IGM Biosciences Announces Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

On November 5, 2020 IGM Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: IGMS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on creating and developing engineered IgM antibodies, reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2020 and provided an update on recent developments (Press release, IGM Biosciences, NOV 5, 2020, View Source [SID1234570117]).

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"We are very pleased with the progress that we have made through the first three quarters of 2020 in advancing our pipeline programs both in the clinic and in research," said Fred Schwarzer, Chief Executive Officer of IGM Biosciences. "Our lead IgM antibodies, IGM-2323 and IGM-8444, are moving forward in clinical trials, and we look forward to presenting initial, first-in-human clinical data from our Phase 1 trial of IGM-2323 at the upcoming ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in December and to presenting initial clinical data from our Phase 1 trial of IGM-8444 in 2021."

Pipeline Updates:

IGM-2323

Phase 1 data to be presented at American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. IGM will report initial data from its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating IGM-2323 in patients with relapsed/refractory Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), the first-in-human application of IGM’s engineered IgM antibody technology, at the ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting being held virtually December 5-8, 2020.
IGM-8444

Initiated Phase 1 trial of IGM-8444. IGM announced that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating IGM-8444 in patients with solid cancers and NHL. IGM expects to report initial data from this Phase 1 trial in 2021.
IGM-7354

IGM-7354 preclinical data to be presented at Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. The poster, titled "Targeting IL-15 delivery to PD-L1 Expressing Tumors using an Anti-PD-L1 x IL-15 Cytokine Fusion IgM to Enhance T Cell and NK Cell Mediated Tumor Cytotoxicity", will be made available online via the meeting’s virtual poster hall beginning on Monday, November 9 at 8:00 a.m. ET.

Corporate Updates:

Multi-year antibody discovery collaboration with AbCellera announced. IGM and AbCellera announced that they have entered into a multi-year, multi-target strategic research collaboration and license agreement intended to expedite discovery of novel IgM antibodies. AbCellera will generate panels of antibodies for multiple therapeutic targets identified by IGM using its full-stack, AI-powered antibody discovery technology, and IGM will have the rights to develop and commercialize the novel antibodies resulting from this collaboration.

Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results:

Cash and Investments: Cash and investments as of September 30, 2020 were $180.2 million, compared to $236.6 million as of December 31, 2019.
Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: For the third quarter of 2020, R&D expenses were $15.8 million, compared to $8.3 million for the same period in 2019.
General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses: For the third quarter of 2020, G&A expenses were $4.7 million, compared to $2.4 million for the same period in 2019.
Net Loss: For the third quarter of 2020, net loss was $20.3 million, or a loss of $0.66 per share, compared with a net loss of $10.2 million, or a loss of $2.41 per share, for the same period in 2019.
Shares Outstanding: Weighted-average shares outstanding for the third quarter of 2020 were 30.6 million, compared to 4.2 million for the same period in 2019.

2020 Financial Guidance:

IGM expects non-GAAP operating expenses for 2020 to be approximately $80 – $85 million, excluding estimated non-cash stock-based compensation expense of approximately $9 million. Including non-cash stock-based compensation expense, IGM estimates GAAP operating expenses for 2020 to be $89 – $94 million. IGM expects to end 2020 with a balance of over $140 million in cash and investments.

BioCryst Reports Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Upcoming Key Milestones

On November 5, 2020 BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:BCRX) reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2020, and provided a corporate update (Press release, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, NOV 5, 2020, View Source [SID1234570116]).

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"We are 28 days from our PDUFA date and we are ready to launch ORLADEYO to bring HAE patients the oral, once-daily medicine they have been waiting for to prevent attacks, reduce their burden of therapy and live a normal life," said Jon Stonehouse, president and chief executive officer of BioCryst.

"In addition to this commercial transformation of the company, and the revenue it brings, our pipeline of BioCryst-discovered molecules continues to advance, with several upcoming near-term data readouts," Stonehouse added.

Program Updates and Key Milestones

Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) Program – ORLADEYO: Oral, once-daily treatment for prevention of HAE attacks

BioCryst expects three regulatory approvals for ORLADEYO in Q4 2020 and early 2021.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing a new drug application for ORLADEYO and has set an action date of December 3, 2020, under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA).

In Japan, ORLADEYO is being reviewed under Sakigake designation. The Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) has confirmed their regulatory review schedule and the company expects a decision on approval in December 2020.

