Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On May 8, 2018 Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLCM), a leader in developing novel, controllable cellular immunotherapies for cancers and orphan inherited blood disorders,reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018, and provided an update on recent developments(Press release, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526254]).

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"We remain very encouraged with interim results from our BPX-501 program in malignant and nonmalignant pediatric patients, and remain on track for filing of MAAs in the European Union in 2019," said Bellicum’s President & CEO Rick Fair. "We are also working to expand the BPX-501 opportunity into the U.S. and into the adult stem cell transplant population with the planned initiation of two new clinical trials later this year. In our BPX-601 GoCAR-T program, we reported early promising first-in-human data on CAR-T cell expansion with the use of our iMC activation switch. We look forward to sharing data readouts on all our clinical programs during 2018, and providing further guidance on our plans to advance two new dual-switch controllable CAR-T candidates into clinical studies."

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS AND CURRENT UPDATES

Clinical Hold Lifted by FDA on U.S. Studies of BPX-501
The Company is now working with U.S. clinical sites to resume patient recruitment based on amended study protocols, including guidance on monitoring and management of neurologic adverse events. The FDA clinical hold did not affect the BP-004 registration trial in Europe.

BPX-501 E.U. Registration Trial Enrollment Complete
Enrollment was recently completed in the treatment arm of the BP-004 E.U. registration trial in malignant and nonmalignant pediatric patients undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant (haplo-HSCT). The Company expects to have topline data at the end of 2018, followed by a readout of comparative data from its ongoing C-004 observational study in children receiving a matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplant without BPX-501. Bellicum expects to file for E.U. approvals of BPX-501 and rimiducid in 2019.

BPX-501 Interim Survival Results Reported
In March, the Company announced favorable interim results in pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with overall survival of 97.3% in patients with a median follow-up of over one year. The Company also reported new updated interim data in pediatric patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) undergoing a curative haplo-HSCT with BPX-501. Abstracts providing more comprehensive interim data on these patients have been accepted for presentation at the 23rd Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) to be held in Stockholm in June.

CAR-T and TCR Phase 1 Studies Enrolling
Bellicum and its collaborators are currently enrolling Phase 1 clinical trials of three CAR-T and TCR programs featuring its industry-leading cellular control technology: BPX-601, BPX-701, and an academic collaborator’s CaspaCIDe-enabled CD19 CAR-T. The Company expects to report preliminary findings from all three studies at medical meetings later this year. BPX-601, the Company’s first GoCAR-T product candidate—differentiated by the inclusion of its proprietary iMC activation switch—is the first controllable CAR-T to enter clinical trials and is being studied in adults with nonresectable pancreatic cancer who test positive for prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA). The Company recently reported that the first patient dosed with rimiducid in the BPX-601 trial showed a robust expansion of circulating BPX-601 cells following a single dose of rimiducid, providing initial clinical proof of concept of the iMC activation switch. As enrollment continues, the Company is preparing to amend the trial to include additional PSCA-expressing tumors. In the Phase 1 study with BPX-701, Bellicum is working to add clinical sites to accelerate enrollment.

Progressing Next-Generation Dual-Switch Preclinical Programs
Leveraging its innovative technology platform, Bellicum has created next-generation controllable CAR-Ts that incorporate both activation and safety switches in the same T cell. At the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in April, the Company presented promising preclinical results highlighting the ability to manage expansion, persistence and safety of tumor antigen-specific CAR-T cells, potentially allowing for more aggressive anti-tumor therapies. The Company has nominated two new dual-switch CAR-Ts for clinical trials next year, and will provide additional details on these programs later this year.

Underwritten Public Offering of Common Stock
In April, Bellicum completed a public offering of 9.2 million shares, including 1.2 million shares sold under the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, at $7.50 per share. The aggregate offering size was $69.0 million before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses.

First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Cash Position and Guidance: Bellicum ended the quarter on March 31, 2018 with cash, restricted cash and investments totaling $88.0 million, compared to $106.5 million at December 31, 2017. Based on current operating plans, Bellicum expects that current cash resources, including proceeds from its April 2018 public offering, will be sufficient to meet operating requirements through the end of 2019.

