On February 20, 2020 Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (NASDAQ: CORT), a commercial-stage company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs to treat severe metabolic, oncologic and psychiatric disorders by modulating the effects of the stress hormone cortisol, reported its results for the quarter ended December 31, 2019 (Press release, Corcept Therapeutics, FEB 20, 2020, https://ir.corcept.com/news-releases/news-release-details/corcept-therapeutics-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2 [SID1234554559]).

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!

Financial Highlights

2019 revenue of $306.5 million, an increase of 22 percent from 2018
Fourth quarter revenue of $87.9 million, an increase of 32 percent from fourth quarter 2018
Fully diluted 2019 GAAP net income of $0.77 per share, compared to $0.60 in 2018
Fully diluted fourth quarter GAAP net income of $0.24 per share, compared to $0.18 in 2018
Year-end cash and investments of $315.3 million, compared to $206.8 million at year-end 2018
Reiterated 2020 revenue guidance of $355 – 375 million
Financial Results

Corcept’s 2019 revenue was $306.5 million, compared to $251.2 million in 2018. Fourth quarter revenue was $87.9 million, compared to $66.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. The company reiterated its 2020 revenue guidance of $355 – 375 million.

GAAP net income was $94.2 million for the year and $29.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to $75.4 million for the year and $22.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Excluding non-cash expenses related to stock-based compensation and the utilization of deferred tax assets, together with related income tax effects, non-GAAP net income was $40.3 million in the fourth quarter, compared to $30.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. For the full-year, non-GAAP net income was $133.3 million, compared to $108.2 million in 2018. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP net income is included below.

Cash and investments increased by $48.4 million in the fourth quarter, to $315.3 million.

"Our Cushing’s syndrome business had an excellent 2019," said Joseph K. Belanoff, MD, Corcept’s Chief Executive Officer, "and we expect growth to continue in 2020, as more patients with Cushing’s syndrome receive Korlym and the number of first-time and repeat prescribers of the medication continues to increase.

"Our commercial success has given us the financial resources to advance our portfolio of selective cortisol modulators. By year-end, we plan to be testing three of our proprietary compounds in Phase 2 or Phase 3 trials in Cushing’s syndrome, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, adrenal cancer, antipsychotic-induced weight gain (APIWG) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)."

Cushing’s Syndrome

Phase 3 trial (GRACE) of relacorilant to treat patients with Cushing’s syndrome actively enrolling patients at sites in the United States, Europe and Israel
Phase 3 trial (GRADIENT) of relacorilant to treat patients with Cushing’s syndrome caused by adrenal adenomas expected to start in first quarter
"GRACE is open at fifty-four clinical sites," said Andreas Grauer, MD, Corcept’s Chief Medical Officer. "Our investigators are enthusiastic. Patients in relacorilant’s Phase 2 trial exhibited meaningful improvements in glucose control and hypertension – two of Cushing’s syndrome’s most pernicious manifestations – as well as in important secondary endpoints, without instances of Korlym’s significant off-target effects – vaginal bleeding, endometrial thickening and low potassium.1 For these physicians, whose patients have few good treatment options, the prospect of confirming these data in a pivotal trial is exciting. As we have said, we plan to complete GRACE in time to submit our NDA in the fourth quarter of 2021.

"Our preparations for opening a double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 trial (GRADIENT) in patients with Cushing’s syndrome caused by adrenal adenomas are nearly complete," added Dr. Grauer. Despite having poor health outcomes, patients with this etiology of Cushing’s syndrome have not been rigorously studied." GRADIENT is expected to enroll 130 patients at sites in the United States and Europe. Many of the clinical sites participating in GRADIENT are already participating in GRACE.

Metabolic Disease

Phase 2 trial of miricorilant to reverse recent APIWG actively enrolling patients
Phase 2 trials of miricorilant to reverse long-standing APIWG and to treat patients with NASH
planned to start in fourth quarter
"The exciting recent developments in our program in metabolic disorders build on years of work," said Dr. Grauer. "We know from data with mifepristone that cortisol modulation has the potential to treat APIWG2 and NASH. Both of these serious disorders afflict millions of people. Last year, our Phase 1b trial showed that our selective cortisol modulator miricorilant at 600 mg was active in mitigating weight gain in healthy volunteers administered olanzapine. Next quarter, we will have results from a 900 mg dose cohort. Our double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial of miricorilant in patients with schizophrenia and recent APIWG is now actively enrolling. By year-end, we plan to start testing an improved formulation of miricorilant in two double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trials – one in patients with long-standing APIWG and another in patients with NASH.

Solid Tumors

Controlled, Phase 2 trial of relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel to treat metastatic ovarian cancer actively enrolling patients at sites in the United States and Europe, on track to produce results in first half of 2021
Phase 3 trial of relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel to treat patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer
to start in second quarter
Phase 1b trial of relacorilant plus the immunotherapeutic agent pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to treat patients with metastatic or unresectable adrenocortical cancer to start in second quarter
"Our oncology program continues to mature," said Dr. Grauer. "At the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) annual meeting last June, we presented striking results from our open-label, Phase 1/2 trial of relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel in patients with ovarian and pancreatic cancers.3 We are seeking to confirm those findings. Our controlled, Phase 2 trial of relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel is actively enrolling patients with metastatic ovarian cancer at 22 sites in the United States and Europe. We expect results in the first half of 2021. Next quarter, we plan to begin a Phase 3 trial of relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Our trial design reflects guidance we have received from the FDA and may enable accelerated approval.

"In the second quarter, we plan to start a Phase 1b trial of relacorilant combined with the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab to treat metastatic or unresectable adrenal cancer, a disease with a very poor prognosis. Patients with adrenal cancer often suffer from Cushing’s syndrome. Our hypothesis is that by modulating the effects of cortisol, relacorilant can alleviate the symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome and, by countering the immunosuppressive effect of cortisol activity, help pembrolizumab achieve its full effect.

"Finally, we expect to conclude by year-end the dose-finding trial of our proprietary cortisol modulator exicorilant in combination with enzalutamide in castration-resistant prostate cancer."

Conference Call

We will hold a conference call on February 20, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Time). To participate, dial 1-800-367-2403 from the United States or 1-334-777-6978 internationally approximately ten minutes before the start of the call (passcode 7085899). A replay will be available through March 5, 2020 at 1-888-203-1112 in the United States and 1-719-457-0820 internationally (passcode 7085899).