On May 16, 2022 Galectin Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GALT), the leading developer of therapeutics that target galectin proteins, reported financial results and provided a business update for the three months ended March 31, 2022 (Press release, Galectin Therapeutics, MAY 16, 2022, View Source [SID1234614659]). These results are included in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and is available at www.sec.gov.

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Dr. Pol Boudes, Chief Medical Officer, stated: "As we hear more about difficulties of reading and interpreting liver biopsies in pre-cirrhotic NASH, the feedback we get from our investigators reinforces our belief that using the prevention of esophageal varices as our primary outcome of efficacy in NAVIGATE is the appropriate efficacy outcome. Patients that are enrolled in our program have advanced to the cirrhotic stage of NASH and have developed portal hypertension, a severe complication of cirrhosis that impacts their prognosis. This also means that many of our patients have low platelet counts, and because this increases the risk of bleeding, it makes a liver biopsy far too dangerous. These are some of the reasons why we do not believe that biopsies are appropriate for patient selection or endpoints in our target population and is also why we even removed the requirement for baseline biopsies in our NAVIGATE trial. Preventing the development of an esophageal varix, on the other hand, is a very relevant and pragmatic clinical outcome. Unfortunately, too many cirrhotic patients bleed from these varices, and this can be a life-threatening event. Preventing the development of varices eliminates this potentially significant adverse outcome related to cirrhosis. We believe the design of the NAVIGATE study is truly innovative and allows us to move clinical research for liver cirrhosis forward."

Joel Lewis, Chief Executive Officer and President, said: "I am proud of our team and their accomplishments this quarter. Most importantly, as a Company, we achieved an extremely significant milestone. Our previous phase 2 trial, NASH-RX, indicated a favorable safety profile for belapectin over one year of treatment. As of today, due to the length of our adaptively designed phase 2b/3 NAVIGATE trial, our safety profile has been further evaluated by an independent data safety monitoring board who recommended the trial continue as designed. Additionally, our innovative trial design allows trial participants to move directly into the phase 3 treatment course for an additional 18 months. As these and additional patients continue receiving treatment, we continue to expand our data on the safety profile of belapectin. The significance of this safety profile in a severely compromised patient population cannot be overstated.

"We continued to make progress towards our primary goal of completing enrollment in our adaptively designed Phase 2b/3 NAVIGATE trial for the prevention of esophageal varices in patients with NASH cirrhosis. Our strategy to further expand our trial sites in Mexico and Latin America is well underway. We recently conducted a very productive in-person investigator meeting in Mexico where we have added more than 10 new sites. I attended the meeting with my clinical operations staff, and we are extremely enthusiastic about the ability of these sites to quickly enroll patients. I am grateful to all of our investigators and their teams, as well as our consultants in Mexico, for their time and dedication to our trial. Enrollment in the United States continued steadily; however, enrollment in Europe still lags far behind our expectations. We currently expect enrollment to conclude for the Phase 2b portion around the end of the third quarter of this year."

Mr. Lewis continued: "Additionally, we are making progress and are working to compile an Investigational New Drug (IND) package, including the development of a phase 2 trial protocol, with the objective for the Company to file an IND with the FDA oncology division for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer for belapectin in combination with Keytruda, an immune checkpoint inhibitor. The lack of current treatments for these patients, the low response rates of monotherapy with check-point inhibitors, the limited number of therapies in development, and the resulting very high medical need make this an important area for new combination therapies."

Financial Results

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company reported a net loss applicable to common stockholders of $9.9 million, or ($0.17) per share, compared to a net loss applicable to common stockholders of $6.3 million, or ($0.11) per share for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase is largely due to an increase in 2022 research and development expenses related to the Company’s NAVIGATE trial.

Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2022, was $8.1 million compared with $4.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase was primarily due to costs related to our NAVIGATE clinical trial and other supportive activities. General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2022, were $1.9 million, compared to $1.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase was primarily due to non-cash stock-based compensation expense.

As of March 31, 2022, the Company had $31.6 million of cash and cash equivalents. The Company believes it has sufficient cash to fund currently planned operations and research and development activities through at least May 16, 2023.

