Anaptys Announces First Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

On May 9, 2024 AnaptysBio, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANAB), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on delivering innovative immunology therapeutics, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 and provided a business update (Press release, AnaptysBio, MAY 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234642975]).

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"This quarter, we continued to enroll patients globally across three Phase 2 trials for our two best-in-class checkpoint agonists: ANB032, our BTLA agonist, and rosnilimab, our PD-1 agonist. By year end, we anticipate sharing top-line data from ANB032’s Phase 2b trial in atopic dermatitis, as well as moving our two pre-clinical immune cell modulators, ANB033 and ANB101, into clinical development," said Daniel Faga, president and chief executive officer of Anaptys. "Additionally, we are excited to further strengthen our balance sheet by adding $50 million through a capped non-recourse monetization of Jemperli royalties as well as share incremental data from the imsidolimab Phase 3 program."
Updates on Wholly Owned Immune Cell Modulator Pipeline
ANB032 (BTLA agonist antibody)
•Enrollment ongoing for global Phase 2b trial in moderate-to-severe AD
◦160 patient placebo-controlled trial assessing three dose levels of subcutaneously administered ANB032 (randomized 1:1:1:1) for a 14-week treatment duration and then followed for a six-month off-drug follow-up period
◦Reiterating top-line Week 14 data anticipated by year-end 2024
•Primary endpoint in Phase 2b trial to be updated from absolute change in EASI score to EASI-75 at Week 14, which is a well-accepted registrational endpoint that enables more relevant comparisons to benchmark therapies
•Presented posters on previously reported ANB032 preclinical data supporting the modulation of dendritic cell (DC) maturation and function and preclinical graft vs. host disease (GvHD) data at the 2024 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in March 2024 and American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Annual Meeting in May 2024
•Poster presentations are available at View Source
Rosnilimab (PD-1 agonist antibody)
•Enrollment ongoing for global Phase 2b trial in moderate-to-severe RA

◦420-patient placebo-controlled trial assessing three dose levels of subcutaneously administered rosnilimab (randomized 1:1:1:1) for a 12-week treatment duration on well-established endpoints, including DAS28-CRP, CDAI and ACR20/50/70
▪At Week 14, rosnilimab-treated patients who achieve low disease activity, defined as CDAI<=10, are eligible to be dosed for an additional 16-week all-active treatment period and then followed for a three-month off-drug follow-up period
◦Reiterating top-line Week 12 data anticipated by mid 2025
•Enrollment ongoing for global Phase 2 trial in moderate-to-severe UC
◦130-patient placebo-controlled trial assessing two dose levels of subcutaneously administered rosnilimab (randomized 1:1:1) for a 12-week treatment duration on well-established endpoints, including clinical response on modified Mayo score (mMS), clinical remission on mMS and endoscopic remission
▪Rosnilimab and placebo-treated patients who achieved clinical response on mMS are eligible to continue on their assigned treatment for an additional 12 weeks, while patients on placebo who are non-responders will be crossed over to the high-dose rosnilimab treatment arm, in an all-active treatment period and then followed for a three-month off-drug follow-up period
◦Reiterating top-line Week 12 data anticipated by H1 2026
•Presented poster on previously reported rosnilimab Phase 1 data and membrane proximal binding epitope to optimize PD-1 agonist signaling at the 19th Congress of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) in February 2024
◦Poster presentation is available View Source
ANB033 (anti-CD122 antagonist antibody)
•Plan to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in Q2 2024
ANB101 (BDCA2 modulator antibody)
•Plan to submit an IND application in H2 2024
Updates on Legacy Clinical-Stage Cytokine Antagonist Programs Available for Out-Licensing
•Announced positive top-line results from its global GEMINI-1 and GEMINI-2 Phase 3 trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of investigational imsidolimab (IL-36R mAb) in patients with generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP)
◦See full press release at View Source
•Plan to submit a comprehensive data abstract for GEMINI-1 and GEMINI-2 to a H2 2024 medical meeting
•Intend to out-license imsidolimab in 2024
Updates on GSK Immuno-Oncology Financial Collaboration
•Announced a $50 million capped non-recourse monetization from amended agreement with Sagard in exchange for additional Jemperli (dostarlimab) royalties
◦See full press release at View Source

