On March 16, 2021 MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment; MDAX & TecDAX; NASDAQ: MOR) reported results for the year ended December 31, 2020 and provides a financial and operational outlook for 2021 (Press release, MorphoSys, MAR 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234576733]).

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Financial Highlights for Full Year 2020

The Company achieved revenues of € 327.7 million (2019: € 71.8 million) and EBIT of € 27.4 million (2019: € -107.9 million).
Monjuvi(R) (tafasitamab-cxix) product sales totaling € 18.5 million (US$ 22 million) since launch in the U.S. in August 2020.
Royalties on net sales of Tremfya amounted to € 42.5 million (2019: € 31.8 million).
Liquidity position of € 1,244.0 million[1] at year-end 2020 (2019: € 357.4 million).
Corporate and Program Updates

Monjuvi (tafasitamab-cxix):

Revenues from Monjuvi product sales of € 14.1 million (US$ 17 million) for Q4.
>400 accounts have ordered Monjuvi by end of 2020.
Share of Voice consistently reaching approximately 50%.
Tafasitamab:

Preliminary data from the firstMIND study in previously untreated DLBCL patients were presented at the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) in December 2020; data support the start of the pivotal study in the first half of 2021.
Long-term data of the L-MIND study in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL, who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation, after a follow-up of two years confirming previously reported results. Tafasitamab in combination with lenalidomide resulted in long-lasting remissions. At the time of analysis, patients continued to experience long median duration of response (mDoR) of 34.6 months and median overall survival (mOS) of 31.6 months.
Clinical collaboration between MorphoSys, Incyte and Xencor to investigate the combination of tafasitamab, lenalidomide and plamotamab in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), first-line DLBCL, and relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) in November 2020.
The European Marketing Authorization Application (MAA), seeking approval of tafasitamab in combination with lenalidomide, followed by tafasitamab monotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with r/r DLBCL was validated in May 2020 and is currently under review.
Felzartamab (MOR202):

M-PLACE study in autoimmune membranous nephropathy ongoing: safety run-in phase completed and the full enrollment phase opened.
Tremfya(R) (guselkumab):

The European Commission approved in December 2020 the use of Tremfya in the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who have had an inadequate response or who have been intolerant to a prior disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy.
Corporate Developments:

MorphoSys successfully placed unsubordinated, unsecured convertible bonds due 2025 in an aggregate principal amount of € 325 million in October 2020. The bonds will be convertible into new and/or existing no-par value ordinary bearer shares of MorphoSys.
MorphoSys and Cherry Biolabs entered into a licensing agreement in November 2020 granting MorphoSys the rights to apply Cherry Biolabs’ innovative, multispecific Hemibody technology to six exclusive targets.
Signifcant Events After The Reporting Year:

On January 5, 2021, MorphoSys and Incyte announced that the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) had accepted the marketing authorization application (MAA) for tafasitamab. The MAA seeks approval for tafasitamab, in combination with lenalidomide, followed by tafasitamab monotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, who are not candidates for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The MAA will now enter the formal review process by Swissmedic.
On January 6, 2021, MorphoSys announced the appointment of Sung Lee as Chief Financial Officer, effective February 2, 2021. Mr. Lee succeeds Jens Holstein, who stepped down in December 2020, and will lead all corporate finance functions as a member of the Management Board of MorphoSys AG. He will be based in Planegg, Germany.
On January 12, 2021, MorphoSys and Incyte announced that the Health Canada had accepted the New Drug Submission (NDS) for tafasitamab. The application seeks approval of tafasitamab in combination with lenalidomide, followed by tafasitamab monotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL, including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, who are not eligible for, or refuse, ASCT.
On January 25, 2021, MorphoSys and I-Mab announced that the first patient had been dosed in a phase 1 dose escalation study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of MOR210/TJ210 monotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory advanced solid tumors in the United States.
In February 2021, the first patient with autoimmune membranous nephropathy was dosed with felzartamab in the New-PLACE study, a phase 2 study evaluating different treatment schedules to identify the regimen for the pivotal study.
On March 2, 2021, we announced that our partner GSK reported preliminary results of the OSCAR study using otilimab for the treatment of severe pulmonary COVID-19 related disease. Given these data suggest an important clinical benefit in a pre-defined sub-group of high-risk patients and the urgent public health need, GSK has amended the OSCAR study to expand this cohort to confirm these potentially significant findings. The dosing of the first patient in the expanded study triggered milestone payments of € 16 million to MorphoSys.
"2020 was a transformational year for MorphoSys. Despite the challenges brought on by the global pandemic, we delivered one of the most successful years as a company. The accelerated FDA approval of Monjuvi was an important milestone in our transformation into an integrated commercial-stage biopharma company," said Jean-Paul Kress, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of MorphoSys. "We believe tafasitamab has the potential to transform the standard of care and could be a potential backbone in DLBCL, along with being a combination partner of choice in other hematological malignancies. Beyond tafasitamab, we were also able to progress felzartamab, which is being developed in autoimmune membranous nephropathy, an autoimmune disease affecting the kidney. In 2021, the focus will be on executing on our ambitious goals: continuing to drive the launch of Monjuvi and provide access to patients with DLBCL, advance tafasitamab in potential first line setting and other non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma indications, further develop felzartamab, and expand our pipeline. With our strong balance sheet and a liquidity position of more than € 1.2 billion, we are well positioned to execute on our growth strategy."

