Kite and Appia Bio Announce Collaboration to Research and Develop Allogeneic Cell Therapies for Cancer

On August 5, 2021 Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), and Appia Bio, Inc., an early stage biotechnology company developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cancer patients, reported a collaboration and license agreement to research and develop HSC-derived cell therapies directed toward hematological malignancies (Press release, Kite Pharma, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585937]). Under the partnership, Kite and Appia Bio will develop chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-iNKT) cells using Appia Bio’s ACUA technology platform for allogeneic cell therapy.

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Founded in 2020, Appia Bio recently announced the completion of its Series A financing to support the advancement of the company’s pipeline of allogeneic CAR-iNKT cell therapy candidates into the clinic. With its ACUA technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development to generate CAR-iNKT cells from HSCs. The ACUA platform offers the potential for improved efficacy and safety, streamlined manufacturing, and off-the-shelf accessibility of HSC-derived CAR iNKT-cell therapies.

"We are thrilled to partner with a leader in cell therapy such as Kite, who shares our vision for the potential of iNKT cells in off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapy," said JJ Kang, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Appia Bio. "Our partnership with Kite is an important step toward establishing the broad pipeline potential of our ACUA platform and bringing new treatment options to patients."

"As a pioneer in cell therapy, Kite is deeply commited to developing the next-generation of cell therapies to treat and potentially cure cancer patients," said Mert Aktar, Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Kite. "Through our collaboration with Appia Bio, we’re excited to harness unique biological properties of invariant natural killer T cells to research and develop allogeneic cell therapies for cancer."

Under the terms of the agreement, Appia Bio will be responsible for preclinical and early clinical research of two HSC-derived CAR-iNKT product candidates engineered with CARs provided by Kite. Appia Bio will receive an upfront payment, an equity investment, and additional milestone payments for a total value of up to $875 million as well as tiered royalties. Kite will be responsible for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the product candidates identified through the collaboration.

Athersys and HEALIOS K.K. Announce Advancement of Their MultiStem Commercial Partnership

On August 5, 2021 Athersys, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHX) and HEALIOS K.K. (Healios) (TSE Mothers: 4593) jointly reported expansion and deepening of their partnership to optimize and better align the collaboration structure to drive therapeutic reach and commercial success in Japan for the MultiStem (invimestrocel) product following potential regulatory approval (Press release, Athersys, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585953]). The changes and new agreements reflect improved clarity regarding Japanese regulatory, manufacturing, and commercial requirements gained in recent years and better enable the optimal investments and efforts in manufacturing and commercialization. The agreements will facilitate the regulatory approval process for MultiStem in Japan, prepare the companies for commercial manufacturing and supply and expand the overall scope of collaboration between the companies.

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"We are happy to have reached this Comprehensive agreement with Healios which strengthens the alignment, commitment, and motivation of both companies and improves the potential for MultiStem commercial success in Japan," stated Mr. William (B.J.) Lehmann, Jr., President, and Interim CEO of Athersys. "This is an important step for us as it brings us closer to achieving our first regulatory approval and providing supply for commercialization in a key market and meeting our goal of bringing life-saving therapies to patients worldwide."

Dr. Hardy TS Kagimoto, Chairman and CEO of Healios, commented, "We have come a long way in building a stronger, mutually beneficial, win-win partnership between Athersys and Healios. With the improved relationship and clarification of the roles, responsibilities, and incentives as reflected in the new agreements, we aim to accelerate the development, regulatory approval, and delivery of life-saving treatments for patients. We are committed to achieving our mission: ‘Life Explosion!’ by delivering cures for patients with unmet medical needs."

"I would like to compliment and express my appreciation to the boards and management of both Healios and Athersys for their dedication and commitment in working through challenging issues to achieve this important milestone for the benefit of patients dealing with severe medical issues such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and stroke and for the benefit of shareholders of both Athersys and Healios," added Dr. Ismail Kola, Chairman of the Board of Athersys. "This is truly a win-win enhancement to the partnership."