•GSK anticipates top-line data in H2 2024 from the FIRST Phase 3 trial for platinum-based therapy with dostarlimab and niraparib versus platinum-based therapy as first-line treatment of Stage III or IV nonmucinous epithelial ovarian cancer
•GSK anticipates top-line data in 2025 from COSTAR Lung Phase 3 trial comparing cobolimab, a TIM-3 antagonist, plus dostarlimab, a PD-1 antagonist, plus docetaxel to dostarlimab plus docetaxel to docetaxel alone in patients with advanced NSCLC who have progressed on prior anti-PD-(L)1 therapy and chemotherapy
First Quarter Financial Results and Cash Runway
•Excluding the $50 million in proceeds from the capped non-recourse monetization of Jemperli royalties by Sagard, cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $370.1 million as of March 31, 2024, compared to $417.9 million as of December 31, 2023, for a decrease of $36.9 million relating primarily to cash used for operating activities as well as a one-time non-operating cash payment of $10.9 million during the quarter.
◦Reiterating cash runway through year-end 2026
•Collaboration revenue was $7.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $1.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The change is due primarily to increased royalties recognized for sales of Jemperli.
•Research and development expenses were $37.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $35.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The increase was due primarily to development costs for rosnilimab, ANB032 and ANB033 offset by a decrease in development costs for imsidolimab. The R&D non-cash, stock-based compensation expense was $3.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 as compared to $2.8 million in the same period in 2023.
•General and administrative expenses were $12.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $10.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The G&A non-cash, stock-based compensation expense was $6.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 as compared to $6.1 million in the same period in 2023.
•Net loss was $43.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, or a net loss per share of $1.64, compared to a net loss of $44.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, or a net loss per share of $1.58.

AMGEN TO PRESENT AT THE BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH GLOBAL HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE

On May 9, 2024 Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) reported that it will present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Healthcare Conference at 9:20 a.m. PT on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Peter Griffith, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Amgen, and Jay Bradner, executive vice president of Research and Development and chief scientific officer at Amgen, will present at the conference (Press release, Amgen, MAY 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234642974]). The webcast 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 by management at certain investor and medical conferences, can be found 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.

Alector to Participate in Upcoming Healthcare Conferences

On May 9, 2024 Alector, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALEC), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering immuno-neurology, reported that management will participate in the following upcoming investor conferences (Press release, Alector, MAY 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234642973]):

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Bank of America Securities Health Care Conference (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 8:55 a.m. PT, corporate presentation
H.C. Wainwright 2nd Annual BioConnect Investor Conference (New York, New York)
Monday, May 20, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. ET, fireside chat
A webcast of each conference presentation will be available on the "Events & Presentations" page within the Investors section of the Alector website at View Source Replays of the webcasts will be available on the Alector website for 90 days following the presentation dates.

Akoya Biosciences and NeraCare Enter into an Exclusive Agreement to Enable Personalized Therapy Selection for Early-Stage Melanoma Patients

On May 9, 2024 Akoya Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKYA), The Spatial Biology Company, and NeraCare, a leading developer of laboratory tests for the prognosis of melanoma patients, reported an exclusive agreement today under which the parties will develop market opportunities for combining Akoya’s PhenoImager HT platform and NeraCare’s Immunoprint assay for patient stratification and therapy selection in early-stage melanoma patients (Press release, Akoya Biosciences, MAY 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234642972]).

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Melanoma is the leading cause of skin cancer-related deaths, with over 235,000 new diagnoses globally every year. Recent approvals of immune- and targeted therapies have greatly expanded the available treatment options for adjuvant therapy. Nonetheless, a significant number of early-stage melanoma patients remain at high risk of relapse and mortality without access to such therapies. As the majority of melanoma patients are diagnosed with early stage disease, there is a critical unmet medical need to identify those at-risk patients to potentially enable earlier access to life-saving therapeutic agents.

