On May 9, 2024 AnaptysBio, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANAB), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on delivering innovative immunology therapeutics, reported the execution of an amended agreement with Sagard Healthcare for additional Anaptys Jemperli (dostarlimab) royalties (Press release, AnaptysBio, MAY 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234643035]). Anaptys intends to utilize the proceeds of the transaction to continue the broad development of its immune cell modulators (ICMs), including its best-in-class checkpoint agonists, in heterogeneous, systemic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

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"We believe this amended agreement with Sagard further validates the commercial potential of Anaptys-discovered Jemperli and brings significant non-dilutive funding to Anaptys, further strengthening our balance sheet," said Daniel Faga, president and chief executive officer of Anaptys. "This additional capital will further enable investment across our industry leading ICM portfolio where we expect to end 2024 with four programs in clinical development to potentially bring transformational medicines to patients."

"We are thrilled to amend our partnership with Anaptys on this royalty transaction which reflects our growing confidence in Jemperli plus chemotherapy as a treatment for patients with certain types of endometrial cancer, as well as the potential of Jemperli as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapeutics to treat a broad range of solid tumor cancers. Sagard’s investment is aligned with our goal of accelerating biopharmaceutical innovation by providing our partners with flexible sources of financing," said Ali Alagheband, partner at Sagard.

Upon closing of this transaction, which is anticipated by the end of next week, Sagard will pay Anaptys $50 million upfront in exchange for royalties payable to Anaptys under its GSK collaboration on all annual global net sales of Jemperli. The amended agreement now includes the royalty tiers of 12% to 25% for annual global net sales above $1 billion.

Unchanged from the prior agreement, Sagard receives royalties of 8% for annual global net sales below $1 billion and may also receive up to a total of $105 million in potential cash milestones, of which $15 million are subject to certain future Jemperli regulatory filing and approval milestones and up to $90 million are subject to certain commercial sales milestones due prior to Jemperli achieving the $1 billion in annual global net sales threshold.

A $75 million milestone due upon Jemperli achieving the $1 billion in annual global net sales threshold remains not subject to this agreement. Also, royalties and milestones due to Anaptys upon further development and commercialization of the Anaptys-discovered anti-TIM-3 antagonist (cobolimab, (GSK4069889)) antibody under the GSK collaboration remain not subject to this agreement.

The capped aggregate Jemperli royalties and milestones to be received by Sagard under this amended agreement have been revised. Now, once Sagard receives an aggregate of either $600 million if received by March 31, 2031, or $675 million if received at any time thereafter, the agreement will expire, resulting in Anaptys regaining all subsequent Jemperli royalties and milestones under the GSK collaboration.

Goodwin Procter LLP is acting as counsel to Anaptys, and Foley Hoag LLP is acting as counsel to Sagard, in this monetization transaction.

About Jemperli

Jemperli is a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody that binds to the PD-1 receptor and blocks its interaction with the PD-1 ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2.

In the U.S., Jemperli is indicated in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by Jemperli as a single agent for the treatment of adult patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer that is dMMR, as determined by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved test, or MSI-H, and as a single agent for adult patients with dMMR recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer, as determined by a U.S. FDA-approved test, that has progressed on or following a prior platinum-containing regimen in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. The sBLA supporting this indication in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel for dMMR/MSI-H primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer received Breakthrough Therapy designation and Priority Review from the U.S. FDA. Jemperli is also indicated in the U.S. for patients with dMMR recurrent or advanced solid tumors, as determined by a U.S. FDA-approved test, that have progressed on or following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options. The latter indication is approved in the U.S. under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication in solid tumors may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s).

Jemperli was discovered by Anaptys and licensed to TESARO, Inc., under a collaboration and exclusive license agreement signed in March 2014. Under this agreement, GSK is responsible for the ongoing research, development, commercialization and manufacturing of Jemperli and cobolimab.

On May 9, 2024 ALX Oncology Holdings Inc., ("ALX Oncology" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: ALXO), an immuno-oncology company developing therapies that block the CD47 immune checkpoint pathway, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024, and provided a corporate update (Press release, ALX Oncology, MAY 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234643034]).

