On March 16, 2021 Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: COGT), a biotechnology company focused on developing precision therapies for genetically defined diseases, reported financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2020 and provided several corporate updates (Press release, Cogent Biosciences, MAR 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234583736]).
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!
"Cogent Biosciences was formed in July 2020, and we are extremely proud of the progress our team has made in such a short amount of time," said Andrew Robbins, President and CEO of Cogent Biosciences. "We remain on track and plan to initiate clinical trials of CGT9486 in advanced systemic mastocytosis in the first half of this year, and will follow in non-advanced systemic mastocytosis and GIST in the second half of this year. We are excited to demonstrate the role of this novel, potent, selective KIT-mutant inhibitor for these patient populations with significant remaining unmet medical need."
Recent Program and Corporate Highlights
Encouraging data from CGT9486 + sunitinib in Phase 1/2 combination study in heavily pre-treated patients with GIST support a randomized trial in 2H21
Data presented at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) 2020 virtual meeting demonstrated that treatment with a combination of CGT9486, a KIT inhibitor with activity against exon 17 mutations, and sunitinib, a KIT inhibitor with activity against exon 13 mutations, is associated with encouraging clinical activity in heavily pre-treated patients with GIST.
Data showed median progression free survival (PFS) of 12 months in a heavily pre-treated population of advanced GIST patients and an objective response rate (ORR) of 20%.
The combination was well-tolerated across three dose levels with no maximum tolerated dose level reached. The most common minor adverse events were anemia, hypophosphatemia, diarrhea, and lymphopenia.
Based on these encouraging data, Cogent plans to initiate a randomized trial in patients with imatinib-resistant GIST during the second half of 2021.
Upsized Public Offering with gross proceeds of approximately $115 million support advancement of CGT9486 into three clinical trials in 2021
On December 4, 2020, Cogent Biosciences announced the closing of its upsized underwritten public offering; net proceeds from which will be used for the continued clinical development of CGT9486 to treat patients with systemic mastocytosis and GIST.
Appointed new individuals to several key leadership positions
Todd E. Shegog to Board of Directors
Mr. Shegog currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Forma Therapeutics and brings more than 25 years of financial, operations, corporate strategy, and compliance expertise in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries to Cogent Biosciences’ Board. Todd has past experience as CFO at Synlogic, FORUM, and Millennium and received degrees in electrical engineering from Lafayette College and an MBA from the Tepper School of Management at Carnegie Mellon University.
Sara Saltzman as Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs
Ms. Saltzman has built extensive experience in Regulatory Affairs working for top-tier life sciences companies such as Genzyme, Takeda, and Alexion; most recently serving as the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Unum Therapeutics. Sara holds a degree in Biology from Colby College.
Ben Exter as Vice President, Pharmacovigilance and Risk Management
Dr. Exter spent several years in clinical development at Biogen and Takeda, culminating with his role as Global Head of Risk Management at Takeda. Most recently he was VP of Pharmacovigilance at Unum Therapeutics. Ben received his Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from Northeastern University.
Mark Lohman as Vice President, CGT9486 Program Team Leader
Mr. Lohman has spent over 20 years in program and alliance management and leadership roles at Array BioPharma and most recently at Pfizer as Executive Director, Alliance and Program Management for Oncology. Mark holds a degree in Chemistry from Kent State University and an MBA from the University of Colorado Denver.
Fourth Quarter and Year End 2020 Summarized Financial Results
R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $6.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2020 and $25.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to $10.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $43.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. This decrease is primarily related to the reduction in clinical activity of legacy cell therapy clinical trials.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $5.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2020 and $17.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to $2.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $11.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase is primarily related to higher professional fees and stock compensation.
Net Loss: Net loss was $11.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2020 and $74.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to a net income of $2.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 and a net loss of $31.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Cash and Cash Equivalents: As of December 31, 2020, Cogent Biosciences had cash and cash equivalents of $242.2 million. We believe our cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into 2024.