On November 12, 2019 Myovant Sciences (NYSE: MYOV), a healthcare company focused on developing innovative treatments for women’s health and prostate cancer, reported recent corporate updates and reported financial results for the second fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2019 (Press release, Myovant Sciences, NOV 12, 2019, View Source [SID1234550942]).

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"Myovant continues to make great progress towards our milestones and is poised for a strong commercial launch of relugolix if approved, with two positive Phase 3 studies evaluating relugolix combination therapy in women with uterine fibroids and approximately $500 million in total cash and committed financing, including the Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma term loan facility," said Lynn Seely, M.D., President and CEO of Myovant Sciences. "Bringing a new treatment to the millions of women who suffer from uterine fibroids and endometriosis has been the key vision for the development of Myovant’s relugolix combination tablet. The use of a priority review voucher enables us to expedite the review of our NDA while strengthening the data package in the submission to support this objective."
Second Fiscal Quarter 2019 and Recent Business Highlights
Relugolix Phase 3 Clinical Programs

In July 2019, Myovant announced positive top-line data from LIBERTY 2, the second of two Phase 3 studies evaluating relugolix combination therapy (relugolix 40 mg plus estradiol 1.0 mg and norethindrone acetate 0.5 mg) in women with uterine fibroids and heavy menstrual bleeding. Results from a separate bioequivalence study support submission to the FDA of a potential one tablet, once-daily dosing regimen of relugolix combination therapy. In addition, the 12-month safety data from the LIBERTY open-label extension study are expected in the first quarter of calendar year 2020.

Roivant Sciences and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma have committed to Myovant a priority review voucher (PRV) expected to become available in early December 2019. Myovant plans to use the PRV in conjunction with its NDA submission for a once-daily, relugolix combination tablet for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding and uterine fibroids, potentially decreasing the standard FDA review time. Myovant has decided to defer its NDA submission for a once-daily, relugolix combination tablet for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding and uterine fibroids until April 2020, which would allow inclusion of the complete 12-month safety data from the LIBERTY open-label extension study, key data that may positively impact the labeled duration of use of the combination tablet. The terms regarding how the PRV will be transferred to Myovant will be determined in connection with the closing of the Roivant-Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma transaction. The transfer is expected to be a related-party transaction and will not involve the issuance of Myovant shares. Myovant still plans to submit a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency in the first quarter of calendar year 2020.

In July 2019, Myovant completed enrollment of an additional cohort of 139 men with metastatic prostate cancer in the Phase 3 HERO study in order to assess the secondary objective of demonstrating that relugolix can delay the time to progression of the lethal state of the disease, castration-resistant prostate cancer, as compared to leuprolide. Myovant expects the top-line data readout for the HERO study by the end of calendar year 2019, with results from this additional cohort, including the castration resistance-free survival endpoint, expected in the third quarter of calendar year 2020. Myovant also anticipates submitting its NDA for its once-daily, oral relugolix monotherapy tablet for men with advanced prostate cancer in the second quarter of calendar year 2020.

In August and October 2019, Myovant completed patient recruitment for the Phase 3 SPIRIT 2 and SPIRIT 1 studies, respectively, evaluating the safety and efficacy of relugolix combination therapy in women with pain associated with endometriosis. Myovant expects to report top-line results from SPIRIT 2 and SPIRIT 1 in the first and second quarters of calendar year 2020, respectively.
Corporate

In October 2019, Myovant entered into a landmark agreement with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma to secure a $350 million low-interest, five-year term loan facility, with no payments due until the end of the term, and an Investors Rights Agreement, which is intended to provide safeguards to minority shareholders. The term loan facility and Investors Rights Agreement are expected to become effective in connection with the closing of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma’s transaction with Roivant.
Second Fiscal Quarter 2019 Financial Summary
Research and development (R&D) expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, were $50.8 million compared to $53.8 million for the comparable prior year period. R&D expenses in both periods primarily include expenses related to Myovant’s Phase 3 clinical studies, manufacturing expenses as well as personnel-related expenses for employees engaged in R&D activities. R&D expenses related to Myovant’s clinical studies have continued to decline driven primarily by the wind down of Myovant’s LIBERTY Phase 3 studies. The decrease in study costs were partially offset by increases in other R&D expenses related predominantly to Myovant’s manufacturing activities in connection with preparations for Myovant’s anticipated commercial launches and regulatory submissions for relugolix in multiple indications and jurisdictions, as well as increases in personnel expenses, share-based compensation expense, and other R&D expenses.
General and administrative (G&A) expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, were $16.6 million compared to $10.3 million for the comparable prior year period. The increase primarily reflects increases in personnel-related expenses, share-based compensation, professional service fees, expenses related to commercial operations activities in advance of potential regulatory approvals of relugolix, and other general overhead and administrative expenses to support Myovant’s headcount growth and expanding operations which was in part driven by the assumption of activities previously provided by Roivant.
Interest expense for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, was $3.8 million compared to $1.6 million in the comparable prior year period. The increase for the quarter was primarily the result of higher outstanding debt balances under Myovant’s financing agreements as compared to the prior year period.

Interest income for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, was $0.9 million. There was no interest income for the quarter ended September 30, 2018. During the quarter ended September 30, 2019, a portion of Myovant’s cash was invested in a combination of money market funds, commercial paper, and short-term corporate bonds. There were no such investments during the comparable prior year period.
Net loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, was $70.6 million, compared to $65.8 million for the comparable prior year period. The increase in the net loss for the quarter was driven primarily by the increase in costs outlined above. On a per common share basis, net loss was $0.79 and $0.99 for the quarters ended September 30, 2019, and 2018, respectively. The decrease in the net loss per common share for the quarter was due to an increase in the weighted-average common shares outstanding primarily as a result of Myovant’s underwritten public equity offering in June 2019.
Capital resources: Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaled $157.6 million as of September 30, 2019. Myovant’s term loan facility to be entered into with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, which is expected to become effective in connection with the close of the Sumitomo-Roivant transaction, is expected to provide an additional $350.0 million of capital to support Myovant’s operations.
About Relugolix
Relugolix is a once-daily, oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist that reduces ovarian estradiol production, a hormone known to stimulate the growth of uterine fibroids and endometriosis, and testicular testosterone production, a hormone known to stimulate the growth of prostate cancer. Myovant Sciences is developing a relugolix combination tablet (relugolix 40 mg plus estradiol 1.0 mg and norethindrone acetate 0.5 mg) for women with heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids and for women with endometriosis-associated pain. Myovant is also evaluating relugolix monotherapy (120 mg once daily) in men with advanced prostate cancer.
About MVT-602
MVT-602 is an oligopeptide kisspeptin-1 receptor agonist. Kisspeptin, the ligand, is a naturally-occurring peptide that stimulates GnRH release and is required for puberty and maintenance of normal reproductive function, including production of sperm, follicular maturation and ovulation, and production of estrogen and progesterone in women and testosterone in men. A Phase 2a clinical study in healthy female volunteers to characterize the dose-response curve in a minimal controlled ovarian stimulation setting has been completed.