Inhibikase Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter Financial Results and Highlights Recent Activity

On November 14, 2024 Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKT) ("Inhibikase" or "Company"), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing protein kinase inhibitor therapeutics to modify the course of Cardiopulmonary and Neurodegenerative disease through Abelson Tyrosine Kinase inhibition, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 and highlighted recent developments (Press release, Inhibikase Therapeutics, NOV 14, 2024, View Source [SID1234648401]).

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"The financing we concluded in October was a transformational moment for Inhibikase, and positioned us to advance IkT-001Pro into a late-stage clinical trial in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)," said Dr. Milton Werner, President and Chief Executive of Inhibikase. "This investment, with top tier dedicated healthcare investment funds, recognized the potential of IkT-001Pro to improve the lives of patients afflicted with PAH. We believe IkT-001Pro, a prodrug of imatinib, has the potential to ameliorate the safety and tolerability profile that precluded approval of imatinib for the treatment of PAH more than 10 years ago. This investment further validates the Company’s innovative approach to the development of kinase inhibitor therapeutics in the non-oncology setting."

Recent Developments and Upcoming Milestones:

Closed up to $275 million financing in October 2024 in support of advancing IkT-001Pro into a late-stage clinical trial in PAH
Private placement of approximately $110 million from the issuance and sale of shares of the Company’s common stock and accompanying warrants with potential aggregate financing of up to approximately $275 million upon the full cash exercise of the warrants issued in the private placement, before deducting placement fees and offering expenses. The financing will fund execution of the Phase 2b ‘702’ trial in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) and general corporate purposes.
Added three highly accomplished leaders in biopharmaceutical development and a Partner of Soleus Capital to the Board of Directors coincident with the financing:
Roberto Bellini, Managing Partner of BSQUARED Capital and former Chief Executive Officer of BELLUS Health Inc.
Amit Munshi, Chief Executive Officer of Orna Therapeutics and former CEO of Arena Pharmaceuticals,
Arvind Kush, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer of Candid Therapeutics and former CFO of RayzeBio
David Canner, Partner at Soleus Capital
In addition to joining the Board of Directors, Messers. Bellini, Munshi and Kush each participated in the financing; Mr. Bellini has been appointed Independent Chairperson of the Inhibikase Board.
Advancement of IkT-001Pro as a therapy in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension:
The Company received its Study May Proceed letter on September 9, 2024.
The active ingredient in IkT-001Pro, imatinib, has previously been shown to be disease-modifying for PAH. The Company believes that IkT-001Pro could have a more favorable safety and tolerability profile compared to imatinib for this indication.
Following the Company’s pre-NDA meeting with the FDA in January 2024, Inhibikase enhanced its manufacturing process development efforts for IkT-001Pro to support late-stage clinical development. Ongoing activities include development of new dosage forms, a more efficient production process and a high throughput tableting process that will lead to dosage forms for 001Pro tablets that are differentiated from generic imatinib mesylate in alignment with FDA feedback.
The last patient and last visit in the Phase 2 201 Trial evaluating risvodetinib (also known as IkT-148009) in untreated Parkinson’s disease occurred in October, 2024; topline data is expected in the fourth quarter of 2024. The trial randomized 126 patients total, 120 of which completed the 12 week double blind dosing period.
Third Quarter Financial Results

Net Loss: Net loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, was $5.8 million, or $0.65 per share, compared to a net loss of $4.6 million, or $0.75 per share in the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The net loss per share does not give effect to the shares issued in the October 2024 financing.

R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $4.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to $3.23 million in the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

SG&A Expenses: Selling, general and administrative expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 were $1.6 million compared to $1.62 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Cash Position: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $3.2 million as of September 30, 2024, which does not include the gross proceeds of approximately $110 million from the October 2024 Offering.

I-Mab Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results

On November 14, 2024 I-Mab (NASDAQ: IMAB) (the "Company"), a U.S.-based, global biotech company, exclusively focused on the development of highly differentiated immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, and highlighted recent pipeline progress and business updates (Press release, I-Mab Biopharma, NOV 14, 2024, View Source [SID1234648400]).

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"I-Mab is making excellent progress in advancing the development of our pipeline projects, supported by our strong cash balance, streamlined operating model, and a focused in-licensing strategy," said Dr. Sean Fu, CEO and Board Member of I-Mab. "In addition, Phase 1 data presented this year for uliledlimab, givastomig, and ragistomig at four international medical conferences highlight the strength of our early data sets for each program. These results have provided us with a strong foundation for advancing each molecule into expanded clinical trials, including Phase 2 studies, in the next year."

Pipeline Overview and Potential Upcoming Milestones:

Uliledlimab (CD73 antibody): Initiating a randomized Phase 2 combination study in first-line metastatic non-small cell lung cancer ("mNSCLC")

Uliledlimab (TJ004309) is an antibody designed to target CD73, the rate-limiting enzyme critical for adenosine-driven immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. I-Mab owns worldwide rights to uliledlimab outside of Greater China.

Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic ("PK/PD") Phase 1 data presented at the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer ("WCLC 2024") in September showed that uliledlimab achieved full target engagement with a positive correlation between the overall response rate ("ORR") in patients with mNSCLC and uliledlimab exposure.

The Company is on track to dose the first patient in the randomized Phase 2 study in patients with first-line mNSCLC testing multiple doses of uliledlimab in combination with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus standard of care in 1H 2025.

Givastomig (Claudin 18.2 x 4-1BB bispecific antibody): Ongoing Phase 1b escalation and expansion study in combination with nivolumab plus chemotherapy in first-line metastatic gastric cancer

Givastomig (TJ033721 / ABL111) is a bispecific antibody targeting Claudin 18.2 ("CLDN 18.2")-positive tumor cells that conditionally activates T cells via 4-1BB in the tumor microenvironment, with potential CLDN 18.2 specificity even in tumors with low levels of CLDN 18.2 expression. The program is being jointly developed with ABL Bio.

Topline Phase 1 monotherapy dose escalation and dose expansion data presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology ("ESMO 2024") in September 2024 showed promising objective responses in patients with gastric cancers expressing CLDN 18.2 across low and high levels and defined the optimal monotherapy dose range (8-12 mg/kg). The study showed an ORR of 16.3% (7/43), including seven partial responses ("PR") at doses between 5 mg/kg and 18 mg/kg, with five of the seven patients (71%) having received prior checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Stable disease ("SD") was reported in 14 patients, with a disease control rate ("DCR") of 48.8% (21/43 patients). The safety profile was favorable, with mainly grade 1 or 2 treatment-related adverse events ("TRAEs") and no observations of dose-limiting toxicities ("DLTs") or identification of a maximum tolerated dose ("MTD").

I-Mab presented a poster highlighting Phase 1 pharmacokinetic modeling data for optimizing dose estimation of givastomig at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) ("SITC 2024") on November 9, 2024, based on three clinical studies and additional nonclinical data. The studies demonstrated a dose-response relationship for givastomig and supported 8-12 mg/kg administered every two weeks ("Q2W") as the optimal monotherapy dose range for gastric cancer patients.

Topline data from the on-going Phase 1b study evaluating givastomig in combination with nivolumab plus chemotherapy are expected in 2H 2025 in patients with treatment-naïve CLDN 18.2-positive metastatic gastric cancer. The primary endpoint is safety, with secondary endpoints including tumor response, PK/PD, and survival.

Ragistomig (PD-L1 x 4-1BB bispecific antibody): Ongoing Phase 1 dose escalation and dose expansion in advanced and/or PD-L1 positive, solid tumors

Ragistomig (TJ-L14B / ABL503) is a bispecific, Fc-silent antibody designed to provide anti-PD-L1 activity and conditional 4-1BB-driven T-cell activation in one molecule. The program is being jointly developed with ABL Bio.

In October, the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") issued a composition of matter patent for ragistomig, providing coverage through February 2039, before consideration of any potential patent term extensions.

