On November 10, 2021 Regulus Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: RGLS), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs (the "Company" or "Regulus"), reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021 and provided a corporate update (Press release, Regulus, NOV 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234595092]).

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"We are pleased with the progress we have made in advancing our next generation candidate RGLS8429 as a potential treatment for ADPKD, as the compound has been shown to have the favorable properties of RGLS4326 without the limitations of the first-generation compound," commented Jay Hagan, CEO of Regulus Therapeutics. "RGLS8429 has demonstrated comparable potency, as well as similar pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, without the off-target CNS effects seen in chronic preclinical toxicology studies with RGLS4326 at the top doses tested. We look forward to our pre-IND meeting in December with the FDA to help finalize our IND submission and reach another important milestone in our mission to improve the lives of ADPKD patients."

Program Updates

RGLS8429 for ADPKD: In October 2021, the Company discontinued development of its first-generation compound, RGLS4326, to allocate resources and efforts towards the development of its more promising next-generation compound, RGLS8429. The Company believes RGLS8429 has demonstrated a superior pharmacological profile, with the absence of the off-target central nervous system (CNS) effects that were seen with RGLS4326 at the top doses tested in chronic preclinical toxicology studies. RGLS8429 has also shown equal potency to RGLS4326 for its molecular target (miR-17) in both in-vitro and in-vivo efficacy studies. The Company expects to have a pre-IND meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for RGLS8429 before year-end and is on track for an IND submission and initiation of clinical development in the second quarter of 2022, subject to FDA clearance of the IND.

The Company’s Phase 1 plans include a single dose escalation study in healthy volunteers to enable a multi-dose escalation study in ADPKD patients around the dose levels where robust clinical biomarker effects were demonstrated with RGLS4326. The Company anticipates reporting top-line biomarker data in the first cohort of RGLS8429-treated patients in early 2023.

RGLS4326 for ADPKD: On November 4 and November 9, data from the first cohort of patients in the Phase 1b clinical trial of RGLS4326, the Company’s first-generation compound, for the treatment of ADPKD, was presented at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week, and at the Biomarkers for Rare Diseases Summit. In the first cohort, nine patients were enrolled and received 1 mg/kg of RGLS4326 subcutaneously every other week for four doses. The mean increase in polycystins 1 and 2 at the end of study compared to baseline levels for all nine patients in the first cohort were 58% (p=.0004) and 38% (p=.026), respectively. These data demonstrate clinical evidence that treatment with RGLS4326 increased PC1 and PC2, most likely through inhibition of miR-17 in the kidney of patients with ADPKD. These results also imply that overexpressed miR-17 in ADPKD patients represses Pkd1 and Pkd2 expression, further validating miR-17 as a therapeutic target for ADPKD treatment. The details for each presentation are below:

ASN Kidney Week ePoster:
Poster Title: RGLS4326 Increases Urinary PC1 and PC2 Levels in Individuals with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)
Poster Date and Time: Thursday, November 4, 2021, 10:00 AM PDT
Poster Number: PO1244

Biomarkers for Rare Diseases Summit Presentation:
Presentation Title: Results from the First Cohort of Phase1b Clinical Trial of RGLS4326 for the Treatment of Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)
Presenter: Edmund Lee, PhD, Executive Director, Biology, Regulus Therapeutics
Presentation Date and Time: Tuesday, November 9, 2021, 9:30 AM PDT

A copy of each presentation is available at www.regulusrx.com/publications/

Financial Results

Cash Position: As of September 30, 2021, Regulus had $35.8 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: Research and development expenses were $5.9 million and $13.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively, compared to $4.0 million and $11.4 million for the same periods in 2020, respectively. These amounts reflect internal and external costs associated with advancing our clinical and preclinical pipeline.

General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $2.5 million and $7.5 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively, compared to $2.1 million and $6.7 million for the same periods in 2020, respectively. These amounts reflect personnel-related and ongoing general business operating costs.

Net Loss: Net loss was $8.6 million, or $0.10 per share (basic and diluted), and $20.7 million, or $0.26 per share (basic and diluted), for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, compared to $1.5 million, or $0.04 per share (basic and diluted), and $14.4 million, or $0.47 per share (basic and diluted), for the same periods in 2020.

Conference Call and Webcast Information:
The Company will host a conference call and live audio webcast today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time to discuss its third quarter 2021 financial results and corporate update. To access the call, please dial (877) 257-8599 (domestic) or (970) 315-0459 (international) and refer to conference ID 2108429. To access the telephone replay of the call, dial (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (international), passcode ID 2108429. The webcast and telephone replay will be archived on the Company’s website at www.regulusrx.com following the call.