Key elements of the improved collaboration include:

Providing Healios access to Athersys’s manufacturing technology to enable Healios to manufacture MultiStem products, using a qualified manufacturer, for a potential commercial launch in Japan and allow Athersys to focus resources on advanced commercial manufacturing development.
Clarifying Athersys’s role in providing support services necessary for regulatory approvals, manufacturing readiness, and commercial launch in Japan.
Sharing investment in commercial preparation and product supply through planned investment by Healios in certain manufacturing preparation activities and additional production capacity for Japan and, through deferrals and certain adjustments to financial terms of the license agreement, including milestones and royalties, during the early commercial phase.
Expanding Healios’ license in Japan to include two new additional indications under certain conditions to enable Healios to further leverage its investment in MultiStem while providing Athersys the opportunity for additional revenues from this market.
Increasing alignment between the companies and creating incentives for accelerated execution and investment, through $8 million in new milestone payments available to Athersys tied to certain Japan commercial manufacturing activities and the establishment of large scale manufacturing relevant to Japan, and through warrants issued to Healios to purchase up to a total of 10 million shares of Athersys common stock at a premium to the current market price and exercisable for 60 days following regulatory approval for ARDS and ischemic stroke, respectively.

Half-Year Financial Report 2021

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Bio-Techne Declares Dividend

On August 5, 2021 Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH) reported that its Board of Directors has decided to pay a dividend of $0.32 per share for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 (Press release, Bio-Techne, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585795]). The quarterly dividend will be payable August 27, 2021 to all common shareholders of record on August 16, 2021. Future cash dividends will be considered by the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.

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Acorda Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results

On August 5, 2021 Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOR) reported its financial results for the second quarter 2021 (Press release, Acorda Therapeutics, AUG 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234585858]).

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"We were pleased to see a 36% increase in INBRIJA net sales in the second quarter of 2021 over the same period in 2020. We also saw increases in total prescriptions and dispensed cartons. As Inbrija is an on-demand medication and prescription can range from one to five boxes, we believe that dispensed cartons are the best indicator of demand for the product. These are encouraging signs that the impact of the pandemic is moderating, though it is still too early to project how long it will take for prescribing patterns to return to pre-pandemic levels," said Ron Cohen, M.D., Acorda’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "We also were delighted to enter into an agreement with Esteve to commercialize INBRIJA in Spain, providing people with Parkinson’s access to this important medication to address their OFF periods. We also are in active discussions with several parties for commercialization of INBRIJA in other territories in Europe and the rest of the world."

Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results

For the quarter ended June 30, 2021, the Company reported INBRIJA net revenue of $6.4 million, compared to $4.7 million for the same quarter in 2020.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2021, the Company reported AMPYRA net revenue of $21.8 million compared to $26.1 million for the same quarter in 2020. In September 2018, AMPYRA lost its exclusivity and generics entered the market. Consequently, the Company expects AMPYRA revenue to continue to decline.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 were $2.4 million, including $0.2 million of share-based compensation compared to $5.3 million, including $0.4 million of share-based compensation for the same quarter in 2020.

Sales, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 were $32.4 million, including $0.7 million of share-based compensation compared to $38.7 million, including $1.5 million of share-based compensation for the same quarter in 2020.

Change in fair value of derivative liability for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 was $(0.8) million compared to $(8.9) million for the same quarter in 2020.

Benefit from income taxes for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 was $0.5 million compared to a provision for income taxes of $0.6 million for the same quarter in 2020.

The Company reported a GAAP net loss of $22.9 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, or $2.29 per diluted share. GAAP net loss in the same quarter of 2020 was $17.4 million, or $2.19 per diluted share.