"NeraCare’s Immunoprint assay has demonstrated robust clinical performance in identifying early-stage melanoma patients at high risk of relapse through multiple, independent, prospective and retrospective clinical studies. The Immunoprint high-risk patient group has a risk of relapse comparable to those patients in later stages with approved adjuvant therapies. Therefore, the Immunoprint high-risk patient group is ideally suited to potentially benefit from these therapeutic options that would usually only be administered in later stages. We believe Immunoprint is in a class of its own in terms of the potential to positively impact patients’ lives," said Daniel von Janowski, Co-Founder of NeraCare.

At this year’s ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, updated clinical data from the MELARISK-001 study in stage IB/IIA will be presented.

"We are pleased to partner with Akoya Biosciences, a leader in spatial biology. The PhenoImager HT platform, with its powerful multiplex immunofluorescence capabilities, is an excellent match for our Immunoprint assay. This combination enables precise and efficient spatial phenotyping while using a minimal number of tissue sections," said Friedrich Ackermann, Co-Founder of NeraCare.

"We are thrilled to partner with NeraCare in efforts to bring this game changing test to market and drive better patient care. Our collaboration is a testament to the power that spatial multiplexing can bring beyond research and into the clinic," said Brian McKelligon, CEO of Akoya Biosciences. "Immunoprint has demonstrated unparalleled clinical utility to identify high risk patients, and our collaboration is a critical first step towards helping to serve the unmet need to increase therapeutic intervention for patients with this life-threatening disease."

Commit Biologics launches with €16m seed financing to pioneer complement system activation to treat cancer and autoimmune disease

On May 9, 2024 Commit Biologics, a pioneer in the activation of the complement system to treat cancer and autoimmune disease, reported it exits from stealth with €16m in seed funding from Bioqube Ventures and Novo Holdings (Press release, Commit Biologics, MAY 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234642908]).

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Commit plans to accelerate development of its Bispecific Complement Engaging (BiCE) platform, which uses single domain antibodies that bind to the complement protein C1q to activate the complement system, a fast-acting and potent part of the innate immune system. BiCE is a modular system that can arm antibodies to direct the complement system in a highly targeted way, so that it selectively kills cancer cells or immune cells that drive autoimmune diseases.

Commit is a spin-out from Aarhus University in Denmark, which has built a global reputation as a center of excellence in complement system biology over the last three decades. The Company was initially incubated and supported by the BioInnovation Institute in Denmark.

Krishna Polu, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Commit Biologics, said: "This financing from Novo Holdings and Bioqube Ventures validates our pioneering approach of engaging and activating the complement system for therapeutic purposes. Our BiCE platform gives us the ability to engage the complement system so that it attacks targeted cells in a highly selective manner. This platform also means we can use established antibodies, which cuts development times and reduces risk, to develop best-in-class therapeutics. This is a novel way of harnessing the immune system to tackle cancer and autoimmune disease, and we are confident in the tremendous potential it offers."

Jeroen Bakker, Partner at Novo Holdings, said: "With over 30 years of academic rigor from leaders in the complement field behind it, Commit is now unlocking the potential of the complement system to transform the fight against cancer and autoimmune diseases. The team has an incredible track record of domain expertise, and we look forward to working with them to support them on their journey."

Roderick Verhelst, Principal at Bioqube Ventures, said: "We believe Commit is doing something truly novel in the field of complement and advancing a technology with a multitude of therapeutic applications. Through its direct engagement of the complement system, this BiCE technology is a best-in-class approach for complement activation. The ability to arm conventional antibodies with potent complement activators for the development of targeted cell killing therapeutics is also a very attractive way of accelerating and derisking product development."

Commit’s uniquely engineered and highly specific approach to triggering the complement system is expected to have a wide therapeutic index and broad applicability. BiCE technology is modular and active across multiple tumor-associated and target antigens. This approach to activating the immune system can be used in conjunction with other mechanisms of action, such as T-cell directed therapies or other targeted treatments. While antibody drug conjugates, T-cell engagers and CAR-Ts have made important advances in recent years, these approaches can be limited by toxicities, specific target density considerations, and – with T-cell directed therapies – T-cell exhaustion. The BiCE technology can potentially address these limitations to enable the development of effective therapeutic options for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases.