On August 4, 2022 Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: ADAP), a leader in cell therapy to treat cancer, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022 and provided a business update (Press release, Adaptimmune, AUG 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234617476]). For the three months ended June 30, 2022, Revenue was $5.5 million, Total Operating Expenses (Research and Development and General and Administrative) were $49.3 million, and Net Loss was $44.5 million.
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"We continue to demonstrate progress with our four focus areas for 2022: submitting our BLA for afami-cel, building a MAGE-A4 franchise, scaling up manufacturing capabilities, and advancing our allogeneic platform, pipeline and collaborations," said Adrian Rawcliffe, Adaptimmune’s Chief Executive Officer. "The data presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) further confirm the potential of afami-cel for the initial indication of synovial sarcoma with the BLA submission on-track for Q4 this year. To support commercialization of afami-cel and other products both near- and longer-term, we are investing in focused but scalable operational infrastructure to set us up for success. At the same time, we are carefully monitoring market conditions. We will continue to prudently manage expenses and stop or delay non-core activities."
Adaptimmune’s first potential commercial product, afami-cel, supported by positive data readouts
Biologics License Application (BLA) submission for afami-cel on track for Q4 2022
Adaptimmune is preparing its BLA and continues to target submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the fourth-quarter 2022 for the treatment of synovial sarcoma. This BLA is supported by data from Cohort 1 of the pivotal trial SPEARHEAD-1, which met its primary endpoint for efficacy. In addition, the Company has the following progress updates:
●Miltenyi Biotec vector facility released for cGMP manufacture
●Vector and T-cell product characterization nearing completion
●Method validation for commercial T-cell lot release assays (including potency assays) in progress
●Vector process performance qualification (PPQ) initiated
●Pre-market approval (PMA) for the companion diagnostic is on-track to be submitted simultaneously with BLA
Afami-cel presentation at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2022 – responses reported across all patient subgroups
As reported in June, data based on pooled analyses of characteristics associated with clinical responses (per investigator assessment) from both Cohort 1 of the SPEARHEAD-1 trial, as well as the Phase 1 trial of afami-cel in patients with advanced synovial sarcoma or myxoid/round cell liposarcoma (MRCLS), were presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper)
●Overall response rate was 36% in heavily pre-treated patients across both types of sarcomas (41% in synovial sarcoma and 10% for MRCLS), with a median duration of response of 52 weeks
●Patients who responded to afami-cel had longer progression-free survival (median 58 weeks) compared to non-responders (median 12 weeks)
●Responses occurred across all clinical subgroups, with greater response rates associated with lower baseline tumor burden, fewer prior lines of therapy, and higher MAGE-A4 expression
●Benefit:risk profile of afami-cel has been favorable, to date
Potential of next-gen MAGE-A4 targeted cell therapy in multiple solid tumors
Phase 1 signal-finding SURPASS trial update at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) in September
●The purpose of the next-generation ADP-A2M4CD8 program is to improve the potency of Adaptimmune’s first-generation product targeting MAGE-A4, afami-cel, to achieve meaningful clinical responses beyond sarcoma
●ADP-A2M4CD8 is being investigated in the SURPASS family of trials
●Last year, at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2021 Congress, Adaptimmune reported data from 22 evaluable patients with confirmed responses in ovarian, head and neck, esophagogastric junction, and bladder cancers from the Phase 1 signal-finding SURPASS trial, with this next-generation cell therapy
●Based on positive signals in gastroesophageal cancers in the Phase 1 SURPASS trial, Adaptimmune initiated a Phase 2 SURPASS-2 trial last year
●The Company plans to initiate an additional Phase 2 trial, SURPASS-3, this year for people with ovarian cancer, based on positive signals from the SURPASS Phase 1 trial
●On September 10, 2022 at 15:45 CET, Dr. David Hong from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, will present a data update from the Phase 1 signal-finding SURPASS trial at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2022 Congress
●Data at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) will include 44 patients who received ADP-A2M4CD8 and 43 patients will be evaluable for efficacy (as of the data cut-off date of August 01, 2022)
●On September 9th, the Company will host a live virtual event from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. EDT to discuss the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) data and its SURPASS family of trials
Corporate and other news
●Adaptimmune has implemented rigorous cost containment measures to enable delivery against its four key focus areas: submitting the BLA for afami-cel, building its MAGE-A4 franchise, scaling up manufacturing capabilities, and progressing the allogeneic platform
●To prioritize near- and mid-term value creation from its MAGE-A4 franchise, including the BLA submission for afami-cel and the SURPASS family of trials, Adaptimmune will delay submission of an IND for its new next-generation cell therapy ADP-A2M4N7X19, which it is developing in collaboration with Noile-Immune. Core preclinical activities will continue.
●Construction is underway to increase the Company’s cGMP manufacturing space at its Navy Yard site in Philadelphia, PA to support current clinical trials and future commercial products
●A dedicated allogeneic manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom is nearing completion, which will support the IND planned for 2023 for Adaptimmune’s wholly owned allogeneic cell therapy targeting MAGE-A4
Financial Results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022
●Cash / liquidity position: As of June 30, 2022, Adaptimmune had cash and cash equivalents of $97.8 million and Total Liquidity1 of $258.1 million, compared to $149.9 million and $369.6 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2021.
●Revenue: Revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 was $5.5 million and $9.1 million, respectively, compared to $3.1 million and $3.5 million for the same periods in 2021. Revenue has increased primarily due to an increase in development activities under our
1 Total liquidity is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is explained and reconciled to the most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP below
collaboration arrangements, in particular due to development activities under the Genentech Strategic Collaboration and License Agreement, which become effective in October 2021.
●Research and development (R&D) expenses: R&D expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 were $34.7 million and $71.5 million, respectively, compared to $28.9 million and $53.4 million for the same periods in 2021. R&D expenses increased due to an increase in the average number of employees engaged in research and development, increases in subcontracted expenditures and increases in in-process research and development costs. These were offset by an increase in reimbursements receivable for research and development tax and expenditure credits.
●General and administrative (G&A) expenses: G&A expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 were $14.6 million and $31.4 million, respectively, compared to $13.5 million and $27.4 million for the same periods in 2021 due to increases in employee-related costs and other corporate costs.
●Net loss: Net loss attributable to holders of the Company’s ordinary shares for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 was $44.5 million and $94.8 million, respectively ($(0.05) and $(0.10) per ordinary share), compared to $39.1 million and $76.8 million, respectively ($(0.04) and $(0.08) per ordinary share), for the same periods in 2021.
Financial Guidance
The Company believes that its existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, together with the additional payments under the Strategic Collaboration and License Agreement with Genentech, will fund the Company’s current operations into early 2024, as further detailed in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission following this earnings release.
Conference Call Information
The Company will host a live teleconference and webcast to provide additional details at 8:00 a.m. EDT (1:00 p.m. BST) today, August 4, 2022. A live webcast of the conference call and replay can be accessed at View Source Call in information is as follows: (800)-952-5114 (US or Canada) or +1 (416)-406-0743 (International and additional options available HERE). After placing the call, please ask to be joined into the Adaptimmune conference call and provide the confirmation code (5869059).