On October 29, 2019 Moleculin Biotech, Inc., (Nasdaq: MBRX) ("Moleculin" or the "Company"), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of drug candidates targeting highly resistant tumors, reported the presentation of a poster at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)-NCI-EORTC Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Conference today in Boston, MA (Press release, Moleculin, OCT 29, 2019, View Source [SID1234549978]). The poster, entitled "Dose and Schedule-Dependent Efficacy of Liposomal Annamycin in Pre-clinical Models of Acute Myeloid Leukemia," presents data documenting the high activity of Annamycin against AML, including in vitro studies in a panel of human AML cell lines, as well as in vivo studies in both human and murine AML models developed under the Company’s sponsored research agreement with MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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Moleculin Biotech, Inc. is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development of a broad portfolio of oncology drug candidates for the treatment of highly resistant tumors.

"This study highlights an important new finding," commented Walter Klemp, Moleculin’s Chairman and CEO. "We’ve known for some time that Annamycin is effective in AML animal models and the activity that we believe is coming from our current AML clinical trials seems to correlate with this. But, what’s new here is the observation that Annamycin may also be more effective than other drugs due to its high uptake and effectiveness in eliminating AML cells localized in different organs. Additional important observations made with these studies indicates that the long-term exposure of healthy mice (at least 12 doses so far) to a highly efficacious dose of 4 mg/kg administered weekly is not toxic and that even two weekly doses of 4 mg/kg are producing a significant increase in survival. And, because Annamycin is designed to be non-cardiotoxic, this extended dosing regimen may prove to be feasible and beneficial in humans. This potentially opens the door for expanded and improved dosing regimens in future clinical trials."

Quoting from the accepted abstract: "In vivo studies confirmed anti-tumor efficacy of Annamycin in both human and murine AML models. Based on bioluminescence imaging, the liposomal formulation of the drug significantly delayed AML progression in the human OCL-AML3/NSG model at 4 mg/kg with once weekly dosing. Similarly, significant dose-dependent reduction of peripheral blood AML blasts was observed in the murine AML-Turq2 model, and this reduction was strongly correlated with prolongation of animal survival. The median survival of mice receiving four doses of L-Ann once a week at 4 mg/ml was 37 days while mice receiving vehicle lived only 14 days (p=0.0002). Different doses and administration schedules of [Annamycin] were tested in an effort to maximize survival benefits. In summary [Annamycin] is effective in AML, demonstrating significant activity in both in vitro and in vivo mouse models with a distinct pattern of intracellular uptake and organ distribution using a once a week schedule. This suggests that [Annamycin] with this profile, including a lack of cardiotoxicity and activity against [doxorubicin] resistant tumors, may be an advantageous approach in the treatment of AML."

On October 29, 2019 Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, reported financial results for the third quarter of 2019 (Press release, Merck & Co, OCT 29, 2019, View Source [SID1234549977]).

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"We achieved another quarter of strong revenue and earnings growth as we continue to realize the benefits of our sustained investment in research and development and our focus on commercial execution," said Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. "We are confident that the investments we are making now will allow us to convert cutting-edge science into medicines and vaccines of great benefit to patients and value to shareholders."

GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share assuming dilution (EPS) were $0.74 for the third quarter of 2019. Non-GAAP EPS of $1.51 for the third quarter of 2019 excludes a $982 million charge for the acquisition of Peloton Therapeutics, Inc. (Peloton), a $612 million pretax intangible asset impairment charge, other acquisition- and divestiture-related costs, restructuring costs and certain other items. Year-to-date results can be found in the attached tables.

Pipeline Highlights

Oncology

Merck continued to advance the development programs for KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), the company’s anti-PD-1 therapy; Lynparza (olaparib), a PARP inhibitor being co-developed and co-commercialized with AstraZeneca; and Lenvima (lenvatinib mesylate), an orally available tyrosine kinase inhibitor being co-developed and co-commercialized with Eisai Co., Ltd. (Eisai).