The Company expects that it will require more cash to fund operations after May 16, 2023, and believes it will be able to obtain additional financing as needed. Currently, we expect to require an additional approximately $40-$45 million to cover costs of the NAVIGATE trial to reach the planned interim analysis estimated to occur in mid-2024, along with drug manufacturing and other research and development activities and general and administrative costs. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining such new financing or, if available, that such financing will be on terms favorable to us.

About Belapectin

Belapectin is a complex carbohydrate drug that targets galectin-3, a critical protein in the pathogenesis of NASH and fibrosis. Galectin-3 plays a major role in diseases that involve scarring of organs, including fibrotic disorders of the liver, lung, kidney, heart and vascular system. Belapectin binds to galectin-3 and disrupts its function. Preclinical data in animals have shown that belapectin has robust treatment effects in reversing liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. A Phase 2 study showed belapectin may prevent the development of esophageal varices in NASH cirrhosis, and these results provide the basis for the conduct of the NAVIGATE trial. The NAVIGATE trial (www.NAVIGATEnash.com), titled "A Seamless Adaptive Phase 2b/3, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Multicenter, International Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Belapectin (GR-MD-02) for the Prevention of Esophageal Varices in NASH Cirrhosis," began enrolling patients in June 2020, and is posted on www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04365868). Galectin-3 has a significant role in cancer, and the Company has supported a Phase 1b study in combined immunotherapy of belapectin and KEYTRUDA in advanced melanoma and in head and neck cancer. This trial provided a strong rationale for moving forward into a Company-sponsored Phase 2 development program, which the company is exploring.

About Fatty Liver Disease with Advanced Fibrosis and Cirrhosis

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has become a common disease of the liver with the rise in obesity and other metabolic diseases. NASH is estimated to affect up to 28 million people in the U.S. It is characterized by the presence of excess fat in the liver along with inflammation and hepatocyte damage (ballooning) in people who consume little or no alcohol. Over time, patients with NASH can develop excessive fibrosis, or scarring of the liver, and ultimately liver cirrhosis. It is estimated that as many as 1 to 2 million individuals in the U.S. will develop cirrhosis as a result of NASH, for which liver transplantation is the only curative treatment available. Approximately 9,000 liver transplants are performed annually in the U.S. There are no drug therapies approved for the treatment of liver fibrosis or cirrhosis.

On May 16, 2022 RenovoRx, Inc. ("RenovoRx" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: RNXT), a biopharmaceutical company and innovator in targeted cancer therapy, reported its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 (Press release, Renovorx, MAY 16, 2022, View Source [SID1234614658]).

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"As we report our Q1 2022 results, we acknowledge that May is Cancer Research Month. RenovoRx is fighting cancer through our innovative localized treatment of difficult-to-treat tumors via our proprietary RenovoTAMP (RenovoRx Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion) therapy platform," said Shaun Bagai, CEO of RenovoRx. "Today, we are midway through a Phase 3 pancreatic cancer clinical trial, designed to provide an improved treatment option to the generally ineffective standard of care, systemic (intravenous) chemotherapy for patients. The study’s goal is to improve survival and quality of life for patients with a cancer that currently has a five-year survival rate of 11%."

Bagai added, "RenovoRx is at the frontline of cancer research with our late-stage product candidate, RenovoGemTM. Later this year, we plan on extending its utility to extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA), a rare and aggressive cancer that forms in bile ducts that lead out of the liver and join with the gallbladder. The FDA granted RenovoRx Orphan Drug Designation for this indication in April 2021, and for pancreatic cancer in 2018."

Financial Highlights for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2022

●Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2022, were $13.1 million.
●Research and development expenses were $1.3 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to $0.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. The increase was due to higher costs incurred on our Phase 3 trial, including consulting, employee and related benefit costs, and an increase in costs for a secondary manufacturer of our RenovoCath delivery systems.
●General and administrative expenses were $1.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to $0.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. This increase was due to higher employee and related benefits costs, an increase in legal fees reflecting the costs of public company compliance requirements, an increase in professional and consulting services relating to post-IPO support, and Directors and Officers Liability Insurance.
●Net loss was $3.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to net loss of $1.1 million for quarter ended March 31, 2021.
●As of March 31, 2022, the Company had 9,029,305 common shares outstanding.

