Cytokinetics Reports First Quarter 2022 Financial Results

On May 4, 2022 Cytokinetics, Incorporated (Nasdaq: CYTK) reported financial results for the first quarter of 2022. Net loss for the first quarter was $89.4 million, or $1.05 per share, compared to net loss for the first quarter of 2021 of $47.1 million, or $0.66 per share (Press release, Cytokinetics, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613588]). Cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $686.1 million at March 31, 2022.

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"We achieved meaningful progress during the first quarter of 2022 with especially notable milestones relating to our cardiovascular pipeline, including the acceptance and filing of our NDA for omecamtiv mecarbil with FDA and the opening to enrollment in both SEQUOIA-HCM and Cohort 4 of REDWOOD-HCM. Additionally we shared positive data from Cohort 3 of REDWOOD-HCM demonstrating a substantial treatment effect with aficamten in patients taking disopyramide, and additional data from GALACTIC-HF reinforcing its safety, ease of initiation in the hospital setting and potential to reduce costs associated with fewer hospitalizations," said Robert I. Blum, Cytokinetics’ President and Chief Executive Officer. "Having secured long-term capital from Royalty Pharma also in the first quarter, our stronger balance sheet enables us to both accelerate our development of aficamten as well as to advance commercial readiness activities supportive of the potential approval of omecamtiv mecarbil this year."

Q1 and Recent Highlights

Cardiac Muscle Programs

omecamtiv mecarbil (cardiac myosin activator)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted and filed our New Drug Application (NDA) for omecamtiv mecarbil for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The NDA was assigned standard review with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of November 30, 2022.

Continued building our commercial infrastructure and launch readiness capabilities for omecamtiv mecarbil in the U.S. including initiation of hiring first line field-based sales force leaders, selection of a patient services partner, and activities related to field force operations and market access.

Doubled the size of our therapeutic Medical Scientist team, hired a Field Director, and began recruitment for our Managed Healthcare Medical Scientist team.

Completed risk assessment of an end-to-end supply chain and advanced appropriate mitigating actions; initiated several major digital systems supportive of supply chain logistics.

Presented additional data from GALACTIC-HF (Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac Outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure) at the American College of Cardiology 71st Annual Scientific Session (ACC.22) including:

An analysis showing that a subgroup of patients in GALACTIC-HF treated with omecamtiv mecarbil led to a reduction in resource intensity, with an estimated cost offset of $3,085, or 19% reduction per patient. The majority of these cost reductions were due to heart failure hospitalizations avoided by patients who were treated with omecamtiv mecarbil.

An analysis showing that the effect of treatment with omecamtiv mecarbil was associated with similar risk reduction in the primary composite endpoint in both hospitalized patients and in outpatients, indicating that initiation of omecamtiv mecarbil was safe and well tolerated in both hospitalized patients and outpatients.
Announced results of METEORIC-HF (Multicenter Exercise Tolerance Evaluation of Omecamtiv Mecarbil Related to Increased Contractility in Heart Failure), a Phase 3 clinical trial of omecamtiv mecarbil in patients with HFrEF that evaluated the effect of treatment with omecamtiv mecarbil compared to placebo on exercise capacity as determined by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). After 20 weeks of treatment, there was no change in peak oxygen uptake (pVO2) in patients treated with omecamtiv mecarbil versus placebo. Adverse events, including major cardiac events, were similar between the treatment arms, and the safety profile of omecamtiv mecarbil was consistent with prior clinical trials, including GALACTIC-HF.

Published a manuscript entitled "Influence of Atrial Fibrillation on Efficacy and Safety of Omecamtiv Mecarbil in Heart Failure: The GALACTIC-HF Trial" in the European Heart Journal.

Published a manuscript entitled "Developments in Exercise Capacity Assessment in Heart Failure Clinical Trials and the Rationale for the Design of METEORIC-HF" in Circulation: Heart Failure.
aficamten (cardiac myosin inhibitor)

Announced positive data from Cohort 3 of REDWOOD-HCM (Randomized Evaluation of Dosing With CK-274 in Obstructive Outflow Disease in HCM), which enrolled patients with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and a resting left ventricular outflow tract gradient (LVOT-G) ≥50, or resting LVOT-G ≥30 mmHg and post-Valsalva LVOT-G ≥50 mmHg, whose background therapy included disopyramide and in the majority a beta-adrenergic blocker. Results showed that substantial reductions in the average resting LVOT-G as well as the post-Valsalva LVOT-G (defined as resting gradient <30 mmHg and post-Valsalva gradient <50 mmHg) were achieved. The safety and tolerability of aficamten were consistent with prior experience in REDWOOD-HCM with no treatment interruptions and no serious adverse events attributed to treatment reported by the investigators.