On March 30, 2020, the company announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had validated its marketing authorization application (MAA) submission for ORLADEYO and begun its formal review of the MAA under the centralized procedure. The company expects an opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) within approximately 12 months from MAA validation.
BioCryst has completed the build-out of the commercial infrastructure to support the successful launch of ORLADEYO in the U.S.

The company has hired and trained accomplished U.S. rare disease sales and market access teams and has deployed a robust patient services support hub.

The company is well-positioned in terms of product supply and inventory on-hand to support the launch and anticipated demand for ORLADEYO.

On October 30, 2020, the company announced that the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted oral, once-daily berotralstat a positive scientific opinion through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS). Under the EAMS, HAE patients in the UK aged 12 years and older can gain access to berotralstat for the routine prevention of recurrent attacks of HAE before the drug is granted marketing authorization by the European Commission. Medicines included in the EAMS are those that have a high unmet need, are intended to treat, diagnose or prevent seriously debilitating or life-threatening conditions where there are no adequate treatment options, and are likely to offer significant advantage over methods currently used in the UK.

On October 28, 2020, the company announced it will present five abstracts and one Distinguished Industry Oral Abstract, including 48-week results from the APeX-2 trial and new data on quality of life and the treatment burden of injectable medication administration, at the upcoming (virtual) Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology on November 13-15.

On October 22, 2020, the company announced that data from the first 24 weeks of the APeX-2 trial of oral, once-daily berotralstat in patients with HAE have been published online by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Complement Oral Factor D Inhibitor Program – BCX9930

The company is completing an ongoing dose ranging trial in treatment-naïve paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) patients, and PNH patients with an inadequate response to C5 inhibitors.

Seven treatment-naïve PNH patients are currently receiving BCX9930, with four beyond 12 weeks of therapy, including two with more than 32 weeks on therapy. All seven treatment-naïve patients are continuing to benefit from BCX9930 treatment.

Based on the excellent results observed to-date at 400 mg bid and 500 mg bid, the company plans to add patients at these dose levels.

Because the acceleration of COVID-19 in the EU has slowed start-up of the inadequate responder cohorts, the company expects to report data from treatment-naïve and inadequate C5 responders dosed up to 500 mg bid in the first quarter of 2021.

On September 30, 2020, the company announced new data from treatment-naïve (no prior treatment with C5 inhibitors) PNH patients receiving doses of oral BCX9930 through 400 mg bid. Oral BCX9930 is driving rapid and dose-dependent reductions in key biomarkers, including LDH, and increasing hemoglobin levels in all PNH patients in the trial. Increases in hemoglobin levels were maintained without transfusions. BCX9930 has been safe and well tolerated at all doses in the trial. No drug-related serious adverse events have been reported.

On August 31, 2020, the company announced that the FDA has granted Orphan Drug designation for BCX9930, for the treatment of PNH. Orphan Drug designation qualifies BCX9930 for various development incentives, including tax credits for certain clinical costs, a waiver of the new drug application fee and a designated period of market exclusivity following approval.
Coronavirus Antiviral Program – Galidesivir (BCX4430)

Part 1 of a clinical trial of galidesivir in COVID-19 patients in Brazil has completed enrollment and the company expects to report results in the fourth quarter.

The primary endpoint of part 1 is safety. Data is also being collected on secondary endpoints, including clinical outcomes and virology. Based on recent conversations with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, the major funding partner for the program, the company understands that data from part 1 is a gating item for the program and some evidence of clinical and/or antiviral activity is important for the program to advance.
Additional Updates

The company remains on track to report data in Q4 2020 from its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of BCX9250, an oral ALK-2 kinase inhibitor for treatment of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), in healthy subjects.

On September 3, 2020, the company announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has exercised its option to purchase an additional 10,000 doses of BioCryst’s approved antiviral influenza therapy, RAPIVAB (peramivir injection), for approximately $7 million. The order is part of a $34.7 million contract (Contract No. 75D301-18-C-02984) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded in 2018 for the procurement of up to 50,000 doses of RAPIVAB (peramivir injection) over a five-year period for the strategic national stockpile.

Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results

For the three months ended September 30, 2020, total revenues were $6.1 million, compared to $1.8 million in the third quarter of 2019. The increase was primarily due to an increase in collaboration revenue under U.S. government development contracts and higher peramivir product sales to our commercial partners.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the third quarter of 2020 increased to $30.2 million from $25.1 million in the third quarter of 2019, primarily due to increased spending on our complement-mediated diseases and galidesivir programs.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the third quarter of 2020 increased to $17.2 million, compared to $11.7 million in the third quarter of 2019. The increase was primarily due to increased spending on commercial and medical affairs activities to support the U.S. commercial launch of ORLADEYO.