KEYTRUDA

·Merck announced the following regulatory milestones for KEYTRUDA:

Approval in China as monotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express PD-L1 based on overall survival results from the KEYNOTE-042 trial. KEYTRUDA is now the first anti-PD-1 therapy approved in China as both monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of NSCLC;

1Net income attributable to Merck & Co., Inc.
2Merck is providing certain 2019 and 2018 non-GAAP information that excludes certain items because of the nature of these items and the impact they have on the analysis of underlying business performance and trends. Management believes that providing this information enhances investors’ understanding of the company’s results and permits investors to understand how management assesses performance. Management uses these measures internally for planning and forecasting purposes and to measure the performance of the company along with other metrics. Senior management’s annual compensation is derived in part using non-GAAP income and non-GAAP EPS. This information should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for or superior to, information prepared in accordance with GAAP. For a description of the items, see Table 2a attached to this release.

Approval in Europe in combination with axitinib for the first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) across all International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium (IMDC) risk groups based on overall survival results from the KEYNOTE-426 trial;

Approval in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus whose tumors express PD-L1 (Combined Positive Score [CPS] > 10) with disease progression after one or more prior lines of therapy based on the results from the KEYNOTE-181 and KEYNOTE-180 trials;

Adoption of a positive opinion by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for two regimens of KEYTRUDA, as monotherapy or in combination with platinum and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy, for the first-line treatment of metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in adults whose tumors express PD-L1 with a CPS ≥1 based on data from the KEYNOTE-048 trial; and

Filing acceptance by the FDA for a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) seeking use of KEYTRUDA for the treatment of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) that is not curable by surgery or radiation. The FDA has set a PDUFA date of June 29, 2020.

·Merck presented results from the pivotal neoadjuvant/adjuvant Phase 3 KEYNOTE-522 trial in patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the first randomized trial of an anti-PD-1 therapy in this setting, at the 2019 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress. Interim results from the neoadjuvant phase showed the combination of KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy resulted in a statistically significant increase in pathological complete response versus chemotherapy in patients with early-stage TNBC.

·Merck presented first-time results of a pooled analysis of three randomized KEYNOTE studies (KEYNOTE-189, KEYNOTE-407 and KEYNOTE-021 [Cohort G]) evaluating KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC in which the combination regimen demonstrated an improvement in overall survival among newly diagnosed patients whose tumors do not express PD-L1. The data were presented at the IASLC 2019 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Lynparza

·Merck and AstraZeneca presented results from the Phase 3 PROfound trial in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have a mutation in their homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes and whose disease has progressed on prior treatment with new hormonal agent treatments at the 2019 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress. In this study, Lynparza improved radiographic progression-free survival versus standard of care in BRCA1/2 or ATM-mutated tumors as well as reduced the risk of disease progression or death in tumors with mutations in other genes associated with HRR.

·Merck and AstraZeneca also presented results from the Phase 3 PAOLA-1 trial at the 2019 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress, in which Lynparza added to bevacizumab reduced the risk of disease progression or death (41%) in the first-line maintenance setting for patients with advanced ovarian cancer who had a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy and bevacizumab.

·Merck and AstraZeneca received filing submission acceptances from the FDA and EMA for the use of Lynparza in BRCAm pancreatic cancer based on results from the Phase 3 POLO trial. A decision by the FDA is expected in the fourth quarter of 2019 and from the EMA in the second half of 2020.

Lenvima

Merck and Eisai announced accelerated FDA approval of the combination of KEYTRUDA and Lenvima for patients with certain types of endometrial carcinoma based on data from the KEYNOTE-146/Study 111, marking the first approval of the combination and the first time an anti-PD-1 therapy is approved in combination with a kinase inhibitor for advanced endometrial carcinoma in the United States. Approval was granted under the FDA’s Real-Time Oncology Review pilot program as well as under a new FDA-initiated program in which the FDA partnered with the Australian and Canadian regulatory bodies to review the application, allowing for simultaneous decisions in all three countries.

Other Pipeline Highlights

Merck announced FDA approval expanding the use of both PIFELTRO (doravirine), in combination with other antiretroviral agents, and DELSTRIGO (doravirine/lamivudine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for the treatment of adult patients with HIV-1 infection who are virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies per mL) on a stable antiretroviral regimen with no history of treatment failure.