Financial Review for the Full Year 2020 (IFRS)

In 2020, MorphoSys continued to focus on applying its proprietary technology and expertise to the research and development of innovative drug candidates. Group revenues for 2020 increased to € 327.7 million (2019: € 71.8 million).

Revenues for 2020 include € 255.8 million stemming from the collaboration and license agreement with Incyte, royalties of € 42.5 million (2019: € 31.8 million) on net sales of Tremfya as well as revenues from Monjuvi product sales totaling € 18.5 million (US$ 22 million) since launch in August 2020.

In the Proprietary Development segment, MorphoSys focuses on research and clinical development of its own drug candidates in the fields of cancer and inflammation. In 2020, this segment recorded revenues of € 278.6 million (2019: € 34.3 million). This increase was mainly due to revenues in the amount of € 255.8 million from the collaboration and license agreement with Incyte as well as revenues from Monjuvi product sales of € 18.5 million (US$ 22 million).

In the Partnered Discovery segment, MorphoSys applies its proprietary technology to discover new drug candidates for pharmaceutical companies, benefiting from its partners’ development advancements through R&D funding, licensing fees, success-based milestone payments and royalties. Revenues in the Partnered Discovery segment increased from € 37.5 million in 2019 to € 49.1 million in 2020. This increase included primarily performance-based payments of € 46.4 million in 2020 and € 33.2 million in the previous year. The performance-based payments were mainly related to royalties from Janssen for net sales with Tremfya of € 42.5 million in 2020 and of € 31.8 million in 2019.

In 2020, cost of sales decreased to € 9.2 million (2019: € 12.1 million).

Total operating expenses in 2020 increased to € 309.7 million from € 179.9 million in 2019, driven by an increase of research and development expenses, selling expenses and general and administrative expenses.

In 2020, research and development expenses amounted to € 141.4 million, as compared to € 108.4 million in 2019. Growth over 2019 reflects primarily the increased investment to support the advancement of proprietary programs and impairment charges taken against legacy deals.

Selling expenses increased to € 107.7 million (2019: € 22.7 million) and general and administrative expenses increased from € 36.7 million in 2019 to € 51.4 million in 2020. Increases for both categories reflect higher expenses for personnel and external services.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) amounted to € 27.4 million (2019: € -107.9 million). The Proprietary Development segment reported an EBIT of € 22.9 million (2019: € -109.1 million). EBIT in the Partnered Discovery segment was € 37.4 million (2019: € 26.8 million). In 2020, a consolidated net profit was generated of € 97.9 million (2019: € -103.0 million). In 2020 the earnings per share basic was € 3.01 and the earnings per share diluted was € 2.97. In 2019 the earnings per share, basic and diluted was € -3.26.

At year-end 2020, the Company had a liquidity1 position of € 1,244.0 million compared to € 357.4 million at the end of 2019.

The number of shares issued totaled 32,890,046 at year-end 2020 (year-end 2019: 31,957,958).

Financial Guidance and Operational Outlook for 2021

For 2021, MorphoSys expects to generate Group revenues in the range of € 150 to € 200 million. This forecast includes the recently announced € 16 million milestone payments from GSK, but excludes other potential significant milestones from development partners and/or licensing partnerships. The range also captures the potential for variability from the first full year of the Monjuvi product launch and the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic which is anticipated to be greater in the first half 2021.

Operating expenses, inclusive of Incyte’s share of Monjuvi selling expenses, are anticipated to be in the range of € 355 to € 385 million with R&D expenses expected to represent 45-50% of this amount. The R&D expenses represent our continuing investment in the development of tafasitamab, felzartamab, early-stage development programs, and further development of our technologies.

