Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Reports Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results & Company Update

On August 10, 2021 Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CPIX), a specialty pharmaceutical company, reported a company update and second quarter 2021 financial results (Press release, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, AUG 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234586242]). Net revenues from continuing operations during the quarter were $9.1 million and totaled $19.6 million for the first half of 2021. The company also recorded an additional $500,000 in revenue during the second quarter and $1 million year to date, associated with divested product rights for two brands it is no longer distributing.

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While there was a slight decline in revenues during the second quarter 2021 compared to the prior year period, net revenues for the first half of 2021 were up 9.3% compared to the same period in 2020. The Company also posted year-to-date net income of $1.4 million during the first half of 2021, compared to a loss of $2 million during the prior year period.

The Company’s financial position included $89 million in total assets, with $26 million in cash, $41 million of total liabilities, and $48 million of shareholders’ equity at the end of the quarter.

"Cumberland continued to face headwinds due to the pandemic, but we are fortunate to have a diversified product portfolio that helped us counter the negative effects on our business," said A.J. Kazimi, Chief Executive Officer of Cumberland Pharmaceuticals. "We have adjusted our strategies and reinvented the way we operate in order to support our customers and the patients who can benefit from the delivery of our medicines."

RECENT COMPANY DEVELOPMENTS:

ESG Report

In July 2021, Cumberland released its second annual Sustainability Report (the "ESG Report"), which details the Company’s activities pertaining to environmental, social and governance ("ESG") matters. After issuing an inaugural ESG report last year, the Company remains committed to sustainability and to maintaining transparency of its corporate operations. As the largest biopharmaceutical company founded and headquartered in the Mid-South, Cumberland holds itself to the highest standards of ethical practices and understands the importance of recognizing and addressing the Company’s impact on its constituents, the community and the environment.

The ESG Report notes that in 2020, Cumberland provided nearly 2.5 million patient doses of its products, safely disposed of over 4,000 pounds of expired and damaged products and had no product recalls. The Company also had no brands that were listed on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ("FDA") MedWatch Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products, no brand issues that were identified by the FDA from their Adverse Event Reporting System and no clinical trials that were terminated due to failure to practice good clinical standards.

The ESG Report also highlights several initiatives Cumberland implemented as part of its commitment to delivering high-quality pharmaceutical products to improve patient care. For example, the Company continued a program to serialize all commercial products sold in the United States, allowing it to track every unit distributed, which helps to prevent counterfeit drugs from entering the market under the Cumberland brand. In addition, through its coupon program, Cumberland covers up to 90% of patient prescription costs for the Company’s gastrointestinal products.

The ESG Report also highlights Cumberland’s investment in its employees through continuing education programs, employee development initiatives and employee recognition awards. Cumberland’s workforce is 46% women – and 18% of the Company’s employees are minorities.

Vibativ Case Studies

In June 2021, Cumberland released a series of case reports describing the effectiveness of Vibativ (telavancin) in treating secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients – particularly those with other significant health problems, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Cumberland’s Vibativ product has been used across the country to help COVID-19 patients who develop secondary bacterial infections in their lungs. Vibativ is a patented, FDA-approved injectable anti-infective for the treatment of certain serious bacterial infections including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia that can result from COVID-19, flu and other infections.

The Company compiled a dossier of patient case studies from across the country outlining several real-world instances where Vibativ effectively and safely treated the hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia resulting from MSSA and MRSA infections that developed in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Hyponatremia Publication in Support of Vaprisol

In late 2020, the Health Outcome Predictive Evaluation (HOPE) COVID-19 Registry Analysis, an international study of over 4,000 patients, found that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had a high risk of developing hyponatremia. These COVID-19 patients also had a higher incidence of mortality due to their hyponatremia. The study results support the use of an intravenous vaptan to treat hyponatremia in critically ill patients afflicted with COVID-19.

Hyponatremia, an imbalance of serum sodium to body water, is the most common electrolyte disorder among hospitalized patients. Cumberland’s Vaprisol product is one of two branded prescription products indicated for the treatment of hyponatremia, and the only intravenously administered branded treatment. Vaprisol has a proven day one response to help normalize serum sodium levels in hyponatremic patients and move them out of the ICU as efficiently as possible.

New Chief Financial Officer Appointment

On May 17, 2021, Cumberland appointed John Hamm as its new Senior Director Finance & Accounting and Chief Financial Officer. In this role, his responsibilities include management of all the Company’s finance and accounting activities, while he continues to oversee corporate development and legal matters.

Mr. Hamm has more than 25 years of finance and accounting experience, including 20 years in health care. He previously held the positions of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Pharmacy at HealthSpring, Inc., a managed care organization now operating as Cigna-HealthSpring.

