UroGen Pharma to Present at TD Cowen 44th Annual Health Care Conference

On February 26, 2024 UroGen Pharma Ltd. (Nasdaq: URGN), a biotech company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative solutions that treat urothelial and specialty cancers, reported that it will present at TD Cowen’s 44th Annual Health Care Conference on Monday, March 4, 2024 at 1:30pm EST (Press release, UroGen Pharma, FEB 26, 2024, View Source [SID1234640463]).

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TD Cowen 44th Annual Health Care Conference – March 4-6, 2024
Presentation: March 4, 2024 at 1:30 PM ET
Location: Boston, MA
Webcast Link: TD Cowen 44th Annual Health Care Conference (wsw.com)

A webcast from the conference will also be available via the Investors section of UroGen’s website, www.urogen.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for approximately 90 days.

Tempest to Present at the 44th Annual TD Cowen Healthcare Conference

On February 26, 2024 Tempest Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TPST), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-classi targeted and immune-mediated therapeutics to fight cancer, reported that Stephen Brady, president and chief executive officer of Tempest, will present at the 44th Annual TD Cowen Healthcare Conference on Monday, March 4, 2024 at 9:10 a.m. ET (Press release, Tempest Therapeutics, FEB 26, 2024, View Source [SID1234640462]).

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To access the live or archived recording of the presentation, please visit the investor section of the Tempest website at View Source

Syndax Announces Participation at Two Upcoming Investor Conferences

On February 26, 2024 Syndax Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: SNDX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing an innovative pipeline of cancer therapies, reported that members of its management team will participate in the following sessions at two upcoming investor conferences (Press release, Syndax, FEB 26, 2024, View Source [SID1234640461]):

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A fireside chat at TD Cowen’s 44th Annual Health Care Conference at 9:50 a.m. ET on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Boston, MA
A corporate panel discussion on leukemia at TD Cowen’s 44th Annual Health Care Conference at 12:50 p.m. ET on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Boston, MA
A fireside chat at the Barclays Global Healthcare Conference at 8:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 in Miami, FL
A live webcast of these sessions can be accessed from the Investor section of the Company’s website at www.syndax.com, where a replay will also be available for a limited time.

Rocket Pharmaceuticals Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results and Highlights Recent Progress

On February 26, 2024 Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCKT), a fully integrated, late-stage biotechnology company advancing a sustainable pipeline of genetic therapies for rare disorders with high unmet need, reported financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023 (Press release, Rocket Pharmaceuticals, FEB 26, 2024, View Source [SID1234640460]).

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"I am pleased with the strong results Rocket delivered in 2023, as we closed another successful year of progress across all six disclosed gene therapy programs spanning our AAV cardiovascular and LV hematology portfolios," said Gaurav Shah, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Rocket Pharma. "We are well poised to make further strides in 2024, notably expanding our commercial and operational capabilities to support the anticipated launch of KRESLADI (marnetegragene autotemcel) for severe LAD-I, representing Rocket’s first step in making our gene therapies available to patients who need them most. At the same time, we are laser focused on regulatory filings in Fanconi Anemia and continuing to advance our clinical programs in Danon Disease, PKP2-ACM and PKD in the year ahead. As we close the quarter, Rocket continues to solidify our industry leadership in gene therapy across multiple therapeutic areas and platforms as we seek to meet the needs of patients living with rare and devastating diseases."

Recent Pipeline and Operational Updates


Milestones remain on track for 2024 across pipeline of adeno-associated virus (AAV) cardiovascular and lentiviral (LV) vector hematology portfolios. The Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) and Biologics License Application (BLA) for Fanconi Anemia remain on track for filing with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), respectively, in the first half of 2024. Rocket is also progressing its Phase 2 pivotal study of RP-A501 for Danon Disease, Phase 2 pivotal study of RP-L301 for Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PKD), Phase 1 study of RP-A601 for PKP2-arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), and IND-enabling studies for BAG3-associated dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).


KRESLADITM for severe Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I (LAD-I) on track for PDUFA date of June 30, 2024. Based on the positive top-line efficacy and safety data from the global Phase 1/2 study and high unmet need in patients with severe LAD-I, the FDA accepted the BLA and granted Priority Review for KRESLADITM. On February 13, 2024, Rocket announced the FDA extended the Priority Review period by three months, to June 30, 2024, to allow additional time to review clarifying Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) information submitted by Rocket in response to FDA information requests. The FDA further confirmed that an advisory committee meeting is not needed. In support of its first product launch, Rocket continues to expand its commercial and operational infrastructure, including Qualified Treatment Center initiation, channel strategy, disease education, and payer engagement.


Published data from preclinical study of RP-A601 in PKP2-ACM. "AAV-Mediated Delivery of Plakophilin-2a Arrests Progression of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy in Murine Hearts: Preclinical Evidence Supporting Gene Therapy in Humans" was published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine. Results from the study demonstrated the potential of RP-A601 as a gene therapy for patients with PKP2-ACM.


Bolstered commercial and operational expertise of Board of Directors with appointment of R. Keith Woods. Mr. Woods is a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of experience spanning commercialization, global operations, business strategy and supply chain. He recently served as Chief Operating Officer of argenx, where he led its global commercial organization, including marketing, market access, medical affairs, program management, and supply chain, during the company’s successful transition to commercial stage. Mr. Woods launched Vyvgart, a treatment for a rare autoimmune condition that causes muscle weakness, generating more than $1 billion in sales.

Upcoming Investor Conferences


Cowen’s 44th Annual Health Care Conference: March 5, 2024


Leerink Partners Global Biopharma Conference: March 12, 2024


Needham 23rd Annual Virtual Healthcare Conference: April 9, 2024

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results


Cash position. Cash, cash equivalents and investments as of December 31, 2023, were $407.5 million.


R&D expenses. Research and development expenses were $41.7 million and $186.3 million for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to $50.0 million and $165.6 million for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2022, respectively. The increase in R&D expenses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, was primarily driven by increased compensation and benefits expense of $16.9 million due to increased R&D headcount, increased clinical trial costs of $14.5 million, and increased non-cash stock compensation expense of $5.0 million, offset by a decrease in manufacturing and development costs of $17.0 million.


G&A expenses. General and administrative expenses were $21.5 million and $73.3 million for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to $19.0 million and $58.8 million for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2022, respectively. The increase in G&A expenses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, was primarily driven by increases in commercial preparation expenses which consists of commercial strategy, medical affairs, market development and pricing analysis of $8.4 million and increased non-cash stock compensation expense of $3.4 million.


Net loss.

Net loss was $59.7 million and $245.6 million or $0.64 and $2.92 per share (basic and diluted) for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, compared to $66.7 million and $221.9 million or $0.92 and $3.26 per share (basic and diluted) for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2022.


Shares outstanding.

90,282,267 shares of common stock were outstanding as of December 31, 2023.

Financial Guidance


Cash position. As of December 31, 2023, Rocket had cash, cash equivalents and investments of $407.5 million. Rocket expects such resources will be sufficient to fund its operations into 2026, including producing AAV cGMP batches at the Company’s Cranbury, N.J. R&D and manufacturing facility and continued development of its six clinical and/or preclinical programs.

Revolution Medicines Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results and Update on Corporate Progress

On February 26, 2024 Revolution Medicines, Inc. (Nasdaq: RVMD), a clinical-stage oncology company developing targeted therapies for patients with RAS-addicted cancers, reported its financial results for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023, and provided an update on corporate progress (Press release, Revolution Medicines, FEB 26, 2024, View Source [SID1234640459]).

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The company’s strategic priorities for 2024 are focused on its pioneering RAS(ON) inhibitors:

