On May 6, 2021 Coherus BioSciences, Inc. ("Coherus" or the "Company", Nasdaq: CHRS), reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 (Press release, Coherus Biosciences, MAY 6, 2021, View Source [SID1234579335]). The Company also provided a progress update on its anti-PD-1 antibody, toripalimab, its lead immuno-oncology candidate for the potential treatment of various solid tumors, as well as other late-stage pipeline product candidates including CHS-201, a biosimilar Lucentis (ranibizumab), CHS-1420, a wholly owned biosimilar Humira (adalimumab), and CHS-305, a biosimilar Avastin (bevacizumab).

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"Over the next two years, we project four additional Coherus product candidates will be approved in the United States, including three biosimilars and our anti-PD-1 antibody, toripalimab," said Denny Lanfear, CEO of Coherus. "We believe this diversified product portfolio has the potential to generate significant revenue growth and fuel our investments in novel immuno-oncology therapies with the potential to improve care and outcomes for cancer patients."

"With significant new clinical data and the first U.S. BLA submission underway, toripalimab is already exceeding our expectations," Lanfear continued. "During a rigorous multi-year evaluation of the global checkpoint inhibitor landscape, we defined the preclinical and clinical properties required for our investment in a PD-1 blocking antibody. Toripalimab’s demonstrated potency, unique molecular properties and advanced pivotal clinical development program in numerous cancer types surpassed our stringent criteria. It is gratifying to see the accumulating external validation for toripalimab including selection for ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper)’s plenary session, Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and the additional recent approvals in China. We believe these developments and the external interest we have already received to evaluate potential toripalimab combinations positions this product candidate as a significant potential growth driver for Coherus for many years."

FIRST QUARTER 2021 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

GAAP net loss of $173 million for the first quarter of 2021 was primarily driven by the $145 million upfront payment to Junshi Biosciences for U.S. and Canada rights to the anti-PD-1 antibody toripalimab and one-time charges associated with the termination of the CHS-2020 biosimilar program as part of the strategic realignment of research and development resources toward immuno-oncology.
Non-GAAP net income for the first quarter of 2021 was $0.4 million, or $0.01 per share.
Cash flow from operations was $1.4 million.
Net product revenue, consisting of net sales of UDENYCA (pegfilgrastim-cbqv) was $83 million for the first quarter of 2021. With approximately 20% share of the overall pegfilgrastim market, UDENYCA maintains its position as the leading pegfilgrastim biosimilar.
Coherus had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $400 million at March 31, 2021.
In April 2021, the Company received $50 million from Junshi Biosciences’ acquisition of 2,491,988 shares of Coherus stock at a price per share of $20.06.
PIPELINE HIGHLIGHTS

Toripalimab, a PD-1 blocking antibody product candidate, in collaboration with Junshi Biosciences:

Junshi Biosciences initiated the rolling submission of the biologics license application ("BLA") with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for toripalimab for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma ("NPC"). The FDA has granted toripalimab Breakthrough Therapy Designation for this indication. The BLA submission is expected to be completed mid-year 2021, with potential approval in the first half of 2022.
Results of JUPITER-02, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center, Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating toripalimab for first-line NPC, will be featured in the plenary session and in the official press program of the 2021 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in early June.
In JUPITER-06, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center, Phase 3 clinical trial with 514 patients enrolled, toripalimab in combination with paclitaxel/cisplatin as first-line treatment for patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ("ESCC") achieved the pre-specified primary endpoints of progression free survival ("PFS") and overall survival ("OS") at the interim analysis. Data from the study are expected later in 2021.
Coherus and Junshi Biosciences plan to file additional toripalimab BLA supplements with the FDA over the next three years for multiple rare and highly prevalent tumor types, including non-small cell lung cancer ("NSCLC"). An ongoing Phase 3 clinical study of toripalimab in combination with standard chemotherapy as the first-line treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC reached its primary endpoint of PFS at the interim analysis in December 2020. Top-line results are expected later in 2021.
CHS-201, a biosimilar Lucentis (ranibizumab) product candidate in collaboration with Bioeq AG:

Bioeq AG expects to file the CHS-201 BLA mid-year 2021, following a supportive pre-BLA meeting with the FDA earlier in the first quarter of 2021. Bioeq reviewed new manufacturing data with the FDA, which the agency requested last year, as well as other elements of the BLA filing.
CHS-1420, a wholly owned biosimilar Humira (adalimumab) product candidate:

The FDA accepted for review the BLA for CHS-1420 and assigned a target action date in December 2021. The FDA has completed the on-site portion of the pre-approval drug substance CMC inspection, with no Form 483s being issued. Coherus plans to launch CHS-1420 on or after July 1, 2023, if approved.
CHS-305, a biosimilar Avastin (bevacizumab) product candidate in collaboration with Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd:

Coherus initiated the three-way pharmacokinetic study to facilitate the potential BLA submission. Recruitment into the study has been slower than expected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Coherus now expects data from this study around year end 2021.
Coherus is planning an analyst day event in the fourth quarter of 2021.