Opened enrollment in Cohort 4 of REDWOOD-HCM (Randomized Evaluation of Dosing With CK-274 in Obstructive Outflow Disease in HCM), which will enroll, in an open label fashion, 30-40 patients with symptomatic non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy receiving background medical therapy. The primary objective is to determine the safety and tolerability of aficamten in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Opened enrollment in SEQUOIA-HCM (Safety, Efficacy, and Quantitative Understanding of Obstruction Impact of Aficamten in HCM), a Phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multi-center clinical trial designed to evaluate the effect of aficamten on exercise capacity, heart failure symptoms, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Class in patients with symptomatic obstructive HCM on background medical therapy for 24 weeks.
Skeletal Muscle Program

reldesemtiv (fast skeletal muscle troponin activator (FSTA))

Continued conduct and enrollment of COURAGE-ALS (Clinical Outcomes Using Reldesemtiv on ALSFRS-R in a Global Evaluation in ALS), the Phase 3 clinical trial of reldesemtiv in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Pre-Clinical Development and Ongoing Research

Continued to advance new muscle directed compounds and conduct IND-enabling studies with the expectation of our potentially moving 1-2 drug candidates into clinical development in the next year.

Continued research activities directed to our other muscle biology research programs.
Corporate

Secured long-term capital from entities affiliated with Royalty Pharma to support the potential commercialization of omecamtiv mecarbil and the further development of aficamten. Royalty Pharma will provide Cytokinetics long-term capital and debt financing of up to $300 million, subject to certain conditions, to support the potential commercialization of omecamtiv mecarbil and the further development of aficamten, and other general corporate purposes. Royalty Pharma also purchased a royalty on aficamten of 4.5% on sales up to $1 billion and 3.5% on sales above $1 billion, subject to certain potential step-downs, in exchange for payments of up to $150 million.

Announced changes to the Board of Directors including the retirement of L. Patrick Gage, Ph.D., former Chairman of the Board, the appointment of John T. Henderson, M.B., Ch.B. as the company’s new Chairman, and the appointment of Robert A. Harrington, M.D., Arthur L. Bloomfield Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, to the Board.

Joined with the European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) to recognize Rare Disease Day, an international campaign elevating the public understanding of rare diseases.

Announced a three-year collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) Bay Area to accelerate education and awareness of heart disease, in which Cytokinetics will provide funding and support for several initiatives led by AHA Bay Area.

Awarded Cytokinetics Communications Fellowship Grants to patient advocacy organizations serving the heart failure, HCM and ALS communities to support increased capacity in communications, awareness building and community engagement for nonprofit organizations serving the patient community.
2022 Corporate Milestones

Cardiac Muscle Programs

omecamtiv mecarbil (cardiac myosin activator)

Launch omecamtiv mecarbil in the U.S. pending FDA approval in Q4 2022.
aficamten (cardiac myosin inhibitor)

Continue enrolling patients with obstructive HCM in SEQUOIA-HCM through 2022.

Continue enrolling patients with non-obstructive HCM in Cohort 4 of REDWOOD-HCM.

Begin second Phase 3 clinical trial of aficamten in obstructive HCM in 2H 2022.

Expect to share data from the open label extension study of aficamten, REDWOOD-HCM OLE, at Heart Failure 2022 on May 23, 2022.
CK-3828136 (CK-136) (cardiac troponin activator)

Reactivate development program for CK-136 in 2H 2022.
Skeletal Muscle Program

reldesemtiv (fast skeletal muscle troponin activator (FSTA))

Expect the Data Monitoring committee to conduct the first interim analysis from COURAGE-ALS in 2H 2022, assessing for futility, 12 weeks after approximately one-third or more of the planned sample size is randomized.
Financials

Revenues for the first quarter 2022 were $1.1 million compared to $6.5 million for the corresponding period in 2021. The decrease in revenues was primarily due to the termination of the Amgen agreement effective May 20, 2021.

Research and development expenses for the first quarter 2022 increased to $45.9 million compared to $31.6 million for the same period in 2021, due primarily to increases in spending for clinical development activities for our cardiac muscle inhibitor programs, facility expenses, COURAGE-ALS, and early research programs.

