BIOGEN REPORTS THIRD QUARTER 2021 RESULTS

On October 20, 2021 Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) reported third quarter 2021 financial results (Press release, Biogen, OCT 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234591629]).

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"The potential uptake of ADUHELM in the U.S. is delayed, but we continue to believe in its long-term potential. At the same time, Biogen has continued to execute well across its leading MS, SMA and biosimilars businesses, and we are particularly encouraged by the ongoing launch of VUMERITY," said Michel Vounatsos, Biogen’s Chief Executive Officer. "2021 continues to be a transformative year for Biogen with the launch of ADUHELM and the initiation of the rolling submission for lecanemab in Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, along with Sage Therapeutics we are pursuing a filing for zuranolone in depression."

Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results
• Third quarter total revenue of $2,779 million decreased 18% versus the prior year at both actual currency and constant currency*. o Multiple sclerosis (MS) revenue, including royalties on sales of OCREVUS, of $1,820 million decreased 19% versus the prior year at actual currency and 20% at constant currency. o SPINRAZA revenue of $444 million decreased 10% versus the prior year at actual currency and 11% at constant currency. o ADUHELM revenue was $0.3 million. o Biosimilars revenue of $203 million decreased 2% versus the prior year at actual currency and 4% at constant currency. 2
• Third quarter GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share (EPS) attributable to Biogen Inc. were $329 million and $2.22, respectively.
• Third quarter Non-GAAP net income and diluted EPS attributable to Biogen Inc. were $710 million and $4.77, respectively. A reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP financial measures included in this news release can be found in Table 4 at the end of this news release. * Percentage changes in revenue growth at constant currency are presented excluding the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and hedging gains or losses. The current period’s foreign currency revenue values are converted into U.S. dollars using the average exchange rates from the prior period.Beginning in the second quarter of 2021 material upfront payments and premiums paid on the acquisition of common stock associated with significant collaboration and licensing arrangements along with the related transaction costs incurred are no longer excluded from Non-GAAP R&D and SG&A expenses. Non-GAAP financial results for the third quarter of 2020 have been updated to reflect the $601 million payment related to the collaboration with Denali Therapeutics Inc. along with the associated transaction costs and income tax effect. o Third quarter 2021 GAAP and Non-GAAP R&D expense includes a $125 million upfront payment related to our collaboration with InnoCare Pharma Limited. In addition, during the third quarter we suspended further development of BIIB111 (timrepigene emparvovec) in choroideremia and BIIB112 (cotoretigene toliparvovec) in X-linked retinitis pigmentosa and recorded $39 million of estimated clinical trial close-out costs and manufacturing commitments. o Third quarter 2021 GAAP and Non-GAAP SG&A expense increased versus the prior year primarily due to investments in support of the launch of ADUHELM. Beginning in the second quarter, upon FDA approval, the reimbursement from Eisai for its share of U.S. ADUHELM SG&A expenses is reflected in collaboration profit sharing rather than SG&A.

3 • Third quarter 2021 GAAP amortization and impairment of acquired intangible assets was $111 million, including an impairment charge of $15 million related to BIIB111 and a $28 million impairment charge related to BIIB112. These amounts are excluded from Non-GAAP financial results. Non-GAAP amortization was $7 million.
• Third quarter 2021 GAAP and Non-GAAP collaboration profit sharing was a net expense of $21 million, which includes a reimbursement of $51 million from Eisai Co., Ltd. (Eisai) related to the commercialization of ADUHELM in the U.S.
• Third quarter 2021 GAAP other expense was $503 million, primarily driven by unrealized losses on our strategic equity investments of $424 million. Third quarter 2021 Non-GAAP other expense was $79 million, primarily driven by interest expense.
• Third quarter 2021 effective GAAP and Non-GAAP tax rates were (8.9%) and 14.5%, respectively. The third quarter 2021 effective GAAP tax rate was impacted by non-cash tax favorability from both the unrealized losses on our strategic equity investments and the previously described impairment charges related to BIIB111 and BIIB112. Financial Position
• As of September 30, 2021, Biogen had $7,271 million in total debt. Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaled $3,923 million. This resulted in net debt of $3,348 million.
• In the third quarter of 2021 Biogen repurchased approximately 2.2 million shares of the Company’s common stock for a total value of $750 million.
As of September 30, 2021, there was $2,800 million remaining under the share repurchase program authorized in October 2020.
• For the third quarter of 2021 the Company’s weighted average diluted shares were 149 million.
• Third quarter 2021 cash from operations was $805 million. Capital expenditures were $42 million, and free cash flow, defined as cash flow from operations less capital expenditures, was $763 million.