About ADPKD

ADPKD, caused by the mutations in the PKD1 or PKD2 genes, is among the most common human monogenic disorders and a leading cause of end-stage renal disease. The disease is characterized by the development of multiple fluid filled cysts primarily in the kidneys, and to a lesser extent in the liver and other organs. Excessive kidney cyst cell proliferation, a central pathological feature, ultimately leads to end-stage renal disease in approximately 50% of ADPKD patients by age 60.

About RGLS8429

RGLS8429 is a novel, second generation oligonucleotide designed to inhibit miR-17 and to preferentially target the kidney. Administration of RGLS8429 has shown robust data in preclinical models, where clear improvements in kidney function, size, and other measures of disease severity, as well as a superior pharmacologic profile have been demonstrated. Regulus has nominated RGLS8429 as a development candidate for the treatment of ADPKD.

On November 10, 2021 Marker Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MRKR), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development of next-generation T cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021 (Press release, TapImmune, NOV 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234595108]).

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"This quarter, we continued our momentum in advancing Marker’s Phase 2 trial of MT-401, Marker’s lead MultiTAA-specific T cell therapy, for the treatment of post-transplant acute myeloid leukemia, or AML," said Peter L. Hoang, President & CEO of Marker Therapeutics. "We are pleased to announce that the first patients in Marker’s Phase 2 AML trial have been dosed with study drug. Further, we are on track to enroll the first 20 patients of the trial in the fourth quarter, with the first data readout expected in the first quarter of 2022. We look forward to providing year-end updates in a conference call and webcast early next year."

PROGRAM UPDATES

The Company continues to enroll patients and activate clinical sites across the U.S. in Marker’s Phase 2 trial of MT-401, its lead MultiTAA-specific T cell product candidate, for the treatment of post-transplant AML. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 120 patients in the adjuvant setting and 40 patients with active disease at approximately 20 clinical sites.
BUSINESS UPDATES

The Company’s new cGMP manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas is fully operational and is supporting ongoing operations. The facility will also manufacture Marker’s MultiTAA-specific T cell products for future hematological and solid tumor trials, in addition to producing the potential commercial supply of any products, if approved.
In August, the Company announced that it received notice of a Product Development Research award totaling approximately $13.1 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to support the Company’s Phase 2 AML trial.
ANTICIPATED PROGRAM MILESTONES

AML Trial Milestones

Enrollment of first 20 patients of the Phase 2 AML trial expected in Q4 2021
Topline readout of Group 2 active disease anticipated in Q1 2022
THIRD QUARTER 2021 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Cash Position and Guidance: At September 30, 2021, Marker had cash and cash equivalents of $48.7 million. The Company believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents will fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the first quarter of 2023.
R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $6.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 compared to $4.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020. The increase was primarily attributable to increases in clinical trial and sponsored research expenses and headcount-related expenses due to growth of research and development operations.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $3.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 compared to $2.6 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020.
Net Loss: Marker reported a net loss of $12.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared to a net loss of $7.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020.

On November 10, 2021 Exscientia (Nasdaq: EXAI), an AI-driven pharmatech company committed to discovering, designing and developing the best possible drugs in the fastest and most effective manner, reported that it will report financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 after U.S. market close (Press release, Exscientia, NOV 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234595141]). Following the announcement, the Company will host a conference call and webcast at 1:30 p.m. GMT / 8:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, November 18, 2021, to provide additional detail on the different business models underlying the company’s pipeline of more than 25 programmes.

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A webcast of the live call can be accessed by visiting the "Investors and Media" section of the Company’s website at investors.exscientia.ai. Alternatively, the live conference call can be accessed by dialing +1 (760) 294 1674 (U.S.), +44 203 059 5869 (U.K.), +44 203 059 8128 (International) and mentioning Exscientia. A replay will be available for 90 days under "Events and Presentations" in the "Investors and Media" section of the Exscientia website.

On November 10, 2021 Taiga Biotechnologies, a cell-based immunotherapy company, reported that the Company has completed the site initiation session for the first site to participate in the TBX-2400-01 clinical trial, a Phase 1/2 study to evaluate the safety and early efficacy of TBX-2400 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelofibrosis patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), in Croatia (Press release, Taiga Biotechnologies, NOV 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234595157]).

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Taiga’s platform technology, TBX-4000 uses the MYC protein to regulate cellular function. When exposed to immune cells, TBX-4000 delivers MYC across the cell membrane directly to the nucleus where MYC drives the activation and proliferation of the cell. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) derived from either bone marrow or GCSF-mobilized apheresis material treated with TBX-4000 form a new product designated as TBX-2400. TBX-2400 is an allogeneic stem cell therapy that improves the rate of engraftment and reconstitution of the immune system for patients receiving a bone marrow transplant.