General and administrative expenses for the first quarter 2022 increased to $33.1 million from $15.6 million for the same period in 2021 due primarily to higher outside services spending in anticipation of the potential commercial launch of omecamtiv mecarbil, an increase in personnel related costs including stock-based compensation and facilities expenses for our new headquarters.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Members of Cytokinetics’ senior management team will review the company’s first quarter results on a conference call today at 4:30 PM Eastern Time. The call will be simultaneously webcast and can be accessed from the homepage and in the Investors & Media section of Cytokinetics’ website at www.cytokinetics.com. The live audio of the conference call can also be accessed by telephone by dialing either (866) 999-CYTK (2985) (United States and Canada) or (706) 679-3078 (international) and typing in the passcode 5771758.

An archived replay of the webcast will be available via Cytokinetics’ website until May 18, 2022. The replay will also be available via telephone by dialing (855) 859-2056 (United States and Canada) or (404) 537-3406 (international) and typing in the passcode 5771758 from May 4, 2022 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time until May 18, 2022.

Novavax to Participate in BofA Securities 2022 Healthcare Conference

On May 4, 2022 Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a biotechnology company dedicated to developing and commercializing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, reported that it will participate in BofA Securities 2022 Healthcare Conference (Press release, Novavax, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613691]). Novavax’ recombinant nanoparticle protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373, will be a topic of discussion.

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A replay of the recorded fireside session will be available through the events page of the Company’s website at ir.novavax.com for 90 days.

Charles River Laboratories Announces First-Quarter 2022 Results

On May 4, 2022 Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) reported its results for the first quarter of 2022 (Press release, Charles River Laboratories, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613478]). For the quarter, revenue was $913.9 million, an increase of 10.8% from $824.6 million in the first quarter of 2021.

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Acquisitions contributed 4.7% to consolidated first-quarter revenue growth. The divestiture of the Research Models and Services operations in Japan (RMS Japan) in October 2021 reduced reported revenue growth by 1.6%. The impact of foreign currency translation reduced reported revenue growth by 1.7%. Excluding the effect of these items, organic revenue growth of 9.4% was driven by contributions from all three business segments.

On a GAAP basis, first-quarter net income attributable to common shareholders was $93.0 million, an increase of 51.2% from net income of $61.5 million for the same period in 2021. First-quarter diluted earnings per share on a GAAP basis were $1.81, an increase of 50.8% from $1.20 for the first quarter of 2021. The increases in the GAAP net income and earnings per share were driven primarily by higher revenue and operating income, as well as lower costs associated with the Company’s debt refinancing activities in the first quarter of 2021.

On a non-GAAP basis, net income from continuing operations was $141.1 million for the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 9.3% from $129.2 million for the same period in 2021. First‑quarter diluted earnings per share on a non-GAAP basis were $2.75, an increase of 8.7% from $2.53 per share for the first quarter of 2021. The non-GAAP net income and earnings per share increases were driven primarily by higher revenue and operating margin improvement, partially offset by a higher tax rate and increased interest expense.

James C. Foster, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are pleased with our solid, first-quarter financial results that were in line with our expectations, and believe we are continuing to distinguish ourselves from the competition in the current business environment. We continue to benefit from strong, sustained business trends, including record booking activity and robust backlog growth in the Discovery and Safety Assessment segment, that is affording us exceptional visibility into future demand as studies are booked well into 2023. We believe these trends, coupled with the continued strength of biopharmaceutical client spending, support our expectation that the revenue growth rate will accelerate from the first-quarter level, positioning us to achieve our financial guidance for the year."

First-Quarter Segment Results

Research Models and Services (RMS)

Revenue for the RMS segment was $176.5 million in the first quarter of 2022, essentially unchanged from $176.9 million in the first quarter of 2021. Reported revenue growth was reduced by 7.7% due to the divestiture of RMS Japan, and by 1.2% due to the impact of foreign currency translation. Organic revenue growth of 8.7% was driven by broad-based growth for research models, particularly in North America, and research model services, particularly in the Insourcing Solutions (IS) business.

In the first quarter of 2022, the RMS segment’s GAAP operating margin increased to 27.1% from 25.4% in the first quarter of 2021. On a non-GAAP basis, the operating margin increased to 29.9% from 28.7% in the first quarter of 2021. The GAAP and non-GAAP operating margin increases were driven primarily by operating leverage from higher sales of research models.

Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA)

Revenue for the DSA segment was $544.3 million in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 8.6% from $501.2 million in the first quarter of 2021. The impact of foreign currency translation reduced revenue by 1.6%, while acquisitions contributed 0.7% to DSA revenue growth. Organic revenue growth of 9.5% was primarily driven by the Safety Assessment business.

In the first quarter of 2022, the DSA segment’s GAAP operating margin increased to 19.3% from 18.1% in the first quarter of 2021. The GAAP operating margin increase was driven by lower acquisition-related adjustments associated with contingent consideration. On a non-GAAP basis, the operating margin decreased to 22.9% from 23.8% in the first quarter of 2021, primarily reflecting higher staffing costs.

Manufacturing Solutions (Manufacturing)

Revenue for the Manufacturing segment was $193.1 million in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 31.8% from $146.5 million in the first quarter of 2021. The acquisitions of the Cognate BioServices (Cognate) and Vigene Biosciences (Vigene) CDMO businesses contributed 24.4% to Manufacturing revenue growth, while the impact of foreign currency translation reduced revenue by 2.7%. Organic revenue growth of 10.1% was driven by strong demand for Biologics Testing Solutions services, with Microbial Solutions revenue also increasing.

In the first quarter of 2022, the Manufacturing segment’s GAAP operating margin decreased to 24.0% from 33.8% in the first quarter of 2021. On a non-GAAP basis, the operating margin decreased to 33.1% from 35.5% in the first quarter of 2021. The GAAP and non-GAAP operating margin decreases were driven primarily by the additions of Cognate and Vigene. Higher amortization and other integration costs associated with these acquisitions also contributed to the GAAP operating margin decline.

Updates 2022 Guidance

The Company is updating its 2022 financial guidance, which was previously provided on February 16, 2022. Reported revenue growth guidance is being increased by 50 basis points to 13.5% to 15.5% to reflect the Explora BioLabs acquisition, which was completed on April 5, 2022, partially offset by unfavorable movements in foreign currency translation. Organic revenue growth guidance remains unchanged for 2022.

The Company is maintaining its non-GAAP earnings per share guidance as a result of its first-quarter financial performance that was in line with prior expectations and an outlook of accelerating revenue growth during the remainder of the year. The 2022 non-GAAP earnings per share outlook includes a higher-than-expected tax rate, due principally to a lower excess tax benefit associated with stock-based compensation in the first quarter, as well as increased interest expense due to higher rate assumptions for the year. GAAP earnings per share guidance is being lowered to reflect amortization and other acquisition-related costs associated with Explora BioLabs, as well as the first-quarter loss from venture capital and other strategic investments.

Footnotes to Guidance Table:

(1) The contribution from acquisitions/divestitures (net) reflects only those transactions that have been completed.

(2) Organic revenue growth is defined as reported revenue growth adjusted for acquisitions, divestitures, the 53rd week in 2022, and foreign currency translation.

(3) Acquisition-related amortization includes an estimate of $0.05-$0.15 for the impact of the Explora BioLabs acquisition because the preliminary purchase price allocation has not been completed.

(4) These adjustments are related to the evaluation and integration of acquisitions and divestitures, and primarily include transaction, advisory, and certain third-party integration costs, as well as adjustments related to contingent consideration and certain costs associated with acquisition-related efficiency initiatives.

(5) Venture capital and other strategic investment performance only includes recognized gains or losses. The Company does not forecast the future performance of these investments.

(6) These items primarily relate to charges associated with U.S. and international tax legislation that necessitated changes to the Company’s international financing structure; environmental litigation costs related to the Microbial Solutions business; and severance and other costs related to the Company’s efficiency initiatives.

Webcast

Charles River has scheduled a live webcast on Wednesday, May 4th, at 9:30 a.m. ET to discuss matters relating to this press release. To participate, please go to ir.criver.com and select the webcast link. You can also find the associated slide presentation and reconciliations of GAAP financial measures to non-GAAP financial measures on the website.

Bank of America Healthcare Conference Presentation

Charles River will present at the Bank of America 2022 Healthcare Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday, May 11th, at 1:20 p.m. PT (4:20pm ET). Management will provide an overview of Charles River’s strategic focus and business developments.

A live webcast of the presentation will be available through a link that will be posted on ir.criver.com. A webcast replay will be accessible through the same website shortly after the presentation and will remain available for approximately two weeks.