Additional dose schedules are being explored to maximize the therapeutic index in advanced and/or PD-L1-positive solid tumors.

Significant Strategic Progress and Corporate Development


Appointment of Dr. Sean (Xi-Yong) Fu, PhD, MBA, as Chief Executive Officer: Dr. Fu was appointed as the Company’s permanent Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") effective November 1, 2024. Dr. Fu has served as the Company’s Interim CEO since July 15, 2024. Dr. Fu will continue to serve as a member of the I-Mab Board of Directors. Dr. Fu has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences industry, leading and developing clinical-stage assets.

Sanofi S.A. ("Sanofi") / TJ Biopharma ("TJ Bio") agreement for uliledlimab: On September 25, 2024, Sanofi and TJ Bio entered into a collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize uliledlimab in Greater China. The agreement includes an initial payment and near-term milestone payments totaling approximately €32 million, with the potential to receive up to €213 million in success-based milestone payments plus tiered royalties based on sales, with upside from potential expanded indications. I-Mab holds worldwide rights, excluding Greater China.

Settlement of remaining repurchase obligations: I-Mab settled the remaining RMB equivalent of approximately $15 million in redemption obligations related to the divestiture of its China operations in mid-September 2024. As previously disclosed, in connection with the divestiture of I-Mab’s China operations, certain non-participating shareholders of TJ Bio commenced arbitration against I-Mab Biopharma Hong Kong Limited. As reported in the Company’s 1H 2024 business update, the RMB equivalent of $17.3 million related to the ongoing arbitration with certain non-participating shareholders was settled from funds previously placed into escrow, which was accounted for in prepayments and other current assets. I-Mab’s ownership in TJ Bio post-settlement of the repurchase obligations is approximately 15%. As a result of the settlement of the redemption obligations, the corresponding put right liability was fully extinguished.
Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Cash Position

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $184.4 million, compared to $311.0 million as of December 31, 2023. There was $10.8 million of cash classified as discontinued operations as of December 31, 2023. The Company expects its existing cash and cash related balances to be sufficient to fund its current operating plan into 2027.

Shares Outstanding

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had 187,452,500 ordinary shares issued and outstanding, representing the equivalent of 81,501,087 ADSs, assuming the conversion of all ordinary shares into ADSs.

Research & Development Expenses

Research and development ("R&D") expenses were $4.5 million and $15.7 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, compared to $5.1 million and $13.3 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. R&D costs for the three months ended September 30, 2024, were $0.6 million lower than the comparable period in 2023, primarily due to streamlined clinical pipeline activities. R&D costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, were $2.4 million higher than the comparable period in 2023, driven by higher clinical trial costs associated with the preparation of enrollment for the uliledlimab Phase 2 combination study and increased spend on the givastomig Phase 1b dose expansion study. These higher costs were partially offset by decreased share-based compensation expense.

Administrative Expenses

Administrative expenses were $7.9 million and $22.3 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, compared to $5.9 million and $19.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. The increase of $2.0 million and $2.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, were primarily driven by legal costs associated with the litigation against Inhibrx, Inc., partially offset by lower share-based compensation expense.

Other Income (Expenses), Net

Other income (expenses), net were $(10.5) million and $(5.0) million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, compared to $2.4 million and $(9.1) million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. The $12.9 million increase in other expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2024, was primarily driven by the settlement of the TJ Bio repurchase obligations. The $4.1 million decrease in other expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, was primarily driven by a smaller impact from foreign exchange losses for the current period, partially offset by the settlement of the TJ Bio repurchase obligations.

Net Loss from Continuing Operations

Net loss from continuing operations was $(20.5) million and $(38.9) million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, compared to $(8.2) million and $(45.3) million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively.

HOOKIPA Pharma Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Provides Recent Business Updates

On November 14, 2024 HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK, "HOOKIPA", the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next generation immunotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer and serious infectious disease, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 and provided recent business highlights, including an update on the progress of the lead clinical program, eseba-vec (Press release, Hookipa Pharma, NOV 14, 2024, View Source [SID1234648399]).

