG&A, excluding transaction/restructuring/other charges related to Constellation acquisition recorded in 2021.

Additional information related to 2022 Financial Guidance:

Tremfya royalties will continue to be recorded as revenue without any cost of sales in MorphoSys’ income statement. These royalties, however, will not contribute any cash to MorphoSys as 100% of the royalties will be passed on to Royalty Pharma.
MorphoSys anticipates receiving royalties for Minjuvi sales outside of the U.S. Guidance for these royalties is not being provided as MorphoSys does not receive any sales forecasts from its partner Incyte.
MorphoSys does not anticipate any significant cash-accretive revenues from the achievement of milestones in 2022. Milestones for otilimab are passed on to Royalty Pharma. Milestones from all other programs remain with MorphoSys at 100%.
MorphoSys anticipates sales of commercial and clinical supply of tafasitamab outside of the U.S. to its partner Incyte. Revenue from this supply is recorded in the "Licenses, milestones and other" category in MorphoSys’ income statement. These sales result in a zero gross profit/margin. As such, MorphoSys does not provide guidance for these sales.
While R&D expense is anticipated to grow year-over-year due to investments in three pivotal studies, the growth is partially being offset by the consolidation of research/discovery activities.
SG&A expense guidance range reflects savings from synergies following the acquisition of Constellation and streamlined commercialization efforts.
Operational Outlook for 2022:

MorphoSys anticipates the following key development milestones in 2022:

First proof-of-concept data from the ongoing clinical phase 2 study of CPI-0209 in solid tumors and blood cancer;
Additional data from the phase 1/2 M-PLACE (proof-of-concept) study of felzartamab for the treatment of anti-PLA2R antibody positive membranous nephropathy (MN);
First data from the phase 2 study (IGNAZ) to evaluate felzartamab in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN);
MorphoSys’ partner Roche expects a pivotal data readout of the GRADUATE 1 and GRADUATE 2 trials with gantenerumab in the second half of 2022. Roche initiated these phase 3 development programs for patients with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018.
MorphoSys Group Key Figures (IFRS, end of the first quarter: March 31, 2022)

Please dial in 10 minutes before the beginning of the conference.

A live webcast and slides will be made available at the Investors section under "Upcoming Events & Conferences" on MorphoSys’ website, View Source and after the call, a slide-synchronized audio replay of the conference will be available at the same location.

The statement for the first quarter 2022 (IFRS) are available for download at:
View Source