On May 13, 2021 Silverback Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBTX) ("Silverback"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging its proprietary ImmunoTAC technology platform to develop systemically delivered, tissue targeted therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, chronic viral infections, and other serious diseases, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 and provided a business update (Press release, Silverback Therapeutics, MAY 13, 2021, View Source [SID1234579931]).
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"In our first quarter as a public company, our team continues to execute on Silverback’s mission to bring tissue-targeted therapies to patients in need," said Laura Shawver, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Silverback. "We are on track to report interim clinical data for SBT6050 in the second half of this year, and we are equally excited about the progress and preclinical data emerging from SBT6290 and SBT8230, highlighting the broad applicability of our ImmunoTAC platform."
Recent Highlights
SBT6050 (HER2-TLR8 ImmunoTAC) continues to advance through monotherapy and pembrolizumab combination dose escalation arms of the Phase 1/1b clinical study. Silverback is on track to deliver interim clinical data from the monotherapy dose escalation arm of the study in the second half of 2021.
GLP toxicology studies have commenced for SBT6290 (Nectin4-TLR8 ImmunoTAC), with an IND submission anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2021. Dosing has been initiated in the GLP toxicology study and GMP manufacturing of the Phase 1 clinical supply is underway. In April 2021, Silverback presented data at the American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021. These preclinical data showed that SBT6290 activates human myeloid cells in a Nectin4-dependent manner and that a SBT6290 mouse surrogate confers single agent anti-tumor activity in preclinical studies.
SBT8230 (ASGR1-TLR8 ImmunoTAC for chronic HBV) continues to advance through preclinical development with CMC activities underway. GLP toxicology studies are expected to commence in the first quarter of 2022.
Appointed Maria Koehler, M.D., Ph.D. to Board of Directors. In March 2021, Silverback appointed Dr. Koehler, M.D., Ph.D. to its board of directors, bringing more than 20 years of clinical development leadership experience.
First Quarter Financial Results
For the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, Silverback reported a net loss of $18.9 million, compared to a net loss of $5.3 million for the comparable period in 2020. Net loss for the first quarter of 2021 included non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $4.3 million compared to $47,000 for the same period in 2020.
Research and development expenses for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 were $12.2 million, compared to $4.4 million for the same period in 2020. The increases in the Company’s research and development expenses in 2021 were primarily attributable to the advancement of pipeline programs, including SBT6290 and SBT8230, into preclinical development and the continued development of SBT6050. Silverback also incurred additional personnel-related expenses as operations grew in support of program advances.
General and administrative expenses for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 were $6.6 million, compared to $0.8 million for the same period in 2020. The increases in general and administrative expenses were primarily attributable to an increase in personnel-related expenses due to increased headcount in 2020, including new executives, as well as increases in salaries, bonuses, and stock-based compensation. The increases in general and administrative expenses were also due to an increase in legal fees, professional fees, and other various general and administrative expenses as we now operate as a public company.
As of March 31, 2021, Silverback reported cash and cash equivalents of $374.2 million, compared to $386.6 million at December 31, 2020, which is expected to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 24 months.