He was also the Vice President Finance at Emdeon Business Services. Emdeon Inc., a healthcare technology firm that now operates as Change Healthcare Inc., a NASDAQ listed company with over $3 billion in annual revenues.

Mr. Hamm holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting from Wheeling University. He earned his Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from West Virginia University. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Financial Manager (CFM).

Prior to this new appointment, Mr. Hamm served as Cumberland’s Director Corporate Development.

Paycheck Protection Program

On April 20, 2020, Cumberland received a loan from Pinnacle Bank in the aggregate amount of $2,187,140 pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the "PPP") under the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act"), which was enacted March 27, 2020. The PPP is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA").

Pursuant to the PPP requirements, loan funds were used to maintain payroll, continue group health care benefits, and pay for rent and utilities during the pandemic. Cumberland applied for this loan after carefully considering, with Pinnacle Bank, the eligibility criteria to participate in this program, and determining that it met those criteria. The Company evaluated and provided information on its payroll and other qualifying expenses to determine the amount of PPP funds to apply for. Due to assistance from the PPP loan, the Company did not lay off or furlough any employees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the terms of the PPP, certain amounts of the loan may be forgiven if they are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act. Cumberland used the PPP loan funds for such qualifying expenses. In October 2020, Cumberland submitted a request for the loan’s forgiveness and on June 11, 2021, the Company received a formal notice from the SBA that the full amount of the loan was forgiven.

RediTrex Launch

During late 2018, Cumberland completed the submission of and filed with the FDA a New Drug Application for its RediTrex methotrexate injection product. RediTrex is a new line of pre-filled syringes specifically designed for ease of handling and dosing accuracy for the subcutaneous administration of methotrexate in patients with arthritis and psoriasis.

In December 2019, the Company received FDA approval for RediTrex and began planning for the launch of the product line. Cumberland provided initial shipments of RediTrex to accounts in November 2020 and is planning to launch the product line nationally in late September 2021.

Ifetroban Phase II Studies

Cumberland is sponsoring Phase II clinical programs to evaluate its ifetroban product candidates in 1) patients with cardiomyopathy associated with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare, fatal, genetic neuromuscular disease that results in deterioration of the skeletal, heart and lung muscles, 2) Systemic Sclerosis or scleroderma, a debilitating autoimmune disorder characterized by diffuse fibrosis of the skin and internal organs and 3) Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease, a severe form of asthma.

In addition, the Company has completed two pilot Phase II studies involving 1) patients suffering from Hepatorenal Syndrome, a life-threatening condition involving liver and kidney failure and 2) patients with Portal Hypertension that is associated with chronic liver disease.

Additional pilot preclinical and clinical studies of ifetroban are underway, including several investigator-initiated trials.

Enrollment in these clinical studies was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While enrollment of new patients has been limited in 2021, many of the clinical study sites have reopened and resumed screening of patients for potential enrollment into the studies. Cumberland is awaiting results from the studies underway before deciding on the best development path for the registration of ifetroban, the Company’s first new chemical entity.

FINANCIAL RESULTS:

Net Revenues: For the three months ended June 30, 2021, net revenues from ongoing operations were $9.1 million, compared to $9.6 million for the prior year period. The company also recorded an additional $500,000 in revenue during the second quarter associated with divested rights to products that the company no longer distributes.

Net revenue by product for the second quarter 2021 included $5.3 million for Kristalose, $1.8 million for Vibativ, $0.9 million for Caldolor and $0.4 million for Vaprisol.

Year-to-date 2021 net revenues were $19.6 million, compared to $17.9 million during the first half of 2020. There were additional revenues of $1 million during the first six months of 2021 associated with the divested product rights.

Year-to-date 2021 net revenues by product were $8.3 million for Kristalose, $6.9 million for Vibativ, $2.5 million for Caldolor and $1.5 million for Vaprisol.

Operating Expenses: Total operating expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2021 were $10.5 million, compared to $11.2 million during the prior year period.

Earnings: Net income for the second quarter 2021 was $1.2 million, or $0.08 a share, compared to a loss of $0.9 million, or $0.06 a share for the prior year period. The adjusted loss for the second quarter was $16,000, compared to an adjusted loss of $120,000 for the prior year period.

Year-to-date net income in 2021 was $1.4 million, compared to a loss of $2 million during the first six months of 2020. Adjusted earnings for the first half of 2021 were $1 million, compared to an adjusted loss of $0.5 million during the same period in 2020.

Balance Sheet: At June 30, 2021, Cumberland had $88.9 million in total assets, including $25.7 million in cash and cash equivalents. Total liabilities were $41 million, including $14 million outstanding on the Company’s revolving line of credit, resulting in total shareholders’ equity of $48 million.