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"We entered the quarter with a great deal of momentum having achieved a key validating development milestone for our platform asset evorpacept in Q4 2023 by reporting positive results in a prespecified randomized interim analysis of ASPEN-06’s Phase 2 clinical trial in advanced HER2-positive gastric/GEJ cancer, becoming the first CD47 blocker to demonstrate anti-tumor activity in a global randomized study in solid tumors," said Jason Lettmann, Chief Executive Officer of ALX Oncology. "On the heels of this outstanding accomplishment, our first quarter efforts were focused on ensuring optimal clinical and operational execution as we advance our robust and maturing clinical-stage pipeline of best-in-class oncology programs that are reporting multiple value inflection datapoints in the coming months."

First Quarter 2024 Highlights and Recent Developments

Reported positive data from an ongoing investigator-sponsored trial ("IST") Phase 1/2 clinical trial of evorpacept in combination with standard-of-care in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma ("R/R B-NHL") in an oral presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting on April 9, 2024, in San Diego.
Twenty patients with indolent (n=18) and aggressive (n=2) R/R B-NHL received evorpacept plus standard rituximab and lenalidomide ("R2").
Evorpacept plus R2 was well tolerated with a safety profile similar to historical R2.
The combination achieved promising initial activity with a best overall response rate ("ORR") of 94% and a complete response rate ("CRR") of 83% in patients with indolent R/R B-NHL (R2 historical CRR benchmark is 34%).
The clinical trial is conducted and sponsored by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Received acceptance of two evorpacept abstracts from the 2024 American Society of Cancer Oncology ("ASCO") Annual Meeting taking place in Chicago from May 31-June 4, 2024.
Evorpacept plus enfortumab vedotin in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma: Phase 1a dose escalation results
Session Type and Title: Poster Presentation – Genitourinary Cancer – Kidney and Bladder
Session Date and Time: Sunday, June 2, 2024, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM CDT
Location: Hall A
Abstract Number: 4575 (ALX Oncology Sponsored Clinical Trial)
Results of a Phase 2 study of evorpacept (ALX148), cetuximab and pembrolizumab in patients with refractory microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer
Session Type and Title: Poster Presentation – Gastrointestinal Cancer – Colorectal and Anal
Session Date and Time: Saturday, June 1, 2024, 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM CDT
Location: Hall A
Abstract Number: 3530 (IST conducted by the University of Colorado Cancer Center and sponsored by the Academic GI Cancer Consortium)
Announced initiation of a Phase 2 IST of neoadjuvant radiation and evorpacept in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in patients with previously untreated and early-stage locally advanced, resectable, human papillomavirus-mediated oropharyngeal cancer.
The clinical trial is conducted and sponsored by the Hanna and Mark Gleiberman Head and Neck Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego.
Announced appointment of Allison Dillon, Ph.D., as Chief Business Officer.
Upcoming Clinical Milestones for Evorpacept’s Development Pipeline

Urothelial Carcinoma – Data from a Phase 1b ASPEN-07 clinical trial with PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) (ASCO: Embargo to lift on full abstract May 23, 2024; Poster to be presented on June 2, 2024)
Gastric/Gastroesophageal Junction ("GEJ") Cancer – Top line results from all 122 subjects in a Phase 2 randomized clinical trial of ASPEN-06 (July 2024)
Breast Cancer – Top line results from a Phase 1b I-SPY TRIAL with ENHERTU (fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki) (Q4 2024)
Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma – Top line results from a Phase 2 randomized clinical trial of ASPEN-03 with KEYTRUDA (Q4 2024/Q1 2025)
Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma – Top line results from a Phase 2 randomized clinical trial of ASPEN-04 with KEYTRUDA and chemotherapy (Q4 2024/Q1 2025)
Gastric/GEJ Cancer – Initiation of Phase 3 registrational randomized clinical trial for evorpacept (Q4 2024)
First Quarter 2024 Financial Results:

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments: Cash, cash equivalents and investments as of March 31, 2024, were $184.5 million. Subsequent to March 31, 2024, the Company issued additional shares of common stock under its at-the-market ("ATM") offering for approximately $26.2 million in net proceeds, after deducting commissions. The Company believes its cash, cash equivalents and investments, recent proceeds from sales under its ATM offering, along with the ability to draw down an additional $40 million of its term loan are sufficient to fund planned operations well into Q1 2026.