For its proprietary projects, MorphoSys expects the following events and activities in 2021:

Tafasitamab

Continue the phase 1b trial of tafasitamab in previously untreated DLBCL (firstMIND);
Initiate a pivotal phase 3 trial of tafasitamab in previously untreated DLBCL (frontMIND);
Initiate a pivotal phase 3 trial (inMIND) of tafasitamab in patients with indolent lymphoma (r/r FL/MZL);
Investigate tafasitamab, plamotamab and lenalidomide in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL, first-line DLBCL and relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (r/r FL) jointly with Incyte and Xencor;
Continue the L-MIND study of tafasitamab and evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety data;
Continue the phase 3 trial (B-MIND) of tafasitamab in combination with bendamustine for r/r DLBCL;
Continue the phase 2 COSMOS study with tafasitamab in CLL/SLL in combination with idelalisib and venetoclax;
Collaborate with Incyte for the initiated regulatory submissions to the EMA, support Incyte for regulatory submissions to Swissmedic and Health Canada for tafasitamab in combination with lenalidomide for r/r DLBCL; and
Support Incyte in submitting marketing authorization applications in other markets.
Felzartamab (MOR202)

Continue the clinical development of felzartamab (MOR202) in autoimmune membranous nephropathy and generate data from the phase 1/2 trial M-PLACE (proof-of-concept);
Continue treatment schedule finding study (New-PLACE) in autoimmune membranous nephropathy; and
Support partner I-Mab in its regulatory filing (BLA) for felzartamab (MOR202/TJ202) for multiple myeloma in China.
For projects that are developed by partners, MorphoSys expects the following events in 2021:

Otilimab: Publication of results of the OSCAR study using otilimab for the treatment of severe pulmonary COVID-19 related disease by partner GSK (preliminary results published in February 2021).

* Percentage point
** Tremfya and Monjuvi are still considered as clinical programs due to ongoing studies in various indications and/or treatment lines
*** Including otilimab (MOR103/GSK3196165), which is fully out-licensed to GSK

MorphoSys will hold its conference call and webcast tomorrow, March 16, 2021, to present the full year 2020 results and the outlook for 2021.

A live webcast and slides will be made available at View Source

Approximately two hours after the call, a slide-synchronized audio replay of the conference and a transcript will be available at View Source

Consolidated Financial Statements 2020 (IFRS) are available for download at:
View Source

About Monjuvi(R) (tafasitamab-cxix)
Monjuvi is a humanized Fc-modified cytolytic CD19 targeting monoclonal antibody. In 2010, MorphoSys licensed exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize tafasitamab from Xencor, Inc. Tafasitamab incorporates an XmAb(R) engineered Fc domain, which mediates B-cell lysis through apoptosis and immune effector mechanism including antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP).

Monjuvi is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in combination with lenalidomide for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, and who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).

In January 2020, MorphoSys and Incyte entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement to further develop and commercialize Monjuvi globally. Monjuvi will be co-commercialized by Incyte and MorphoSys in the United States. Incyte has exclusive commercialization rights outside the United States.

A marketing authorization application (MAA) seeking the approval of tafasitamab in combination with lenalidomide in the EU has been validated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and is currently under review for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL, including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, who are not candidates for ASCT.

Monjuvi(R) is a registered trademark of MorphoSys AG.
XmAb(R) is a registered trademark of Xencor, Inc.
Tremfya(R) is a registered trademark of Janssen Biotech, Inc.

On March 16, 2021 Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: APRE), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel cancer therapeutics that reactivate the mutant tumor suppressor protein, p53, reported financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020 and provided a business update (Press release, Aprea, MAR 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234576732]).

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"Though disappointed the topline complete remission rate from the Phase 3 clinical trial narrowly missed its primary endpoint, we continue to analyze the totality of the data from the study to understand those differences from our prior Phase 2 experience in frontline MDS patients and expect to present these findings in the second quarter of 2021," said Christian S. Schade, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aprea. "Our dedicated team remains committed to the clinical development of eprenetapopt and our next generation, oral p53 reactivator, APR-548, in hematological and solid tumor malignancies. In 2021, we look forward to sharing data from our current clinical studies as well as our plans to expand the clinical pipeline to include new indications."