Taiga has received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Rare Pediatric Disease Designation from the FDA and Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product Designation from the EMA.

"The initiation of this study, under the aegis of the Croatian Ministry of Health and the EMA, represents a significant milestone for our TBX-2400 clinical development program," said Dr. Yosef Refaeli, Chief Executive Officer of Taiga Biotechnologies. "We believe TBX-2400 has the potential to dramatically change the HSCT market by reducing the risk and increasing the success rate of HSCT, reducing time and cost by as much as 50%, thereby, turning it into a commonplace procedure. In addition, TBX-2400 requires 1000x fewer cells than current procedures, which is expected to eliminate the supply-demand issues that currently limit the number of procedures performed and should increase the number of eligible procedures for acute cases, such as leukemia and lymphoma. Importantly, it has the potential to treat other immune-based diseases, such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis." This clinical study will be managed by Optimapharm, a full service European CRO headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia.

"We hope to positively impact difficult to perform HSCT transplants with the TBX-2400 program. We are encouraged by earlier pre-clinical data that support TBX-2400’s ability to enhance homing to the specialized HSC niches in the bone marrow as well as to improve engraftment," said Brian C. Turner, P.D., Co-founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Taiga Biotechnologies.

"We are keen to test the ability of HSCTs treated with TBX-2400 in the context of adult bone marrow failure syndrome as well as in hematologic oncology indications in this study as it holds the promise to significantly enhance and improve outcomes for these very sick patients who are faced with limited treatment options," said Nadira Durakovic, M.D., Associate Professor at the University of Zagreb School of Medicine and University Hospital in Croatia and a principal investigator of the study.

About TBX-2400-01
TBX-2400-01 is a Phase I study to assess the safety and early efficacy of TBX-2400 in enhancing engraftment in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia or myelofibrosis. This is an interventional clinical trial that seeks to recruit 10-20 patients in 3 clinical sites (The University Hospital in Zagreb, The Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel, and the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel). The primary endpoint relates to the incidence of HSCT related severe adverse events as well as the frequency of successful transplant engraftment. In addition, the secondary endpoints include specific assessments of immune cell function following transplantation and engraftment.

More information on this clinical trial can be found at View Source;draw=2&rank=1.

About TBX-2400
Taiga has developed a proprietary recombinant protein that can passively enter cells without the need for binding and uptake by a cell surface receptor, which can transiently alter intracellular levels of a critical protein involved in survival and proliferation called "MYC." Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) derived from either bone marrow or GCSF-mobilized apheresis material treated with TBX-4000 form a new product designated as TBX-2400. The treatment of HSCs with TBX-4000 leads to improved homing to the specialized HSC stem cell niches in the bone marrow as well as improved engraftment. The TBX-2400-01 clinical trial aims to test the safety and early efficacy of TBX-2400 cells in adults who suffer from myelofibrosis or relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia. TBX-2400 has been awarded Orphan Disease Designation by the U.S. FDA and EMA. In addition, this program has also been awarded Rare Pediatric Disease designation by the U.S. FDA.

On November 10, 2021 KemPharm, Inc. (NASDAQ: KMPH), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of proprietary prodrugs, reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021 (Press release, KemPharm, NOV 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234595279]). In addition, the Company announced that Richard W. Pascoe, lead independent director on the Board of Directors, has been named Executive Chairman to support execution of the Company’s strategic growth objectives to expand its pipeline and commercialization capabilities. Travis C. Mickle, Ph.D., remains the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and as a member of the Board of Directors.

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"I am delighted to partner with Rich in his new role as Executive Chairman as we build upon our successful track record of clinical development and U.S. regulatory approvals to create an innovative biopharmaceutical company with an expanded pipeline and commercial capabilities," stated Dr. Mickle. "Rich and I have built a strong working relationship since he joined our Board in 2014, and I am proud of our many accomplishments at KemPharm to date. Working together to expand the Company’s growth opportunities will be exciting as together we pursue our shared goal to increase shareholder value."

"I am excited for the opportunity to continue my service to KemPharm as its Executive Chairman and to partner with Travis and the executive team as we seek to grow into a profitable, fully integrated, biopharmaceutical company," said Mr. Pascoe. "Travis, the Board of Directors, and I are committed to this objective which we will seek to accomplish by successfully building, developing, and commercializing a pipeline of innovative product candidates focused on the treatment of neurodegenerative/central nervous system indications."

