On November 3, 2021 ChromaDex Corp. (NASDAQ:CDXC) reported financial results for the third quarter of 2021 (Press release, ChromaDex, NOV 3, 2021, View Source [SID1234594217]).

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Third Quarter 2021 and Recent Highlights

Total net sales were $17.3 million, up 22% from the prior year quarter.
Tru Niagen net sales were $14.8 million, a 24% increase from the prior year quarter.
Gross margin was 61.1%, a 150 basis point increase from the prior year quarter.
Net loss was $(8.9) million or $(0.13) per share, a decline of $0.06 per share from the prior year quarter.
Adjusted EBITDA excluding total legal expense, a non-GAAP measure, was a loss of $(0.6) million, a $0.5 million decline from the prior year quarter.
Announced partnership with Sinopharm Xingsha, a subsidiary of one of China’s largest pharmaceutical companies, to conduct cross-border sales of Tru Niagen in Mainland China, and collaborate to secure Health Food Registration.
Study published in September 2021 on nicotinamide riboside (NR) supplementation in children with Ataxia-Telangiectasia (AT), a prematurely aging population, showed improvement in ataxia scores and increased antibodies in immune-compromised patients.
Clinical study published in October 2021 in Molecular Systems Biology finds nutritional protocol including nicotinamide riboside (NR) significantly decreases liver fat and improves liver function.
"This quarter marks an inflection point for ChromaDex," said CEO, Rob Fried. "With the litigation largely behind us, we are focusing more resources, both human and financial, on building the Tru Niagen brand, furthering our science, and developing our global partnerships. We recently partnered with Sinopharm Xingsha, one of the most prestigious healthcare companies in China, which will enable us to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity for Tru Niagen in that market."

Results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2021

For the three months ended September 30, 2021 ("Q3 2021"), ChromaDex reported net sales of $17.3 million, up $3.1 million or 22% compared to the third quarter of 2020 ("Q3 2020"). The increase in Q3 2021 revenues was largely driven by growth in sales of Tru Niagen paired with slight growth in Niagen and other ingredient sales.

Gross margin percentage improved by 150 basis points to 61.1% in Q3 2021 compared to 59.6% in Q3 2020. The improvement in gross margin percentage was driven by the positive impact of increased Tru Niagen consumer product sales and product cost savings initiatives.

Operating expenses increased by $6.8 million to $19.4 million in Q3 2021, compared to $12.7 million in Q3 2020. The increase in operating expenses was driven by $2.0 million of higher selling and marketing expenses and a $4.6 million increase in general and administrative expense. The increase in general and administrative expense was primarily driven by $3.7 million of higher legal expense.

The net loss for Q3 2021 was $(8.9) million or $(0.13) per share as reported compared to a net loss of $(4.2) million or $(0.07) per share for Q3 2020 as reported. Adjusted EBITDA excluding total legal expense, a non-GAAP measure, was a loss of $(0.6) million for Q3 2021, compared to a loss of $(0.1) million for Q3 2020, a $0.5 million decline. See "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA excluding total legal expense to net loss, the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

For Q3 2021, the net cash outflow from operating activities was $(5.9) million, compared to $(3.8) million in Q3 2020.

2021 Full Year Outlook

Looking forward, for the full year, the Company expects continued, steady revenue growth driven by its global e-commerce business, as well as growth with existing and new strategic partners. The Company expects slightly better than 60% gross margin and slightly higher general and administrative expense, excluding severance, restructuring and legal expense, for full year 2021. The Company plans to increase investments and resources to drive brand awareness and accelerate its research and development pipeline to capitalize on growth in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) market globally. Accordingly, the Company expects higher research and development expense and higher selling and marketing expense as a percentage of net sales year-over-year.

Investor Conference Call

A live webcast will be held Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time (1:30 p.m. Pacific time) to discuss ChromaDex’s third-quarter financial results and provide a general business update.

To listen to the webcast, or to view the earnings press release and its accompanying financial exhibits, please visit the Investors Relations section of ChromaDex’s website at View Source The toll-free dial-in information for this call is 1-888-510-2008 with Conference ID: 4126168.

The webcast will be recorded, and will be available for replay via the website from 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on November 3, 2021 to 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on November 10, 2021. The replay of the call can also be accessed by dialing 800-770-2030, using the Replay ID: 4126168.

On November 3, 2021 TRACON Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TCON), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel targeted cancer therapeutics and utilizing a cost efficient, CRO-independent product development platform to partner with ex-U.S. companies to develop and commercialize innovative products in the U.S., reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021 (Press release, Tracon Pharmaceuticals, NOV 3, 2021, View Source [SID1234594241]). The Company will host a conference call and webcast today at 4:30 PM Eastern Time / 1:30 PM Pacific Time.