Non-GAAP Reconciliations

The Company reports non-GAAP results in this press release, which exclude often-one-time charges and other items that are outside of normal operations. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results is provided in the schedules at the end of this press release.

Catalyst Clinical Research Acquires Aptus Clinical to Accelerate European Expansion, Broaden Client Services, and Enhance Patient Impact

On May 4, 2022 Catalyst Clinical Research, a market-leading provider of clinical research services, reported a strategic acquisition of Aptus Clinical to expand the geographic reach of the two companies, and to enhance patient access to advanced, life-changing therapies (Press release, Catalyst Clinical Research, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613510]). Together, the two entities will become one multi-region clinical research organization with an accelerated growth trajectory in both the U.S. and Europe.

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Catalyst’s offerings will now encompass extensive and expanded clinical consulting services, as it inherits Aptus’ strong and established relationship with the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) network to support trial set-up and clinical design input. Positioned at the forefront of novel cancer treatment trends, Catalyst’s active portfolio serves more than 5,300 cancer patients in need and will grow by nearly 600 patients concurrent to this acquisition.

"We are thrilled to be working with Aptus Clinical to expand our reach in the European market, serving clients around the globe to help develop innovative new therapies, improve patient outcomes and enhance our company’s long-term impact," said Catalyst Clinical Research CEO, Nick Dyer. "Our complementary service offerings and therapeutic area alignment will improve outcomes for all our clients."

"Catalyst continues to prove its capabilities as a leader in oncology clinical development and as a preferred strategic acquirer for growing businesses," said Vern Davenport, Partner at NovaQuest Capital Management and Catalyst Board Chairman. "Aptus provides Catalyst with a highly capable team of experts in Europe to accelerate its global ambitions, of which we are incredibly supportive." Catalyst Clinical Research is a portfolio company of global platform NovaQuest Capital Management, LLC.

Formed in 2014 by three former AstraZeneca clinical development experts, Aptus Clinical has rapidly established itself as a specialist CRO offering flexible clinical research solutions in oncology, cell and gene therapies and rare diseases. Together the companies, operating as Catalyst Oncology, will continue to deliver on a portfolio of more than 100 active oncology studies via a network of 500 keenly involved investigator sites. Additional studies outside the Oncology therapeutic area will be delivered under the Catalyst Flex solution and operating models.

"We are proud to partner with Catalyst to strengthen our shared commitment to delivering cutting edge science to patient populations who are in desperate need of new therapies", said Aptus Clinical CEO, Dr. Steve McConchie. "We firmly believe Aptus Clinical and Catalyst are better together and look forward to combining our decades of experience in developing and delivering high quality clinical trials to support our combined organisation to become a significant global provider of innovative clinical research solutions."

Combined headcount for the unified company will now exceed 800 staff members. Catalyst will also work to leverage Aptus’ strategic site relationships integrating them into its own site network spanning North America and Europe. The clinical research organization joined forces with Triangle Biostatistics in 2019, and then with Ce3 in 2020. Although this is Catalyst’s third M&A transaction, it is its first international union that will accelerate and expand the companies’ geographic reach greatly.

DiaMedica Therapeutics Provides a Business Update and Announces First Quarter 2022 Financial Results

On May 4, 2022 DiaMedica Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: DMAC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for neurological disorders and kidney diseases, reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 (Press release, DiaMedica, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613526]). DiaMedica will host a conference call on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at 8:00AM Eastern Time / 7:00AM Central Time, to discuss its business update and first quarter financial results.

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Clinical Developments

DM199 for the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke

DiaMedica reported that it has increased the number of activated clinical trial sites to 9, more than doubling the number of active sites reported in March 2022 and is currently on track with its site activation goals for its ReMEDy2 trial, which is an adaptive design, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial studying the use of the Company’s product candidate, DM199, to treat acute ischemic stroke (AIS). DiaMedica believes that it has experienced slower than expected site activations and enrollment in the ReMEDy2 trial due primarily to staffing shortages and overall resourcing at study sites due to the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges of the study sites managing logistics and compliance for patients discharged from the hospital to an intermediate care facility. The Company is putting resources and processes in place to address both of these issues and expects continued improvement in site activations and patient enrollment over the course of 2022, subject to new pandemic related challenges which may arise for study sites.

