Takeda Delivers Resilient FY2020 Results With Strong Margins & Robust Cashflow; Underlying Revenue Growth Expected to Accelerate in FY2021

On May 11, 2021 Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TOKYO:4502) (NYSE:TAK) ("Takeda") reported financial results for fiscal year 2020 (period ended March 31, 2021) (Press release, Takeda, MAY 11, 2021, View Source [SID1234579702]).

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TAKEDA PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CHRISTOPHE WEBER commented:

"Over the course of FY2020, Takeda remained resilient as we operated in new ways through the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a testament to the dedication of our employees, and Takeda’s unwavering commitment to serving patients, our people, and the planet to bring better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We maintained business continuity, ensured patient access to our medicines and safeguarded the health and well-being of our employees while helping to address the pandemic.

"This focus enabled us to deliver on our full-year management guidance, with underlying revenue growth driven by our 14 global brands, and the acceleration of cost synergies contributed to strong margins and a robust cashflow. Furthermore, we continued to experience growth momentum in our pipeline, including receiving 12 approvals across Takeda’s key markets.

"With FY2021 anticipated to serve as a critical inflection year, we remain focused on leveraging our expected topline growth to ramp up our R&D investment and further fuel our transformative pipeline. We are well-positioned to reach our goal of mid-single-digit revenue growth over the next decade amounting to JPY5 trillion ($47 billion) by FY2030.1

"As we celebrate Takeda’s 240th anniversary next month, I am extremely proud of our progress and confident in our outlook for the future. We will advance on our growth trajectory, maximize value creation for all of our stakeholders, and continue to position the company for long-term success."

FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS

Results for FY2020 Ended March 31, 2021

(a) Further information on certain of Takeda’s Non-IFRS measures is posted on Takeda’s investor relations website at View Source
(b) Underlying growth compares two periods (quarters or years) of financial results under a common basis and is used by management to assess the business. These financial results are calculated on a constant currency basis and excluding the impact of divestitures and other amounts that are unusual, non-recurring items or unrelated to our ongoing operations.
(c) Core Operating Profit represents net profit adjusted to exclude income tax expenses, the share of profit or loss of investments accounted for using the equity method, finance expenses and income, other operating expenses and income, amortization and impairment losses on acquired intangible assets and other items unrelated to Takeda’s core operations, such as purchase accounting effects and transaction related costs.
(d) Free Cash Flow represents cash flows from operating activities, excluding acquisition of plant, property and equipment, intangible assets and investments, and any other cash that is not available to Takeda’s immediate or general business use, and including proceeds from sales of plant, property and equipment, as further adjusted to exclude the acquisition of intangible assets and the acquisition of investments, and to include the proceeds from sales of property, plant, sales and redemption of investments and businesses, net of cash and cash equivalents divested.

FY2020 RESULTS DEMONSTRATE TAKEDA’S RESILIENT PORTFOLIO

Reported revenueat JPY 3,197.8 billion (~$28.9B)2, declined by 2.8% impacted primarily by foreign exchange and divestitures. Underlying revenue growth in FY2020 was +2.2% driven by the growth of Takeda’s 14 global brands, up 16% year-on-year.
Takeda delivered reported operating profit of JPY 509.3 billion (~$4.6B)2, which grew 407.2% with gains from non-core asset sales and acquisition-related expenses. Core operating profit, which adjusts for purchase price accounting ("PPA") and non-recurring items (including gains on sales of assets), increased year-on-year to JPY 967.9 billion (~$8.8B)2. The core operating profit margin was 30.3%. Underlying core operating profit, which further adjusts for the impact of foreign exchange and divestitures, grew 13% year-on-year. The underlying core operating profit margin was 30.2%.
Takeda’s reported net profit was JPY 376 billion, a 749.9% increase compared with the same period in the prior year.
Operating cash flow increased by 50.9% to JPY 1,010.9 billion. There was an increase in other financial liabilities of JPY 175.5 billion primarily attributable to an increase of deposits restricted to certain vaccines operations.
Free cash flow, which adjusts out deposits restricted to certain vaccine operations and reflects capital expenditures and proceeds from asset sales, was JPY 1,237.8 billion (~$11.2B)2. This represented an increase of 27.9% versus the prior year, comfortably covering the full year dividend, debt repayment and interest. Robust cash flow enabled further de-leveraging in Q4.
The overall impact of the global spread of COVID-19 on Takeda’s consolidated financial results for the twelve-month period ended March 31, 2021, was not material, with several offsetting factors. There were adverse effects due to COVID-19 observed in certain therapeutic areas, especially in Neuroscience when stay-at-home restrictions reduced patient visits to medical care providers. This trend has fluctuated throughout the twelve-month period. These adverse effects have been partially offset by benefits from prescribing trends during the pandemic, such as an expansion of certain products with a more convenient administration profile. Regarding operating expenses, voluntary suspension of certain business activities such as business travel and events in response to COVID-19 led to lower spending. As a result of these factors, the impact on Takeda’s profit was immaterial.