Non-GAAP net loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 was $18.7 million, or $1.87 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net loss in the same quarter of 2020 was $16.6 million, or $2.08 per diluted share. This quarterly non-GAAP net loss measure, more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures," excludes share-based compensation charges, non-cash interest charges on our debt, changes in the fair value of acquired contingent consideration, changes in the fair value of derivative liability related to our 2024 convertible senior secured notes, and expenses that pertain to non-routine corporate restructurings. A reconciliation of the GAAP financial results to non-GAAP financial results is included with the attached financial statements.

At June 30, 2021, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash of $71 million, compared to $103 million at year end 2020. Restricted cash includes $25 million in escrow related to the 6% semi-annual interest portion, payable in cash or stock, of the 2024 convertible senior secured notes. If the Company elects to pay interest due in stock, the restricted cash will be released from escrow.

Financial Guidance

For the full-year 2021, Acorda continues to expect AMPYRA net revenue to be $75 – $85 million, and operating expenses to be $130 – $140 million. The operating expense guidance is a non-GAAP projection that excludes restructuring costs and share-based compensation as more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
Due to uncertainties caused by past and potential future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, the Company is not providing projected peak U.S. annual net revenue of INBRIJA at this time.
Webcast

The Company will host a webcast in conjunction with its second quarter 2021 update and financial results today at 4:30 p.m. EDT.

To register for the webcast, use the link below:
View Source
Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email with webcast details. You will receive an email with the link to join the webcast 2 hours prior to the start time. The presentation will be available on the Investors section of www.acorda.com.

A replay of the call will be available from 7:30 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2021 until 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 3, 2021. To access the replay, please dial (800) 585-8367 (domestic) or (416) 621-4642 (international); reference code 2996776. The archived webcast will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Acorda website at www.acorda.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes financial results prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) and also certain historical and forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures. In particular, Acorda has provided non-GAAP net loss, adjusted to exclude the items below, and has provided 2021 operating expense guidance on a non-GAAP basis. Non-GAAP financial measures are not an alternative for financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. However, the Company believes that the presentation of non-GAAP net loss, when viewed in conjunction with actual GAAP results, provides investors with a more meaningful understanding of our ongoing and projected operating performance because this measure excludes (i) non-cash compensation charges and benefits that are substantially dependent on changes in the market price of our common stock, (ii) non-cash interest charges related to the accounting for our convertible debt which are in excess of the actual interest expense owing on such convertible debt, as well as non-cash interest related to the Fampyra royalty monetization and acquired Biotie debt, (iii) changes in the fair value of acquired contingent consideration which do not correlate to our actual cash payment obligations in the relevant periods, (iv) asset impairment charges that are not routine to the operation of the business, (v) expenses that pertain to corporate restructurings which are not routine to the operation of the business, and (vi) changes in the fair value of derivative liability relating to the 2024 convertible senior secured notes, which is a non-cash charge and not related to the operation of the business. The Company believes its non-GAAP net loss measure helps indicate underlying trends in the Company’s business and is important in comparing current results with prior period results and understanding projected operating performance. Also, management uses this non-GAAP financial measure to establish budgets and operational goals, and to manage the Company’s business and to evaluate its performance.

In addition to non-GAAP net loss, we have provided 2021 operating expense guidance on a non-GAAP basis, as the guidance excludes restructuring costs and share-based compensation charges. Due to the forward looking nature of this information, the amount of compensation charges needed to reconcile this measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is dependent on future changes in the market price of our common stock and is not available at this time. Non-GAAP financial measures are not an alternative for financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. However, the Company believes that the presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure, when viewed in conjunction with actual GAAP results, provides investors with a more meaningful understanding of our ongoing and projected operating performance because it excludes (i) expenses that pertain to non-routine corporate restructurings, and (ii) non-cash charges that are substantially dependent on changes in the market price of our common stock. We believe this non-GAAP financial measure helps indicate underlying trends in the Company’s business and is important in comparing current results with prior period results and understanding expected operating performance. Also, management uses this non-GAAP financial measure to establish budgets and operational goals, and to manage the Company’s business and to evaluate its performance.