R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $16.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, compared to $15.3 million for the comparable period in 2017. The increase of approximately $1.2 million is primarily due to increased general research and development and collaboration costs of $1.9 million and increased costs related to BPX-701 of $0.2 million, partially offset by reduced costs related to BPX-501 of $0.9 million. Costs related to BPX-601 were comparable in each of the three-month periods.

G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $5.7 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018, compared to $5.9 million during the comparable period in 2017. The decrease in G&A expenses in 2018 is primarily due to severance costs related to former executive officers incurred in the three months ended March 31, 2017.

Net Loss: Bellicum reported a net loss of $22.8 million during the first quarter of 2018 and $22.0 million during the comparable period in 2017. The results include non-cash, share-based compensation charges and depreciation of $5.0 million and $4.1 million in the first quarters of 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Shares Outstanding:

Bellicum had 34,288,556 and 42,873,045 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2018 and April 30, 2018, respectively. The increase in the number of outstanding shares was primarily attributable to the public offering of 9.2 million shares in April.

About BPX-501
BPX-501 is an adjunct T-cell therapy administered after allogeneic HSCT, comprising genetically modified donor T cells incorporating Bellicum’s CaspaCIDe safety switch. It is designed to provide a safety net to eliminate alloreactive BPX-501 T cells (via administration of activator agent rimiducid) should uncontrollable GvHD or other T-cell mediated transplant complications occur. This may enable physicians to more safely perform stem cell transplants by administering BPX-501 engineered T cells to speed immune reconstitution, provide control over viral infections, and enhance graft-versus-leukemic activity while minimizing GvHD side effects.

About BPX-601
BPX-601 is a GoCAR-T product candidate containing Bellicum’s proprietary inducible MyD88/CD40, or iMC, activation switch, designed to treat solid tumors expressing prostate stem cell antigen, or PSCA. Preclinical data show enhanced T cell proliferation, persistence and in vivo anti-tumor activity compared to traditional CAR-T therapies. In addition to pancreatic cancer, PSCA is expressed in several other solid tumor indications, including: gastric, esophageal, cholangiocarcinoma, glioblastoma, prostate and bladder cancers. The Company plans to expand the clinical development of BPX-601 to include additional PSCA expressing cancer types.

About BPX-701
BPX-701 is a high affinity T cell receptor product candidate designed with the CaspaCIDe safety switch. In preclinical studies, PRAME-specific clones showed high reactivity against a panel of PRAME positive tumor cell lines, metastatic melanoma, sarcomas and neuroblastoma tissues. In vitro study data showed that BPX-701 demonstrated strong affinity to panels of cancer cells presenting PRAME peptides and low affinity to non-tumor cells, as well as complete elimination of BPX-701 cells in response to rimiducid.

Myriad Genetics Reports Fiscal Third-Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On May 8, 2018 Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN), a global leader in molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine, reported financial results for its fiscal third-quarter 2018, provided an update on recent business highlights and raised its fiscal year 2018 financial guidance (Press release, Myriad Genetics, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526272]).

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"We saw strong results in the third quarter with financial performance once again exceeding our expectations due to better than anticipated hereditary cancer volumes, strong new product volume growth and the success of our Elevate 2020 program," said Mark C. Capone, president and CEO, Myriad Genetics. "Our diversification efforts achieved record results in the third quarter, with new products now representing 71 percent of sample volume and 36 percent of revenue. And the landmark GeneSight clinical trial results have led to our first commercial coverage decision. Given that this new product growth is being built upon a solid hereditary cancer foundation, we are raising our financial guidance for fiscal year 2018."

Business Highlights

Hereditary Cancer

Achieved the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year hereditary cancer volume growth with total hereditary cancer volume exceeding our three percent growth target on a year-over-year basis.

riskScore led to accelerating growth in our preventive care segment over the last two quarters.

GeneSight

Revenue increased 27 percent year-over-year to $30.4 million with record volumes in the quarter.

Myriad has been notified of a commercial coverage decision from a top-20, mid-Atlantic payer.