For the latest Takeda communications regarding COVID-19, please click here to visit the COVID-19 Information Center on Takeda’s website.

COMMERCIAL UPDATES ACROSS FIVE KEY BUSINESS AREAS

Takeda’s five key business areas — Gastroenterology, Rare Diseases, Plasma-Derived Therapies, Oncology and Neuroscience — with JPY 2,623.7 billion of reported revenue representing approximately 82% of total FY2020 revenues – delivered year-on-year underlying revenue growth of 4.7%. Takeda’s 14 global brands, with reported revenue of JPY 1,215.3 billion (~$11.0B) 2 in aggregate, delivered a 16% increase in FY2020 underlying revenue growth compared to a year before.

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology with JPY 777.8 billion in reported revenue represented 24% of sales, with underlying revenue growth of 14%. This was spearheaded by continued exceptional growth through expanded first line share of gut selective ENTYVIO in the U.S., EU and Japan.

Rare Diseases

Rare Diseases with JPY 591.7 billion in reported revenue represented 19% of sales, with underlying revenue declining 2% driven by a decline in rare hematology that was in line with expectations. The hereditary angioedema (HAE) portfolio saw 10% underlying revenue growth, driven by continued excellent performance from TAKHZYRO, which continues to expand the hereditary angioedema prophylaxis market, as well as launching into additional geographies. Rare Metabolic increased 2% on an underlying basis but excluding NATPARA the portfolio saw 8% underlying growth.

PDT Immunology

PDT Immunology with JPY 420.4 billion in reported revenue represented 13% of sales, with underlying revenue growth of 10% driven by strong Gammagard-Liquid demand in the U.S. and subcutaneous IG worldwide. Albumin underlying revenue declined 13% in FY2020, mostly due to H2 sales impact caused by temporary interruption in submitting batches of Albumin Glass for release in China, and in some part due to phasing and supply dynamics in China in FY2019. COVID-19 has impacted plasma collections industry-wide, but operational excellence, implementation of digital initiatives and ongoing center expansion helped limit plasma collection volume decline to only -11%.

Oncology

Oncology with JPY 416.5 billion in reported revenue represented 13% of sales, with underlying revenue growth of 1% driven by NINLARO, ADCETRIS and ALUNBRIG. Takeda’s strong oncology portfolio continues to expand indications as growth brands offset the decline of older products in the portfolio.

Neuroscience

Neuroscience with JPY 417.3 billion in reported revenue represented 13% of sales, declining 2% on an underlying basis. The portfolio experienced a slowdown in momentum attributable to COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions that reduced patient visits and diagnoses. A recovery of prescribing trends has been noted, but new patient starts are not yet back to pre-COVID levels.

COST SAVINGS AND DIVESTITURES

Synergy deliverables and operational efficiencies supported margin performance, as Takeda delivered an underlying core operating profit margin of 30.2%. Takeda is also deleveraging rapidly, with a net debt/adjusted EBITDA ratio of 3.2x at the end of Q4, down from 3.8x in March 2020. Net debt has decreased by JPY 1,668.5 billion in two years since March 31, 2019 (the Shire Acquisition closed on January 8, 2019), and Takeda is on course to meet its medium-term deleveraging goal of 2x (low-twos) within FY2021-FY2023.