Alligator Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase II Clinical Trial with Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. & AbClon, Inc.

On October 20, 2021 Alligator Bioscience AB ("Alligator" or the "Company") reported that the Company was notified that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase II clinical trial collaboration with Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. and AbClon, Inc (Press release, Alligator Bioscience, OCT 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234591628]). Alligator out-licensed AC101 to AbClon, Inc. in October 2016. Abclon, Inc. subsequently sub-licensed AC101 in China for clinical development by Shanghai Henlius Biotech Inc. (November 7, 2018 press release).

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"We are happy to see that Henlius Biotech has dosed the first patient dosed with AC101 (HLX22). Previously, the phase I clinical trial demonstrated that HLX22 is well tolerated and has good safety profiles. Phase II will reinforce safety and compare the clinical efficacy in AC101 (HLX22) and placebo group," said Søren Bregenholt, CEO of Alligator Bioscience. "The commencement of dosing in the Phase II study with AC101 (HLX22) is an important step forward for our best-in-class antibodies technologies and partner collaborations."

Viome Life Sciences Announces Expansion of Collaboration with GSK into new therapeutic interventions for Cancers and Autoimmune Diseases

On October 20, 2021 Viome Life Sciences, a mission-driven systems biology company aiming to help individuals improve their health, reported the expansion of its two-year partnership with GSK, a science-led global healthcare company, to expand clinical research activities1 and potential development of new therapeutic interventions within the fields of chronic diseases including autoimmune diseases and cancers (Press release, GlaxoSmithKline, OCT 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234591621]). This expansion builds on a previously announced collaboration to research the prevention of specific chronic diseases, leveraging Viome’s proprietary microbiome analysis and artificial intelligence platforms and GSK’s expertise in immunology.

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"Most chronic disorders are treated with drugs targeting symptoms and not causes. Viome’s unique mRNA technology and state-of-the-art artificial intelligence platform have the potential to find the root causes of specific chronic disorders and cancers. With that critical information and the unique expertise of GSK, we aspire to one day cure these diseases and not just manage the symptoms," said Viome CEO and Founder, Naveen Jain. "We are excited to expand our collaboration with GSK to develop preventative and therapeutic measures for chronic diseases and cancers."

The gut microbiome is well recognized for its ability to shape immune fitness, with nearly 70-80% of the immune system housed inside the gut microbiome2 [PubMed]. A healthy gut microbiome supports the immune system, which is connected to an individual’s overall well-being, weight, energy, mood, and stress. Imbalances in the gut microbiome have been associated with inflammation and chronic diseases ranging from gastrointestinal inflammatory and metabolic conditions to neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory illnesses3 [NCBI]. Through this collaboration, Viome and GSK will examine the connection between the gut microbiome and specific chronic disorders by performing a clinical validation trial. The overall objective of the collaboration aims to advance viable health interventions for the many diseases that continue to threaten individuals, families, and communities around the world.

"A better understanding of the interactions between the immune system and microbiome – which have been shown to have a significant impact on human health – has been part of GSK’s innovation strategy," said Rino Rappuoli, Head of R&D Vaccines, GSK. "By combining our robust expertise in immunology with Viome’s unique technology with its proprietary mRNA analysis and artificial intelligence platform, we look forward to uncovering additional key insights into chronic diseases."

Through this partnership, GSK and Viome will continue to examine chronic diseases that are without treatment and will work to develop much-needed new targets for potential interventions. GSK and Viome understand the potential of the gut microbiome to influence an individual’s immune system and determine the effectiveness of health interventions and will tap into Viome’s extensive research and findings as well as GSK’s expertise to accomplish this. Viome is committed to creating a world where chronic diseases could truly be prevented before they cause significant problems.

NeoTX Announces First Patient Enrolled In Phase 2a Clinical Trial Of Naptumomab Estafenatox (NAP), Its Lead Tumor Targeted Superantigen (TTS) Candidate, In Combination With Docetaxel In Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

On October 20, 2021 NeoTX Therapeutics (NeoTX), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, reported that the first patient has been enrolled in the company’s phase 2a clinical trial of naptumomab estafenatox (NAP), its lead Tumor Targeted Superantigen (TTS) candidate, in combination with docetaxel in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Press release, NeoTX, OCT 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234591620]).

