On May 10, 2021 Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company developing a first-in-class telomerase inhibitor, imetelstat, to treat hematologic myeloid malignancies, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, as well as company highlights and upcoming events (Press release, Geron, MAY 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234579575]). As of March 31, 2021, the Company had $244.7 million in cash and marketable securities, which is expected to fund operations until the end of 2022.
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"We have worked diligently over the past quarter to advance our two Phase 3 clinical trials with registrational intent, and we remain laser focused on improving outcomes for patients and delivering significant value to our shareholders," said John A. Scarlett, M.D., Geron’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
"Completing 75% of the planned enrollment in our MDS trial coupled with the recent dosing of the first patient in our MF trial indicate the continued progress we are making in our two Phase 3 clinical trials for imetelstat," said Aleksandra Rizo, M.D., Ph.D., Geron’s Chief Medical Officer. "We continue to have confidence in imetelstat’s differentiating clinical benefits seen throughout the course of its development, including strong evidence of disease-modifying activity. We’re excited to have another opportunity to highlight imetelstat’s strong data profile through the two abstracts accepted for presentation at the upcoming European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) meeting. We look forward to achieving top-line results from our IMerge Phase 3 study and the promising path ahead for imetelstat."
Dr. Scarlett concluded, "We are excited about the progress we are making to bring this important drug to patients. We are planning for Geron to become a commercial company in 2023 with the potential launch of imetelstat in lower risk MDS. The markets for both lower risk MDS and refractory MF are highly attractive. We continue to make preparations and manage our cash appropriately to support the future buildout of our manufacturing and commercial infrastructure."
Company Highlights and Upcoming Data Presentations
Ongoing IMerge Phase 3 Clinical Trial in Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
Screening and enrollment for IMerge Phase 3 in MDS continued to progress in the first quarter. In early December 2020, the Company had completed 50% of the planned patient enrollment in IMerge Phase 3. As of the end of April 2021, enrollment has increased to 75%. The Company continues to expect the trial to be fully enrolled in the second half of 2021. Depending on the timing of full enrollment, the Company expects top-line results from IMerge Phase 3 to be available during the time period from the end of 2022 to the first half of 2023.
For further information about IMerge Phase 3, including enrollment criteria, locations, and current status, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02598661.
Ongoing IMpactMF Phase 3 Clinical Trial in Refractory Myelofibrosis (MF)
On April 13, the Company announced that the first patient had been dosed in IMpactMF, the only Phase 3 clinical trial in MF with overall survival (OS) as a primary endpoint evaluating imetelstat, a first-in-class telomerase inhibitor. The Company plans to engage over 180 sites to participate in IMpactMF across North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The Company continues to expect the interim analysis to occur in 2024 and the final analysis in 2025.
For further information about IMpactMF, including enrollment criteria, locations, and current status, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04576156.
Upcoming Data Presentations
Two abstracts reporting new clinical data and analyses from the Phase 2 trials of imetelstat in lower risk MDS and refractory MF have been accepted for presentation at the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) Annual Congress meeting to be held virtually from June 9 – 17, 2021. Both of the abstracts will be published on May 12, 2021 at 16:00 CEST on ehaweb.org.
First Quarter 2021 Results
For the first quarter of 2021, the Company reported a net loss of $27.8 million, or $0.09 per share, compared to $16.4 million, or $0.08 per share, for the same period in 2020.
Revenues for the first quarter of 2021 were $137,000 compared to $52,000 for the same period in 2020. Royalty revenues in 2021 and 2020 primarily reflect estimated royalties from sales of cell-based research products from the Company’s divested stem cell assets. In connection with the divestiture of Geron’s human embryonic stem cell assets, including intellectual property and proprietary technology, to Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly BioTime, Inc., which acquired Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc.) in 2013, Geron is entitled to receive royalties on sales from certain research or commercial products utilizing Geron’s divested intellectual property.
Total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2021 were $28.6 million compared to $16.9 million for the same period in 2020. Research and development expenses for the first quarter of 2021 were $21.1 million compared to $10.8 million for the same period in 2020. The increase in research and development expenses in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 primarily reflects increased clinical development costs associated with conducting two Phase 3 clinical trials, higher imetelstat manufacturing costs for producing validation batches at contract manufacturers to enable future production of imetelstat for clinical and commercial purposes and higher personnel-related costs for additional headcount. General and administrative expenses for the first quarter of 2021 were $7.5 million compared to $6.1 million for the same period in 2020. The increase in general and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 primarily reflects new costs in connection with pre-commercial activities, including modernizing the internal infrastructure to support a commercial launch, and higher legal costs.