CONFERENCE CALL & WEBCAST:

A conference call and live internet webcast will be held on Tuesday, August 10, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results. To participate in the call, please dial 877-303-1298 (for U.S. callers) or 253-237-1032 (for international callers). A rebroadcast of the teleconference will be available for one week and can be accessed by dialing 855-859-2056 (for U.S. callers) or 404-537-3406 (for international callers). The Conference ID for the rebroadcast is 3985462. The live webcast and rebroadcast can be accessed via Cumberland’s website at View Source

Indapta Therapeutics Announces New Preclinical Data Demonstrating Proprietary G-NK Cells Enhance Efficacy of Monoclonal Antibodies in Multiple Myeloma

On August 10, 2021 Indapta Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing and commercializing an NK (natural killer) cell therapy platform for the treatment of blood cancers and solid tumors, reported the publication of new preclinical data in Blood Advances demonstrating Indapta’s proprietary allogeneic FcεRIγ-deficient G-NK cells in combination with an FDA-approved monoclonal antibody (mAb) resulted in greater than 99.9% tumor reduction in a preclinical cancer regression model of multiple myeloma compared to conventional NK cells (Press release, Indapta Therapeutics, AUG 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234586257]). G-NK cells are a naturally occurring subset of NK cells that when expanded and "turbocharged" using Indapta’s proprietary manufacturing process, boost the efficacy of mAbs and can overcome the cost, inconsistency, and possible toxicities associated with autologous T-cell therapies commonly used in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

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"These results suggest Indapta’s G-NK cells have the potential to be a potent off-the-shelf NK cell therapy that could enhance the efficacy of most mAbs," said Guy DiPierro, founder and chief executive officer of Indapta. "The promising results showed G-NK cells, compared to conventional NK cells, significantly enhanced anti-tumor cell activity of two FDA-approved mAbs for multiple myeloma and were able to maintain this augmented activity, expand in vivo, and have greater persistence even after cryopreservation. Together with a simplified and consistent, high-yield commercial-scale manufacturing platform at Lonza, we have the potential to produce an NK cell therapy with outstanding efficacy at a lower cost than other engineered cell therapies."

Austin Bigley, Indapta’s vice president, research and development, said, "This data suggests our G-NK cell therapy, which has been optimized with a donor phenotyping and genotyping selection process and our propriety expansion method produces a highly functional, anti-tumor NK cell product when coupled with a therapeutic antibody."

This preclinical study examined the ability of G-NK cells to improve the efficacy of mAbs in multiple myeloma. Results from in vitro assays showed G-NK cells had six-fold higher anti-myeloma cell-killing activity compared with conventional NK cells when combined with the mAb daratumumab or elotuzumab (p<0.001). Separately, in a murine persistence study, cryopreserved G-NK cells showed more than 10 times greater persistence in peripheral blood (p<0.001) and spleen (p<0.001) compared with conventional NK cells at Day 31 post-infusion. Persistence in bone marrow was also higher (p<0.05). Additionally, in a mouse model of multiple myeloma that investigated tumor regression, the combination of G-NK cells and daratumumab led to a greater than 99.9% reduction in tumor burden compared with the combination of conventional NK cells and daratumumab (p<0.001). At Day 57 post-tumor inoculation, all seven mice treated with the G-NK cells in combination with daratumumab were alive, and the myeloma tumor burden was eliminated in five of seven mice. In contrast, no mice treated with conventional NK cells and daratumumab survived to Day 57. Further, Indapta allowed the cancer to grow for two weeks post-inoculation until therapy was started, resulting in a cancer regression model as opposed to a cancer suppression model, as is often seen in other pre-clinical NK cell models.

"We believe these findings underscore the promise of Indapta’s naturally occurring G-NK cell therapy to augment the effects of therapeutic antibodies more than conventional NK cells," said Nina Shah, M.D., study investigator and professor, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. "The data suggest that Indapta’s G-NK cell therapy have the potential to be a much needed, universal allogeneic cell source that could amplify the effect of therapeutic antibodies in patients, such as those with relapsing or refractory multiple myeloma."

Indapta plans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its G-NK cell therapy in combination with a mAb in multiple myeloma by the end of 2021 and expects to initiate clinical trials in early 2022.

About Indapta’s G-NK Cell Therapy

Indapta Therapeutics is developing a universal, allogeneic G-NK cell therapy designed to substantially improve the cytotoxicity of monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy in multiple cancers. G-NK cells are a specific and potent subset of NK (natural killer) cells with specialized anti-tumor activity resulting from an epigenetic change rather than engineering. Indapta has further enhanced G-NK cells via specific G-NK cell subset selection and its proprietary manufacturing process, which, when combined, produce a G-NK cell therapy that demonstrates higher efficacy, persistence and enhanced cryopreservation.