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"Dosing of the first patient in this phase 2 trial represents a crucial step forward for the clinical advancement of NAP" said Asher Nathan, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Neo TX. "This trial is based on promising phase 1 data. NSCLC is one of the deadliest cancers, and we are looking forward to evaluating NAP in this setting".

The phase 2a, open label trial in the US, will assess NAP in combination with docetaxel in patients who had been previously treated with checkpoint inhibitors and have advanced or metastatic NSCLC. The primary endpoint is objective response rate as measured by RECIST 1.1 criteria. The trial will also evaluate safety, duration of response, progression free survival, overall survival, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. For more information about the trial, visit View Source

Lightpoint Medical to Present Positive Clinical Trial Data for SENSEI Miniature Gamma Probe in Prostate Cancer Surgery

On October 20, 2021 Lightpoint Medical, a leading medical device company developing and marketing innovative technologies for intra-operative cancer detection, reported that clinical trial results today to support the use of the company’s miniature surgical gamma probe, SENSEI, in prostate sentinel lymph node detection (Press release, lightpoint medical, OCT 20, 2021, View Source [SID1234591619]).

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The interim results from the multi-center clinical trial, which involves cancer centers at Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France; and UZ Leuven, Belgium; demonstrate a 100% detection rate of sentinel lymph nodes using SENSEI in minimally-invasive and robot-assisted prostate cancer surgery.

The results also indicate that SENSEI performed better than standard rigid gamma probes, as SENSEI found additional pelvic sentinel nodes in anatomically restricted areas which could not be detected by the rigid gamma probe. The final study results, expected in Q1 2022, will provide further insights into the performance differences between SENSEI and rigid gamma probes.

The trial results will be presented today at the Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine.

The clinical trial results demonstrate the ease of use and performance of SENSEI in prostate cancer surgery and signal potential application in other surgical procedures across major cancer types.

Principal Investigator, Dr. Lluís Fumadó, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona said "These clinical trial results demonstrate that the use of SENSEI in prostate cancer surgery dramatically enhances our surgical management of prostate cancer patients and is shown to effectively detect sentinel lymph nodes. We look forward to using SENSEI in more procedures and evaluating the probe in combination with the new targeted imaging agent, 99mTc-PSMA, for direct detection of disease metastasis in pelvic lymph nodes."

Lightpoint Medical CEO, Graeme Smith, added "There are active clinical studies at multiple cancer centers evaluating SENSEI in prostate, cervical, and colorectal cancer with studies in lung and endometrial cancer in the pipeline. These positive and highly encouraging results from our multi-center study evaluating SENSEI in prostate cancer surgery demonstrate the ease of use and performance of SENSEI and signal potential application in other major cancer types to detect cancer intra-operatively. All of us at Lightpoint Medical are incredibly grateful to Dr. Lluís Fumadó and the team at Hospital del Mar for leading this study and to all the clinical centers and patients who are working with us."

About SENSEI

Lightpoint Medical has developed SENSEI – a miniaturized surgical gamma probe for minimally-invasive and robot-assisted cancer surgery. The device is approved for sale in the US, EU, UK, and Australia. SENSEI can detect gamma emissions from radiopharmaceuticals. The first application of the device is sentinel lymph node detection in prostate and cervical cancer surgery. It is anticipated that SENSEI will also have application in the direct detection of lymph node metastasis using breakthrough imaging agents such as 99mTc-PSMA in prostate cancer surgery and in radio-guided occult lesion detection in lung cancer surgery.

About sentinel lymph node detection

The intra-operative detection of sentinel lymph nodes is necessary when performing a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) procedure. The sentinel node is the first lymph node draining from the primary tumor. By identifying and removing the sentinel node during surgery, it is possible to determine whether cancer has spread through the lymphatic system. SLNB is commonly used in multiple cancer types. However, performing SLNB in minimally-invasive and robot-assisted surgery is challenging due to usability limitations when using conventional long rigid gamma probes. SENSEI is a small, flexible gamma probe designed for minimally-invasive and robotic surgery and has the potential to improve SLNB in intra-cavity procedures such as those of the pelvis.