About the Phase 3 TIGeR-PaC Clinical Trial

TIGeR-PaC is a randomized multi-center Phase 3 study using RenovoRx’s innovative therapy platform, RenovoTAMPTM (RenovoRx Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion). The study is evaluating the Company’s first product candidate, RenovoGemTM, to treat locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) through the intra-arterial delivery of gemcitabine (FDA-approved chemotherapy). The study has a primary endpoint of overall survival and several secondary endpoints, including quality of life.

TIGeR-PaC is currently enrolling unresectable LAPC patients at several sites across the US. To learn more about the study and the participating clinical trial sites, visit View Source

On May 16, 2022 Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE, "Pfizer") and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX, "BioNTech") reported they have reached an agreement with the European Commission (EC) to amend their originally agreed contractual delivery schedules for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (Press release, BioNTech, MAY 16, 2022, View Source [SID1234614657]). This amendment rephases planned deliveries to help support the European Commission and Member States’ ongoing immunization programs, and is aligned to the companies’ commitment to working collaboratively to identify pragmatic solutions to address the evolving pandemic needs. Doses scheduled for delivery in June through August 2022 will now be delivered in September through fourth quarter 2022. The companies’ full-year 2022 revenue guidance and the full-year commitment of doses to be delivered to EC Member States in 2022 remain unchanged.

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Pfizer and BioNTech continue to evaluate potential adapted vaccines, including variant-based vaccines.

U.S. Indication & Authorized Use

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is FDA authorized under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 5 years of age and older.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is FDA authorized to provide:

Primary Series

a 2-dose primary series to individuals 5 years of age and older
a third primary series dose to individuals 5 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise
Booster Series

a first booster dose to individuals 12 years of age and older who have completed a primary series with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA)
a first booster dose to individuals 18 years of age and older who have completed primary vaccination with a different authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. The booster schedule is based on the labeling information of the vaccine used for the primary series
a second booster dose to individuals 50 years of age and older who have received a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine
a second booster dose to individuals 12 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise and who have received a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine
COMIRNATYINDICATION

COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) is a vaccine approved for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 16 years of age and older.

COMIRNATY is administered as a 2-dose primary series
COMIRNATY AUTHORIZED USES

COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) is FDA authorized under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to provide:

Primary Series

a 2-dose primary series to individuals 12 through 15 years of age
a third primary series dose to individuals 12 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise
Booster Dose

a first booster dose to individuals 12 years of age and older who have completed a primary series with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or COMIRNATY
a first booster dose to individuals 18 years of age and older who have completed primary vaccination with another authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. The booster schedule is based on the labeling information of the vaccine used for the primary series
a second booster dose to individuals 50 years of age and older who have received a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine
a second booster dose to individuals 12 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise and who have received a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine

Emergency Use Authorization

Emergency uses of the vaccine have not been approved or licensed by FDA, but have been authorized by FDA, under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 19) in either individuals 12 years of age and older, or in individuals 5 through 11 years of age, as appropriate. The emergency uses are only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of the medical product under Section 564(b)(1) of the FD&C Act unless the declaration is terminated or authorization revoked sooner.

INTERCHANGEABILITY

FDA-approved COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine FDA-authorized for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for individuals 12 years of age and older can be used interchangeably by a vaccination provider when prepared according to their respective instructions for use.

The formulation of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine authorized for use in children 5 through 11 years of age differs from the formulations authorized for individuals 12 years of age and older and should therefore not be used interchangeably. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine authorized for use in children 5 through 11 years of age should not be used interchangeably with COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Tell your vaccination provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have any allergies
have had myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart)
have a fever
have a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner
are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects the immune system
are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding
have received another COVID-19 vaccine
have ever fainted in association with an injection
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) may not protect all vaccine recipients
You should not receive Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) if you have had a severe allergic reaction to any of its ingredients or had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or COMIRNATY
There is a remote chance that Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) could cause a severe allergic A severe allergic reaction would usually occur within a few minutes to 1 hour after getting a dose of the vaccine. For this reason, your vaccination provider may ask you to stay at the place where you received the vaccine for monitoring after vaccination. If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest hospital
Seek medical attention right away if you have any of the following symptoms:

difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, a fast heartbeat, a bad rash all over the body, dizziness, and weakness
Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart) have occurred in some people who have received the vaccine, more commonly in males under 40 years of age than among females and older males. In most of these people, symptoms began within a few days following receipt of the second dose of the vaccine. The chance of having this occur is very low
Seek medical attention right away if you have any of the following symptoms after receiving the vaccine:

chest pain
shortness of breath
feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering, or pounding heart
Fainting can happen after getting injectable vaccines, including Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA). Sometimes people who faint can fall and hurt themselves. For this reason, your vaccination provider may ask you to sit or lie down for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine
Some people with weakened immune systems may have reduced immune responses to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA)
Additional side effects include injection site pain; tiredness; headache; muscle pain; chills; joint pain; fever; injection site swelling; injection site redness; nausea; feeling unwell; swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy); decreased appetite; diarrhea; vomiting; arm pain; and fainting in association with injection of the vaccine
These may not be all the possible side effects of the vaccine. Call the vaccination provider or healthcare provider about bothersome side effects or side effects that do not go away.

You should always ask your healthcare providers for medical advice about adverse events. Report vaccine side effects to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The VAERS toll-free number is 1‐800‐822‐7967 or report online to www.vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html. You can also report side effects to Pfizer Inc. at www.pfizersafetyreporting.com or by calling 1-800-438-1985

On May 16, 2022 Alaunos Therapeutics, Inc. ("Alaunos" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: TCRT), a clinical-stage oncology-focused cell therapy company reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 (Press release, Alaunos Therapeutics, MAY 16, 2022, View Source [SID1234614656]).

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"Dosing of the first patient in our TCR-T Library Phase 1/2 trial speaks to the dedication of our entire team and reaffirms our commitment to execution. We are working to continue enrolling patients in the trial and expect to provide an initial look at data later this year," commented Kevin S. Boyle, Sr., Chief Executive Officer. "We are honored to have two posters supporting our TCR-T platform targeting solid tumors at the upcoming ASGCT (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) and ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) conferences. We believe we have positioned Alaunos for success and look forward to continued progress."

Recent Developments and Upcoming Milestones

TCR-T Library Trial: In May 2022, the Company announced that it had dosed the first patient with non-viral TCR-T cells in its TCR-T Library Phase 1/2 trial targeting KRAS, TP53, and EGFR mutations across six solid tumor indications. This is a major milestone for Alaunos as it also represents the first clinical product manufactured and administered to a patient using the Company’s in house cGMP manufacturing facility.

The study is being conducted at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and is an open label, dose escalation study, with patients to be treated in one of three dosing cohorts: 5×109, 4×1010, or 1×1011 TCR-T cells. The trial is enrolling patients with non-small cell lung, colorectal, endometrial, pancreatic, ovarian, and bile duct cancers that have a matching human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and hotspot mutation pairing in Alaunos’ TCR-T library. The main study objectives are to define the maximum tolerated dose, recommended phase 2 dose and safety profile. The Company will present a trial in progress poster at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and expects to report initial data in the second half of 2022. Additional information about the study is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov using the identifier: NCT05194735.

Presenting preclinical data supporting membrane bound IL-15 (mbIL-15) at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) 25th Annual Meeting: Today, the Company will present preclinical data for its mbIL-15 program at the ASGCT (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) 25th Annual Meeting. The poster titled, "Stem-cell memory TCR-T cells targeting hotspot EGFR, KRAS and p53 neoantigens generated through co-expression of membrane-bound Interleukin-15" highlights the potential of mbIL-15 to establish long-lived tumor-specific TCR-T cells. The Company intends to file an IND application for this program in the second half of 2023.

First Quarter Ended March 31, 2022 Financial Results

Research and Development Expenses: Research and development expenses were $5.6 million for the first quarter of 2022, compared to $13.3 million for the first quarter of 2021, a decrease of approximately 58%. The decrease was primarily due to lower program-related costs as a result of the winding down of our IL-12 and CAR-T programs and lower employee related expenses due to our reduced headcount following our strategic restructuring event in the third quarter of 2021.

