On July 28, 2021 Abeona Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ABEO), a fully-integrated leader in gene and cell therapy, reported financial results for the second quarter 2021 and recent business progress (Press release, Abeona Therapeutics, JUL 28, 2021, View Source [SID1234585337]).
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"The second quarter was a highly effective and productive quarter for Abeona, and we remain committed to delivering operational excellence and bringing our gene therapies to patients with no approved treatments," said Michael Amoroso, Chief Executive Officer of Abeona. "As we continue to advance our clinical programs, we are delivering on meaningful milestones. We are focusing our resources on completing registration-enabling studies for patients with RDEB and MPS IIIA, and are preparing for the potential of two BLA filings."
Second Quarter and Recent Highlights
Corporate Updates
Appointed Vishwas Seshadri, Ph.D., M.B.A., as Senior Vice President, Head of Research & Clinical Development. Dr. Seshadri joins Abeona from Celgene Corporation, now a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and brings substantial experience in the life sciences industry overseeing product development, regulatory submissions, and commercialization for novel therapies including personalized, autologous cell therapies.
EB-101 (Autologous, Gene-Corrected Cell Therapy)
Activated UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA as the second clinical trial site in the pivotal Phase 3 VIITAL study of its investigational EB-101 treatment for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB).
Presented updated Phase 1/2a clinical trial results at the Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD) 46th Annual Meeting, with EB-101 treatment of large, chronic RDEB wounds continuing to show a considerable reduction in both wound burden and associated long-term pain for up to six years.
ABO-102 and ABO-101 (AAV-based Gene Therapies)
Abeona completed a successful Type B meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the pivotal trial to support filing and approval for ABO-102 for the treatment of patients with Sanfilippo syndrome type A (MPS IIIA). Based on the Type B meeting, the ongoing Transpher A study will serve as the pivotal study for ABO-102 and could potentially support a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission depending on the data set. In addition, Abeona also aligned with the FDA on the definition of the primary endpoint for the study, neurocognitive assessment using the raw score from the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSITD) and the Kauffman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-2), which are already part of the assessment plan in the Transpher A protocol.
Presented new brain MRI data during an oral presentation at the 16th International Symposium on MPS and Related Diseases, held during July 23-25, 2021. The MRI data indicated that ABO-102 increased grey matter, corpus callosum, and amygdala volumes in the brain in the three young patients with MPS IIIA at 24 months as compared to afflicted patients without treatment. The MRI data is consistent with previously reported results of preservation of neurocognitive development in these three young patients in the Transpher A study.
The Company is in the process of closing enrollment for the Transpher B trial. To date, four patients have been treated in the higher dose cohort of Transpher B. An additional three patients have been treated and a fourth patient will be treated with the higher dose through the Named Patient Program (NPP) in Germany, a compassionate use program that allows for patients with high unmet need to be treated at the request of the treating physician. The patients treated in the NPP are followed for safety and efficacy with the same rigor and frequency as patients in Transpher B. The Company intends to pool all patients’ data from Transpher B and the NPP to assess therapeutic effect going forward. The Company expects 2-year neurocognitive data for the first patients treated in the high dose cohort of Transpher B beginning in the first half of 2022.
Preclinical Pipeline
Presented new data at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2021 Annual Meeting supporting the potential of Cre-mediated dual AAV vector technology to enable delivery of large genes targeted for treatment of Stargardt disease.
Completed non-human primate (NHP) studies comparing several of the company’s AAV capsids with AAV8, the industry standard for intraocular administration. The results showed that AAV204, part of Abeona’s in-licensed AIM capsid library, was superior to AAV8 using a recently developed route of ocular administration. In a separate NHP experiment, the company’s AAV214 and AAV214D5 capsids demonstrated nearly identical levels of transduction compared with AAV8 of photoreceptor and retinal pigmented epithelium cells, which are the cell types most frequently affected in inherited retinal diseases. The NHP results support Abeona’s strategy to advance multiple preclinical eye programs onward toward the clinic.
Second Quarter Financial Results
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $77.6 million as of June 30, 2021, compared to $86.8 million as of March 31, 2021. Net cash used in operating activities was $11.5 million for the second quarter of 2021.
"While pursuing our key strategic priorities, we have thoughtfully and carefully managed our spending decisions. Across the organization, there is a balanced approach to not only focusing on moving towards our key milestones, but also utilizing our cash resources prudently and on time to deliver results," said Edward Carr, Chief Accounting Officer of Abeona.
Total research and development (R&D) spending was $7.4 million for the second quarter of 2021, which is consistent with the $7.2 million spent in the first quarter of 2021. R&D expenses include the cost of clinical development of the EB-101 and MPS programs, manufacturing of the drug products for EB-101 and ABO-102, and preclinical ophthalmic research activities. Total general and administrative (G&A) spending was $5.5 million in the second quarter of 2021, down from the $6.6 million spent in the first quarter of 2021. The decrease in G&A in the second quarter of 2021 is primarily due to lower professional fees. Net loss was $15.2 million for the second quarter of 2021.
Conference Call Details
Abeona Therapeutics will host a conference call and webcast on Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. ET, to discuss its second quarter 2021 financial results and business update. To access the call, dial 888-506-0062 (U.S. toll-free) or 973-528-0011 (international) and Entry Code: 7184522 five minutes prior to the start of the call. A live, listen-only webcast and archived replay of the call can be accessed on the Investors & Media section of Abeona’s website at www.abeonatherapeutics.com. The archived webcast replay will be available for 30 days following the call.