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"HOOKIPA made excellent progress across each program in our pipeline in the third quarter," said Malte Peters, MD, Chief Executive Officer of HOOKIPA. "We advanced the development of eseba-vec for HPV16+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), through the start of an investigator initiated study in the new clinical setting of adjuvant care, and presented continued positive, updated data from our Phase 2 study in first-line recurrent/metastatic disease as a late breaking abstract at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2024. In parallel, we have made significant progress with our review of the business strategy and operations, having implemented a number of initiatives to optimize spending and ensure prioritization of resources."

Recent Developments

Oncology

Eseba-vec: Pivotal-trial ready immunotherapy for human papilloma virus type 16 positive (HPV16+) cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). HOOKIPA owns all rights to this program

● Enrollment completed in the Phase 2 H200-001 study for eseba-vec in combination with pembrolizumab in HPV+ HNSCC with 68 patients enrolled as of October 2024.
● First Patients Dosed in Phase 2 Adjuvant Therapy IIT with MSKCC: On October 30, 2024, HOOKIPA announced that researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) dosed the first patients in an investigator initiated trial (IIT) evaluating eseba-vec in patients with minimal residual disease positive (MRD+) HPV-16+ driven, locally advanced HNSCC, following treatment for curative intent. The study could pave the way to broaden the eseba-vec HNSCC opportunity into adjuvant care.
● Updated Phase 2 Data Presented as SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2024 Late-Breaker: On November 9, 2024, HOOKIPA’s clinical collaborator, Alan Ho, MD, PhD, Chief of the Head and Neck Oncology Service at MSKCC, presented a late-breaking poster at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) (SITC 2024). The presentation provided updated results, including data from additional patients enrolled in the Phase 2 trial evaluating eseba-vec plus pembrolizumab as 1L treatment of recurring/metastatic HPV16+ HNSCC in patients with PD-L1 CPS levels of greater than or equal to 20. Eseba-vec treatment resulted in continued, durable clinical responses and antigen-specific T cell responses.

HB-700: The HB-700 program is a novel Phase 1-ready immunotherapy for KRAS-mutated cancers, including pancreatic, colorectal and lung cancer. The investigational therapy was designed to target the most prevalent KRAS mutations of these cancers in a single therapy. HOOKIPA owns all rights to this program and the Investigational New Drug Application (IND) received FDA clearance in April 2024.

● Presentation of Strong Preclinical Dataset: On September 25, 2024, HOOKIPA presented the preclinical proof-of-concept dataset for HB-700 at the 6th Annual RAS-Targeted Drug Development Summit. The dataset demonstrated that HB-700 induced target-specific CD8+ T cells and target cell killing in several different animal and translational models.

Infectious Diseases

HOOKIPA is advancing two independent anti-viral programs (HB-400 for HBV and HB-500 for HIV-1) through a collaboration and license agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Gilead).

HB-400: An investigational therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

● Enrollment Completed in Phase 1a/1b Clinical Trial: The vaccine is being evaluated in a Phase 1a/1b clinical trial (NCT05770895) in 83 subjects to assess the safety and immune response induced by HB400 in healthy participants and in participants with CHB on oral antiviral therapy

HB-500: An investigational therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1).

● Ongoing Phase 1b Clinical Trial: The vaccine is being evaluated in a Phase 1b clinical trial (NCT06430905) to assess the safety and magnitude of cellular immune response against HIV-1 induced by HB-500 in people living with HIV who are taking anti-retroviral treatment. Under the collaboration agreement with Gilead, HOOKIPA received a $5 million milestone payment associated with dosing of the first subject in this trial in July 2024.

Corporate and Financial Updates

Corporate Highlights

● Board of Director Changes: On August 30, 2024, Director Julie O’Neill was appointed to be Non-Executive Chair of the Company’s Board of Directors, succeeding Jan van de Winkel, who decided to step down from the Board due to increased time commitments from other executive responsibilities. Tim Reilly also stepped down from the Board to dedicate more time to his other professional responsibilities. HOOKIPA is grateful for the years of service each Director dedicated to the Company.