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"We have once again utilized our CRO-independent Product Development Platform to augment our pipeline. The license of the potential best-in-class CTLA-4 antibody YH001 complements our prior license of the subcutaneously administered PD-L1 antibody envafolimab and satisfies our goal of owning complementary checkpoint inhibitors. We expect to initiate a trial combining these two drug candidates in sarcoma in the coming months," said Charles Theuer, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of TRACON. "In the meantime, ENVASARC continues to enroll well at 26 sites, and we look forward to releasing interim efficacy data before the end of the year."

Recent Corporate Highlights

In October, TRACON licensed the CTLA-4 antibody YH001 from Eucure Biopharma. The Company expects to file an IND and initiate a Phase 1/2 trial of YH001 combined with envafolimab in soft tissue sarcoma subtypes in early 2022, and initiate trials of YH001 in other indications in combination with approved standard of care agents in late 2022.

In September, the book Unnecessary Expense: An Antidote to the Billion Dollar Drug Problem, authored by TRACON senior management and profiling TRACON’s approach to efficient drug development, was published by ForbesBooks and is available on Amazon and other retailers.
Expected Key Upcoming Milestones

Interim ENVASARC efficacy data by end of 2021.

Request FDA breakthrough therapy designation or fast track designation for envafolimab by end of 2021, assuming positive interim efficacy data.

Decision on the envafolimab New Drug Application submitted by our partners 3D Medicines and Alphamab Oncology, in MSI-H/dMMR cancer that is under priority review by the Chinese National Medical Products Administration.
Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $29.9 million at September 30, 2021, compared to $36.1 million at December 31, 2020.

Research and development expenses for the third quarter of 2021 were $2.7 million, compared to $1.8 million for the third quarter of 2020.

General and administrative expenses for the third quarter of 2021 were $4.2 million, compared to $2.1 million for the third quarter of 2020. The increase was primarily attributable to legal expenses incurred due to the ongoing arbitration with I-Mab related to the TJ4309 and bispecific antibody agreements.

Net loss for the third quarter of 2021 was $7.0 million, compared to $4.0 million for the third quarter of 2020.
Conference Call Details

Wednesday, November 3, at 4:30 PM Eastern Time / 1:30 PM Pacific Time
Domestic: 855-779-9066
International: 631-485-4859
Conference ID: 4846079
A live webcast of the conference call will be available online from the Investor/Events and Presentations page of the Company’s website at www.traconpharma.com.

After the live webcast, a replay will remain available on TRACON’s website for 60 days.

About Envafolimab

Envafolimab (KN035), a novel, single-domain antibody against PD-L1, is the first subcutaneously injected PD-(L)1 inhibitor to be studied in pivotal trials. Envafolimab is currently being studied in the ENVASARC Phase 2 pivotal trial in the U.S. sponsored by TRACON, as well as in a Phase 2 pivotal trial as a single agent in MSI-H/dMMR advanced solid tumor patients and a Phase 3 pivotal trial in combination with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin in advanced biliary tract cancer patients in China sponsored by TRACON’s corporate partners, Alphamab Oncology and 3D Medicines. Alphamab Oncology and 3D Medicines submitted an NDA to the NMPA in China for envafolimab in MSI-H/dMMR cancer that was accepted for review in December 2020 and granted priority review in January 2021. In the Phase 2 MSI-H/dMMR advanced solid tumor trial, the confirmed objective response rate (ORR) by blinded independent central review in MSI-H/dMMR colorectal cancer (CRC) patients treated with envafolimab who failed a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan was 32%, which was similar to the 28% confirmed ORR reported in the Opdivo package insert in MSI-H/dMMR CRC patients who failed a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan and the 33% confirmed ORR reported for Keytruda in MSI-H/dMMR CRC patients who failed a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan in cohort A of KEYNOTE-164.

About ENVASARC (NCT04480502)

The ENVASARC pivotal trial is a multicenter, open label, randomized, non-comparative, parallel cohort study at approximately 25 top cancer centers in the United States that began dosing in December 2020. TRACON expects the trial to enroll 160 patients with UPS or MFS who have progressed following one or two lines of prior treatment and have not received an immune checkpoint inhibitor, with 80 patients enrolled into cohort A of treatment with single agent envafolimab and 80 patients enrolled into cohort B of treatment with envafolimab and Yervoy. The primary endpoint is ORR by blinded independent central review with duration of response a key secondary endpoint.

About YH001

YH001 is an IgG1 antibody against CTLA-4 that has shown enhanced antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) in vitro. In preclinical studies YH001 demonstrated superior T cell activation and superior tumor growth inhibition activity compared to ipilimumab. YH001 also demonstrated superior activity compared to ipilimumab in human transgenic mouse tumor models when combined with a PD-(L)1 antibody. In these models, single agent YH001 depleted regulatory T cells and increased CD8+ T cells in tumor tissue. YH001 is being dosed as a single agent in a Phase 1 trial in China (NCT04699929) and in combination with the PD-1 antibody toripalimab in a Phase 1 trial in Australia (NCT04357756).