Interest income for the first quarter of 2021 was $173,000 compared to $754,000 for the same period in 2020. The decrease in interest income in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 primarily reflects lower yields on the Company’s reduced marketable securities portfolio.
Interest expense for the first quarter of 2021 was $743,000 and reflects the Company’s debt facility secured in September 2020 for up to $75 million. Currently, $25.0 million has been drawn down under the facility.
Net other income for the first quarter of 2021 was $1.2 million compared to net other expense of $44,000 for the same period in 2020. During the first quarter of 2021, the Company sold all of its holdings in an equity investment resulting in a net realized gain of $1.2 million, including foreign currency translation adjustments.
2021 Financial Guidance Reaffirmed
For fiscal year 2021, the Company continues to expect its operating expense burn to range from $108 to $112 million, which includes costs for the two ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials; producing validation batches of imetelstat at contract manufacturers to enable future production of imetelstat for clinical and commercial purposes; and preparatory activities for regulatory filings to enable drug approval and commercial readiness.
As of March 31, 2021, the Company had 63 employees. The Company plans to grow to a total of approximately 80 to 85 employees by year-end 2021, of which the majority will be development and manufacturing personnel.
Conference Call
The Company will host a conference call today, May 10, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. ET to review its first quarter financial results and provide an update on the ongoing imetelstat Phase 3 clinical trials, IMerge in MDS and IMpactMF in MF.
A live, listen-only webcast will be available on the Company’s website at www.geron.com/investors/events. An archive of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website for 30 days.
Participants may access the conference call live via telephone by pre-registering online using the following link, View Source Upon registration, a phone number, Direct Event Passcode and unique Registrant ID will be sent via email. This information will be needed in order to enter the conference call. Participants are advised to pre-register at least 10 minutes prior to joining the call.
About Imetelstat
Imetelstat is a novel, first-in-class telomerase inhibitor exclusively owned by Geron and being developed in hematologic myeloid malignancies. Data from Phase 2 clinical trials provide strong evidence that imetelstat targets telomerase to inhibit the uncontrolled proliferation of malignant stem and progenitor cells in hematologic myeloid malignancies resulting in malignant cell apoptosis and potential disease-modifying activity. Imetelstat has been granted Fast Track designation by the United States Food and Drug Administration for both the treatment of patients with non-del(5q) lower risk MDS who are refractory or resistant to an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent and for patients with Intermediate-2 or High-risk MF whose disease has relapsed after or is refractory to janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor treatment.
About IMerge Phase 3
IMerge Phase 3 is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial with registrational intent. The trial is designed to enroll approximately 170 transfusion dependent patients with Low or Intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), also referred to as lower risk MDS, who have relapsed after or are refractory to prior treatment with an erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA). The primary endpoint is the rate of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion independence (TI) for any consecutive period of eight weeks or longer, or 8-week RBC-TI rate. Key secondary endpoints include the rate of RBC-TI lasting at least 24 weeks, or 24-week RBC-TI rate, and the rate of hematologic improvement-erythroid (HI-E), defined as a reduction of at least four units of RBC transfusions over eight weeks compared with the prior RBC transfusion burden.
IMerge Phase 3 is currently enrolling patients. For further information about IMerge Phase 3, including enrollment criteria, locations and current status, visit ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02598661.
About IMpactMF
IMpactMF is an open label, randomized, controlled Phase 3 clinical trial with registrational intent. The trial is designed to enroll approximately 320 patients with Intermediate-2 or High-risk myelofibrosis who are refractory to prior treatment with a JAK inhibitor, also referred to as refractory MF. Patients will be randomized to receive either imetelstat or best available therapy. The primary endpoint is overall survival (OS). Key secondary endpoints include symptom response, spleen response, progression free survival, complete response, partial response, clinical improvement, duration of response, safety, pharmacokinetics, and patient reported outcomes.
IMpactMF is currently enrolling patients. For further information about IMpactMF, including enrollment criteria, locations and current status, visit ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04576156.