When a mAb binds to the tumor target and Indapta’s G-NK cell therapy, it initiates the release of dramatically more cancer-killing compounds than conventional NK cells, allowing for increased efficacy and potentially less frequent dosing. Indapta’s off-the-shelf G-NK cell therapy is further differentiated from other NK cell therapies in that it is a cell banked product with low variability. In vivo studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of Indapta’s G-NK cell therapy.

Crinetics Reviews CRN04894 Single-Ascending Dose Results

On August 10, 2021 Crinetics reported a conference call and live audio webcast to discuss the results of the CRN04894 single ascending dose cohorts from the first-in-human Phase 1 clinical study (Press release, Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, AUG 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234586277]).

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Invitation to presentation of Oasmia’s Q2 report on August 19

On August 10, 2021 Oasmia Pharmaceutical reported that it will publish its Q2 2021 report on August 19, 2021, at 08.00 am CEST (Press release, Oasmia, AUG 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234586180]).

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The company will hold a conference call and an online presentation on the same day at 10.00 am CEST. The call will be hosted by CEO Francois Martelet and CFO Fredrik Järrsten. The presentation will be in English.

The conference call will be broadcast live on the web via the link:
View Source

Crinetics’ Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results and Corporate Update

On August 10, 2021 Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRNX), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapeutics for rare endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021 and provided a corporate update (Press release, Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, AUG 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234586220]).

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"We’ve seen advancements across our pipeline over the past months, with the commencement of dosing in the Phase 3 PATHFNDR-1 trial of paltusotine in acromegaly and the announcement of data from CRN04894’s Phase 1 program," said Scott Struthers, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Crinetics. "This program continues to follow the blueprint of paltusotine’s success, as early clinical data have provided proof-of-concept by demonstrating the dose-dependent and clinically-significant pharmacodynamic effects of CRN04894 on a well validated hormonal biomarker. We are also mirroring this approach with our somatostatin receptor type 5 agonist, CRN04777, and remain on track to report data from the single-ascending dose cohorts of the ongoing Phase 1 trial in September."

Dr. Struthers continued, "Looking forward, our strong financial foundation and talented team of in-house endocrinology experts leaves us well positioned to execute on our corporate and clinical objectives. Through the continued advancement of our pipeline, we aim to solidify our position as a leader in the design and development of novel small molecule drugs for endocrine diseases."

SECOND QUARTER AND SUBSEQUENT HIGHLIGHTS
Reported positive data from single-ascending dose (SAD) cohorts of first-in-human study of CRN04894. In August 2021, Crinetics announced positive data from the SAD cohorts of an ongoing Phase 1 study of its ACTH antagonist, CRN04894. Preliminary data provided evidence of clinically relevant cortisol suppression. CRN04894 demonstrated dose-dependent reductions in basal cortisol levels as well as suppression of cortisol following ACTH challenge. In addition, the data suggests that CRN04894 was orally bioavailable and demonstrated dose-proportional pharmacokinetics. CRN04894 was well-tolerated, and all adverse events were considered mild. The data is supportive of proceeding to the multiple-ascending dose cohorts of the Phase 1 study and additional data is expected in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Commenced dosing in Phase 3 PATHFNDR-1 study. In June 2021, Crinetics announced that the first patient had been dosed in PATHFNDR-1, one of two planned Phase 3 trials assessing the safety and efficacy of once-daily oral paltusotine that together will evaluate paltusotine in a wide cross section of acromegaly patients. Topline data from PATHFNDR-1 is expected to be available in 2023.
Strengthened balance sheet with successful common stock offerings. In April 2021, Crinetics completed an underwritten follow-on offering and raised gross proceeds of approximately $75.0 million and in August 2021, Crinetics entered into a securities purchase agreement with Frazier Healthcare Partners for the private placement of 851,306 shares at $17.62 per share, raising gross proceeds of $15.0 million.
Appointed Garlan Adams as General Counsel. In June 2021, Crinetics strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Ms. Adams to the newly created role of General Counsel. Ms. Adams brings more than two decades of experience managing legal and compliance matters associated with the development and commercialization of innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology products.

SECOND QUARTER 2021 FINANCIAL RESULTS
Research and development expenses were $20.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2021, compared to $12.6 million for the same period in 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase in personnel costs of $3.0 million, of which stock-based compensation was $1.1 million, and increased spending on manufacturing and development activities of $4.1 million associated with our clinical and nonclinical activities for paltusotine and our other clinical and preclinical programs.
General and administrative expenses were $5.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2021, compared to $4.3 million for the same period in 2020. The increase was primarily due to additional personnel costs of $0.8 million, of which stock-based compensation was $0.6 million.
Net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2021 was $26.1 million, compared to a net loss of $16.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020.
Unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $203.8 million as of June 30, 2021, compared to $170.9 million as of December 31, 2020. The increase was attributable to the $72.6 million net proceeds from the common stock offering completed in April.
As of July 31, 2021, the company had 38,563,660 common shares outstanding.