Interest expense was $2.9 million in the third quarter of 2020, compared to $3.0 million in the third quarter of 2019.

Net loss for the third quarter of 2020 was $46.1 million, or $0.26 per share, compared to a net loss of $37.6 million, or $0.34 per share, for the third quarter of 2019.

Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and investments totaled $148.5 million at September 30, 2020, and reflect an increase from $137.8 million at December 31, 2019. Operating cash use for the third quarter of 2020 was $43.1 million. Net operating cash use for the first nine months of 2020 was $98.0 million, as compared to $77.9 million for the first nine months of 2019.

Financial Outlook for 2020

BioCryst continues to expect full year 2020 net operating cash use to be in the range of $150 to $165 million, and its operating expenses to be in the range of $180 to $195 million. The company’s operating expense range excludes equity-based compensation expense due to the difficulty in reliably projecting this expense, as it is impacted by the volatility and price of the company’s stock, as well as by the vesting of the company’s outstanding performance-based stock options.

Conference Call and Webcast

BioCryst management will host a conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET today to discuss the financial results and provide a corporate update. The live call may be accessed by dialing 877-303-8027 for domestic callers and 760-536-5165 for international callers and using conference ID # 3766784. A live webcast of the call and any slides will be available online at the investors section of the company website at www.biocryst.com. A telephone replay of the call will be available by dialing 855-859-2056 for domestic callers or 404-537-3406 for international callers and entering the conference ID # 3766784.

Arvinas Reports Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

On November 5, 2020 Arvinas, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARVN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company creating a new class of drugs based on targeted protein degradation, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2020 and provided a corporate update (Press release, Arvinas, NOV 5, 2020, View Source [SID1234570114]).

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"Beginning the Phase 2 portion of the ARV-110 clinical trial marks another significant milestone for Arvinas," said John Houston, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer at Arvinas. "Together with the expected initiation of a cohort expansion of ARV-471 in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor before the end of the year, we’re gratified by the strong momentum of our lead programs heading into 2021."

"When combined with our recent disclosure of five additional programs in our preclinical pipeline, these clinical milestones further validate our PROTAC Discovery Engine and the opportunity to create PROTAC degraders that meaningfully improve patient care," added Dr. Houston.

Business Highlights and Recent Developments

Dose escalation in each of the Phase 1/2 clinical trials of ARV-110 and ARV-471 continues.
Arvinas has initiated dosing at a first dose level in a Phase 2 cohort expansion for ARV-110.
The company announced platform updates and disclosed five additional programs from its preclinical pipeline. Arvinas’ portfolio encompasses a range of validated and undruggable targets in oncology, immuno-oncology, and neuroscience. The newly disclosed programs were B-cell lymphoma 6 protein (BCL6), Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) protein, c-Myc, hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), and mutant huntingtin (mHTT).
Arvinas entered into a collaboration and supply agreement with Pfizer in connection with a planned Phase 1b cohort expansion evaluating ARV-471 in combination with Pfizer’s Ibrance (palbociclib), an oral CDK4/6 inhibitor.
Anticipated Milestones and Expectations

2020 Milestones and Expectations

Arvinas expects to provide a program update for ARV-110, including a Phase 1 dose escalation update and an overview of the recently initiated Phase 2 dose expansion, in December 2020.
For the ARV-471 program, Arvinas expects to provide an update from its Phase 1 dose escalation in December 2020.
Arvinas expects to initiate a Phase 1b cohort expansion of ARV-471 in combination with Ibrance (palbociclib) in the fourth quarter of 2020. The study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of ARV-471 in combination with palbociclib and identify the recommended combination dose of ARV-471 for use with palbociclib.
2021 Milestones and Expectations

Arvinas expects to initiate the first of potentially two Phase 1b investigations of ARV-110 in combination with standard of care agents for mCRPC (e.g., abiraterone) in 2021.
Arvinas expects to share interim data from the Phase 2 dose expansion trial of ARV-110 in 2021.
Arvinas expects to initiate a Phase 2 dose expansion of ARV-471 in 2021.
Arvinas expects to share data from the Phase 1b cohort expansion of ARV-471 in combination with Ibrance (palbociclib) in the second half of 2021.
Arvinas expects to file an investigational new drug (IND) application for ARV-766, an androgen receptor degrader, in the first half of 2021.
Financial Guidance

Based on its current operating plan, Arvinas expects its cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund its planned operating expenses and capital expenditures into 2022.