Mr. Pascoe has a strong track record building and leading life sciences organizations. He has served in key leadership roles in companies that successfully raised over $300 million in equity capital, taken private companies public, closed more than $2 billion of value in business development transactions, obtained regulatory approvals for two products in both the U.S. and Europe, and led commercial launches of prescription drugs in the U.S. across multiple therapeutic categories.

Most recently, Mr. Pascoe served as Chief Executive Officer of Histogen Inc., and his prior experiences include serving as Chief Executive Officer at Apricus Biosciences Inc. and Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mr. Pascoe’s career is also highlighted by several senior management roles, including Chief Operating Officer at ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Senior Vice President of the Neuroscience Division at King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In addition to serving as Executive Chairman of KemPharm, Inc., Mr. Pascoe is currently a member of the board of directors of Seelos Therapeutics, Inc., and the board of directors of the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, a charity for military veterans. Mr. Pascoe is a graduate of the Unites States Military Academy at West Point.

Q3 2021 Corporate and Financial Results:

"The third quarter of 2021 was highlighted by the U.S. commercial launch of AZSTARYS, a seminal event in KemPharm’s history, which occurred during a year with numerous transformative milestones for the company," said Dr. Mickle. "Corium’s commercialization of AZSTARYS continues to proceed as planned, and their team has recently reported to us their estimate that more than 50 million commercial and Medicaid lives now have access to AZSTARYS with more progress expected in the coming months. Additionally, research involving AZSTARYS and serdexmethylphenidate (SDX) was presented at three recent ADHD medical conferences, including data from the pivotal study of AZSTARYS demonstrating the drug’s 30-minute onset-of-action and 13-hour duration-of-effect. At only 100 days post-launch, we are encouraged by the early progress, and we believe that Corium’s commercialization efforts will continue to gain traction with payors, providers, prescribers and patients."

Dr. Mickle continued, "In addition to Rich’s appointment as Executive Chairman, we also announced several other corporate advancements, including the appointment of Tamara Seymour to our Board of Directors and the uplisting of our common stock to The Nasdaq Global Select Market. These developments continue a period of transformation for KemPharm as we position ourselves to capitalize on pipeline development opportunities that, we believe, will ultimately translate to enhanced shareholder value. The advancement of our SDX program is also moving ahead, with data from the ongoing SDX clinical trial expected to be announced prior to year-end. This information will provide valuable insights into the potential path forward for developing SDX-based product candidates designed for therapeutic indications with underserved patient populations."

Financial results for Q3 2021 included revenue of $2.0 million, as compared to Q3 2020 revenue of $1.9 million, which was derived primarily from service fee revenue. The service fee revenue is being earned under consulting arrangements which contractually continue through March 2022.

KemPharm’s net loss for Q3 2021 was $1.8 million, or $0.05 per basic share, compared to a net loss of $3.0 million, or a loss of $0.68 per basic and diluted share for the same period in 2020. Net loss for Q3 2021 was driven primarily by operating loss of $2.2 million, partially offset by non-cash fair value adjustment income of $0.3 million related to derivative and warrant liability and net interest income and other items of $0.1 million. The net operating loss of $2.2 million for Q3 2021 was a change of $1.0 million compared to net operating loss of $1.2 million in the same period in 2020, which was primarily due to increases in operating expenses period over period. The net increase in operating expenses was primarily due to increases in research and development expense of $0.5 million and general and administrative expenses of $0.5 million.

As of September 30, 2021, total cash and cash equivalents was $131.5 million, which was a decrease of $0.8 million compared to $132.3 million as of June 30, 2021.

As of September 30, 2021, total shares of common stock outstanding was 35,317,313 shares, and fully diluted common shares outstanding was 46,553,727 shares, which included 4,252,600 shares issuable upon exercise of warrants. In addition, no preferred stock is outstanding as of September 30, 2021.

Conference Call Information:

KemPharm will host a conference call and live audio webcast with slide presentation on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. ET, to discuss its corporate and financial results for the third quarter 2021.

Telephone Access: To access the conference call telephonically, interested participants and investors will be required to register via the following online form: View Source

Once registered, all individuals will be provided with participant dial-in numbers, a passcode and a registrant ID, which can then be used to access the conference call.

Participants may register at any time. It is recommended that the registration process be completed at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call.
Webcast Access: The live audio webcast with slide presentation will be accessible via the Investor Relations section of KemPharm’s website, View Source An archive of the webcast and presentation will be available for 90 days beginning at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET, on November 10, 2021.

About AZSTARYS:

AZSTARYS is an FDA-approved, once-daily product for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients age six years or older. AZSTARYS consists of SDX, KemPharm’s prodrug of d-methylphenidate (d-MPH), co-formulated with immediate release d-MPH.

The complete approved prescribing information for AZSTARYS may be downloaded in PDF format here:
View Source