Presented data from the largest-ever pharmacogenomics clinical study in patients with moderate-to-very severe depression at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting in New York City, demonstrating that patients were 50 percent more likely to achieve remission and 30 percent more likely to respond to treatment when their medication selection was guided by the GeneSight Psychotropic genetic test.

Submitted the randomized controlled trial study manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal and anticipate publication around the end of fiscal year 2018.

Submitted manuscripts for the IMPACT study and a second major health economic study utilizing the

Optum Healthcare Solutions dataset.

Vectra DA

Revenue increased 34 percent year-over-year in the quarter with volumes growing in the double-digits on a sequential basis.

Initiated plans to move the Vectra DA customer service group and commercial laboratory to our Salt Lake City headquarters with plans to complete both moves by the end of fiscal year 2019.

Prolaris

Revenue in the quarter increased 91 percent year-over-year to $6.5 million and test volumes grew 10 percent sequentially.

NCCN issued new guidelines supporting Prolaris as standard of care for treatment decisions in patients with low and favorable-intermediate risk prostate cancer. The guidelines also support the broad use of hereditary cancer testing in 40,000 specific prostate cancer patients diagnosed every year in the United States and support the use of biomarkers such as myChoice HRD Plus to identify prostate cancer patients for targeted therapies.

American Association of Clinical Urology and the Large Urology Group Practice Association, that represent 70 percent of urologists in the country, issued a position paper supporting the new NCCN guidelines.

Received positive medical policy recommendations for Prolaris in the quarter from 14 Medicaid states, first Blue Cross Blue Shield plan and several regional payers.

EndoPredict

Reported $2.3 million in the quarter an increase of 15 percent sequentially.

Received final Medicare local coverage decision from Noridian which became effective on January 30 increasing total coverage to approximately 90 percent of the United States market.

One of the largest private insurers in the United States has expanded its coverage policy on EndoPredict to aid in the clinical decision of whether or not to extend adjuvant hormonal therapy beyond five years of treatment.

Companion Diagnostics

Received Food and Drug Administration approval for BRACAnalysis CDx as a companion diagnostic in conjunction with AstraZeneca’s Lynparza (olaparib) for HER2- metastatic breast cancer.

Launched BRACAnalysis CDx to approximately 3,000 oncologists who treat greater than two-thirds of metastatic breast cancer and saw a 70 percent increase in metastatic breast cancer testing in the third quarter compared to the second quarter.

International

Received a revised draft guidance document from the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) which includes EndoPredict as one of three approved breast cancer prognostic tests.

Initiated a restructuring to shift all laboratory developed testing to United States laboratories which will lead to closing the laboratory in Munich Germany and the sale of the German Clinic.

Received pre-market approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare for our BRACAnalysis CDx test for HER2- metastatic breast cancer.

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call will be held today, Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at 7:30 a.m. EST to discuss Myriad’s financial results for the fiscal third-quarter, business developments and financial guidance. The dial-in number for domestic callers is 1-800-699-0623. International callers may dial 1-303-223-4362. All callers will be asked to reference reservation number 21887258. An archived replay of the call will be available for seven days by dialing (800) 633-8284 and entering the reservation number above. The conference call along with a slide presentation will also will be available through a live webcast at www.myriad.com.

Perrigo Company plc Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

On May 8, 2018 Perrigo Company plc (NYSE; TASE: PRGO) reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018 (Press release, Perrigo Company, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526186]).

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Additional first quarter reported results: Reported operating margin in the CHC Americas segment was 18.8%.

Perrigo President and CEO, Uwe Roehrhoff commented, "Our unique business model once again delivered results in challenging end markets evidenced by year-over-year first quarter adjusted net income growth of 18.8% and adjusted diluted EPS growth of 20.6%. The CHC Americas team drove net sales growth of 3.0% on a constant currency basis with adjusted operating margin of 21.4% highlighted by a relatively strong cough cold season in the U.S. Net sales in the CHC International segment grew 1.4% on an organic constant currency basis, excluding $22 million in net sales from the exited Russian and unprofitable distribution businesses in 2017, and achieved strong operating results. Our RX Pharmaceuticals ("RX") segment continues to perform in a challenging market. First quarter net sales in RX were slightly lower than the prior year and adjusted operating margin was 39.9% as R&D investments increased versus last year. Finally, our durable platforms once again delivered strong cash flow conversion to adjusted net income, which we utilized to repurchase approximately 1.3 million shares in the quarter."

