Inhibikase Therapeutics Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020 Financial Results and Highlights Recent Period Activity

On April 1, 2021 Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKT), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics to modify the course of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related disorders inside and outside of the brain, reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2020 and highlighted recent developments (Press release, Inhibikase Therapeutics, APR 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234577525]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Key Business and Clinical Highlights

Completed Initial Public Offering: In December 2020, Inhibikase successfully completed its initial public offering (IPO) of 1,800,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $10.00 per share. The Company received aggregate net proceeds of approximately $14.60 million after deducting offering costs, underwriting discounts and commissions.

Commenced Dosing of Patients in Phase 1 Study of IkT-148009 for the treatment of PD and associated GI Disorders: In February 2021, Inhibikase commenced patient dosing in older and elderly healthy volunteers in a Phase 1 randomized single ascending dose and multiple ascending dose study to determine the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of IkT-148009. IkT-148009 is a novel brain penetrant Abelson tyrosine kinase, or c-Abl, inhibitor intended to be used to modify Parkinson’s disease and its gastrointestinal complications.

Accelerated timelines for completion of the Phase 1 trial and initiation of dosing in PD patients. Early data from this study have led to a reduction in the timelines for completion of the study by 6 or more months, providing the opportunity to obtain regulatory approval to commence dosing of PD patients much earlier than previously anticipated.

Commenced chronic toxicology studies of IkT-148009 to permit long-term dosing in patients. In January, 2021 Inhibikase commenced 3 month and 6 month long-term toxicology studies of IkT-148009 in rats and 3 month and 9 month long-term toxicology studies of IkT-148009 in monkeys as required to obtain regulatory approval for chronic administration of IkT-148009 in patients. These studies are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Commenced clinical batch manufacturing and pill formulation of IkT-001Pro in preparation for an Investigational New Drug application filing in the second quarter of 2021. In February, 2021 Inhibikase commenced clinical batch manufacturing and final product formulation of IkT-001Pro as a film-coated tablet in preparation for regulatory filing with the Food and Drug Administration to initiate clinical development. This regulatory filing is anticipated to be completed near the end of the second quarter of 2021, with initiation of clinical development 30 days after the filing, subject to FDA agreement and issuance of a Study May Proceed notification.
"2020 was a transformative year for Inhibikase, as we successfully completed our IPO and worked diligently to advance our novel programs to treat neurodegenerative diseases towards the clinic," commented Milton Werner, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Inhibikase. "Just recently, we were pleased to announce the advancement of our lead candidate, IkT-148009, into a Phase 1 dose escalation study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in elderly volunteers. Early data from this study has been encouraging and we are shortening the timeline to completion by six or more months, with an expectation to move into early patient studies this year. We believe that IKT-148009 could be a transformative therapy for millions of Parkinson’s patients worldwide. Simultaneously, we have advanced our oncology clinical candidate, IkT-001Pro, into manufacturing and expect to initiate clinical development early in the third quarter. Our highly dedicated team has exceeded all of our internal expectations to move these clinical programs forward for the benefit of patients."

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020 Financial Review

Net Loss: Net loss for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2020, was $1.21 million, or $0.15 per share, compared to a net loss of $0.43 million, or $0.05 per share for the fourth quarter 2019. For the full year ended December 31, 2020, net loss was $2.85 million, or $0.35 per share, compared to a net loss of $5.72 million, or $0.70 per share, for the same period in 2019.

R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $0.23 million for the fourth quarter 2020, compared to $0.27 million for the same period in 2019. For the full year 2020, research and development expenses were $0.89 million, compared to $2.55 million for the same period in 2019. The decrease was primarily driven by a decline in grant related research expenditures and non-grant related research.

SG&A Expenses: Selling, general and administrative expenses for the fourth quarter 2020 were $1.14 million compared to $0.39 million for the fourth quarter 2019. For the full year 2020, selling, general and administrative expenses were $2.62 million, compared to $4.27 million for the same period in 2019. The decrease was primarily related to a non-recurring 2019 charge of $1.59 million of deferred IPO costs in connection with the 2018 abandoned IPO effort plus net decrease in all other selling, general and administrative expenses of $0.06 million.

Cash Position: Cash and cash equivalents were $13.95 million as of December 31, 2020.

Asgard Therapeutics awarded with Sweden’s SWElife Innovation Grant

On April 1, 2021 Asgard Therapeutics reported that it was awarded with Sweden’s SWElife innovation grant. Swelife is a strategic innovation programe, funded by the Swedish Government via the Swedish innovation agency, Vinnova, and by the programe’s partners (Press release, Asgard Therapeutics, APR 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234580066]). Swelife supports collaboration within academia, industry and healthcare, with the goal to strengthen Life Science in Sweden and to improve public health.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

ImmunityBio Appoints Dr. Linda Maxwell and CEO Richard Adcock to Board of Directors

On April 1, 2021 ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, reported the appointment of health innovation expert and executive Linda Maxwell, M.D., MBA, as an independent member of the company’s board of directors (Press release, NantKwest, APR 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234577493]). The company also appointed CEO Richard Adcock to the board; he was named CEO of NantKwest in October and remains the CEO of the company after the merger of NantKwest with ImmunityBio in March. Both appointments are effective March 29, 2021.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The nine-member ImmunityBio board is led by Founder and Executive Chairman Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D. The board includes two other recently appointed outside members, former CIA director John Brennan and retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, along with current board members Michael Blaszyk, Cheryl Cohen, Christobel Selecky, and Barry Simon, M.D.