Merck announced FDA acceptance of a New Drug Application (NDA) for DIFICID (fidaxomicin) for oral suspension and a supplemental NDA (sNDA) for use of DIFICID tablets and oral suspension for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infections in children aged six months or older. The FDA has set a PDUFA date of Jan. 24, 2020 for both applications.

Merck announced the pivotal Phase 3 RESTORE-IMI 2 trial evaluating RECARBRIO (imipenem, cilastatin and relebactam) for use in adults with hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP) met its primary endpoint.

Merck announced that the EMA’s CHMP adopted a positive opinion recommending a conditional marketing authorization for the company’s investigational V920 vaccine, brand name ERVEBO (rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP, live), for protection against Ebola Virus Disease caused by Zaire Ebola virus, as well as FDA acceptance and priority review for its Biologics License Application (BLA) for V920. The FDA has set a PDUFA date of March 14, 2020.

Pharmaceutical Revenue

Third-quarter pharmaceutical sales were $11.1 billion, an increase of 15% compared with the third quarter of 2018; excluding the unfavorable effect of foreign exchange, sales grew 16% in the third quarter. The increase was driven primarily by growth in oncology and vaccines, partially offset by the ongoing impacts of the loss of market exclusivity for several products as well as lower sales of JANUVIA (sitagliptin) and JANUMET (sitagliptin and metformin HCI). International pharmaceutical sales represented 54% of total sales in the quarter. Performance in international markets was led by China, which had pharmaceutical sales of $898 million representing growth of 84% compared with the third quarter of 2018, driven by vaccines, primarily GARDASIL [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] and GARDASIL 9 (Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Vaccine, Recombinant), and oncology. Excluding the unfavorable effect of foreign exchange, pharmaceutical sales in China grew by 90%.

Growth in oncology was largely driven by a $1.2 billion increase in sales for KEYTRUDA to $3.1 billion, reflecting strong momentum from the NSCLC indications as well as continued uptake in other indications, including the recently launched RCC and adjuvant melanoma indications, along with growth from Lynparza and Lenvima.

Growth in vaccines reflects higher sales of GARDASIL and GARDASIL 9, vaccines to prevent certain cancers and other diseases caused by HPV, primarily due to higher demand in Asia Pacific, particularly in China. Also contributing to sales growth was higher demand in Europe, driven primarily by increased vaccination rates for both boys and girls, as well as higher pricing and demand in the United States, partially offset by public sector buying patterns.

In October 2019, the company borrowed doses of GARDASIL 9 from the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Pediatric Vaccine Stockpile, which will reduce GARDASIL 9 sales in the fourth quarter of 2019 by approximately $120 million. These doses will be allocated to support routine vaccination in the United States and will allow the company to manufacture doses for other parts of the world, including regions where some of the most vulnerable populations live.

Growth in pediatric vaccines was driven by VARIVAX (Varicella Virus Vaccine Live), a vaccine to help prevent chickenpox, and PROQUAD (Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella Virus Vaccine Live), a combination vaccine to help protect against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, reflecting higher demand and pricing in the United States and higher demand in Europe and Latin America.

Performance in hospital acute care reflects higher demand globally, particularly in the United States, for BRIDION (sugammadex) Injection 100 mg/mL, a medicine for the reversal of neuromuscular blockade induced by rocuronium bromide or vecuronium bromide in adults undergoing surgery; and the ongoing launch of PREVYMIS (letermovir), a medicine for prophylaxis (prevention) of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and disease in adult CMV-seropositive recipients of an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Pharmaceutical sales growth for the quarter was partially offset by the ongoing impacts from the loss of market exclusivity for INVANZ (ertapenem sodium), ZETIA (ezetimibe) and VYTORIN (ezetimibe/simvastatin), CUBICIN (daptomycin) and REMICADE (infliximab). In addition, the decline in sales of JANUVIA and JANUMET reflects continued pricing pressure in the United States, which more than offset higher demand globally.

Animal Health Revenue

Animal Health sales totaled $1.1 billion for the third quarter of 2019, an increase of 10% compared with the third quarter of 2018. Excluding the unfavorable effect from foreign exchange, Animal Health sales grew 12%. Growth in the third quarter was primarily driven by livestock, due to products acquired in the Antelliq acquisition, along with growth from companion animal products, driven largely by higher sales of the BRAVECTO (fluralaner) line of products for parasitic control.