Business Operations Update:

The Company is conducting, supporting, and planning multiple clinical trials of eprenetapopt (APR-246) and APR-548:

Pivotal Phase 3 MDS Trial—In December 2020, the Company announced its pivotal Phase 3 randomized, controlled trial evaluating eprenetapopt with azacitidine as frontline therapy in HMA-naïve TP53 mutant myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients failed to meet its predefined primary endpoint of complete remission (CR) rate. Analysis of the primary endpoint at this data cut demonstrated a 53% higher number of patients achieving a CR in the experimental arm receiving eprenetapopt with azacitidine versus the control arm receiving azacitidine alone but did not reach statistical significance. The Company is completing analysis from this Phase 3 clinical trial and expects to present additional information in the second quarter of 2021.
Phase 2 MDS/AML Post-Transplant Trial – The Company has completed enrollment of 33 patients in a single-arm, open-label Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating eprenetapopt with azacitidine as post-transplant maintenance therapy in TP53 mutant MDS and AML patients who have received an allogeneic stem cell transplant. The Company anticipates initial results from the primary endpoint of relapse-free survival at 12 months in the second quarter of 2021.
Phase 1/2 AML Trial – The Company is currently enrolling a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of eprenetapopt therapy in TP53 mutant AML patients. The lead-in portion of the trial evaluated the tolerability of eprenetapopt with venetoclax, with or without azacitidine, and no dose-limiting toxicities were observed in 12 patients receiving either regimen. Based on these results, the Company has expanded the trial to treat 33 additional frontline TP53 mutant AML patients with the combination of eprenetapopt, venetoclax and azacitidine. In the 19 frontline AML patients who are evaluable for efficacy with the triplet regimen, the Company has observed a 63% CR + CRi composite response rate and a 31% CR rate. The Company anticipates completion of enrollment in the triplet regimen expansion cohort during the second quarter of 2021 with availability of preliminary response rate data from the cohort also in the second quarter of 2021.
Phase 1 NHL Trial – The Company is currently enrolling a Phase 1 clinical trial in relapsed/refractory TP53 mutant chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) assessing eprenetapopt with venetoclax and rituximab and eprenetapopt with ibrutinib in order to further assess eprenetapopt in hematological malignancies. The first patient was enrolled in the first quarter of 2021. The Company is also planning to evaluate the combination of eprenetapopt with venetoclax in relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma.
Phase 1/2 Solid Tumor Trial – The Company is currently enrolling a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in relapsed/refractory gastric, bladder and non-small cell lung cancers assessing eprenetapopt with anti-PD-1 therapy. The dose-escalation phase of the trial enrolled 6 patients with advanced solid tumors and no dose-limiting toxicities were observed. Based on these results, the Company is enrolling expansion cohorts for patients with advanced gastric, bladder and non-small cell lung cancers and has currently enrolled 8 patients across these expansion arms.
APR-548 — The Company’s second product candidate, APR-548, is a next-generation p53 reactivator that is being developed in an oral dosage form. The Company has planned a Phase 1 dose-escalation clinical trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of APR-548 with azacitidine in frontline and relapsed/refractory MDS patients. The Company anticipates the first patient to be enrolled early in the second quarter of 2021.
Fourth Quarter Financial Results

Cash and cash equivalents: As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $89.0 million of cash and cash equivalents compared to $130.1 million of cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2019. The Company expects cash burn for the full year 2021 to be between $30.0 million $35.0 million. The Company believes its cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2020 will be sufficient to meet its current projected operating requirements into 2023.
Research and Development (R&D) expenses: R&D expenses were $9.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to $8.0 million for the comparable period in 2019. The increase in R&D expenses was primarily related to the continued development of the Company’s lead product candidate, eprenetapopt, in the following ongoing clinical trials; its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of eprenetapopt with azacitidine for frontline treatment of TP53 mutant MDS, its Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of TP53 mutant AML with venetoclax and azacitidine, its Phase 1/2 clinical trial in relapsed/refractory gastric, bladder and non-small cell lung cancers assessing eprenetapopt with anti-PD-1 therapy, its Phase 1 clinical trial in relapsed/refractory TP53 mutant chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) assessing eprenetapopt with venetoclax and rituximab, and eprenetapopt with ibrutinib and its Phase 2 post-transplant MDS/AML clinical trial.
General and Administrative (G&A) expenses: G&A expenses were $4.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to $3.9 million for the comparable period in 2019. The increase in G&A expenses was primarily due to increases in non-cash stock-based compensation, insurance expense and commercial development expense.
Net loss: Net loss was $15.4 million, or $0.73 per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to a net loss of $13.1 million, or $0.64 per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2019. The Company had 21,186,827 shares of common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2020.