Mr. Roehrhoff continued, "We remain focused on delivering our consolidated 2018 net sales and adjusted EPS guidance ranges previously communicated. Our consumer-facing businesses are on track to meet their financial goals amid soft consumer trends and we have increased our adjusted operating margin expectation in the CHC International segment due to ongoing operational initiatives. Balanced against this increase, we have adjusted our expectations for the RX segment due primarily to a supply disruption of a key new product, which we are working to bring back to market in the fourth quarter of this year. We are making progress with our value creation roadmap and look forward to discussing the conclusions later this year."

Refer to Tables I – VI at the end of this press release for a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the current year and prior year periods and additional non-GAAP information. The Company’s reported results are included in the attached Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations, Balance Sheets and Statements of Cash Flows.

Reported net sales for the first quarter of calendar year 2018 were $1.2 billion, which included new product sales of $41 million and discontinued products of $8 million. Net sales grew 1.6% compared to the prior year excluding the year-over-year effect of: 1) $22 million in net sales from the exited Russian and unprofitable distribution businesses in 2017 in the CHC International segment, 2) net sales from the divested Israel API business of $19 million, and 3) favorable foreign currency movements of $45 million.

Reported net income was $81 million, or $0.57 per diluted share versus net income of $72 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, in the prior year. Excluding charges as outlined in Table I, first quarter 2018 adjusted net income was $178 million, or $1.26 per diluted share, versus adjusted net income of $150 million, or $1.05 per diluted share, for the same period last year.

First quarter net sales grew 3.0% on a constant currency basis, driven by higher net sales in the infant nutrition, analgesics and cough cold categories compared to the prior year. These positive drivers, and new product sales of $11 million, were partially offset by lower net sales in the animal health category and discontinued products of $2 million.

The CHCA segment first quarter reported gross profit margin was 33.3%. Adjusted gross profit margin was 35.1%, 60 basis points higher than the prior year driven by stronger volumes in the quarter.

Reported first quarter operating margin was 18.8%. First quarter adjusted operating margin was 21.4%, 120 bps greater than the prior year due to gross margin flow through and lower operating expenses as a percentage to net sales.

Reported net sales increased 7.0% compared to the first quarter of 2017. Excluding $22 million in net sales from the exited Russian and unprofitable distribution businesses in 2017, and favorable foreign currency movements of $43 million, net sales grew 1.4% driven by new product sales of $20 million. Partially offsetting these favorable effects were lower net sales in the cough cold, personal care and analgesics categories in addition to discontinued products of $6 million.

First quarter reported gross margin was a strong 48.5%. Adjusted gross margin increased 350 bps over the previous year to a record 54.2%, driven by improved product mix, new product launches and the continued benefit of insourcing initiatives.

Reported operating margin was 3.7%. Adjusted operating margin expanded 320 bps to 17.0% due to higher gross margin contribution and the timing of growth investments.

Reported net sales in the first quarter were $214 million compared to $217 million last year. New product sales of $10 million were offset by lower net sales of existing products of $12 million, due primarily to price erosion, which was in line with expectations. New product sales were lower than expected due to a supply disruption of a key new product.

Reported gross margin was 45.7%. Adjusted gross margin was 55.3%, 90 bps higher than the previous year driven by product mix.

Reported operating margin was 28.9%. Adjusted operating margin was 39.9% compared to 41.0% in the prior year, due primarily to increased R&D investments.