Takeda exceeded its $10B non-core asset divestiture target and has announced 12 deals since January 2019 to date for a total aggregate value of up to ~$12.9 billion3, most recently including:

The completion of the previously announced sale of a portfolio of four type 2 diabetes products to Teijin Pharma Limited for a total value of JPY 133.0 billion.4 (Press Release)
The completion of the previously announced sale of a portfolio of approximately 130 select over the counter and prescription products, and two manufacturing sites to Orifarm for a total value of up to $670 million USD. (Press Release)
The completion of the previously announced sale of Takeda Consumer Healthcare Company Limited to Oscar A-Co KK, a company controlled by funds managed by The Blackstone Group Inc. and its affiliates, for a total value of JPY 227.7 billion.5 (Press Release)
Takeda has also exceeded its original $700 million target for incremental cash from sales of real estate and marketable securities in FY2020, receiving a total of ~$1.4B.

PIPELINE UPDATE: FY2021 – ANTICIPATED TO BE AN INFLECTION YEAR WITH FIVE TO SIX WAVE 1 NMES SUBMITTED AND UNDER REGULATORY REVIEW BY THE FDA WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FOUR APPROVALS

Takeda’s world-class R&D engine is fueled by leveraging internal research capabilities and actively engaging with innovative ecosystems around the world. This efficient R&D model has enabled us to focus on more targeted patient populations where there is potential for greater therapeutic benefit, smaller and less costly development programs, and faster tracks to registration with enhanced patent protection and marketing rights. We plan to increase our R&D investment to 522 billion JPY to further advance our 40+ prioritized NMEs and new partnerships, as well as building additional capabilities in oncology, clinical trial initiation and data and digital sciences. In FY2020, we obtained 12 global and regional brand approvals with the U.S., EU, China and Japan, demonstrating our drive to develop best-in-class therapies for patients with high unmet needs around the world. FY2021 is expected to be an inflection year for Takeda as we anticipate up to six regulatory submissions by year-end FY2021, with the potential for four approvals.

Takeda’s pipeline portfolio has the potential to contribute significantly to its growth over the next decade, with recent highlights including:

TAK-003:Takeda’s tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate, has completed its first regulatory submissions with possible approval in the EU and some endemic countries in FY2021. (Press release)
Mobocertinib (TAK-788): A potential new oral standard of care for adult patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) Exon20 insertion mutation-positive (insertion+) metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC), has completed its New Drug Application (NDA) submission with a potential approval in FY2021. (Press release)
Maribavir (TAK-620): A robust primary analysis from the Phase 3 trial showed significantly more patients achieved cytomegalovirus (CMV) clearance versus conventional therapies in transplant recipients with CMV infection. Met key secondary endpoints, maintaining superior CMV viremia clearance, on track for NDA submission. Takeda continues to investigate Maribavir in the ongoing 302 Phase 3 study for First-Line Treatment of CMV in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients. (Press release)
Soticlestat (TAK-935): Takeda recently re-acquired global rights from Ovid Therapeutics to develop and commercialize this potential first-in-class therapy, with a novel mechanism of action for the treatment of developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. We intend to initiate Phase 3 studies of soticlestat in children and young adults with Dravet syndrome (DS) and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) in FY2021. If successful, it has the potential to bring new treatment options that provide greater seizure control, tolerability and function to DS and LGS patients around the world. (An Inflection Year for Our Wave 1 Pipeline)
Orexin (TAK-994): Potentially the first therapy to treat orexin deficiency, Takeda plans to move this asset into registrational trials, first in narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) — a rare, underdiagnosed and undertreated condition caused by an orexin deficiency which disrupts the sleep awake cycles, with narcolepsy type 2 (NT2) and idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) to follow as potential additional indications. (An Inflection Year for Our Wave 1 Pipeline)
TAK-186: A conditionally active T-cell engager, first in its class to enter the clinic with recent phase 1/2 study initiation in EGFR-expressing solid tumors. TAK-186 is one of the latest additions to our pipeline through the acquisition of Maverick Therapeutics. In addition to TAK-186, Takeda also obtained Maverick’s T-cell engager COBRA platform and TAK-280 which is expected to enter the clinic in the second half of FY2021 for the treatment of patients with B7H3-expressing solid tumors. (Press release)
KEY CORPORATE INITIATIVES

Several recent examples of Takeda’s corporate achievements in FY2020 demonstrate Takeda’s progress toward its purpose of "better health for people, brighter future for the world":

Patients:

Launched R&D Center for Health Equity and Patient Affairs to identify and address health inequities.
Developed the Health Outcomes Observatory (H20) project, which brings together diverse public and private partners to amplify the patient voice in Europe.
Awarded the 2021 Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) in two categories. Takeda’s new solid pharmaceutical packaging building in Hikari, Japan, was recognized with the 2021 "Process Intelligence and Innovation" category award and the end-to-end high potent drug facility in Grange Castle, Ireland, was selected as "Facility Integration" category winner.
Earned an industry-leading position within the 2021 Access to Medicine (AtM) Index where the company ranked sixth overall and led the pharmaceutical industry in Governance of Access.