Research and Development ("R&D") Expenses: R&D expenses consist primarily of pre-clinical, clinical and manufacturing expenses related to the development of the Company’s current lead product candidate, evorpacept, and R&D employee-related expenses. These expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024, were $31.7 million, compared to $24.8 million for the prior-year period. The $6.9 million increase was primarily attributable to increased clinical development costs from an increased number of active trials and patient enrollment as well as manufacturing of clinical trial materials to support a higher number of active clinical trials and future expected patient enrollment related to evorpacept, an increase of in personnel and related costs primarily driven by headcount growth, an increase in stock-based compensation expense related to a reclassification of stock-based compensation from G&A to R&D because of the change in roles for our former Chief Executive Officer who transitioned to the Chief Scientific Officer in September 2023, and an increase in other research costs primarily due to a development milestone payment related to ScalmiBio.

General and Administrative ("G&A") Expenses: G&A expenses consist primarily of administrative employee-related expenses, legal and other professional fees, patent filing and maintenance fees, and insurance. These expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024, were $6.0 million, compared to $7.4 million for the prior year period. The $1.4 million decrease was primarily due to lower stock-compensation expense related to a reclassification of stock-based compensation which increased R&D stock-based compensation as detailed under R&D expenses.
Net loss: GAAP net loss was $35.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, or ($0.71) per basic and diluted share, as compared to a GAAP net loss of $30.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, or ($0.74) per basic and diluted share. Non-GAAP net loss was $28.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, as compared to a non-GAAP net loss of $23.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial results can be found at the end of this news release.

On May 9, 2024 XOMA Corporation (NASDAQ: XOMA), the biotech royalty aggregator, reported its first quarter 2024 financial results and highlighted recent activities (Press release, Xoma, MAY 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234643021]).

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"We continue to build the foundation for accelerating value creation with a disciplined approach to capital deployment," stated Owen Hughes, Chief Executive Officer of XOMA. "In recent months, we’ve completed the acquisition of Kinnate, acquired economic interests in two commercial assets, as well as in two first-in-class Phase 3 assets, and initiated our first share buyback program on the heels of securing the VABYSMO royalty-backed loan with Blue Owl. Lastly, and most importantly, the FDA approved OJEMBA (tovorafenib), Day One Biopharmaceuticals’ type II RAF inhibitor for patients with relapsed or refractory pLGG harboring a BRAF fusion or rearrangement or BRAF V600 mutation, ushering in an important new treatment for children living with relapsed or refractory pLGG."

Key First Quarter Events

Partner

Event

Talphera XOMA added another commercial asset to its royalty portfolio with an economic interest in DSUVIA, which is marketed by Alora Pharmaceuticals. XOMA receives 100 percent of the DSUVIA economics until a threshold is achieved; thereafter, XOMA retains the 15 percent royalty associated with DSUVIA commercial sales. The 75 percent royalties from Department of Defense purchases and remaining milestone payments will be shared equally between XOMA and Talphera.
Kinnate Pharmaceuticals XOMA initiated the acquisition of Kinnate Pharmaceuticals for $2.5879 in cash per share, plus a non-tradeable contingent value right (CVR) representing the right to receive 85 percent of the net proceeds from the out license or sale of Kinnate assets effected on or before April 2, 2025, and 100% of the net proceeds received from Pierre-Fabre.
Zevra Therapeutics U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the arimoclomol NDA resubmission for review and set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of September 21, 2024. XOMA paid a $1 million milestone to LadRx based upon the achievement of this milestone.
Medexus FDA approved the pediatric label expansion application for IXINITY [coagulation factor IX (recombinant)].
Takeda Reported positive topline results from Phase 2 study evaluating mezagitamab (TAK-079), a potential best-in-class anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody for primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).i
LG Chem (AVEO Oncology) Dosed the first patient in the ficlatuzumab Phase 3 study, resulting in a $1 million milestone payment to XOMA.
Compugen Received a $1 million milestone payment from Compugen.
Subsequent Events