Corporate Governance

The Perrigo Board of Directors appointed Rolf A. Classon, who has served on Perrigo’s Board since May 2017, as Chairman of the Board, effective May 7, 2018. Laurie Brlas, who has been on the Board since 2003 and has served as Chairman for the last two years, will continue to serve on the Board as an independent director and was appointed as a member of the Audit Committee.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Classon said, "I am both excited and humbled for the opportunity to lead Perrigo’s experienced Board. Perrigo’s unique business model, which provides healthcare solutions to patients and families, enables us to execute against our goal of generating value for our shareholders. On behalf of the entire Board and management team, I would like to thank Laurie for her service and guidance as Chairman. Her leadership contributions have been instrumental in focusing the organization on operational excellence, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside her."

Ms. Brlas commented, "I would like to congratulate Rolf on his appointment as Chairman of the Board. This appointment demonstrates good corporate governance and our commitment to shareholder value. I look forward to continuing to work with Rolf and the rest of the Board and leadership team."

Mr. Classon’s previous leadership experience included roles at Hillenbrand Industries, Bayer Healthcare AG, Bayer Diagnostics and Pharmacia Corporation. In addition to extensive experience in varying roles within the pharmaceutical industry, Mr. Classon also currently serves as a director of the boards of Fresenius Medical Care AG and Co and Catalent, Inc.

Guidance

The Company expects calendar year 2018 reported operating income to be in the range of $669 million to $729 million, reported effective tax rate to be approximately 21.3%, and reported diluted EPS to be in the range of $2.90 to $3.30.

The Company reconfirms calendar year 2018 net sales range of $5.0 billion to $5.1 billion, adjusted operating income range of $1.03 billion to $1.09 billion, adjusted effective tax rate of approximately 20.5% and adjusted diluted EPS range of $5.05 to $5.45.

The Company now expects calendar year 2018 net sales for the CHC International segment to be approximately $1.59 billion with an adjusted operating margin of approximately 15.5%. Net sales in the RX segment are now expected to be approximately $1.03 billion with an adjusted operating margin of approximately 40.0%.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. EDT (5:30 a.m. PDT), May 8, 2018. The conference call will be available live via webcast to interested parties in the investor relations section of the Perrigo website at View Source or by phone at 877-248-9413, International 973-582-2737, and reference ID #6366917. A taped replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 12:00 p.m. (EDT) Tuesday, May 8, until midnight Friday, May 18, 2018. To listen to the replay, dial 800-585-8367, International 404-537-3406, and use access code 6366917.

Actinium Pharmaceuticals to Present at 19th Annual Bio€quity Europe Conference in Ghent, Belgium

On May 8, 2018 Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN:ATNM) ("Actinium" or "the Company"), reported that it will be attending and presenting at the 19th Annual Bio€quity Europe Conference being held on May 14 – 16, 2018 at the Het Pand Convention Center in Ghent, Belgium (Press release, Actinium Pharmaceuticals, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526223]). Details of Actinium’s presentation are as follows:

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Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Time: 4:20 p.m. CEST
Room: Level 1+, Priorzaal Room
Venue: The Het Pand Convention Center

Management will conduct one-on-one meetings with investors during the conference. To arrange a meeting with Actinium, please contact, Steve O’Loughlin, Actinium’s Principal Financial Officer at [email protected].

About the 19th Annual Bio€quity Europe Conference

Bio€quity Europe pioneered the turf-neutral concept, creating an open door for all members of the financial community and business development and licensing professionals to do business with independently selected presenting companies.

Now celebrating its 19th meeting, Bio€quity Europe is the seminal industry event for financial dealmakers looking for investor-validated life science companies positioning themselves to attract capital, and for pharmaceutical licensing professionals to assess top prospects. Bio€quity Europe has showcased more than 700 leading European companies to thousands of investment and pharma business development professionals. Delegates from 24 nations attended Bio€quity Europe last year in Paris. To learn more, please click this link.

Clovis Oncology Announces First Quarter 2018 Operating Results

On May 8, 2018 Clovis Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLVS) reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, and provided an update on the Company’s clinical development programs and regulatory and commercial outlook for 2018 (Press release, Clovis Oncology, MAY 8, 2018, View Source [SID1234526239]).