FIRST QUARTER 2021 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Net product revenue, consisting of net sales of UDENYCA, was $83 million for the first quarter of 2021. Net Product revenue declined in comparison to the prior quarter and the first quarter of 2020 due to an increase in discounts and allowances, as well as a reduction in ex-factory units sold due to seasonal fluctuations in wholesale inventory levels in the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the first quarter of 2021 were $203.5 million, compared to $33.1 million for the same period in 2020. The increase was mainly due to the $145 million upfront payment to Junshi Biosciences upon the closing of the collaboration agreement in March, the $11.5 million charge related to the termination of the CHS-2020 program, and higher development costs in support of the advancement of toripalimab and the biosimilar pipeline product candidates.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $39.4 million in the first quarter of 2021 as compared to $35.4 million in the year ago quarter. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in stock based compensation expense.

Net loss for the first quarter of 2021 was $172.9 million, or $2.37 per share on a diluted basis, compared to a net income of $35.6 million, or $0.48 per share on a diluted basis for the same period in 2020.

Non-GAAP net income for the first quarter of 2021 was $0.4 million, or $0.01 per share on a diluted basis, compared to non-GAAP net income of $49.8 million, or $0.67 per share on a diluted basis for the same period in 2020. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for a discussion on how Coherus calculates non-GAAP net income and a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measures.

Cash, cash equivalents and investments in marketable securities were $399.5 million as of March 31, 2021, compared to $541.2 million at year end 2020. Subsequent to quarter end, Coherus received $50 million from Junshi Biosciences’ acquisition of 2,491,988 shares at a price per share of $20.06.

2021 FINANCIAL OUTLOOK

Coherus expects UDENYCA revenue and market penetration to rise in the second half of 2021, assuming the COVID-19 pandemic recedes and treatment patterns normalize, and subject to pricing trends in the overall pegfilgrastim market.

Excluding the $145 million upfront payment made to Junshi Biosciences in the first quarter, Coherus projects full year R&D and SG&A expenses in a range of $370 million to $400 million. External R&D spending is focused on manufacturing-related activities in preparation for the potential launch of toripalimab and CHS-1420, if approved, and development activities for CHS-305 and for additional presentations of UDENYCA. Increases in SG&A spending in 2021 are primarily driven by marketing activities and headcount to support UDENYCA and the potential launches in 2022 of toripalimab and CHS-201 (Lucentis biosimilar).

This financial guidance excludes the effects of any potential future strategic acquisitions, collaborations or investments, the exercise of rights or options related to collaboration programs, and any other transactions or items not yet identified or quantified. This guidance is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. See Forward-Looking Statements described in the section below and the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 to be filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission on May 6, 2021.

Conference Call Information

When: Thursday, May 6, 2021 starting at 4:30 p.m. ET

Dial-in: (800) 446-2782 (Toll-Free U.S. and Canada) or (847) 413-3235 (International)

Conference ID: 50149707

Webcast: View Source

Please join the conference call at least 10 minutes early to register. The webcast will be archived on the Coherus website.

On May 6, 2021 Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (NASDAQ: CORT), a commercial-stage company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs to treat severe metabolic, oncologic and psychiatric disorders by modulating the effects of cortisol, reported positive results from its 178-patient, controlled, Phase 2 trial of relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel in patients with recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (Press release, Corcept Therapeutics, MAY 6, 2021, https://ir.corcept.com/news-releases/news-release-details/addition-relacorilant-nab-paclitaxel-improves-progression-free [SID1234579334]).

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Women with platinum resistant ovarian cancer (n=60) who received 150 mg of relacorilant the day before, the day of and the day after their weekly nab-paclitaxel infusion exhibited a statistically significant improvement in progression free survival (hazard ratio 0.66, p-value 0.038) compared to women (n=60) who received nab-paclitaxel monotherapy; their median progression free survival was 1.8 months longer (5.6 vs 3.8 months). Safety data and tolerability data for the two groups were comparable. (See Figure 1)

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at View Source

A third cohort of patients (n=58) received a daily dose of relacorilant (100 mg per day, with titration to 150 mg per day at the investigator’s discretion) in addition to nab-paclitaxel. These patients’ median progression-free survival increased 1.5 months compared to the control arm, to 5.3 months, but this improvement did not reach statistical significance (hazard ratio 0.83).