Financial Highlights

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities Position: As of September 30, 2020, cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $248.6 million as compared with $280.9 million as of December 31, 2019. The decrease in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $32.3 million for the first nine months of 2020 was primarily related to cash used for operations of $64.8 million and the purchase of lab equipment and leasehold improvements of $4.6 million, partially offset by net proceeds from the issuance of common stock and exercises of stock options of $33.1 million and $4.0 million received from two collaborators.

Research and Development Expenses: Research and development expenses were $30.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, as compared with $16.6 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. The increase in research and development expenses of $13.4 million for the quarter was primarily related to increases in clinical trials and chemistry, manufacturing and controls expenses associated with our AR program of $4.2 million and our ER program of $5.1 million, in addition to increases in expenses of $4.1 million associated with exploratory programs and investments in platform research.

General and Administrative Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $9.3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, as compared with $8.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. The increase of $1.3 million was primarily related to an increase in personnel and facility related costs of $2.4 million, offset by a reduction in legal costs of $1.1 million.

Revenues: Revenue related to the license and rights to technology fees and research and development activities related to the collaboration and license agreement with Bayer (Bayer Collaboration Agreement) that was initiated in July 2019, the collaboration and license agreement with Pfizer (Pfizer Collaboration Agreement) that was initiated in January 2018, and the amended and restated option, license and collaboration agreement with Genentech that was initiated in November 2017 (collectively Collaboration Revenue) was $7.6 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, as compared with $5.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. The increase in Collaboration Revenue of $2.2 million primarily related to the revenues from the Bayer Collaboration Agreement and the Pfizer Collaboration Agreement. Total revenue of $30.1 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 included $24.7 million for the contribution of a license to Oerth Bio LLC (the Joint Venture).

Loss from Equity Method Investment: Loss from equity method investment for the quarter ended September 30, 2019 was $24.7 million. This loss was generated from the Joint Venture’s expensing the values associated with the contributed intellectual property from the Joint Venture partners.

Net Loss: Net loss was $30.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, as compared with $17.7 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. The increase in net loss for the quarter was primarily due to increased research and development expenses and increased general and administrative expenses.

About ARV-110
ARV-110 is an orally bioavailable PROTAC protein degrader designed to selectively target and degrade the androgen receptor (AR). ARV-110 is being developed as a potential treatment for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

ARV-110 has demonstrated activity in preclinical models of AR mutation or overexpression, both common mechanisms of resistance to currently available AR-targeted therapies.

About ARV-471
ARV-471 is an orally bioavailable PROTAC protein degrader designed to specifically target and degrade the estrogen receptor (ER) for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2- breast cancer.

In preclinical studies, ARV-471 demonstrated near-complete ER degradation in tumor cells, induced robust tumor shrinkage when dosed as a single agent in multiple ER-driven xenograft models, and showed superior anti-tumor activity when compared to a standard of care agent, fulvestrant, both as a single agent and in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor.

Cogent Biosciences to Present at Piper Sandler 32nd Annual Virtual Healthcare Conference

On November 5, 2020 Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: COGT), a biotechnology company focused on developing precision therapies for genetically defined diseases, reported that Andrew Robbins, Chief Executive Officer and President, will virtually present a corporate overview at the Piper Sandler 32nd Annual Healthcare Conference taking place December 1-3, 2020 (Press release, Cogent Biosciences, NOV 5, 2020, View Source [SID1234570113]).

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A recording of the presentation will be available to view after the conference under the "Events" tab on the investor relations section of the Cogent Biosciences website at: View Source

VBL Therapeutics to Present at the H.C. Wainwright 6th Annual Israel Conference

On November 5, 2020 VBL Therapeutics (Nasdaq: VBLT), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class treatments for cancer, reported that Prof. Dror Harats, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, will provide a corporate overview, in a format of a fireside chat with analyst Swayampakula Ramakanth, Ph.D. (RK), at the H.C. Wainwright 6th Annual Israel Conference to be held virtually on November 12th, 2020 (Press release, VBL Therapeutics, NOV 5, 2020, View Source [SID1234570112]).

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An archive recording will be available for listening after the event, on the Investor Relations page of VBL’s corporate website, under "Events & Presentations."