On March 16, 2021 Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLRX) (the Company), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of fibrosis, reported fourth quarter and full year 2020 financial results (Press release, Pliant Therapeutics, MAR 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234576731]).

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"We entered 2021 in a strong position resulting from our team’s execution throughout the fourth quarter despite the challenges of the evolving backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Bernard Coulie, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Pliant Therapeutics. "Our focus remains on continuing to actively drive our lead Phase 2a programs in IPF and PSC towards near term data readouts, to advance our earlier-stage oncology and muscular dystrophy portfolio towards the clinic while also leveraging our robust discovery engine to create a broad and differentiated product portfolio focused on delivering novel treatments to areas of unmet medical need."

Fourth Quarter and Recent Highlights

PLN-74809 Phase 2a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging trial resumed, with preliminary data expected in the first half 2021. With the reopening of the trial site in November, we were able to resume the Phase 2a PET trial. This open-label dose ranging trial will evaluate target engagement of PLN-74809 in IPF patients utilizing a PET tracer of the integrin αvβ6. We will assess receptor occupancy levels achieved by PLN-74809, a dual selective inhibitor of αvβ6/αvβ1, across multiple single-dose cohorts.

PLN-74809 Phase 2a INTEGRIS trials in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) gained momentum in the fourth quarter and are currently on track to complete enrollment by the end of 2021 and the first half of 2022, respectively. These 12-week randomized, dose-ranging, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials will evaluate safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics, as well as exploratory efficacy endpoints in patients with IPF and PSC.

IND open for development of a PET tracer of the protein integrin αvβ1. Following a December 2020 Investigational New Drug (IND) filing and the recently issued a "Safe to Proceed Letter", Pliant expects to rapidly advance into clinical trials a study of a wholly owned αvβ1 PET tracer to evaluate expression levels of αvβ1 in various fibrotic tissues. This marks the Company’s fifth IND.
Successful completion of PLN-1474 Phase 1 trial and transfer of PLN-1474 to Novartis. The Phase 1 trial of PLN-1474 was a safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics dose-escalating first-in-human trial that enrolled 84 healthy volunteers. PLN-1474 was rapidly absorbed and well tolerated with no dose-or treatment-limiting toxicities or severe/ serious adverse events observed. In preclinical studies, PLN-1474 was observed to selectively block the αvβ1 integrin-mediated activation of TGF-β, reducing liver fibrosis in animal models. Following the successful completion of this study, PLN-1474 has been transferred to Novartis.
Leadership Team

The Company appointed Gregory P. Cosgrove, M.D., FCCP as Vice President of Clinical Development to lead the execution of the IPF clinical development program. Dr. Cosgrove brings to Pliant over 20 years of pulmonary and critical care expertise in academic clinical research. Dr. Cosgrove most recently served as Associate Professor at the National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, the leading respiratory hospital in the United States and as the Chief Medical Officer of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, a leading pulmonary fibrosis focused nonprofit organization.
The Company appointed Dr. David Pyott to the Company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Pyott brings over 30 years of leadership and management experience with expertise in organizational scaling to the Company. Most recently, Dr. Pyott served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Allergan Inc., a role he held for over 17 years.
COVID-19 Preparedness

The Company continues to develop and maintain policies and procedures to enable us to operate safely and productively during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company has experienced delays in clinical trial operations which have impacted and may further impact the expected timing of data readouts. The Company is working closely with clinical sites to continue site initiation and operation activities in compliance with study protocols while observing government and institutional guidelines. The Company intends to provide more specific guidance regarding clinical trial progress and the timing of data readouts as the long-term impacts of the pandemic become better understood.

Fourth Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Research and development expenses were $17.9 million, as compared to $11.7 million for the prior-year quarter. The increase was due primarily to higher costs related to the advancement of several programs and ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trials.
General and administrative expenses were $5.6 million, as compared to $3.1 million for the same period in 2019. The increase was due to higher personnel-related and professional services expenses.
Net loss of $19.0 million as compared to a net income of $42.2 million for the prior-year quarter due to a decrease in related party revenue.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $276.9 million. Pliant believes it has sufficient funds to meet its operating and capital requirements into 2023.

On March 16, 2021 Calithera Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CALA), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing novel small molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer and other life-threatening diseases, reported its financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $115.2 million (Press release, Calithera Biosciences, MAR 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234576729]).