Animal Health segment profits were $423 million in the third quarter of 2019, an increase of 4% compared with $409 million in the third quarter of 2018.3

GAAP Expense, EPS and Related Information

Gross margin was 67.8% for the third quarter of 2019 compared to 66.5% for the third quarter of 2018. The increase in gross margin for the third quarter of 2019 reflects the favorable impacts of a charge in 2018 related to the termination of a collaboration agreement with Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. and product mix, partially offset by higher acquisition- and divestiture-related costs, including the impact of a 2019 intangible asset impairment charge, higher amortization of unfavorable manufacturing variances, higher amortization of intangible assets related to collaborations, higher restructuring costs, as well as manufacturing facilities startup costs.

3 Animal Health segment profits are comprised of segment sales, less all cost of sales, as well as selling, general and administrative expenses and research and development costs directly incurred by the segment. For internal management reporting, Merck does not allocate general and administrative expenses not directly incurred by the segment, nor the cost of financing these activities. Separate divisions maintain responsibility for monitoring and managing these costs, including depreciation related to fixed assets utilized by these divisions and, therefore, they are not included in segment profits.

4 Includes expenses for the amortization of intangible assets and purchase accounting adjustments to inventories recognized as a result of acquisitions, intangible asset impairment charges, and expense or income related to changes in the estimated fair value measurement of liabilities for contingent consideration. Also includes integration, transaction and certain other costs related to business acquisitions and divestitures.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $2.6 billion in the third quarter of 2019, a 6% increase compared to the third quarter of 2018. The increase primarily reflects higher promotion and administrative costs primarily in support of strategic brands, and higher acquisition- and divestiture-related costs, partially offset by the favorable effects of foreign exchange.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $3.2 billion in the third quarter of 2019, an increase of 55% compared with the third quarter of 2018. The increase was driven primarily by a $982 million charge recorded in the third quarter of 2019 for the acquisition of Peloton coupled with higher expenses related to clinical development and increased investment in discovery research and early drug development.

Other (income) expense, net, was $35 million of expense in the third quarter of 2019 compared to $172 million of income in the third quarter of 2018 primarily reflecting lower income from investments in equity securities and higher net interest expense.

The effective income tax rate of 18.7% for the third quarter of 2019 includes the unfavorable impact of the charge for the acquisition of Peloton for which no tax benefit was recognized and the favorable impact of product mix.

GAAP EPS was $0.74 for the third quarter of 2019 compared with $0.73 for the third quarter of 2018.

Non-GAAP Expense, EPS and Related Information

The non-GAAP gross margin was 75.9% for the third quarter of 2019 compared to 76.7% for the third quarter of 2018. The decrease in non-GAAP gross margin primarily reflects higher amortization of unfavorable manufacturing variances, higher amortization of intangible assets related to collaborations, as well as manufacturing facilities startup costs.

Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses were $2.6 billion in the third quarter of 2019, a 5% increase compared to the third quarter of 2018. The increase reflects higher promotion and administrative costs primarily in support of strategic brands, partially offset by the favorable effects of foreign exchange.

Non-GAAP R&D expenses were $2.2 billion in the third quarter of 2019, a 7% increase compared to the third quarter of 2018. The increase primarily reflects higher expenses related to clinical development and increased investment in discovery research and early drug development.

Non-GAAP other (income) expense, net, was $29 million of expense in the third quarter of 2019 compared to $162 million of income in the third quarter of 2018 primarily reflecting lower income from investments in equity securities and higher net interest expense.

The non-GAAP effective income tax rate of 15.7% for the third quarter of 2019 reflects the favorable impact of product mix.

Non-GAAP EPS was $1.51 for the third quarter of 2019 compared with $1.19 for the third quarter of 2018.

Financial Outlook

Merck narrowed and raised its full-year 2019 revenue range to be between $46.5 billion and $47.0 billion, including both the impact of the GARDASIL 9 stockpile borrowing noted above and a negative impact from foreign exchange of approximately 2% at mid-October exchange rates.

Merck reduced its expected full-year GAAP effective tax rate to approximately 16.5% and its expected full-year non-GAAP effective tax rate to approximately 17.5%. These reductions are primarily attributable to favorable product mix.

