On May 6, 2019 Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLRB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of cancer, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019, and provided a corporate update (Press release, Cellectar Biosciences, MAY 6, 2019, View Source [SID1234535788]).
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First Quarter and Recent Corporate Highlights
·Announced additional positive top-line results from a relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma cohort in the ongoing Phase 2 clinical study of CLR 131, the Company’s lead product candidate. In the cohort, CLR 131 achieved a 30% overall response rate in the first 10 evaluable patients. Patients received one 30-minute infusion of 25mCi/m2 and CLR 131 represented, on average, seventh line treatment. The Company previously announced an overall response rate of 33% as the fourth line average treatment in patients with R/R diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) also receiving the single, 25mCi/m2 dose of CLR 131.
·Announced median overall survival (mOS) of 22 months in Cohorts 1-4 of the Company’s ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating CLR 131 for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The mOS results were from 15 patients, all of whom were heavily pretreated and averaged five prior lines of systemic therapy.
·Received an exemption from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Import Alert placed on the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC) for the use of CLR 131 in connection with the Company’s pediatric Investigational New Drug Application (IND). This exemption has allowed Cellectar to initiate patient enrollment in its Phase 1 pediatric study for the treatment of select relapsed or refractory solid tumors including neuroblastoma, lymphomas and malignant brain tumors.
"The data we have seen thus far for CLR 131 are very compelling with demonstrated activity in at least 3 hematologic cancers. We continue to make significant progress in the clinic and are excited to now provide this promising treatment to pediatric cancer patients," said James Caruso, president and CEO of Cellectar. "We believe CLR 131 has the potential to be a meaningful part of the treatment regimine for patients battling life-threatening cancers and look forward to continuing to provide updates on our studies throughout 2019."
First Quarter Financial Highlights
Research and Development Expense: Research and development expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $2.3 million, compared to $2.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2018. The overall increase in research and development expense of $184,000, or 8%, was primarily a result of an increase in clinical project costs of approximately $285,000 related to the start-up of the pediatric study. Manufacturing and related costs increased as a result of an increase in patient recruitments for the on-going clinical trials. Pre-clinical studies decreased as some studies were concluding. The general research and development costs were relatively consistent.
General and Administrative Expense: General and administrative expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was approximately $1,321,000, compared to approximately $1,329,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2018 and remained relatively consistent.
Net Loss: Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $(3.6) million, or a loss of $(0.76) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $(3.5) million, or a loss of $(2.07) per diluted share, in the three months ended March 31, 2018.
Cash and Cash Equivalents: As of March 31, 2019, cash and cash equivalents were approximately $10.5 million compared to $13.3 million as of December 31, 2018. The Company believes this cash balance is adequate to fund our pipeline development and operations into the first quarter 2020.
About CLR 131
CLR 131 is a small-molecule, cancer-targeting radiotherapeutic PDC (proprietary phospholipid drug conjugate) designed to deliver cytotoxic radiation directly and selectively to cancer cells and cancer stem cells. CLR 131 is our lead therapeutic PDC product candidate and is currently being evaluated in both Phase 2 and Phase 1 clinical studies. In December 2014, the FDA granted orphan drug designation for CLR 131 for the treatment of multiple myeloma. In 2018, the FDA granted orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations for CLR 131 for the treatment of neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma and osteosarcoma. The FDA previously accepted our IND application for a Phase 1 open-label, dose-escalating study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of a single intravenous administration of CLR 131 in up to 30 children and adolescents with cancers including neuroblastoma, sarcomas, lymphomas (including Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and malignant brain tumors.