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"In the fourth quarter, we maintained a strong cash position and continued to advance our key clinical development programs, including the KEAPSAKE clinical trial evaluating telaglenastat in non-small cell lung cancer in patients with NRF2/KEAP1 genetic mutations, and the Ph1b trial of our arginase inhibitor CB-280 in cystic fibrosis patients," said Susan Molineaux, PhD, president and chief executive officer of Calithera. "We look forward to sharing interim data from the KEAPSAKE trial and the results of the CB-280 trial in cystic fibrosis patients, each in the second half of 2021."

Fourth Quarter 2020 and Recent Highlights

Announced top-line results of randomized CANTATA trial of telaglenastat with cabozantinib in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The Phase 2 CANTATA trial is a global, randomized, double-blind clinical trial of telaglenastat combined with cabozantinib, in patients with advanced or metastatic RCC who have received one or two prior treatments. On January 4, 2021, Calithera announced topline results from the CANTATA clinical study and reported the trial did not meet the primary endpoint of improving progression free survival (PFS) in the study population.
Continued enrollment of the Phase 2 randomized KEAPSAKE trial in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with genetic mutation NRF2/KEAP1. The double-blind KEAPSAKE trial will enroll approximately 120 patients with stage IV non-squamous NSCLC with tumors that have the KEAP1 or NRF2 mutation. Patients will be randomized to receive telaglenastat or placebo, in combination with pembrolizumab, carboplatin and pemetrexed. The study will evaluate the safety and investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) of telaglenastat plus this standard-of-care chemoimmunotherapy regimen. Calithera anticipates sharing interim data from the KEAPSAKE trial in the second half of 2021.
Initiated a Phase 1b clinical trial of CB-280 in patients with cystic fibrosis. In October, Calithera presented a trial in progress poster at the North American Cystic Fibrosis 2020 Virtual Conference. The presentation included preclinical study results which suggest CB-280 significantly improved lung function and reduced Pseudomonas aeruginosa colony-forming units in pre-clinical models. Arginase inhibition with CB-280 resulted in improved central airway resistance in CFTR knockout mice, and decreased lung infection in wild type and DeltaF508-CFTR-expressing mice infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Enrollment in the Ph1b study is ongoing and Calithera expects to share data in the second half of 2021. In November 2020, Calithera was awarded up to $2.4M from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to support clinical development of CB-280.

Presented preclinical data for CB-668 IL4I1 program at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in November. CB-668 is a potent, selective, small-molecule, oral inhibitor of IL4I1, an amino acid oxidase that inhibits anti-tumor immunity and promotes tumor growth. IL4I1 regulates several aspects of adaptive immunity, including inhibition of cytotoxic T cells through its production of both hydrogen peroxide and activators of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. CB-668 increases pro-inflammatory gene expression in tumors leading to an anti-tumor effect in mouse tumor models.
Selected Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020 Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $115.2 million at December 31, 2020, which management believes will be sufficient to meet its current operating plan through 2022.

Research and development expenses for the full year 2020 were $71.0 million, compared to $76.3 million in the prior year. The decrease of $5.3 million was due to a $6.2 million decrease in the INCB001158 program and a $3.8 million decrease in early-stage research programs, partially offset by an increase of $2.7 million in the telaglenastat program and an increase of $2.0 million in the CB-280 program. Research and development expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were $17.1 million, compared to $17.9 million for the same period last year.

General and administrative expenses for the full year 2020 were $20.4 million, compared to $16.6 million in the prior year. The increase of $3.8 million was primarily related to a $2.5 million increase in personnel-related and facility costs and a $1.3 million increase in professional services costs. General and administrative expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were $5.6 million, compared to $4.6 million for the same period last year.

Interest and other income, net for the full year 2020 was $1.3 million, compared to $3.0 million in the prior year, mainly as a result of lower interest rates. Interest and other income, net for the fourth quarter of 2020 was $0.1 million, compared to $0.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2019.

Net loss for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020, was $22.6 million and $90.1 million, respectively.

Conference Call Information

Calithera will host an update conference call today, Tuesday, March 16, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time/2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The call may be accessed by dialing (855) 783-2599 (domestic) or (631) 485-4877 and referring to conference ID 6250035. To access the live audio webcast or the subsequent archived recording, visit the Investors section of the Calithera website at www.calithera.com. The webcast will be recorded and available for replay on Calithera’s website for 30 days.

On March 16, 2021 Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INFI) ("Infinity" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing eganelisib (IPI-549), a potentially first-in-class, oral, immuno-oncology macrophage reprogramming therapeutic, reported its full year 2020 financial results and provided an update on the Company, including recent progress with eganelisib (Press release, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, MAR 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234576728]).