People:

Launched our first Global DE&I Council, led by members of the Takeda Executive Team, to further embed DE&I into our culture.
Achieved global Top Employer certification for fourth consecutive year and was named as a Top Employer in four regions and 38 countries.
Preparing for post-pandemic ways of working with new hybrid working models that foster a flexible working culture, aligned to local business needs, that optimize employee engagement.
Planet:

Achieved carbon neutrality in the value chain for fiscal year 2019.
Named to Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World (Global 100) for the sixth consecutive year.
Governance:

Takeda recently announced candidates for its Board of Directors that will be proposed at the 145th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on June 29, 2021. As part of its commitment to exercising strong corporate governance practices, Takeda decided that all members of the Audit and Supervisory Committee will be external directors (as defined under the rules of the Tokyo Stock Exchange) to further enhance the independence of the Committee. This change will promote the long-term interests of shareholders and all its stakeholders as well as strengthening its Board of Directors and management accountability. (Press release)
COVID-19 UPDATE

Guided by its values, Takeda’s response to COVID-19 has focused on protecting the health and safety of employees, striving to ensure its medicines are available to patients who rely on them and playing a part to reduce transmission and support the communities where its employees live and work.

While the results of our CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance clinical trial were not favorable, the effort strengthened relationships within and outside the industry, enabled a renewed perspective toward pragmatic regulation based on scientific evidence and need, and provided a well-defined, legally compliant framework for future collaborative opportunities to address urgent public health needs. Takeda has also undertaken several efforts to help the world respond to COVID-19, and our most recent accomplishments include:

Takeda is making two COVID-19 vaccines available in Japan, by manufacturing Novavax’ recombinant vaccine candidate and distributing Moderna’s mRNA vaccine candidate, with the support of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). Pending regulatory approval, Takeda intends to start distributing TAK-919 (Moderna) in the first half of 2021 and aims to start distributing TAK-019 (Novavax) in late 2021 or early 2022. (Press Release)
Takeda and IDT Biologika GmbH (IDT) have a mutual agreement to support manufacturing of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for three months utilizing capacity previously reserved for Takeda’s dengue vaccine candidate. (Press Release)

FY2021 GUIDANCE: Growth Momentum Expected to Continue

Takeda has solid growth momentum heading into FY2021 and expects underlying revenue growth to accelerate to "mid-single-digit" driven by continued momentum of Takeda’s 14 global brands.

Reported revenue is forecast to be 3,370 billion JPY, a year-on-year increase of 172.2 billion JPY or +5.4% from FY2020, with underlying revenue momentum and a one-time gain from the sale of diabetes portfolio in Japan fully offsetting impacts from divestitures completed in FY2020.

Underlying Core Operating Profit and Underlying Core EPS are expected to also grow at "mid-single-digit", reflecting revenue growth and continued cost efficiencies, whilst also incorporating a significant increase in R&D expenses to support Takeda’s innovative pipeline.

Reported Operating Profit is expected to be 488 billion JPY, a decrease of 21.3 billion JPY, or -4.2%, impacted by a significant increase in R&D expenses as well as lower one-time gains on asset sales. Core Operating Profit is expected to decrease by 37.9 billion JPY, or -3.9%, to 930 billion JPY, reflecting a significant increase in R&D expenses. Reported net profit for the year is expected to be 250 billion JPY, a decrease of 126 billion JPY, or -33.5%, reflecting the impacts on reported operating profit as well as an expected increase in the effective tax rate.

Key Assumptions in FY2021 Forecast

Company guidance reflects management’s expectations for continued business momentum across Takeda’s five key business areas, underlying revenue growth of its 14 global brands, and accelerated realization of cost synergies.