Partner

Event

Day One Biopharmaceuticals FDA approved Day One’s OJEMDA (tovorafenib) for use in pediatric patients with pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG). XOMA earned a $9 million milestone upon the approval and is entitled to receive mid-single digit royalties from OJEMDA sales.
Daré Bioscience XOMA added economic interests to three best- or first-in-category assets to its portfolio. XACIATO vaginal gel 2% is commercially available and marketed by Organon. Bayer holds the U.S. rights to commercialize Ovaprene, a hormone-free monthly intravaginal contraceptive, currently in Phase 3 clinical trials. XOMA also acquired a synthetic royalty in Sildenafil Cream, 3.6%, a Phase 3-ready asset for female sexual arousal disorder.
Rezolute Dosed first patient in its Phase 3 trial of RZ358; XOMA earned a $5.0 million milestone associated with the event.
Anticipated 2024 Events of Note

Partner

Event

Zevra Therapeutics September 21, 2024 – FDA PDUFA action date for arimoclomol NDA
Takeda In its press release dated March 13, 2024, Takeda announced plans to initiate a global Phase 3 trial of mezagitamab in ITP in fiscal year 2024.ii
First Quarter 2024 Financial Results

XOMA recorded total revenues of $1.5 million for the first quarter of 2024, which included a $1.0 million milestone payment received from AVEO Oncology, as compared with $0.4 million in the first quarter of 2023.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $33,000 and $54,000, respectively, for the first quarters of 2024 and 2023. Upon closing the Kinnate merger in the second quarter of 2024, XOMA assumed operations of Kinnate’s pipeline, as well as ongoing Phase 1 study, and will incur increased R&D costs until winddown activities are complete.

General and administrative ("G&A") expenses were $8.5 million for the first quarter of 2024, compared to $6.2 million for the first quarter of 2023. The increase of $2.3 million was primarily due to a $1.3 million increase in stock-based compensation and a $0.7 million increase in consulting and legal expenses. The increase in stock-based compensation expenses was largely due to the appointment of Mr. Hughes as our full-time Chief Executive Officer in January 2024.

In the first quarter of 2024, G&A expenses included $2.9 million in non-cash stock-based compensation expense, compared with $1.6 million in the first quarter of 2023. The increase in stock-based compensation expenses was largely due to the PSU grant associated with the appointment of Mr. Hughes as our full-time Chief Executive Officer in January 2024 combined with PSUs granted in May 2023.

Interest expense in the first quarter of 2024 was $3.6 million, representing interest related to the Blue Owl Loan established in December 2023.

The Company reported total other income, net, of $2.0 million in the first quarter of 2024, as compared to total other income, net, of $0.4 million in the corresponding period of 2023. The $1.6 million increase reflects a $1.3 million increase in investment income due to higher cash balances and higher market interest rates on our investments, as well as the change in the market price of Rezolute’s common stock.

Net loss for the first quarter of 2024 was $8.6 million, compared to a net loss of $9.8 million for the first quarter of 2023.

On March 31, 2024, XOMA had cash and cash equivalents of $142.4 million (including $6.2 million in restricted cash). On December 31, 2023, XOMA had cash and cash equivalents of $159.6 million (including $6.3 million in restricted cash). During the first quarter of 2024, XOMA received $9.8 million in cash from royalty and milestone payments and deployed $8 million to acquire new royalty and milestone economic interests. Net cash used in operating activities during the quarter was $4.9 million. On April 15, 2024, the Company paid a total of $1.4 million in cash dividends on the 8.625% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (Nasdaq: XOMAP) and the 8.375% Series B Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (Nasdaq: XOMAO).

On May 9, 2024 Xencor, Inc. (NASDAQ:XNCR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered antibodies for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 and provided a review of recent clinical and business highlights (Press release, Xencor, MAY 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234643020]).