"It’s impressive how this therapy extends the benefits of taxanes," said Professor Pamela Munster, MD, Director of the University of California San Francisco’s Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit and Co-leader of its Center for BRCA Research. "Patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer have few good treatment options. A therapy that significantly extends time to tumor progression without additional side effect burden would be an important advance."

Corcept has begun planning a pivotal Phase 3 trial.

About the Trial

This controlled, multi-center, Phase 2 trial enrolled 178 patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer in one of three study arms. Sixty patients received 150 mg relacorilant the day before, the day of and the day after their infusion of nab-paclitaxel. Fifty-eight patients received 100 mg relacorilant every day, with titration up to 150 mg permitted at the investigator’s discretion. The sixty patients in the control arm received nab-paclitaxel alone. All patients received nab-paclitaxel on Days 1, 8 and 15 of each 28-day cycle. Patients in the control arm received 100 mg/m2 of nab-paclitaxel. Because relacorilant increases nab-paclitaxel plasma levels, the nab-paclitaxel dose in patients receiving relacorilant was 80 mg/m2. The trial’s primary endpoint was progression free survival. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, objective response rate and duration of response. The trial is being conducted at 28 sites in the United States and Europe. Additional information about the study (NCT03776812) can be obtained at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.

About Relacorilant

Relacorilant is a non-steroidal, selective modulator of the glucocorticoid receptor that does not bind to the body’s other hormone receptors. Corcept is studying relacorilant in a variety of serious disorders, including ovarian, pancreatic and castration-resistant prostate cancer and Cushing’s syndrome. Relacorilant is proprietary to Corcept and is protected by composition of matter and method of use patents. It has received orphan drug designation in the United States for the treatment of Cushing’s syndrome and pancreatic cancer.

On May 6, 2021 Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOR) reported its financial results for the first quarter 2021 (Press release, Acorda Therapeutics, MAY 6, 2021, View Source [SID1234579333]).

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"We were pleased to see the increase in INBRIJA net sales in the first quarter of 2021 over the same quarter of 2020. In addition, our organic growth, measured by the increase in dispensed cartons, was 25% compared to the first quarter of 2020 and also an acceleration versus last quarter. This is an encouraging sign that we may be starting to see the impact of a receding pandemic on our business," said Ron Cohen, M.D., Acorda’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "We continue to see renewed interest in ex-US commercial partnerships for INBRIJA, owing to the reduced cost of goods that resulted from the sale of our manufacturing operations to Catalent earlier this year, as well as clarity from the GBA in Germany indicating that an early benefit assessment would not be required. We are in active discussions with several parties for commercialization both in Europe and around the world."

"We were also pleased to see stable year-over-year quarterly sales for AMPYRA for the first time since it went generic in September 2018 and believe this is due to the strategies we have executed to maintain the brand. The strength of the AMPYRA brand is an important contributor to Acorda’s financial stability and to our goal of becoming cash-flow neutral by the end of 2022," Cohen continued. "We also plan to address our $69 million convertible debt payment that is coming due in June of 2021."

First Quarter 2021 Financial Results

For the quarter ended March 31, 2021, the Company reported INBRIJA net revenue of $5 million, compared to $4.4 million for the same quarter in 2020.

For the quarter ended March 31, 2021, the Company reported AMPYRA net revenue of $20.3 million compared to $20.1 million for the same quarter in 2020. In September 2018, AMPYRA lost its exclusivity and generics entered the market. Consequently, the Company expects AMPYRA revenue to continue to decline.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 were $4.7 million, including $0.2 million of share-based compensation compared to $7.7 million, including $0.4 million of share-based compensation for the same quarter in 2020.

Sales, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 were $34.0 million, including $0.5 million of share-based compensation compared to $41.1 million, including $1.5 million of share-based compensation for the same quarter in 2020.

Change in fair value of derivative liability for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 was $0.2 million compared to $(26.5) million for the same quarter in 2020.

Benefit from income taxes for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 was $3.2 million compared to a benefit from income taxes of $7.0 million for the same quarter in 2020.

The Company reported a GAAP net loss of $33.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, or $3.53 per diluted share. GAAP net loss in the same quarter of 2020 was $6.5 million, or $0.81 per diluted share.

Non-GAAP net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 was $23.3 million, or $2.46 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net loss in the same quarter of 2020 was $24.4 million, or $3.06 per diluted share. This quarterly non-GAAP net loss measure, more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures," excludes share-based compensation charges, non-cash interest charges on our debt, changes in the fair value of acquired contingent consideration, asset impairment charges, changes in the fair value of derivative liability related to our 2024 convertible senior secured notes, and expenses that pertain to non-routine corporate restructurings. A reconciliation of the GAAP financial results to non-GAAP financial results is included with the attached financial statements.