● Leadership Changes: On July 22, 2024, the Board of Directors appointed Malte Peters, MD, as Chief Executive Officer and Terry Coelho as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer to lead the Company through its next phase of development and to realize the significant opportunity of HOOKIPA’s pipeline.

● Board Appointment: On July 22, 2024, Sean Cassidy was appointed to the Board of Directors. Mr. Cassidy serves as the chair of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Compensation and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees.

● Reverse Split: On July 9, 2024, the Company effected a reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of its common stock on a one-for-ten (1:10) basis. The reverse stock split is part of the Company’s plan to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

Financial Highlights: Milestone Payments

● Gilead: In July, HOOKIPA received a $5.0 million milestone payment under its collaboration and license agreement with Gilead. The success-based milestone payment was achieved in connection with the dosing of the first subject in the Phase 1b clinical trial of HB-500 for the treatment of HIV-1, initiated on July 1, 2024.

Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Cash Position: HOOKIPA’s cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as of September 30, 2024 was $60.0 million compared to $117.5 million as of December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to cash used in operating activities, partially offset by cash received relating to milestone achievements under our collaboration agreements with Roche and Gilead.Revenue: Revenue was $4.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $6.9 million for the same period in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to lower partnering revenues as a result of the termination of the Roche collaboration agreement.

Research and Development Expenses: HOOKIPA’s research and development expenses were $15.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $24.6 million for the same period in 2023. The primary changes in research and development expenses were lower personnel-related and laboratory-related expenses, as well as lower manufacturing and research expenses, resulting from the pause in development activities related to HB-300 announced in January 2024, partially offset by higher clinical study expenses for the eseba-vec program.

General and Administrative Expenses: General and administrative expenses amounted to $6.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $4.9 million for the same period in 2023. The primary drivers of the increase in general and administrative expenses were an increase in personnel-related expenses and an increase in professional and consulting fees incurred in connection with management transitions during the third quarter of 2024.

Restructuring Expenses: Restructuring expenses amounted to $0.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and resulted from severance and other personnel costs as well as professional fees related to a reduction in workforce and related activities conducted in the third quarter of 2024.

Impairment Expenses: Impairment expenses amounted to $0.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and resulted from write-downs related to laboratory equipment.

Net Loss: HOOKIPA’s net loss was $13.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to a net loss of $19.1 million for the same period in 2023.

Fortress Biotech Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Recent Corporate Highlights

On November 14, 2024 Fortress Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq: FBIO) ("Fortress"), an innovative biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring and advancing assets to enhance long-term value for shareholders through product revenue, equity holdings and dividend and royalty revenue, reported financial results and recent corporate highlights for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 (Press release, Fortress Biotech, NOV 14, 2024, View Source [SID1234648398]).

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Lindsay A. Rosenwald, M.D., Fortress’ Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are thrilled to have received U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") approval for Emrosi, a potential best-in-class treatment for inflammatory lesions of rosacea in adults, which is a tremendous milestone for Fortress and our partner company, Journey Medical Corporation ("Journey Medical"). This marks the first FDA approval across the Fortress portfolio, and demonstrates our ability to successfully in-license a clinical stage program and develop it through commercialization. We could achieve up to two more U.S. FDA approvals in the next nine months, and our next anticipated PDUFA goal date is December 28, 2024, for cosibelimab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, for the treatment of metastatic or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma ("cSCC"). We have an exciting late-stage pipeline with many upcoming value creation opportunities, and we are focused on attaining our long-term strategy of building shareholder value, while bringing innovative treatment options to patients with unmet medical needs."