Advancing its RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor RMC-6236 into monotherapy pivotal trials. Studies in second line (2L) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and in 2L pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) are expected to begin in the second half of 2024.
Expanding the reach of RMC-6236 monotherapy and/or combination regimens into earlier lines of therapy, RAS cancer genotypes beyond RAS G12X, and tumor types beyond NSCLC and PDAC. Patient dosing is underway in studies evaluating the combination of RMC-6236 + RMC-6291 and the combination of RMC-6236 + pembrolizumab.
Qualifying its mutant-selective inhibitors, RMC-6291 (G12C-selective inhibitor) and RMC-9805 (G12D-selective inhibitor), for late-stage development. Patient dosing is underway in the combination study evaluating RMC-6291 + pembrolizumab.
"2023 was a transformative year for Revolution Medicines and our pioneering RAS(ON) inhibitors. We showed that both RMC-6236 and RMC-6291 as single agents can deliver clinically meaningful antitumor responses at doses that are generally safe and well tolerated, results we believe provide broad clinical validation of our RAS(ON) inhibitor portfolio," said Mark A. Goldsmith, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer and chairman of Revolution Medicines. "With a year-end cash and investments balance of $1.85 billion after acquiring EQRx, we are well capitalized to execute exciting plans this year and beyond to advance our compelling development-stage pipeline, aiming to change the treatment landscape for patients living with RAS-addicted cancers."

Clinical Development Highlights

Studies to Support Advancing RMC-6236 into Pivotal Trial(s)

RMC-6236-001 (NCT05379985) is a clinical study of RMC-6236 monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors harboring diverse RAS mutations.

Following the preliminary safety and antitumor activity data in patients with NSCLC and PDAC presented at the Triple Meeting and ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress in October 2023, the company shared an update across the 80 to 400 mg daily dose range at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 9, 2024, that supports initiating pivotal trials in the second half of 2024.
With two months of additional follow-up, the safety profile remained relatively consistent. The company also shared favorable trends for the aggregate overall response rate (ORR) for patients with NSCLC in the low- to mid-40 percent range, and aggregate ORR for patients with PDAC in the mid-20 percent range. In the 300 mg dose cohort, patients with NSCLC and PDAC response rates trended higher than the aggregate ORR, with a disease control rate in the high-80 percent range.
While a maximum tolerated dose was not identified, dose escalation is now complete. Dose optimization is now focused on dose levels at or below 300 mg daily to support finalizing a recommended Phase 2 dose in NSCLC and PDAC.
The company is developing a more mature data package to support regulatory engagement for final dose selection and the expected launch of pivotal trials with RMC-6236. The company expects to disclose updated clinical safety, tolerability, and antitumor activity data in the second half of 2024 supporting initiation of a Phase 3 study of 2L treatment of patients with NSCLC and a Phase 3 study of 2L treatment of patients with PDAC. The company plans to initiate both of these studies in the second half of 2024.
Studies to Support Expanding the Reach of RMC-6236 into Earlier Lines of Therapy, RAS Cancer Genotypes Beyond RAS G12X, and Tumor Types Beyond NSCLC and PDAC
RMC-LUNG-101 (NCT06162221) is a clinical study of RMC-6236 or RMC-6291 in combination with pembrolizumab, with or without chemotherapy, in patients with advanced RAS-mutated NSCLC or KRAS G12C-mutated NSCLC, respectively.

Patient dosing is underway in both the RMC-6236 and RMC-6291 cohorts, and the company expects to disclose initial clinical PK, safety, tolerability, and antitumor activity data from both cohorts in the second half of 2024.
RMC-6236-001 (NCT05379985) is a clinical study of RMC-6236 monotherapy, and expansion cohorts were opened to evaluate patients with tumors harboring other RAS mutations beyond G12X, including G13X and Q61X mutations, and/or other tumor types, including colorectal cancer, melanoma, and gynecological malignancies.

Patient dosing is underway, and the company expects to disclose initial clinical PK, safety, tolerability, and activity data from the cohort expansions in the second or third quarter of 2024.
Studies to Qualify Mutant-Selective Inhibitors
RMC-6291-001 (NCT05462717) is a clinical study of RMC-6291 monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors harboring KRAS G12C mutations.

Following the preliminary safety and antitumor activity data presented at the Triple Meeting in October 2023, the company continues dosing patients at 200 mg twice daily.
RMC-6291-101 (NCT06128551) is a clinical study of RMC-6291 in combination with RMC-6236 in patients with advanced KRAS G12C-mutated solid tumors.

Patient dosing is underway, and the company expects to disclose initial clinical PK, safety, tolerability, and activity data in the second half of 2024.
RMC-9805-001 (NCT06040541) is a clinical study of RMC-9805 monotherapy in patients with advanced KRAS G12D-mutated solid tumors.