DM199 for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease

As previously reported, patient enrollment is completed in DiaMedica’s Phase 2 REDUX trial, which is a multi-center, open-label, investigation to assess the safety and efficacy of multiple doses of DM199, administered over 90 days, in participants with chronic kidney disease (CKD) (Stage 2 or 3).

In total, 79 patients were enrolled and initiated treatment, including 21 African American patients in Cohort 1, 25 patients with IgAN in Cohort 2 and 33 patients with Type 2 diabetes in Cohort 3. The last patient visit was completed in March 2022 and DiaMedica is working to complete the study close-out and the final data analysis while evaluating next steps for the CKD program.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

DiaMedica reported total cash and investments of $41.0 million, consisting of cash and cash equivalents of $3.0 million and marketable securities of $38.0 million, current liabilities of $1.4 million and working capital of $40.7 million as of March 31, 2022, compared to total cash and investments of $45.1 million, $1.5 million in current liabilities and $43.9 million in working capital as of December 31, 2021. The decreases in cash and investments and in working capital were due primarily to cash used to fund operating activities during the quarter ended March 31, 2022.

Net cash used in operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2022, was $3.9 million compared to $4.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. This decrease relates primarily to reduced effects of changes in operating assets and liabilities on the net cash used in operating activities in the current year period.

Financial Results

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $2.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared with $2.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, a decrease of $0.4 million. This decrease was driven mainly by a reduction in costs related to the REDUX CKD trial and a lower level of DM199 manufacturing process development work in the current year quarter as compared to the prior year quarter. These decreases were partially offset by increased costs incurred in the ReMEDy2 AIS trial and higher personnel costs related to the expansion of the clinical team in the current year period.

General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, up from $1.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. This $0.4 million increase resulted from a combination of increased professional services costs, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and personnel costs incurred in support of expanding the operations and clinical programs.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

DiaMedica Management will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its business update and first quarter 2022 financial results on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at 8:00 AM Eastern Time / 7:00 AM Central Time:

Interested parties may access the conference call by dialing in or listening to the simultaneous webcast. Listeners should log on to the website or dial in 15 minutes prior to the call. The webcast will remain available for play back on DiaMedica’s website, under investor relations – events and presentations, following the earnings call and for 12 months thereafter. A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available until May 12, 2022, by dialing (800) 770-2030 (US Toll Free) and entering the replay passcode: 4814247.

About ReMEDy2 Trial

The ReMEDy2 trial is an adaptive design, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial studying the use of the Company’s product candidate, DM199, to treat AIS patients. The trial is intended to enroll approximately 350 patients at 75 sites in the United States. Patients enrolled in the trial will be treated for three weeks with either DM199 or placebo beginning within 24 hours of the onset of AIS symptoms, with the final follow-up at 90 days. The trial excludes patients treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and/or mechanical thrombectomy. The study population is representative of the approximately 80% of AIS patients who do not have treatment options today, primarily due to the limitations on treatment with tPA or mechanical thrombectomy. DiaMedica believes that the proposed trial has the potential to serve as a pivotal registration study of DM199 in this patient population.

The ReMEDy2 trial has two separate, independent, primary endpoints based upon both the results observed in the first ReMEDy1 phase 2 trial and published results from the urine-derived form of KLK1 used to successfully treat AIS in China. ReMEDy2 is powered for success with either endpoint: 1) physical recovery from stroke as measured by the well-established modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at day 90, and 2) the rate of ischemic stroke recurrence through day 90. Recurrent strokes represent 25% of all ischemic strokes, often occurring in the first few weeks after an initial stroke and are typically more disabling, costly, and fatal than initial strokes.

About DM199

DM199 is a recombinant (synthetic) form of human tissue kallikrein-1 (KLK1). KLK1 is a serine protease (protein) that plays an important role in the regulation of diverse physiological processes including blood flow, inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress and neurogenesis via a molecular mechanism that increases production of nitric oxide and prostaglandin. KLK1 deficiency may play a role in multiple vascular and fibrotic diseases such as stroke, chronic kidney disease, retinopathy, vascular dementia, and resistant hypertension where current treatment options are limited or ineffective. DiaMedica is the first company to have developed a recombinant form of the KLK1 protein. The KLK1 protein, produced from porcine pancreas and human urine, has been used to treat patients in Japan, China and South Korea for decades. DM199 is currently being studied in patients with acute ischemic stroke and patients with chronic kidney disease. In September 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Fast Track Designation to DM199 for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.