On May 8, 2019 Lipocine Inc. (NASDAQ: LPCN), a specialty pharmaceutical company, reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, and provided a corporate update (Press release, Lipocine, MAY 8, 2019, View Source [SID1234535927]).
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First Quarter and Recent Corporate Highlights
·Announced findings from the Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring clinical study (NCT03868059) ("ABPM Study") designed to study TLANDO’s effects on blood pressure. The results appear in line with recently approved testosterone replacement therapy.
·Announced top-line results from the 16-week Liver Fat Imaging Study ("Liver Fat Study") with LPCN 1144, designed to assess the therapeutic potential of LPCN 1144 in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis ("NASH"). Treatment results demonstrated that 48% of the treated subjects had NAFLD resolution at the end of the study. Additionally, 100% of the subjects experiencing NAFLD resolution had at least a 35% relative liver fat reduction from baseline with a relative mean liver fat reduction of 55% in this group.
·LPCN 1144 featured in late-breaker presentation at the EASL International Liver Conference, demonstrating reduction of liver fat (measured using magnetic resonance imaging, proton density fat fraction or "MRI-PDFF") and improvement in key serum biomarkers typically associated with NASH.
·Poster highlighting therapeutic potential of LPCN 1144 in NAFLD and NASH presented at ENDO 2019 meeting.
·Received clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for an Investigational New Drug ("IND") application to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study of LPCN 1144 in patients with biopsy confirmed NASH.
· Filed suit against Clarus Therapeutics, Inc. ("Clarus") in the United States District Court alleging that Clarus’s JATENZO product infringes six of Lipocine’s U.S. patents.
"We achieved important milestones in Lipocine’s most advanced clinical programs during the first quarter of 2019, and in recent weeks," said Dr. Mahesh Patel, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lipocine. Dr. Patel further stated, "With the successful completion of the ABPM study for TLANDO, we look forward to resubmitting our NDA for TLANDO in May 2019. We announced positive 16-week results from the Liver Fat Study of LPCN 1144 and have received clearance from the FDA to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study of LPCN 1144 in patients with biopsy confirmed NASH."
First Quarter Ended March 31, 2019 Financial Results
Lipocine reported a net loss of $3.2 million, or ($0.14) per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared with a net loss of $2.7 million, or ($0.13) per diluted share, in the quarter ended March 31, 2018.
Research and development expenses were $1.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared with $1.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily due to increased contract research organization costs for TLANDO in connection with the ABPM Study, offset by decreases in outside service costs primarily related to the January 2018 TLANDO BRUDAC meeting, decreases in contract manufacturing costs related to LPCN 1107, and decreases in personnel costs.
General and administrative expenses were $1.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared with $1.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. The decrease in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to decreased personnel costs, decreased professional fees offset by an increase in other administrative costs related to overhead.
As of March 31, 2019, the Company had unrestricted and restricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities aggregating $22.5 million, compared to $20.3 million at December 31, 2018. The $5.0 million of restricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities becomes unrestricted upon approval of TLANDO by the FDA.