At the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, the company indicated that early study results confirmed RMC-9805 is orally bioavailable in patients, consistent with preclinical projections, including dose-dependent increases in exposure with once daily dosing. RMC-9805 cleared several dose levels with acceptable safety and tolerability, and no dose limiting toxicities had been reported.
The company expects to disclose initial clinical PK, safety, tolerability, and activity data in the second half of 2024.
RAS Innovation Engine
Beyond the first wave of clinical-stage RAS(ON) inhibitors, the company’s pipeline includes the RAS(ON) inhibitor development candidates, RMC-5127 (G12V), RMC-0708 (Q61H) and RMC-8839 (G13C).

Corporate and Financial Highlights

EQRx Acquisition
On November 9, 2023, the company completed its acquisition of EQRx, Inc. (EQRx), which added approximately $1.1 billion in net cash proceeds to its balance sheet after estimated post-closing EQRx wind-down and transition costs. At the closing, Dr. Sandra Horning joined the company’s board of directors. Wind-down of EQRx operations and activities is nearing completion.

Fourth Quarter Results

Cash Position: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $1.85 billion as of December 31, 2023, compared to $644.9 million as of December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily attributable to the acquisition of EQRx in November 2023 and the company’s public equity offering in March 2023.

Revenue: Total revenue was $0.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, compared to $15.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in revenue was due to the termination of the company’s collaboration agreement with Sanofi in 2023.

R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $148.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, compared to $66.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in clinical supply manufacturing and clinical trial expenses for RMC-6236, RMC-6291, and RMC-9805, an increase in personnel-related expenses related to additional headcount, and an increase in stock-based compensation. Research and development expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, included $13.1 million of expenses related to the wind-down of EQRx, which primarily consisted of non-recurring employee-related termination expenses and stock-based compensation expense related to the acceleration of EQRx equity awards in conjunction with the closing of the transaction.

G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $32.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, compared to $10.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in stock-based compensation and an increase in personnel-related expenses related to additional headcount. General and administrative expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, included $13.8 million of expenses related to the wind-down of EQRx, which primarily consisted of non-recurring employee-related termination expenses and stock-based compensation expense related to the acceleration of EQRx equity awards in conjunction with the closing of the EQRx transaction.

Net Loss: Net loss was $161.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, compared to net loss of $56.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2022. Net loss for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, included $26.9 million of operating expenses related to the wind-down of EQRx.

Full Year 2023 Financial Highlights

Revenue: Total revenue was $11.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $35.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in revenue was due to the termination of the company’s collaboration agreement with Sanofi in 2023.

R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $423.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $253.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in clinical supply manufacturing and clinical trial expenses for RMC-6236, RMC-6291, and RMC-9805, research expenses associated with the company’s pre-clinical portfolio, an increase in personnel-related expenses related to additional headcount, and an increase in stock-based compensation. Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023, included $13.1 million of expenses related to the wind-down of EQRx, which primarily consisted of non-recurring employee-related termination expenses and stock-based compensation expense related to the acceleration of EQRx equity awards in conjunction with the closing of the transaction.

G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $75.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $40.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in stock-based compensation and an increase in personnel-related expenses related to additional headcount. General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023, included $13.8 million of expenses related to the wind-down of EQRx, which primarily consisted of non-recurring employee-related termination expenses and stock-based compensation expense related to the acceleration of EQRx equity awards in conjunction with the closing of the EQRx transaction.

Net Loss: Net loss was $436.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to net loss of $248.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023, included $26.9 million of operating expenses related to the wind-down of EQRx.

2024 Financial Guidance
Revolution Medicines expects full year 2024 GAAP net loss to be between $480 million and $520 million, which includes estimated non-cash stock-based compensation expense of between $70 million and $80 million. Based on the company’s current operating plan, the company projects current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities can fund planned operations into 2027.

Webcast
Revolution Medicines will host a webcast this afternoon, February 26, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (1:30 p.m. Pacific Time). To listen to the live webcast, or access the archived webcast, please visit: View Source Following the live webcast, a replay will be available on the company’s website for at least 14 days.