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"We have focused our XmAb clinical pipeline and discovery activities on bispecific CD3 and CD28 T cell engagers, which continue to show clinical validation for their potential in treating patients with serious diseases. Our key clinical-stage oncology programs in solid tumors include XmAb819 (ENPP3 x CD3) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, XmAb808 (B7-H3 x CD28) in prostate cancer and other cancers, and XmAb541 (CLDN6 x CD3) in ovarian cancer and other cancers, which are all now advancing in Phase 1 clinical studies. We plan to select our next T cell engager IND candidate later this year," said Bassil Dahiyat, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer at Xencor. "Additionally, Xencor’s best-in-class Xtend antibody half-life extension technology continues to support improved outcomes for patients, with Ultomiris now approved in the U.S. for certain patients with NMOSD, and we are especially delighted by recently published results demonstrating an investigational antibody with Xtend was effective in preventing malaria."

Recent Clinical and Business Highlights
•First Patient Dosed in Phase 1 Study of XmAb541 (CLDN6 x CD3): XmAb541 is a bispecific antibody being developed for patients with CLDN6-positive tumors including advanced ovarian cancer. XmAb541 is designed to engage the immune system, activating T cells for highly potent and targeted killing of tumor cells expressing Claudin-6 (CLDN6), a tumor-associated antigen. Xencor’s XmAb 2+1 multivalent format used in XmAb541 enables greater selectivity for cells expressing CLDN6 over similarly structured Claudin family members, which may be expressed on normal tissue. The first patient was recently dosed in a Phase 1 dose-escalation study.

•FDA Approves Ultomiris (Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) for Adults with NMOSD: In March 2024, Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz), which incorporates Xencor’s Xtend Fc Domain, was approved in the United States as the first and only long-acting C5 complement inhibitor for the treatment of adult patients with anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody-positive (Ab+) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Ultomiris is also approved for certain adults with NMOSD in Japan and the European Union (EU). As part of Xencor’s recent Ultomiris royalty monetization, the Company remains eligible for certain future royalties and milestone payments. Ultomiris is a registered trademark of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

•Single Dose of Investigational Antibody with Xtend Confers Protection Against Malaria Infection: Results from a Phase 2 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that a single dose of L9LS, an experimental monoclonal antibody that incorporates Xencor’s Xtend Fc Domain, was up to 77% effective in preventing malaria in children in Mali for six months, demonstrating the long duration of action that Xtend technology can provide.

•New Chief Financial Officer Appointed: Bart Cornelissen was appointed as Xencor’s senior vice president and chief financial officer. He was most recently vice president, corporate finance at Seagen Inc.
Financial Guidance: Based on current operating plans, Xencor expects to end 2024 with between $475 million and $525 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable debt securities, and to have cash to fund research and development programs and operations into 2027.
Financial Results for the First Quarter Ended March 31, 2024
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable debt securities totaled $646.7 million as of March 31, 2024, compared to $697.4 million on December 31, 2023.
Revenues for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 were $12.8 million, compared to $19.0 million for the same period in 2023. Total revenues earned in the first quarter of 2024 included non-cash royalty revenue from Xencor’s Alexion and Morphosys/Incyte agreements, compared to milestone revenue earned from the J&J collaboration and royalties from the Alexion agreement in the first quarter of 2023.
Research and development expenses for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 were $56.9 million, compared to $65.6 million for the same period in 2023. Decreased research and development spending for the first quarter of 2024 compared to 2023 reflects changes in spending across multiple clinical-stage programs and wind-down costs on terminated programs.
General and administrative expenses for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 were $13.8 million and were in line with $14.2 million for the same period in 2023.
Other expense, net, for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 was $10.8 million, compared to $0.02 million for the same period in 2023. Increased other expense for the first quarter of 2024 compared to 2023 reflects impairment charge on equity investments, partially offset by interest income earned on investments and unrealized gain on equity investments.

Non-cash, stock-based compensation expense for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 was $11.4 million, compared to $12.6 million for the same period in 2023.

Net loss for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 was $68.0 million, or $(1.11) on a fully diluted per share basis, compared to $60.8 million, or $(1.02) on a fully diluted per share basis, for the same period in 2023.