5 Represents the difference between calculated GAAP EPS and calculated non-GAAP EPS, which may be different than the amount calculated by dividing the impact of the excluded items by the weighted-average shares for the period.

Earnings Conference Call

Investors, journalists and the general public may access a live audio webcast of the call today at 8:00 a.m. EDT on Merck’s website at View Source Institutional investors and analysts can participate in the call by dialing (706) 758-9927 or (877) 381-5782 and using ID code number 5635157. Members of the media are invited to monitor the call by dialing (706) 758-9928 or (800) 399-7917 and using ID code number 5635157. Journalists who wish to ask questions are requested to contact a member of Merck’s Media Relations team at the conclusion of the call.

6 Includes the estimated tax impact on the reconciling items. In addition, includes a $360 million net tax benefit related to the settlement of certain federal income tax matters and a $67 million tax charge related to the finalization of treasury regulations for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

On October 29, 2019 Lantern Pharma, a clinical stage oncology biotech leveraging A.I., machine learning (ML) and genomics, reported that it has selected Reprocell to provide preclinical screening and drug sensitivity work for its portfolio of oncology drugs (Press release, Lantern Pharma, OCT 29, 2019, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lantern-pharma-selects-reprocell-inc-to-provide-preclinical-screening-and-biomarker-discovery-services-for-portfolio-of-targeted-oncology-drugs [SID1234549976]).

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The collaboration is designed to obtain millions of data points using panels of unique and genetically edited cell lines from various tumors. The data generated from these studies will help Lantern’s AI platform to generate the biological and genetic basis for drug positioning and maximum drug efficacy. Lantern believes this will help bring oncology therapies to patients more efficiently and affordably than traditional R&D efforts.

These collaborative studies will help demonstrate the tremendous potential for patient stratification for cancer therapies. Following the acquisition of data on cell line panels, Reprocell and Lantern will continue to develop subsequent models including 3D, organoid, and PDX models in the drugs journey from preclinical to clinical stages.

"We are pleased to announce this partnership with Reprocell, a relationship we believe will fuel innovation founded on our mutual abilities to leverage highly advanced cell biology data and rapid A.I.-based machine learning to draw relevant and unique conclusions related to drug development," said Panna Sharma, CEO of Lantern Pharma. "We anticipate this collaboration resulting in a clear vision of how to leverage the initial screening of efficacy of our active compounds against a variety of tumors, and how that data can inform personalized treatment decisions for patients."

On October 29, 2019 Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, reported updated data from a Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead drug candidate, tipifarnib, that show durable anti-tumor activity as a single agent in heavily pretreated patients with HRAS mutant head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) (Press release, Kura Oncology, OCT 29, 2019, View Source [SID1234549975]). The results are being presented today at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)-NCI-EORTC AACR-NCI-EORTC (Free AACR-NCI-EORTC Whitepaper) International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (EORTC-NCI-AACR) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) (Free EORTC-NCI-AACR Whitepaper) in Boston. Copies of the oral and poster presentations are available online at www.kuraoncology.com.

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As of the October 17, 2019 data cutoff date, a total of 21 HNSCC patients with high HRAS mutant variant allele frequency1 were enrolled in this Phase 2 trial (RUN-HN), of whom 18 were evaluable for efficacy. Ten of the 18 evaluable patients achieved a confirmed partial response (PR), as defined by standard RECIST criteria, for an objective response rate (ORR) of 56% (95% CI 0.31, 0.78). In addition, eight patients experienced disease stabilization, including two who achieved an unconfirmed PR, one of whom is awaiting a confirmatory response assessment. Of the three non-evaluable patients, two discontinued prior to an initial response assessment and one was awaiting an initial response assessment as of the data cutoff date.

The median progression-free survival (PFS) of the 18 evaluable patients treated with tipifarnib was 6.1 months, compared to 2.8 months on their last prior therapy, including 8.3 months among patients who achieved a PR on tipifarnib and 4.5 months for those with stable disease. Patients had a median of two prior lines of therapy (range 0-6), with no responses observed on their last prior therapy.

Overall response rates for the three therapies approved for treatment of HNSCC in the second line, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Opdivo (nivolumab) and Erbitux (cetuximab), range from 13-16%, with progression-free survival of approximately two months.