General and Administrative Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $3.5 million for the first quarter of 2022, compared to $8.2 million for the first quarter of 2021, a decrease of approximately 57%. The decrease was primarily due to lower employee related expenses due to our reduced headcount following our strategic restructuring event in the third quarter of 2021 and a decrease in consulting and professional services expenses.

Net Loss: Net loss was $9.8 million, or $(0.05) per share, for the first quarter of 2022, compared to a net loss of $21.6 million, or $(0.10) per share, for the same period in 2021.

Cash and Cash Equivalents: As of March 31, 2022, Alaunos had approximately $68.3 million in cash and cash equivalents. The Company anticipates its cash runway will be sufficient to fund operations into the second quarter of 2023. Operating cash burn for the first quarter of 2022 was $7.8 million compared to $15.3 million in the first quarter of 2021, a decrease of $7.5 million or 49%.

Conference Call and Webcast

The conference call can be accessed by dialing 844-309-0618 (United States) or 661-378-9465 (International) with the conference code 2495623. A live webcast may be accessed using the link here, or by visiting the "Investors" section of the Alaunos website at www.alaunos.com. After the live webcast, the event will be archived on the Company’s website for approximately 30 days after the call.

On May 16, 2022 Galera Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GRTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing a pipeline of novel, proprietary therapeutics that have the potential to transform radiotherapy in cancer, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 and provided recent corporate updates (Press release, Galera Therapeutics, MAY 16, 2022, View Source [SID1234614655]).

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"We are excited to announce our plan to submit an NDA for avasopasem by year end following discussions with the FDA," said Mel Sorensen, M.D., Galera’s President and CEO. "Based on the positive data readout from our Phase 3 ROMAN trial, Galera continues to execute on its development strategy to advance its lead program, avasopasem, toward potential commercialization. To that end, we are delighted to attend the upcoming ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting where our ROMAN data will be highlighted in an oral presentation. In addition, we recently announced positive topline data from our Phase 2a AESOP study of avasopasem for chemoradiotherapy-induced esophagitis in patients with lung cancer. We are encouraged by these results, which further demonstrate avasopasem’s ability to reduce radiation toxicity in high-risk patient populations."

Recent Corporate Updates

Radiotherapy-Induced Toxicity Programs:

Severe Oral Mucositis (SOM)

The Company announced plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) for avasopasem, its lead product candidate, for the treatment of radiotherapy-induced SOM to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by the end of 2022.
An abstract on the Phase 3 ROMAN data of avasopasem for SOM was accepted for an oral presentation on June 3rd at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.
Esophagitis

The Company reported positive topline data from the Phase 2a AESOP trial of avasopasem evaluating its ability to reduce the incidence of severe acute radiation-induced esophagitis in patients with lung cancer receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Overall, avasopasem was well tolerated and the incidence of Grade 3 esophagitis was substantially reduced in comparison to literature. No patients experienced Grade 4 or 5 esophagitis at any point during the trial.
Anti-Cancer Programs:

Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer (LAPC)

Enrollment is ongoing in the Phase 2b, 160-patient randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled GRECO-2 trial of rucosopasem, Galera’s second dismutase mimetic product candidate, in combination with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in patients with LAPC. The primary endpoint of the trial is overall survival.
A Trials in Progress abstract on GRECO-2 was accepted for presentation at the upcoming 2022 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Enrollment is ongoing in the Phase 1/2 GRECO-1 trial of rucosopasem in combination with SBRT in patients with NSCLC. The Company expects to report initial data from this trial in the first half of 2022.
First Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights

Research and development expenses were $8.1 million in the first quarter of 2022, compared to $12.4 million for the same period in 2021. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in avasopasem development costs, partially offset by an increase in rucosopasem development costs.
General and administrative expenses were $5.0 million in the first quarter of 2022, consistent with the first quarter of 2021.
Galera reported a net loss of $(15.4) million, or $(0.58) per share, for the first quarter of 2022, compared to a net loss of $(18.7) million, or $(0.75) per share, for the same period in 2021.
As of March 31, 2022, Galera had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $60.9 million. Galera expects that its existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments will enable Galera to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2023.