The total shares outstanding were 61,634,685 as of March 31, 2024, compared to 60,381,600 as of March 31, 2023.
Upcoming Investor Conferences
Company management will participate at multiple upcoming investor conferences:
•RBC Capital Markets Global Healthcare Conference
Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Presentation Time: 2:05 p.m. ET / 11:05 a.m. PT
Location: New York City
•BofA Securities Health Care Conference
Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Presentation Time: 4:40 p.m. ET / 1:40 p.m. PT
Location: Las Vegas

Live webcasts of the presentations will be available under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors section of the Company’s website located at www.xencor.com. Replays of the events will be available on the Xencor website for at least 30 days following the presentations.

On May 9, 2024 Tempest Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TPST), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-classi targeted and immune-mediated therapeutics to fight cancer, reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, and provided a corporate update (Press release, Tempest Therapeutics, MAY 9, 2024, View Source [SID1234643019]).

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"The positive data and mechanistic analysis presented in the first quarter build on the positive preclinical and clinical data package for TPST-1120, further confirming and reinforcing our excitement about the potential of TPST-1120 in liver and kidney cancers, as well as other indications, and our confidence in the program as it moves closer to a pivotal Phase 3 study in first-line HCC," said Stephen Brady, president and chief executive officer of Tempest.

Recent Highlights

TPST-1120 (clinical PPARα antagonist):
Reported new preclinical data at the 2024 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting demonstrating that TPST-1120 reduces kidney cancer (RCC) growth as a monotherapy, while also showing increased inhibition when combined with frontline chemotherapy and immunotherapy. These data further support the clinical benefit observed in the TPST-1120 Phase 1 data presented in an oral presentation at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2022.
Published positive data from Phase 1 Trial of TPST-1120 in patients with advanced solid tumors in the Journal of Cancer Research Communications. Data showed that TPST-1120 demonstrated clinical activity, including tumor shrinkage, even in PD-1 inhibitor-refractory and immune-compromised cancers, and was well tolerated both as monotherapy and in combination with nivolumab. These data complement the positive Phase 1b/2 data reported in October 2023 from a global randomized study of TPST-1120 in combination with atezolizumab and bevacizumab in first-line patients with advanced HCC.
Presented new preclinical data showing potent anti-tumor activity in several cancer models treated with TPST-1120 alone or with immune checkpoint inhibitors at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2024 Spring Scientific Meeting. The presentation also covered experimental results that corroborated clinical biomarker data from patients with advanced solid tumor cancers treated in the Phase 1 clinical trial of TPST-1120 in multiple solid tumor indications, which showed statistically significant, exposure-dependent elevations in expression levels of multiple immune-related genes, and patients exhibiting objective responses displayed increased circulating free fatty acids (FFA), both of which are in-line with the proposed TPST-1120 mechanism of action.
Potential Future Milestones

TPST-1120 (clinical PPARα antagonist)
Expect to announce updated data from the ongoing randomized study in first-line HCC patients in 2024.
Plan to advance TPST-1120 into a registrational Phase 3 study in first-line HCC patients, subject to obtaining feedback from the FDA.
TPST-1495 (clinical dual EP2/4 prostaglandin receptor antagonist)
Plan to advance TPST-1495 into a Phase 2 study in patients with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis ("FAP") in 2024 under the auspices of the Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Network and funded by the National Cancer Institute ("NCI") Division of Cancer Prevention, subject to final approval of NCI.
Expect to report data from the combination arm at the two highest TPST-1495 doses in patients with advanced endometrial cancer, where prostaglandin signaling is implicated, in 2024.
Financial Results

First Quarter 2024

Tempest ended the quarter with $32.3 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $39.2 million on December 31, 2023.
Net loss and net loss per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, were $7.9 million and $0.36, respectively, compared to $7.6 million and $0.55, respectively, for the same period in 2023.
Research and development expenses for the quarter were $4.3 million compared to $4.7 million for the same period in 2023. The $0.4 million decrease was primarily due to a decrease in costs incurred from contract research organizations and third-party vendors.
General and administrative expenses for the quarter were $3.6 million compared to $2.9 million for the same period in 2023. The $0.7 million increase was primarily due to share-based compensation expenses and consulting services.
Based on its current cash and operating plan, Tempest expects to have sufficient resources to fund operations into the second quarter of 2025.