FY2021 guidance also reflects the following key assumptions: (i) The gain on sale of a diabetes portfolio in Japan is booked as revenue (JPY 133 billion), and adjusted out of Core Operating Profit for FY2021; (ii) Takeda expects at least one 505(b)2 competitor for subcutaneous VELCADE to launch in the U.S. around mid FY2021; (iii) Takeda does not expect to restart sales of NATPARA in the U.S. market in FY2021; (iv) FY2021 guidance does not include the impact of any potential further divestitures beyond what has already been disclosed by Takeda.

Based on currently available information, Takeda believes its financial results for FY2021 will not be materially affected by COVID-19 and, accordingly, Takeda’s FY2021 forecast reflects this belief. However, the situation surrounding COVID-19 remains highly fluid, and future COVID-19-related developments in FY2021, including new or additional COVID-19 outbreaks and additional or extended lockdowns, shelter-in-place orders or other government action in major markets, could result in further or more serious disruptions to Takeda’s business, such as slowdowns in demand for Takeda’s products, supply chain related issues or significant delays in its clinical trial programs. These events, if they occur, could result in additional impacts on Takeda’s business, results of operations or financial condition, as well as resulting in significant deviations from Takeda’s FY2021 forecast.

For more details on Takeda’s FY2020 results and other financial information, please visit: View Source

Further Information

Takeda will share details regarding its commercial strategies in oncology and finance at its upcoming Oncology Strategic Update Call in June 2021 and Finance Strategy Day in June/July 2021, respectively (dates to be confirmed). Additionally, Takeda will share details regarding COVID-19 efforts, the current state of the business, and the short- and long-term outlook of the Company at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders​ on June 29, 2021.

Biodesix Announces First Quarter 2021 Results

On May 11, 2021 Biodesix, Inc. (Nasdaq: BDSX), a leading data-driven diagnostic solutions company with a focus in lung disease, reported financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 and provided a corporate update (Press release, Biodesix, MAY 11, 2021, View Source [SID1234579719]).

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"We were pleased with our strong operating and financial performance in the first quarter and believe we are off to a solid start in 2021," said Scott Hutton, Chief Executive Officer. "We are encouraged by the trends in our core lung diagnostic testing. Additionally, Biodesix continues to innovate as demonstrated through our announcement of two new products and we are well-positioned for the future."

First Quarter 2021 Financial Results

Successfully secured additional liquidity and deferred principal repayments through February 2024 by closing a new $30.0 million term loan and retiring the prior term loan for $25.9 million;
Total revenue of $28.9 million, an increase of 466% over first quarter 2020 and 7% over fourth quarter 2020;
COVID-19 testing revenue of $23.2 million, an increase of 8% over fourth quarter 2020;
Lung diagnostic revenue of $4.0 million, representing continued recovery and growth of 10% over first quarter 2020 and 8% over fourth quarter 2020;
Services revenue of $1.7 million, an increase of 12% over first quarter 2020 and 12% decline over fourth quarter 2020;
Gross profit of $10.6 million and gross margin percentage of 37%, both aligned with management expectations, primarily as a result of growth in COVID-19 testing;
Operating expenses (excluding direct costs and expenses) of $16.2 million, which includes an investment in the planned expansion of our salesforce, increased 36% over first quarter 2020 and 8% over fourth quarter 2020;
Non-cash stock compensation expense of $1.8 million, $0 and $3.7 million recognized during first quarter 2021, first quarter 2020 and fourth quarter 2020, respectively; and
Net loss of $7.0 million, an improvement of 28% over first quarter of 2020 and a 54% increase over fourth quarter 2020.
Business Highlights

Biodesix continues to make significant progress in lung diagnostics testing, including the addition of a new test to the lung cancer testing portfolio as well as new data that continues to support the value and utility of the Biodesix lung diagnostics portfolio. As a result of on-going progress, the Company was pleased to announce the following:

Plans to add a blood-based 52-gene next generation sequencing (NGS) test to the portfolio were announced in April 2021. The NGS test has unprecedented turnaround time of only 72-hours, according to data presented in a recent publication in Diagnostics. The NGS test will complement the improved 36-hour turnaround time that the GeneStrat ddPCR and VeriStrat tests currently offer, providing expanded coverage of 52-genes and broader molecular markers. The test will be used for advanced, late-stage, or recurrent cancer mutation detection in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is expected to begin to be offered to physicians in the first half of 2022.
The issuance of two U.S. patents in April 2021 that enhance the Company’s ability to develop blood-based immunotherapy and other pipeline testing strategies for cancer patients.
Presentation of data from three studies at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in April 2021, including data from VeriStrat and the Primary Immune Response (PIR) test that further demonstrate the utility of protein biomarker data from blood-based proteomic testing to support targeted and immunotherapy treatment strategies for NSCLC patients.
Beyond advancements in the lung diagnostic portfolio, the Company continued to expand and progress its partnerships and services related to COVID-19 testing, including the following:

In April 2021, announced a partnership with GenScript Biotech to conduct performance verification of the cPassTM SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody Detection test in our laboratory, with expected commercial launch in mid-year 2021. The test is the first and only surrogate neutralizing antibody test with FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to date and uses ELISA technology to qualitatively detect circulating neutralizing antibodies to the receptor binding domain (RBD) in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 that are produced in response to vaccination or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection.
In February 2021, announced a partnership with the Chicago Public Schools to provide antigen and Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) testing for Chicago Public School teachers and staff.
In January 2021, collaborated with the Purdue University Protect Purdue Health Center, to test students taking classes on the West Lafayette, Indiana Campus living off-campus during the Spring 2021 semester.
Conference call and webcast information

Management will host an investor conference call and webcast today, May 11, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Quanterix Appoints Masoud Toloue as President of Quanterix and Diagnostics

On May 11, 2021 Quanterix Corporation (NASDAQ: QTRX), a company helping to transform healthcare with digital protein biomarker technology enabling precision health, reported it has named Masoud Toloue to the position of President of Quanterix and Diagnostics, effective June 9, 2021 (Press release, Quanterix, MAY 11, 2021, View Source [SID1234579656]).

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"We are excited to welcome Masoud to our team at such an important moment for Quanterix," said Kevin Hrusovsky, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Quanterix. "We are making important strides in advancing our diagnostic capability and assays, given the NIH RADx funding, our COVID-19 Emergency Use Authorizations and advances in our neurology suite of assays for Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s research as well as phase III drug trials. Masoud’s strong growth track record of doubling PerkinElmer’s diagnostics franchise, wealth of experience, deep roots in the life sciences and business acumen will be instrumental as we continue implementing our value creation strategy of entering phase III drug trials with leading protein biomarkers, such as Neurofilament Light (Nf-L), Phosphorylated Tau, Amyloid Beta 40 / 42, GFAP and others, that we believe will ultimately have productive diagnostic and health screen utility in the fields of infectious disease, neurology and immunology."

Toloue brings a wealth of industry experience and high growth track record to Quanterix. He joins Quanterix from PerkinElmer, where he most recently served as senior vice president, diagnostics. He previously led that company’s applied genomics business. Prior to this role, he founded and led Bioo Scientific’s next generation sequencing business which was acquired by PerkinElmer in 2016. He also co-founded and led Genohub, where he transformed that company from a supplier of next generation sequencing matching technology to a leading platform provider for manging sequencing projects globally. He holds a doctoral degree in molecular cell biology from the University at Buffalo and was a postdoctoral fellow in biochemistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

In his new role, Toloue will oversee Quanterix’ growing diagnostics (Dx) business and assume responsibility for the Company’s Accelerator Lab Services, strategic partnerships and corporate development.

"Quanterix is empowering a truly innovative approach to highly-sensitive diagnostics that has incredible potential to change the way healthcare in administered," said Toloue. "I am eager to roll up my sleeves and join this exceptional leadership team to support the company’s continued diagnostics expansion."

Poseida Therapeutics Reports Program Updates and Financial Results for the First Quarter 2021

On May 11, 2021 Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing proprietary genetic engineering platform technologies to create cell and gene therapeutics with the capacity to cure, reported program updates and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 (Press release, Poseida Therapeutics, MAY 11, 2021, View Source [SID1234579671]).

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"We are encouraged by our continued progress in first quarter of 2021, building on the accomplishments from the prior year as we moved multiple programs forward to important inflection points, including our ongoing P-BCMA-101 and P-PSMA-101 CAR-T programs, on which we plan to provide further clinical updates later in the year," said Eric Ostertag, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Poseida. "Additionally, we intend to advance two INDs in our allogeneic CAR-T portfolio this year, one for P-BCMA-ALLO1, targeting BCMA in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma; and the other for P-MUC1C-ALLO1, targeting MUC1-C in a variety of solid tumor indications, including triple negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Though still early, initial clinical activity in patients with prostate cancer following treatment with P-PSMA-101 increases our excitement and confidence in the probability of success for this pan-solid tumor program."