"Linda’s background as a physician and surgeon combined with her extensive global healthcare industry and business experience will enable us to build on ImmunityBio’s strong foundation and help us take the company to the next level," said Soon-Shiong. "As a company working to bring novel therapeutic approaches to treating cancer and other serious conditions, we will benefit greatly from Linda’s insights on innovation."

The company also announced that two current directors—Fred Driscoll and John D. Thomas—will conclude their service on the board effective with the new appointments.

"We are grateful to Fred and John for their many years of service and the value they brought to our shareholders and employees," said Soon-Shiong. "During their tenure, we have expanded our pipeline and grown our portfolio of immunotherapy agents. Their contributions during that time were important to establishing this strong foundation and baseline for the growth we anticipate."

About Dr. Linda Maxwell

Dr. Maxwell is a medical educator, surgeon, and health technology entrepreneur and innovator. She has guided a wide variety of startup companies through clinical development capitalization and commercialization as Founder and Executive Director of the Biomedical Zone, Canada’s first and only hospital-embedded, physician-led business incubator for emerging health technology companies. Dr. Maxwell also managed a life sciences tech transfer portfolio at the University of Oxford and the UK national Health Service, executing patent strategy, spin-out company formation, and early stage capital raising. She has also served as a healthcare innovation expert in various Canadian federal, provincial, and local government entities, as a member of the Department Audit Committee and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as an advisor to the Canadian Medial Association and the Canadian Space Agency. Dr. Maxwell earned an A.B. with honors from Harvard University, an M.D. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from the University of Oxford. She serves as an independent member of the Board of Directors of United Therapeutics, Inc.

"I’m honored to join the ImmunityBio board at such an important time of growth and opportunity for the company," she said. "I’m impressed with both the science and the leadership that I believe will take the company on an upward trajectory as it makes innovative contributions to medicine."

McKesson Corporation to Announce Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2021 Results on May 6, 2021

On April 1, 2021 McKesson Corporation (NYSE: MCK) reported that it will release its fourth quarter fiscal 2021 financial results after market close on Thursday, May 6, 2021 (Press release, McKesson, APR 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234577509]). The company will host a live webcast of the earnings conference call for investors at 4:30 PM Eastern Time to review its financial results.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The live webcast will be available on McKesson’s Investor Relations website at View Source, along with the company’s earnings press release, financial tables and slide presentation.

KAHR Announces Exclusive Licensing Agreement with Thomas Jefferson University for Novel Platform of Bi- and Tri-Specific Fusion Proteins for Cancer Immunotherapy

On April 1, 2021 KAHR, a cancer immunotherapy company developing novel multifunctional immuno-recruitment proteins, reported that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Thomas Jefferson University — a national doctoral research university — and its clinical enterprise, Jefferson Health, located in Philadelphia, PA (Press release, KAHR Medical, APR 1, 2021, View Source;and-tri-specific-fusion-proteins-for-cancer-immunotherapy-301260406.html [SID1234577526]). Under the agreement, Thomas Jefferson University is granting KAHR an exclusive license to develop and commercialize multiple new drug candidates including DSP502, a TIGITxPD1 fusion protein, and DSP216, a LILRB2xSIRPa fusion protein for immuno-oncology.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"With this agreement we are adding a second fusion protein platform to our portfolio, enabling us to broaden our immuno-oncology target pipeline and positioning KAHR as a world leader in the fusion protein space," said Yaron Pereg, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of KAHR. "Both DSP502 and DSP216 focus on promising checkpoint pathways, unleashing the potential of innate and adaptive immune cells and enhancing anti-tumor immunoactivity through dual checkpoint inhibition. These products are differentiated from current drug candidates targeting the same pathways as they target the ligands, not the receptors, thus increasing tumor selectivity by dual binding and avoiding potential redundancy compensation by other receptors of the same ligands."

"Expanding our collaboration with the outstanding team at KAHR provides the opportunity to expand this new platform into novel targets and to unleash the activity of other immune cell types of the innate and adaptive immune systems," said Mark Tykocinski, MD, Provost of Thomas Jefferson University and Dean of its Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

"The synergy between Dr. Tykocinski’s innovative work on activation of anti-cancer immunity using multifunctional recombinant proteins and KAHR’s dedication to the development of cutting-edge immuno-recruitment cancer drugs is the next step to accelerate the translation of this technology to the clinic," said Dr. Heather Rose, Jefferson’s Innovation Vice President, who led the negotiations. "KAHR is a perfect partner for Jefferson to advance this compelling and important work," added Dr. Rose Ritts, Jefferson’s Innovation Executive Vice President, who oversees out-licensing of Jefferson-owned intellectual property.

KAHR’s current technology is based on multi-functional immuno-recruitment proteins (MIRP) that take advantage of the overexpression of checkpoint antigens on cancer cells in order to selectively target the tumor. Its lead asset, DSP107, is a bi-functional fusion protein that targets CD47 and 4-1BB. It triggers a local, synergistic immune response by binding both CD47, over-expressed on cancer cells, thereby disabling its "don’t eat me" signal, and 4-1BB receptors expressed on activated, tumor-reactive T-cells, stimulating their proliferation and activation. The trimeric structure of DSP107 and its binding to CD47 enables cross-presentation of 4-1BBL for conditional, tumor-localized 4-1BB receptor activation on tumor reactive T-cells.

DSP107 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation and expansion study (NCT04440735). The study is evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of DSP107 as a monotherapy and in combination with Roche’s PD-L1-blocking checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in patients with advanced solid tumors.