At March 31, 2021, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and restricted cash of $148.4 million, compared to $102.9 million at year end 2020. Restricted cash includes $31.1 million in escrow related to the 6% semi-annual interest portion, payable in cash or stock, of the 2024 convertible senior secured notes. If the Company elects to pay interest due in stock, the restricted cash will be released from escrow.

Financial Guidance

For the full-year 2021, Acorda continues to expect AMPYRA net revenue to be $75 – $85 million, and operating expenses to be $130 – $140 million. The operating expense guidance is a non-GAAP projection that excludes restructuring costs and share-based compensation as more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
Webcast and Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call and webcast in conjunction with its first quarter 2021 update and financial results today at 4:30 p.m. EDT.

To participate in the Webcast/Conference Call, please note there is a new pre-registration process.

To register for the Webcast, use the link below:
View Source

To register for the Conference Call, use the link below:
View Source

**When registering please type your phone number with no special characters**

Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email with Webcast/Conference Call details. For the Webcast you will receive an email 2 hours prior to the start of the call with the link to join. The presentation will be available on the Investors section of www.acorda.com.

A replay of the call will be available from 7:30 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2021 until 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 3, 2021. To access the replay, please dial (800) 585-8367 (domestic) or (416) 621-4642 (international); reference code 2996776. The archived webcast will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Acorda website at www.acorda.com.

On May 6, 2021 Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) reported that it will present at the 2021 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Virtual Healthcare Conference at 11:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 (Press release, Amgen, MAY 6, 2021, View Source [SID1234579328]). David M. Reese, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development, Murdo Gordon, executive vice president of Global Commercial Operations and Peter H. Griffith, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Amgen, will present at the conference. Live audio of the conference call will be broadcast over the internet simultaneously and will be available to members of the news media, investors and the general public.

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The webcast, as with other selected presentations regarding developments in Amgen’s business given at certain investor and medical conferences, can be accessed on Amgen’s website, www.amgen.com, under Investors. Information regarding presentation times, webcast availability and webcast links are noted on Amgen’s Investor Relations Events Calendar. The webcast will be archived and available for replay for at least 90 days after the event.

On May 6, 2021 CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, and Nkarta, Inc. (NASDAQ: NKTX), a biopharmaceutical company developing engineered NK cell therapies to treat cancer, reported a strategic partnership to research, develop, and commercialize CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited cell therapies for cancer (Press release, Nkarta, MAY 6, 2021, View Source [SID1234579318]).

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Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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Under the agreement, the companies will co-develop and co-commercialize two CAR NK cell product candidates, one targeting the CD70 tumor antigen and the other target to be determined. In addition, the companies will bring together their complementary cell therapy engineering and manufacturing capabilities to advance the development of a novel NK+T product candidate harnessing the synergies of the adaptive and innate immune systems. Finally, Nkarta obtains a license to CRISPR gene editing technology to edit five gene targets in an unlimited number of its own NK cell therapy products.

CRISPR Therapeutics and Nkarta will equally share all research and development costs and profits worldwide related to the collaboration products. For each non-collaboration product candidate incorporating a gene editing target licensed from CRISPR Therapeutics, Nkarta will retain worldwide rights and pay CRISPR Therapeutics milestones and royalties on net sales. The agreement includes a three-year exclusivity period between CRISPR Therapeutics and Nkarta covering the research, development, and commercialization of allogeneic, gene-edited, donor-derived NK cells and NK+T cells.

"By bringing together CRISPR Therapeutics’ and Nkarta’s highly complementary expertise and proprietary platforms we plan to accelerate the development of potentially groundbreaking genome engineered NK cell therapies," said Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at CRISPR Therapeutics. "This collaboration broadens the scope of our efforts in oncology cell therapy, and expands our efforts to discover and develop novel cancer therapies for patients."

"Uniting the best-in-class gene editing solution and allogeneic T cell therapy expertise of CRISPR with Nkarta’s best-in-class CAR NK cell therapy platform will be a major advantage to advancing the next wave of transformative cancer cell therapies," said Paul J. Hastings, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nkarta. "With this partnership, Nkarta can systematically apply world-class gene editing across our entire pre-clinical pipeline going forward. CRISPR’s deep understanding of CD70 biology and experience in allogeneic T cell clinical development can accelerate the development of early-stage Nkarta programs, to deliver innovative treatments to patients that much faster."

Nkarta Conference Call Details

Nkarta management will host a conference call to discuss the collaboration today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The event will be simultaneously webcast and available for replay from the Nkarta website at www.nkartatx.com, under the Investors section. Investors may also participate in the conference call by calling 877-876-9174 (domestic) or +1-785-424-1669 (international). The conference ID is NKARTA.