On May 9, 2017 Cascadian Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2017 (Press release, Cascadian Therapeutics, MAY 9, 2017, View Source [SID1234518921]).

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"In the first quarter, we continued to build a solid management team and the financial foundation that will help us execute our core objectives over the next several years," said Scott Myers, President and CEO of Cascadian Therapeutics. "We are focused on enrolling HER2CLIMB, our pivotal study of tucatinib in combination for late-stage HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer for patients with and without brain metastases. We are very pleased with the current pace of enrollment and are expanding HER2CLIMB globally."

First Quarter and Recent Highlights

In April 2017, the Company announced data highlights from presentations of preclinical data for the Company’s investigational orally bioavailable, potent and selective checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) inhibitor known as CASC-578 and data from the first public presentation on the Company’s preclinical antibody program targeting the immune checkpoint receptor TIGIT. These data were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2017.

In March 2017, the Company announced the appointment of Robert W. Azelby to the Company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Azelby is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry veteran. The Company also announced that Richard L. Jackson, Ph.D., retired from the Board.

In January 2017, the Company closed an $88 million net public offering of common and Series E preferred stock. The net proceeds, along with cash on hand, support the development of tucatinib, the registrational HER2CLIMB trial through top-line data, with funds to carry on operations for a period of time thereafter. On May 8, 2017, in connection with the registration rights agreement entered into for the Series E preferred stock issued in this financing, the Company filed a required resale S-3 registration statement to allow the holder of these preferred shares to sell shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the preferred shares. The S-3 relates to these shares and does not provide for any future issuance of new common shares for financings.
First Quarter Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $136.1 million as of March 31, 2017, compared to $62.8 million at December 31, 2016, an increase of $73.3 million, or 116.7 percent. The increase was primarily due to the result of net proceeds of $88.0 million from the Company’s January 2017 financing offset by cash used to fund operations of $14.6 million.

Net loss attributable to common stockholders for the first three months ended March 31, 2017 was $12.4 million, or $0.30 per share, compared to a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $12.9 million, or $0.81 per share, for the same period in 2016. The $0.5 million decrease in net loss attributable to common stockholders for the quarter was primarily due to a decrease in general and administrative expense of $3.7 million related to the retirement and separation of the former chief executive officer in the first quarter of 2016. This decrease was offset by higher research and development expenses of $2.3 million due to greater activity related to the development of the Company’s product candidate and a non-cash deemed dividend of $1.0 million related to the beneficial conversion feature on the Series E convertible preferred stock.
2017 Financial Outlook

Cascadian Therapeutics expects operating expenses in 2017 to be slightly higher than in 2016, primarily due to an increase in activities related to the ongoing worldwide HER2CLIMB pivotal trial. Cash used in operations for 2017 is expected to be approximately $50.0 million to $54.0 million.

Cascadian Therapeutics believes the above financial guidance to be correct as of the date provided and is providing the guidance as a convenience to investors and assumes no obligation to update it.