About TRC102

TRC102 (methoxyamine) is a novel, small molecule inhibitor of the DNA base excision repair pathway, which is a pathway that causes resistance to alkylating and antimetabolite chemotherapeutics. TRC102 is currently being studied in multiple Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) and has orphan drug designation from the U.S. FDA in malignant glioma, including glioblastoma.

About TJ004309

TJ004309 is a novel, humanized antibody against CD73, an ecto-enzyme expressed on stromal cells and tumors that converts extracellular adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to adenosine, which is highly immunosuppressive. TJ004309 is currently being studied in an ongoing Phase 1 trial to assess safety and preliminary efficacy as a single agent and when combined with the PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor Tecentriq in patients with advanced solid tumors.

On November 3, 2021 Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American and TASE: LCTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic cell therapies for unmet medical needs, reported that it will report its third quarter 2021 financial and operating results on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, following the close of the U.S. financial markets (Press release, Lineage Cell Therapeutics, NOV 3, 2021, View Source [SID1234594257]). Lineage management will also host a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time/1:30 p.m. Pacific Time to discuss its third quarter 2021 financial and operating results and to provide a business update.

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Interested parties may access the conference call by dialing (866) 888-8633 from the U.S. and Canada and (636) 812-6629 from elsewhere outside the U.S. and Canada and should request the "Lineage Cell Therapeutics Call". A live webcast of the conference call will be available online in the Investors section of Lineage’s website. A replay of the webcast will be available on Lineage’s website for 30 days and a telephone replay will be available through November 18, 2021, by dialing (855) 859-2056 from the U.S. and Canada and (404) 537-3406 from elsewhere outside the U.S. and Canada and entering conference ID number 9352189.

On November 3, 2021 Xencor, Inc. (NASDAQ:XNCR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered monoclonal antibodies and cytokines for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported updated clinical data from a Phase 1 study of tidutamab, an SSTR2 x CD3 bispecific antibody, in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) (Press release, Xencor, NOV 3, 2021, View Source [SID1234594273]). The data will be presented during the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society’s 2021 Multidisciplinary NET Medical Virtual Symposium (NANETS).

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"The Phase 1 study of tidutamab in patients with neuroendocrine tumors informed our view that an XmAb CD3 bispecific antibody is generally well tolerated in solid tumors, with a low incidence and severity of CRS, and can induce meaningful biological activity in a challenging disease setting," said Allen Yang, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president and chief medical officer at Xencor. "Importantly, we identified a recommended dose for continued study, and a Phase 1b/2 study has been opened to evaluate tidutamab as a potential treatment option for patients with Merkel cell carcinoma and small cell lung cancer, SSTR2-expressing tumor types known to be responsive to immunotherapy."

A poster with data from the study is available in the NANETS Virtual Poster Hall, and it will be made available under Archived Scientific Presentations on the Events & Presentations page in the Investors section of www.xencor.com. In addition to the poster, these results will be presented during the Clinical Abstracts session, which begins at 1:25 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 6, 2021.

Key Highlights

The primary objectives of the Phase 1 study were to determine the safety and tolerability profile of tidutamab in patients with advanced, well-differentiated NETs of pancreatic, gastrointestinal, lung and undetermined origin, and to identify the maximum tolerated dose and/or recommended dosing regimen for continued study, which was determined to be a 0.3 mcg/kg priming dose followed by 1.0 mcg/kg on subsequent dosing days.

At data cut-off in August 2021, 41 patients with neuroendocrine tumors, with the initial lesion location in the pancreas (46%), intestine (22%), lung (20%), and other GEP-NET or unknown (12%), received doses of tidutamab ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 mcg/kg. Dosing in the study included a lower priming dose, followed by a higher repeated dose on subsequent dosing days. The 20 patients in the expansion cohort received the recommended dosing regimen. Patients had a median age of 64 years and a median of four prior lines of systemic therapies. Fifty percent of patients received prior peptide receptor radionuclide therapy.

Tidutamab was generally well tolerated at the 0.3/1.0 mcg/kg dose identified for the expansion portion of the study. All 41 patients treated were included in the safety analysis. The most common treatment-related Grade 3 or Grade 4 adverse events across all doses were lymphopenia (29%), gamma-glutamyl transferase increases (20%), transaminase increases (20%) and vomiting (17%). In addition, Grade 3 esophageal dysmotility was observed in 7% of patients. CRS of any grade was observed in 41% of patients. The majority of CRS was limited to Grade 1 and Grade 2 and to the first two doses. Grade 3 CRS was observed in two patients (5%) upon the first dose. All patients experiencing CRS fully recovered.