Program Updates

BCMA Program

P-BCMA-101 is an autologous CAR-T product candidate in an ongoing Phase 1 dose expansion trial and Phase 2 trial in development for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Phase 1 dose expansion enrollment continues, with an expected update on this program later in 2021.

P-BCMA-ALLO1, the Company’s first allogeneic CAR-T product candidate, is in development for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma and is designed to be fully allogeneic, with genetic edits intended to reduce or eliminate both host-vs-graft and graft-vs-host alloreactivity. The program is proceeding toward an IND filing. Due to a suspected equipment failure at the contract manufacturer for P-BCMA-ALLO1, the IND is now expected in the third quarter of 2021.

PSMA Program

P-PSMA-101 is a solid tumor autologous CAR-T product candidate being developed to treat patients with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) currently in an ongoing Phase 1 dose escalation trial. Following a previously disclosed serious adverse event in cohort 1 (0.75X10E6 cells/kg), the Company elected to de-escalate dosing and treat at least three patients at the protocol preestablished cohort -1 (0.25X10E6 cells/kg) dose. All three patients have been treated, with significant improvements in activity measures seen in the first two patients, one with a >50% decline in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) at about two weeks post CAR-T treatment; and the second with >96% decline in PSA and a 70% reduction in standard uptake value in PSMA PET imaging of target lesions at four weeks post CAR-T treatment. The third patient was only recently treated. One patient demonstrated Grade 1 cytokine release syndrome, or CRS. Assuming no dose limiting toxicities are observed, re-escalation to the cohort 1 dose and beyond is expected. The Company intends to provide an additional update on this program in the second half of 2021.

MUC1-C Program

P-MUC1C-ALLO1 is an allogeneic CAR-T product candidate in preclinical development with the potential to treat a wide range of solid tumors, including breast and ovarian cancers. P-MUC1C-ALLO1 is proceeding as planned, with an anticipated IND filing and initiation of Phase 1 clinical trial by the end of 2021.

Liver-Directed Gene Therapy Programs

P-OTC-101 is the Company’s first liver-directed gene therapy program for the in vivo treatment of urea cycle disease caused by congenital mutations in the ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) gene, a condition characterized by high unmet medical need. The Company expects an IND submission and initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial in 2022.

Early-Stage Development Programs

For programs in early development, including P-FVIII-101, a liver-directed gene therapy for the in vivo treatment of hemophilia A, preclinical studies are ongoing that will inform the development plans and timelines to IND filings.

For discovery programs, the Company may seek partnerships or collaborations to advance development in the near term.

Other Operational Updates and Upcoming Events

Launch of Immuno-Oncology Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)

In March, the Company announced the appointment of distinguished scientist and pioneer in the field of CAR-T therapy, Carl June, M.D., to chair the newly expanded immuno-oncology scientific advisory board, which will provide advice and counsel on the research and development efforts that drive the Company’s innovative cell and gene therapies.

Dr. June has since been joined by Luca Gattinoni, M.D., Chair for Functional Immune Cell Modulation at the Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology at the University of Regensburg in Germany; Christine Brown, Ph.D., Heritage Provider Network Professor of Immunotherapy at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center; and J. Joseph Melenhorst, Ph.D., Adjunct Associate Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Company is also in the process of establishing a second SAB focused on additional applications for its proprietary gene therapy platform technologies.

American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting

The Company gave multiple oral and poster presentations earlier today, May 11, 2021, at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting. The Company’s oral presentation highlighted new data demonstrating the potential of its proprietary piggyBac DNA Delivery System for the treatment of genetic liver disorders in children and infants. Two additional presentations highlighted preclinical data supporting Poseida’s first allogeneic CAR-T product candidate, P-BCMA-ALLO1 for R/R multiple myeloma, as well as preclinical data supporting the Company’s anti-c-kit CAR-T program as a potentially safer preconditioning regimen for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with AML. The presentation materials can be accessed on the Poseida website.