Recent Corporate Highlights1:

Regulatory Updates

● In November 2024, the FDA approved Emrosi (Minocycline Hydrochloride Extended-Release Capsules, 40mg), also known as DFD-29. Emrosi has the potential to be the new treatment paradigm for the millions of patients suffering from inflammatory lesions of rosacea. The treatment is expected to launch late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2025 by our partner company, Journey Medical (Nasdaq: DERM).
● In July 2024, the FDA accepted the Biologics License Application ("BLA") resubmission for cosibelimab, our investigational anti-PD-L1 antibody, as a treatment for patients with metastatic or locally advanced cSCC who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation and set a PDUFA goal date of December 28, 2024. Cosibelimab is currently in development at our partner company, Checkpoint Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CKPT) ("Checkpoint").

● In December 2023, we completed the asset transfer of CUTX-101 (copper histidinate for Menkes disease) to Sentynl Therapeutics ("Sentynl"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. Sentynl completed the rolling submission of the New Drug Application for CUTX-101 in the fourth quarter of 2024. Cyprium Therapeutics ("Cyprium"), our subsidiary company that developed CUTX-101, will retain 100% ownership over any FDA priority review voucher that may be issued at NDA approval for CUTX-101.

Clinical Updates

● In October 2024, clinical data were presented at the 44th Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference assessing the dermal and systemic pharmacokinetics of Emrosi versus oral doxycycline 40 mg capsules (Oracea) in healthy subjects. With its extended-release formulation, Emrosi provides higher dermal concentration than doxycycline from day 1 onward at a similar dose, expected to translate into a clinically meaningful impact for treating patients with rosacea, and as demonstrated in Emrosi’s Phase 3 clinical trials.
● In September 2024, we presented longer-term data from our pivotal trial of cosibelimab in locally advanced and metastatic cSCC during the European Society for Medical Oncology ("ESMO") Congress 2024. The longer-term results for cosibelimab demonstrate a deepening of response over time, with higher objective response and complete response rates than initially observed at the primary analyses.

Other Updates

● In July 2024, we announced a collaboration to explore the combined therapeutic potential of cosibelimab with GC Cell’s Immuncell-LC, an innovative autologous Cytokine Induced Killer ("CIK") T cell therapy composed of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer T cells.
● Also in July 2024, our majority owned and controlled subsidiary company, Urica Therapeutics ("Urica"), entered into an asset purchase agreement, royalty agreement and related agreements with Crystalys Therapeutics ("Crystalys"). Urica transferred rights to dotinurad, its URAT1 inhibitor product candidate in development for the treatment of gout, and related intellectual property, licenses and agreements to Crystalys. In return, Crystalys issued to Urica shares of its common stock equal to 35% of Crystalys’ outstanding equity and granted Urica a securitized 3% royalty on future net sales of dotinurad.

Commercial Product Updates

● Journey Medical’s net product revenues for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 were $14.6 million, compared to net product revenues of $14.9 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

General Corporate:

● In July 2024, Checkpoint raised $12 million in a registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules.
● In July 2024, Fortress’ Board of Directors paused the payment of dividends on the Company’s 9.375% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock") until further notice. The Company believes pausing the dividend is in the best interest of the Company and its stakeholders to maintain financial flexibility ahead of potentially significant inflection points. Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock accrue in accordance with their terms; the pausing of these dividends will defer approximately $0.7 million in cash dividend payments each month. The Board intends to revisit its decision regarding the monthly dividend regularly and will assess the profitability and cash flow of the Company to determine whether and when the suspension should be lifted.
● Also in July 2024, Fortress reduced its total debt by entering into a new loan agreement maturing in July 2027 with funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. ("Oaktree"), a leading global investment firm. The Company received an initial tranche of $35 million and is eligible to draw an additional $15 million with Oaktree’s consent. In connection with the new loan agreement, the Company repaid its prior term loan with Oaktree of $50 million resulting in an outstanding debt reduction of approximately $15 million of debt excluding accrued interest and prepayment fees.