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"We were very pleased to receive the expanded maintenance treatment indication for Rubraca in the U.S. in early April, and while it is early days in the launch, we are receiving very positive feedback to the broader and earlier-line label from clinicians," said Patrick J. Mahaffy, President and CEO of Clovis Oncology. "We are well positioned now with a strong balance sheet and a robust clinical development program for Rubraca, initiating new Clovis-sponsored single-arm studies in ovarian and bladder cancers with Opdivo by year-end, and looking forward to presenting initial data from TRITON2 in prostate cancer at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) in October. Finally, we are enthusiastic about initiating a global clinical development program for lucitanib, including multiple combination studies."

First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Clovis reported net product revenue for Rubraca of $18.5 million for the first quarter of 2018. During the first quarter, the supply of free drug distributed to eligible patients through the Rubraca patient assistance program was approximately 22 percent of overall commercial supply. This would have represented an additional $5.1 million in commercial value for the quarter. We expect the supply of free drug to remain at this percentage or slightly higher for the foreseeable future. Net product revenue for the quarter ended March 31, 2017 was $7.0 million, following the initial approval and launch of Rubraca in the treatment setting on December 19, 2016.

Clovis had $463.8 million in cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities as of March 31, 2018. In April 2018, Clovis raised net proceeds of $94.0 million through an offering of 1.8 million shares of common stock and $292 million aggregate principal amount of 1.25% convertible senior notes due 2025. The net proceeds from these offerings were $386.0 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, and offering expenses.

Clovis reported a net loss for the first quarter of 2018 of $77.7 million, or ($1.54) per share. The net loss for the first quarter of 2017 was $58.5 million, or ($1.33) per share. Net loss for the first quarter of 2018 included share-based compensation expense of $11.9 million, compared to $8.9 million for the first quarter of 2017.

Cash used in operating activities was $100.6 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared with $80.4 million in the first quarter of 2017. This includes product supply costs of $31.5 million in the first quarter of 2018, compared to $18.2 million for the first quarter of 2017. Product supply costs will be approximately $44 million in the second quarter of 2018 and will be approximately $10 million for the remainder of 2018. These costs reflect Clovis’ plan to build additional inventory in advance of the transition to a new manufacturing facility for Rubraca. The Company will also incur final capital costs for the new manufacturing facility of approximately $8 million in late 2018 as well. Additionally, Clovis will make one-time milestone payments to Pfizer of $38 million in the second quarter of 2018 related to product approvals in December 2016 and April 2018 and potentially an additional $20 million milestone payment in the second quarter if the Rubraca Marketing Authorization in Europe is granted prior to June 15, 2018.

Clovis had approximately 50.7 million shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2018.

Research and development expenses totaled $43.5 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to $32.4 million for the first quarter 2017. Research and development expenses will continue to increase compared to last year as planned Rubraca studies progress.

Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $39.3 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to $29.2 million for the first quarter in 2017. Selling, general and administrative expenses will continue to increase compared to last year in support of commercial activities related to Rubraca in the United States and Europe.

Key Milestones and Objectives for Rubraca

U.S. Approval for Ovarian Cancer Maintenance Treatment Indication

On April 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Rubraca (rucaparib) tablets for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. FDA granted regular approval for Rubraca in this second, broader and earlier-line indication on a priority review timeline based on positive data from the phase 3 ARIEL3 clinical trial. Biomarker testing is not required for patients to be prescribed Rubraca in this maintenance treatment indication. In addition to granting Rubraca approval in this second indication, the FDA converted the approval of the initial treatment indication from an accelerated to a regular approval.

European Union (EU) Treatment Approval Anticipated in Q2 2018

In late March, the Company announced that the European Union’s (EU) European Medicines Agency (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion recommending the granting of a conditional marketing authorization for Rubraca as monotherapy treatment of adult patients with platinum-sensitive, relapsed or progressive, BRCA mutated (germline and/or somatic), high-grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer, who have been treated with two or more prior lines of platinum-based chemotherapy, and who are unable to tolerate further platinum-based chemotherapy. Clovis continues to anticipate the grant of the Marketing Authorization by the European Commission to follow in Q2 2018, and plans to submit a variation to the Marketing Authorization for the maintenance treatment indication, with the CHMP opinion for maintenance anticipated by the end of 2018. Clovis continues to establish its EU organization to support the planned launch of Rubraca in Europe.