BofA Securities 2021 Virtual Health Care Conference

The Company is participating in a virtual conference at 2:45pm ET/11:45am PT on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. The audio recording of the presentation, formatted as a fireside chat, will be made available on the Company’s website.

BofA Securities 2021 Napa Biopharma Virtual Conference

The Company is participating in a virtual conference at 4:30pm ET/1:30pm PT on Monday, June 14, 2021. The audio recording of the presentation, formatted as a fireside chat, will be made available on the Company’s website.

Financial Results for the First Quarter 2021

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses were $29.1 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, compared to $23.4 million for the same period in 2020. The increase was primarily due to increased headcount, external costs related to our preclinical programs and clinical stage programs, including the ongoing enrollment and manufacturing associated with our P-BCMA-101 and P-PSMA-101 clinical trials, and internal costs related to facilities development.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses were $8.4 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, compared to $4.9 million for the same period in 2020. The increase was primarily due to increased headcount and professional fees associated with becoming a publicly traded company.

Net Loss

Net loss was $38.3 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 compared to $28.8 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020.

Cash Position

As of March 31, 2021, cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $270.0 million.

Phio Pharmaceuticals Presents Positive In Vivo Data at ASGCT Showing PH-762 Significantly Enhanced Antitumor Efficacy of HER2-Targeted CAR-T Cells

On May 11, 2021 Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq: PHIO), a biotechnology company developing the next generation of immuno-oncology therapeutics based on its proprietary self-delivering RNAi (INTASYL) therapeutic platform, reported positive new in vivo data showing that PH-762 significantly enhanced the antitumor efficacy of HER2-targeted CAR-T cells (HER2CART) in solid tumors (Press release, Phio Pharmaceuticals, MAY 11, 2021, View Source [SID1234579687]). Compared to untreated HER2CART cells, HER2CART cells treated with PH-762 showed a statistically significant and durable inhibition of tumor growth. These data, using a HER2-targeted CAR-T cell product against a HER2-expressing ovarian cancer xenograft model, provide proof-of-concept for the application of PD-1 checkpoint silencing with INTASYL in CAR-T cells prior to adoptive cell therapy to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors.

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"The in vivo data announced today further support advancing the development of PH-762 into the clinic as a viable approach to improve various forms of T cell based immunotherapy. These data are especially impressive considering that to date CAR T-cell therapy effectiveness in solid tumors has been disappointing and the use of additional genetic engineering to address these issues has proven challenging and costly. Indeed, in a recent clinical study it was shown that CRISPR-Cas9 mediated PD-1 disruption resulted in low efficiency, namely an editing efficiency of less than 6% and a median disruption of PD-1 expression of less than 50% in the edited T cells. This compares sharply with our results where we show that our INTASYL compound, PH-762, achieves PD-1 silencing efficiency of ~90% in nearly 100% of the HER2CART cells used in this study," stated Dr. Simon Fricker, Phio’s VP of Research. "In addition, these results are achieved by merely adding PH-762 to the HER2CART cell culture media, without the need for cell delivery vehicles or vectors, and without negative impact on cell growth/survival. In a prior presentation we also showed how PH-762 can improve the tumor cell killing activity of another adoptive cell therapy platform, namely tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Taken together, you can start to see the full picture of the potential advancement that INTASYL could provide in adoptive cell therapy."

In this study the Company assessed the potential of PH-762, a PD-1 targeting INTASYL compound, to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of HER2CART cells in the treatment of a subcutaneous HER2-expressing SKOV3 model of human ovarian cancer in mice. On-target silencing of PD-1 in vitro was demonstrated in a dose associated manner in activated HER2CART cells, without significant impact on viability, and resulted in an enrichment of CD8+ and CD25+ cells. Analyses of PH-762-treated HER2CART cells isolated from tumors suggest that PH-762 enhances CAR-T function through multiple mechanisms including enhanced efficiency, degranulation, decreased suppressive potential, and promotion of memory/stem populations.

These data were presented today during the 24th Annual Meeting of the ASGCT (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) in a poster titled "INTASYL PH-762 Self-Delivering RNAi Targeting PD-1 Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Systemically Administered HER2-Targeted CAR-T Cells in a SKOV3 Model of Human Ovarian Adenocarcinoma in NCG Mice". An archived version of the poster presentation will be made available on the "Investors – Events and Presentations" section of the Company’s website (click here).