On November 14, 2019 Leap Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:LPTX) reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019 (Press release, Leap Therapeutics, NOV 14, 2019, View Source [SID1234551338]).
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!
"The body of clinical data we presented in the third quarter for both DKN-01 monotherapy and combination treatment for cancer patients continues to demonstrate impressive activity. Patients with advanced gastroesophageal junction and gastric cancer whose tumors expressed high levels of DKK1 (DKK1-high) achieved higher survival and objective response outcomes to the combination of DKN-01 and KEYTRUDA," commented Christopher K. Mirabelli, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Leap. "DKN-01 also showed durable benefit in patients with endometrial cancer with Wnt pathway alterations, including a monotherapy complete response, highlighting the potential utility of DKN-01 for biomarker-targeted patient populations."
Dr. Mirabelli continued: "We also completed enrollment in the dose escalation phase of our clinical trial evaluating TRX518 in combination with BAVENCIO and cyclophosphamide; however, we’ve made the strategic decision to deprioritize further development of TRX518 at this time in order to focus our resources on our more advanced DKN-01 program. The safety profile observed to date was acceptable, and patients who are benefiting from treatment in the TRX518 program will continue to be treated."
DKN-01 Development Program Update
DKN-01 in ESOPHAGOGASTRIC CANCER: Leap presented data from the KEYNOTE-731 clinical study evaluating DKN-01 in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in patients with advanced esophagogastric cancer. Study results demonstrated that patients with DKK1-high status had improved outcomes, including longer progression free survival (PFS) independent of PD-L1 Combined Positive Scores (CPS). In ten evaluable gastroesophageal junction and gastric cancer patients who had not received prior PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, DKK1-high patients experienced 22.1 weeks median progression free survival (PFS) and 31.6 weeks median overall survival (OS), with a 50% overall response rate (ORR) and 80% disease control rate (DCR). Fifteen evaluable DKK1-low patients experienced 5.9 weeks PFS and 17.4 weeks OS, with a 20% DCR. PD-L1 CPS did not predict efficacy to the combination of DKN-01 plus KEYTRUDA.
DKN-01 in GYNECOLOGICAL CANCERS: The Company presented data from the ongoing clinical study of DKN-01 as a monotherapy and in combination with paclitaxel in patients with advanced gynecological cancers at the International Gynecologic Cancer Society Annual Global Meeting held in September. In the cohort of sixteen evaluable monotherapy patients with epithelial endometrial cancer (EEC) with identified Wnt signaling mutations, patients had higher response rates and demonstrated longer PFS as compared to patients without Wnt signaling mutations. Specifically, one patient had a complete response and one patient had a partial response, representing a 12.5% single agent ORR, seven patients had a best response of stable disease, and seven patients had progressive disease. In the six evaluable monotherapy EEC patients who did not have any identified Wnt signaling mutations, none had clinical benefit. Patient follow-up is continuing in this study, which has been expanded to include focused cohorts of patients with carcinosarcoma.
DKN-01 plus OPDIVO in BILIARY TRACT CANCER: The first patients have been dosed in an investigator-initiated clinical study to evaluate DKN-01 in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb’s OPDIVO (nivolumab) in previously treated patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. The study is being conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital and will enroll up to 36 biliary tract cancer patients who have progressed after one or more lines of systemic therapy for advanced biliary tract cancer. The primary endpoint of the study will be ORR, to be assessed in the overall population as well as in subgroups stratified by tumor DKK1 and PD-L1 expression. Bristol-Myers Squibb is providing OPDIVO drug supply and partial funding for the study, with Leap providing DKN-01 drug supply as well as additional partial funding.
TRX518 Development Program Update
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF TRX518 HAS BEEN DEPRIORITIZED: Leap has completed enrollment in dose escalation phase of the clinical trial evaluating TRX518 in combination with cyclophosphamide chemotherapy and BAVENCIO (avelumab). However, instead of pursuing additional enrollment through the expansion cohorts in this study as initially planned, the Company has decided to reprioritize resources on the further development of the DKN-01 program. There were no safety or efficacy concerns leading to this decision, and patients who are benefitting from the combination therapy will continue to be treated in the study.
Selected Third Quarter 2019 Financial Results
Net loss was $7.9 million for the third quarter 2019, compared to $6.6 million for the same period in 2018. This increase was primarily due to the recording of a $1.8 million gain in the third quarter 2018 as a result of a change in the fair value of the warrant liability, partially offset by a decrease in research and development expense.
Research and development expenses were $5.8 million for the third quarter 2019, compared to $6.5 million for the same period in 2018. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease of $0.4 million in clinical trial costs as a result of the timing of patient enrollment and a decrease of $0.3 million in manufacturing costs related to clinical trial material manufacturing campaigns.
General and administrative expenses were $2.2 million for the third quarter 2019, compared to $2.1 million for the same period in 2018. The increase was primarily due to a $0.1 million increase in stock based compensation as a result of new stock options granted to employees and directors in 2019.
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $10.1 million at September 30, 2019. Research and development incentive receivables, short term, totaled approximately $752,000 at September 30, 2019.