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"Over the past months, we have presented transformative data across multiple indications, I/O combinations, and lines of therapy which together demonstrate the broad potential of eganelisib to improve upon standard of care therapy across a broad range of treatment settings addressing some of the most challenging unmet needs in oncology," said Adelene Perkins, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of Infinity Pharmaceuticals. "Our data from MARIO-275, a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study, clearly demonstrate the benefit of adding eganelisib to nivolumab monotherapy, a standard of care in advanced 2L urothelial cancer, with improved ORR, DCR and PFS as compared to nivolumab monotherapy. Striking benefits were observed in the PD-L1 low patient population, who are underserved by checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy and represent the majority of this patient population. Based on these results, we are planning a registration enabling study in this population.

"Compelling safety and efficacy results presented at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper), SABCS, and GU ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) suggest that eganelisib may have broad potential to improve outcomes in both PD-L1 low and high patients across tumor types, driven by the immune modulatory mechanism of eganelisib targeting macrophages and other myeloid-derived immune cells," said Brian Schwartz, M.D., consulting Chief Physician of Infinity. "Our initial results from MARIO-3 show that adding eganelisib to an approved front-line regimen in TNBC provide clear patient benefit above standard-of-care atezolizumab and nab-paclitaxel. We observed tumor reductions in 100% of evaluable patients, irrespective of PD-L1 status, and are excited by the broad potential of this novel triplet regimen in both PD-L1 low and high patients given the significant unmet need in this aggressive and difficult-to-treat disease. We look forward to presenting additional data in the first and second half of this year, which will include increased patient numbers, response rate, disease control rate and initial response durability data, with preliminary PFS data by the end of the year. In parallel, the RCC cohort of MARIO-3 continues to advance with data from this proof-of-concept study in a novel triplet regimen expected in the first half of 2022. With our recently strengthened balance sheet, we will continue to advance our development of eganelisib across multiple indications, leveraging data from MARIO-275 in UC, MARIO-3 in TNBC, as well as the ARC-2 data presented by Arcus Biosciences at SABCS in second line TNBC and are evaluating opportunities to further unlock the potential of eganelisib in melanoma and SCCHN from MARIO-1 and in ovarian cancer from the ARC-2 study as we seek to improve outcomes in multiple treatment settings and patient populations including those least likely to respond to immunotherapies."

Recent Updates and Program Guidance:

MARIO-275 and Advanced Urothelial Cancer

Presented positive data from the MARIO-275 randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study evaluating eganelisib in combination with Opdivo in platinum-refractory, I/O naïve patients with advanced urothelial cancer (aUC), in collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) at the 2021 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium
Combination of eganelisib with nivolumab demonstrated improved ORR, DCR, and PFS versus 2L standard of care nivolumab monotherapy
Greatest benefit of eganelisib with nivolumab combination therapy over nivolumab monotherapy was observed in the PD-L1 low patient population (n=23) with improvement over nivolumab monotherapy (n=7) for overall response rate (ORR) (26% vs. 14%); disease control rate (DCR) (57% vs. 14%); and best responses of complete response (CR) (9% vs. 0%), and stable disease (SD) (30% vs. 0%)
PD-L1 low patients demonstrated an extended progression free survival (PFS) with a hazard ratio of 0.54 reflecting a 46% reduction in probability of progression
The combination of eganelisib and nivolumab was well tolerated at the 30mg once daily dose
Translational data support immune modulatory mechanism of action of eganelisib with increased immune activation and decreased immune suppression observed in both the PD-L1 high and low patient populations
Infinity is planning a registration enabling study leveraging findings from MARIO-275. After initial feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), additional trial details are expected by the end of Q2 2021, and will likely focus on PD-L1 low aUC patients with a 30 mg QD dose of eganelisib.
MARIO-3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cohort

Presented positive data from the ongoing Phase 2 study in collaboration with Roche/Genentech to evaluate eganelisib in a novel triple combination in the front-line setting, adding to the approved doublet of Tecentriq and Abraxane in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
100% of evaluable patients (n=13) demonstrated tumor reduction with a clinical benefit (disease control rate) in 92% of patients (12/13)
69.2% (9/13) overall response rate (ORR) with best responses of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR)
100% (5/5) ORR (CR + PR) with 1 CR and 4 PRs observed in PD-L1 high patients
50% (4/8) ORR (CR + PR) with 4 PRs observed in PD-L1 low patients
The novel triple combination treatment with eganelisib, atezolizumab (atezo) and nab-paclitaxel (nab-pac) demonstrated safety in line with expectations of the component drugs with no additive or new safety signals
Translational data support immune modulatory mechanism of action of eganelisib with increased immune activation and decreased immune suppression observed in both the PD-L1 high and low patient populations
Additional data presentations from the TNBC cohort of MARIO-3 are expected in the first and second half of 2021 with increased patient numbers and early durability data which will include progression free survival in the second half of 2021.
Completion of enrollment is expected in the 2H 2021.
MARIO-3 Renal Cell Carcinoma Cohort