"Tipifarnib is a targeted therapy that has demonstrated rapid and durable anti-tumor activity as a single agent in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas that carry HRAS mutations, a disease that can be resistant to current standards of care, including immunotherapy," said Alan Ho, M.D., Ph.D., of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and principal investigator of the study.

An analysis of preliminary data from the RUN-HN trial performed in October 2018 showed a significant association between tumor HRAS mutant allele frequency and clinical benefit from tipifarnib. Based upon these observations, Kura introduced a minimum HRAS mutant variant allele frequency as an entry criterion prior to the initiation of its registration-directed trial of tipifarnib in HRAS mutant HNSCC (AIM-HN) in November 2018. Concurrently, Kura also incorporated the HRAS mutant variant allele frequency entry criterion into the ongoing RUN-HN trial, which continued to enroll patients at clinical sites that had yet to open in the AIM-HN trial.

As of the October 17, 2019 data cutoff date, 10 new patients with high HRAS mutant variant allele frequency were prospectively enrolled in the RUN-HN trial. Of the eight evaluable patients, three achieved a confirmed PR and five had stable disease, including two who achieved an unconfirmed PR, one of whom is awaiting a confirmatory response assessment. Of the two non-evaluable patients, one discontinued prior to an initial tumor response assessment and one was awaiting an initial response assessment as of the data cutoff date.

Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA HNSCC, provisional) indicate that patients with an HRAS mutant allele frequency greater than 20% represent approximately 5% of the overall HNSCC population.

Treatment-emergent adverse events in the trial were consistent with the known safety profile of tipifarnib. The most frequently observed adverse events were hematological-related and were managed with best supportive care and/or dose interruption.

Notably, a total of five evaluable HNSCC patients started at the 600 mg dose in the RUN-HN trial, all of whom achieved an objective clinical response. Patients in the RUN-HN trial received oral doses ranging from 600 mg to 900 mg twice daily, however improved tolerability was observed with the 600 mg bid dose administered days 1-7 and 15-21 every 28-days, which is the recommended starting dose in the ongoing AIM-HN registration-directed trial.

"These results increase our confidence in the probability of success of our registration strategy in HRAS mutant HNSCC," said Antonio Gualberto, M.D., Ph.D., Head of Development and Chief Medical Officer of Kura Oncology. "In addition to confirming the association between high HRAS mutant variant allele frequency and anti-tumor activity, these data show that the tipifarnib 600 mg bid dose is well tolerated and sufficient to drive clinical activity. Of note, this multi-center study included a number of clinical sites around the world, providing a real-world experience that further increases our confidence in the outcome of our AIM-HN registration-directed trial."

1 HRAS variant allele frequency >35%, or ≥ 20% if serum albumin ≥ 3.5 g/dL

About Tipifarnib

Kura Oncology’s lead drug candidate, tipifarnib, is a potent, selective and orally bioavailable inhibitor of farnesyl transferase in-licensed from Janssen in December 2014. In November 2018, following an end of Phase 2 meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Kura initiated its first registration-directed trial of tipifarnib in patients with recurrent or metastatic HRAS mutant HNSCC. The clinical trial has two cohorts: A non-interventional screening and outcomes cohort (SEQ-HN) and a treatment cohort (AIM-HN). AIM-HN is designed to enroll at least 59 evaluable patients with HRAS mutant HNSCC who have received prior platinum-based therapy, and is expected to take approximately two years to fully enroll. Kura has received multiple issued patents for tipifarnib, providing patent exclusivity in the U.S. and foreign countries.

On October 29, 2019 IMV Inc. ("IMV" or the "Corporation") (Nasdaq: IMV; TSX: IMV), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of immunotherapies, reported that it will hold a conference call and webcast on Friday, November 8, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss the company’s third quarter 2019 financial and operational results (Press release, IMV, OCT 29, 2019, View Source [SID1234549974]).

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Financial analysts are invited to join the conference call by dialing (844) 461-9932 (U.S. and Canada) or (636) 812-6632 (international) using the conference ID# 6590953 Other interested parties will be able to access the live audio webcast at this link: View Source The webcast will be recorded and available on the IMV website for 30 days following the call.