Analysis of peripheral blood biomarkers indicated that tidutamab induced acute and sustained T-cell activation at the recommended dose for expansion. CD8-positive effector T cells showed a dose-dependent increase in proliferation (Ki67) and activation (PD-1) markers that began within 48 hours of the first dose and persisted at least seven weeks, as measured at cycle 2, day 22.

The best overall response was stable disease, with a disease control rate of 27%. Higher tumor PD-L1 expression was associated with a shorter time on study, and the patients with prolonged stable disease were most likely to have low or absent PD-L1 expression, suggesting a potential beneficial effect from the combination of tidutamab with PD-L1 inhibitors.

About Tidutamab

Tidutamab is a tumor-targeted bispecific antibody that contains both an SSTR2 binding domain and a T-cell binding domain (CD3). An XmAb bispecific Fc domain serves as the scaffold for the two antigen binding domains and confers long circulating half-life, stability and ease of manufacture on tidutamab. SSTR2 (somatostatin receptor 2) is an antigen highly expressed on some solid tumors, and engagement of CD3 by tidutamab activates T cells for highly potent and targeted killing of SSTR2-expressing tumor cells. Tidutamab is being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1b/2 study, which is enrolling patients with Merkel cell carcinoma and small cell lung cancer, SSTR2-expressing tumor types known to be responsive to immunotherapy.

On November 3, 2021 Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC) reported that the first patient has been dosed in the phase 1/2 GOBLET trial (Press release, Oncolytics Biotech, NOV 3, 2021, View Source [SID1234594292]). The trial is being managed by AIO, a leading academic cooperative medical oncology group based in Germany, and is designed to investigate the use of pelareorep in combination with Roche’s anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab in patients with metastatic pancreatic, metastatic colorectal and advanced anal cancers.

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"Fewer than half of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy, creating a pressing unmet need for techniques to enhance the efficacy of these agents," said Dirk Arnold M.D., Ph.D., Director of Asklepios Tumorzentrum Hamburg, and primary investigator of the GOBLET trial. "We believe that pelareorep can address this need and increase the proportion of GI cancer patients responding to ICIs, as clinical studies have shown that it reverses the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments underlying checkpoint inhibitor resistance. Dosing the first patient in GOBLET represents a crucial step towards the evaluation of this hypothesis, and we look forward to the trial’s continued advancement."

The GOBLET study builds on data that was recently presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting that demonstrated clinical proof-of-concept for pelareorep-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy in pancreatic cancer (link to PR, link to poster). It is also supported by prior early clinical data showing that pelareorep-based combination treatments stimulated an adaptive immune response and led to a greater than 90% clinical benefit rate in KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer patients (link to PR, link to study) and a greater than 80% increase in progression-free survival in pancreatic cancer patients with low levels of CEACAM6 expression (link to PR, link to poster). In addition to evaluating the safety and efficacy of pelareorep-atezolizumab treatment, the trial also seeks to demonstrate the potential of CEACAM6 and T cell clonality as predictive biomarkers, which may allow selection of the most appropriate patients in future registration studies and increase their likelihood of success.

About GOBLET

The GOBLET (Gastrointestinal tumOrs exploring the treatment comBinations with the oncolytic reovirus peLarEorep and anTi-PD-L1) study is a phase 1/2 multiple indication biomarker, safety, and efficacy study in advanced or metastatic gastrointestinal tumors. The study is being conducted at 15 centers in Germany. The primary endpoint of the study is safety, with overall response rate and biomarker evaluation (T cell clonality and CEACAM6) as exploratory endpoints. Approximately 55 patients are planned to be enrolled in four independent cohorts:

Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel in 1st line metastatic pancreatic cancer patients (n=12);
Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab in 1st line MSI (microsatellite instability)-high metastatic colorectal cancer patients (n=19);
Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab and TAS-102 in 3rd line metastatic colorectal cancer patients (n=14); and
Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab in 2nd line advanced and unresectable anal cancer patients (n=10).
About AIO

AIO-Studien-gGmbH (AIO) emerged from the study center of the internal oncology working group within the German Cancer Society (DKG). AIO operates with a non-profit purpose of promoting science and research with a focus on internal oncology. Since its foundation, AIO has become a successful sponsor and study management company and has established itself both nationally and internationally.

About Gastrointestinal Cancer

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, with an estimated 104,270 new cases of colon cancer and 45,230 new cases of rectal cancer expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 20211. Also, for the 2021 year, the American Cancer Society estimates there will be 60,430 new cases of pancreatic cancer2 and 9,090 new cases of anal cancer3 in the U.S.