Data from the ongoing, proof-of-concept novel triple combination of eganelisib with Tecentriq and Avastin in the front line setting in renal cell cancer (RCC) are expected in the first half of 2022.
MARIO-1

MARIO-1 melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) cohorts were designed to isolate the clinical benefit of eganelisib by examining clinical activity in patients not expected to respond to checkpoint inhibitors due to progression following immediately prior checkpoint inhibitor therapy which were presented at the 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper). The data presented demonstrated that eganelisib had a manageable safety and tolerability profile with ORR ≥ 20% and DCR ≥ 40% in melanoma and SCCHN patients who had progressed on a CPI as their immediate prior therapy after having ≤ 2 prior lines of therapy and support the ongoing strategic prioritization of earlier lines of treatment with eganelisib.
Arcus Collaboration

Data presented at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium from the Phase 1b collaboration study conducted by Arcus Biosciences, evaluating a checkpoint-inhibitor free, novel triple-combination regimen of eganelisib + etrumadenant (AB928, a dual adenosine receptor antagonist) + Doxil in advanced TNBC patients demonstrated improved activity on top of the doublet therapy of etrumadenant +Doxil. The triplet including eganelisib demonstrated numerical ORR benefit over the doublet in the overall cohort population (42% vs 11%) as well as in the ovarian cancer patient subset (75% vs 14%) and the TNBC patient subset (25% and 9%).
Corporate Update

Significantly strengthened balance sheet with the successful completion in February 2021 of a $92 million public offering with approximately $86 million net proceeds to support execution on the next phase of eganelisib development.
Full Year 2020 Financial Results:

At December 31, 2020, Infinity had total cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities of $34.1 million, compared to $42.4 million at December 31, 2019.
Revenue during 2020 was $1.7 million, which relates to royalties on net sales of Copiktra from Verastem, Inc. and Secura Bio, Inc., who purchased the rights to Copiktra in 2020. Revenue during 2019 was $3.0 million which primarily relates to the achievement of a $2.0 million milestone from PellePharm.
Research and development expense for 2020 was $26.8 million, compared to $27.1 million in 2019.
General and administrative expense was $12.4 million for 2020, compared to $14.3 million for 2019. The decrease in G&A expense in 2020 compared to 2019 was primarily due to a decrease of $0.8 million in compensation, primarily related to a reduction in stock compensation, and a decrease of $0.5 million in professional services.
Net loss for 2020 was $40.5 million, or a basic and diluted loss per common share of $0.68, compared to a net loss of $47.1 million, or a basic and diluted loss per common share of $0.83 for 2019. The decrease in net loss was mostly driven by a decrease in royalty expense in 2020. In 2019, Takeda consented to the sale of the royalties to HealthCare Royalty Partners III, L.P. (HCR) and agreed to forego its rights to an equal share of the royalties due from Secura Bio. In exchange, we paid Takeda $6.7 million representing 25% of the net proceeds from the royalty monetization which we recognized as royalty expense in 2019.
Financial Outlook: Infinity’s 2021 financial guidance, following the closing in February 2021 of a $92 million public offering of Infinity’s common stock is as follows:

Net Loss: Infinity expects net loss for 2021 to range from $40 million to $50 million.
Cash and Investments: Infinity expects to end 2021 with a year-end-cash, cash equivalents and available for sale securities balance ranging from $70 million to $80 million.
Infinity’s financial guidance does not include
additional funding or business development activities, or
a potential $5 million milestone payment from BVF for positive patidegib Phase 3 data and any milestones from, or the sale of the company’s equity interest in, PellePharm
Conference Call Information

Infinity will host a conference call today, March 16, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss these financial results and company updates. A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed in the "Investors/Media" section of Infinity’s website at www.infi.com. To participate in the conference call, please dial (877) 316-5293 (domestic) and (631) 291-4526 (international) five minutes prior to start time. The conference ID number is 7174736. An archived version of the webcast will be available on Infinity’s website for 30 days.