● In September 2024, Fortress raised $8 million in a registered direct offering and concurrent private placements.
● In October 2024, Mustang Bio raised $4 million in gross proceeds from the exercise of existing warrants.
● In November 2024, Checkpoint received $9.2 million in gross proceeds through the exercise of existing warrants.
Financial Results:

● As of September 30, 2024, Fortress’ consolidated cash and cash equivalents totaled $58.9 million, compared to $76.2 million as of June 30, 2024, and compared to $80.9 million as of December 31, 2023, a decrease of $17.3 million during the quarter and a decrease of $22.0 million year-to-date.
● Fortress’ consolidated cash and cash equivalents, totaling $58.9 million as of September 30, 2024, includes $25.6 million attributable to Fortress and the private subsidiaries, $2.6 million attributable to Avenue, $4.7 million attributable to Checkpoint, $3.5 million attributable to Mustang Bio and $22.5 million attributable to Journey Medical.
o Fortress’ consolidated cash and cash equivalents totaled $80.9 million as of December 31, 2023, which included $40.6 million attributable to Fortress and private subsidiaries, $1.8 million attributable to Avenue, $4.9 million attributable to Checkpoint, $6.2 million attributable to Mustang Bio and $27.4 million attributable to Journey Medical.
● Fortress’ consolidated net revenue totaled $14.6 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, all of which was generated from our marketed dermatology products. This compares to consolidated revenue totaling $34.8 million for the third quarter of 2023, which included $15.3 million in revenue generated from our marketed dermatology products and an upfront license agreement payment of $19 million.
● Consolidated research and development expenses including license acquisitions totaled $9.4 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to $20.3 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023.
● Consolidated selling, general and administrative costs were $22.0 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to $21.7 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023.
● Consolidated net loss attributable to common stockholders was $(15.0) million, or $(0.76) per share, for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to net loss attributable to common stockholders of $(7.1) million, or $(0.94) per share for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Flamingo Therapeutics Announces Oral Presentation at AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research on RNAs as Drivers, Targets, and Therapeutics in Cancer

On November 14, 2024 Flamingo Therapeutics ("Flamingo") reported an oral presentation at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Special Conference in Cancer Research, RNAs as Drivers, Targets, and Therapeutics in Cancer, being held in Seattle, Washington from November 14-17, 2024 (Press release, Flamingo Therapeutics, NOV 14, 2024, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=flamingo-therapeutics-announces-oral-presentation-at-aacr-special-conference-in-cancer-research-on-rnas-as-drivers-targets-and-therapeutics-in-cancer [SID1234648397]).

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Dr. Andrew Denker, Flamingo’s Chief Medical Officer, will deliver an oral presentation on the Company’s approach to developing RNA therapeutics against difficult-to-drug targets for cancer indications. Dr. Denker will discuss Flamingo’s novel oligonucleotide targeting the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) MALAT1, FLM-7523, discovered by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, which has recently completed IND-enabling preclinical activities and is moving toward a Phase 1 First-in-Human trial in solid tumors. Flamingo’s lead program, danvatirsen, is an antisense oligonucleotide discovered by Ionis that selectively targets STAT3 mRNA and has shown clinical activity in HNSCC.

"I am excited that Flamingo’s approach to leveraging RNA for cancer drug development will be showcased at this important scientific meeting," commented Dr. Denker. "Long noncoding RNAs, part of the genetic ‘dark matter’, are gaining attention as potential novel targets in cancer and other diseases. The antisense oligonucleotide therapeutic modality is uniquely suited for lncRNA targets, and FLM-7523 is one of the most advanced therapeutics in development. We look forward to highlighting our approach at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Special Conference."

Oral presentation details are as follows:

Title: "Antisense Oligonucleotides as Therapeutics for Difficult-to-Drug Targets in Oncology"

Session Title: Plenary Session 6: Small RNA Therapeutics

Session Date and Time: Saturday, November 16, 2024, 3:30 pm

Presenting Author: Dr. Andrew Denker

Abstracts selected for presentation during the meeting (poster or oral) will be published as a freely available supplement in an AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) journal on the first day of the meeting. For more information, please visit the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Special Conference 2024 website.