Also during the quarter, the Company initiated an early access program in Europe for rucaparib for treatment and as maintenance therapy in recurrent ovarian cancer. The program, to be known as the Rucaparib Access Program (RAP), will enable participation from certain countries in Europe, where permitted by applicable rules, procedures and regulatory authorities. The RAP protocol allows for rucaparib treatment of an individual patient with third-line or greater BRCA mutant epithelial, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal ovarian cancer who has platinum-sensitive disease and is unable to tolerate further platinum-based chemotherapy or has platinum-resistant disease and needs treatment with single agent rucaparib. The RAP protocol will also provide access to rucaparib for maintenance therapy of an individual patient with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who has received at least two prior platinum-based treatment regimens, has platinum-sensitive disease, and is in a complete or partial response to the most recent platinum-based regimen. In all cases, the patient must have a special clinical need that cannot be met by current licensed available medicines. Patients must be ineligible for Clovis’ ARIEL4 clinical trial or unable to access a participating ARIEL4 site to qualify for Clovis’ early access program. Questions or inquiries regarding the RAP should be directed to [email protected].

Rubraca Clinical Development

Clovis has a robust clinical development program underway in multiple tumor types, including Clovis-sponsored, partner-sponsored and investigator-initiated trials. The following clinical studies are open for enrollment or are anticipated to open during the next several months:

The Clovis-sponsored ARIEL4 confirmatory study in the treatment setting is a Phase 3 multicenter, randomized study of Rubraca versus chemotherapy in relapsed ovarian cancer patients with BRCA mutations who have failed two prior lines of therapy. This study is currently enrolling patients.
The Clovis-sponsored Phase 3 ATHENA study in advanced ovarian cancer in the first-line maintenance treatment setting evaluating Rubraca plus Opdivo (PD-1 inhibitor), Rubraca, Opdivo and placebo in newly-diagnosed patients who have completed platinum-based chemotherapy. This study, as part of a broad clinical collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb, is expected to begin in the first half of 2018.
The Clovis-sponsored TRITON3 study, a Phase 3 comparative study in mCRPC enrolling BRCA mutant and ATM mutant (both inclusive of germline and somatic) patients who have progressed on AR-targeted therapy and who have not yet received chemotherapy in the castrate-resistant setting is also open for enrollment. TRITON3 compares Rubraca to physician’s choice of AR-targeted therapy or chemotherapy in these patients. This study is currently enrolling patients.
The Clovis-sponsored TRITON2 study in mCRPC, a Phase 2 single-arm study enrolling patients with BRCA mutations and ATM mutations (both inclusive of germline and somatic) or other deleterious mutations in other homologous recombination (HR) repair genes. All patients will have progressed after receiving one line of taxane-based chemotherapy and one or two lines of androgen-receptor (AR) targeted therapy. This study is currently enrolling patients. The Company plans to present initial data from the ongoing TRITON2 study at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) in October 2018, pending abstract acceptance.
A Clovis-sponsored single-arm Phase 2 open-label monotherapy study of Rubraca in recurrent, metastatic bladder cancer titled ATLAS: A Study of Rucaparib in Patients with Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma. This study is currently enrolling patients.
The Phase 1 RUCA-J study, sponsored by Clovis, initiated during the quarter with the first patient dosed with rucaparib in Japan. The Phase 1 study seeks to identify the recommended dose of rucaparib in Japanese patients, which will enable development of a bridging strategy and potential inclusion of Japanese sites in planned or ongoing global studies.
A Phase 2, open-label, multi-cohort study evaluating the combination of Rubraca and Opdivo in patients with relapsed, BRCA wild-type ovarian cancer and in patients with locally advanced or metastatic bladder carcinoma who are ineligible for treatment with cisplatin. This study is sponsored by Clovis and is expected to begin in the second half of 2018.
The Phase 3 pivotal study in advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to evaluate Opdivo and Rubraca in combination. This study is sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb.
The Phase 2 combination study of Opdivo with Rubraca for the treatment of mCRPC. This study, sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb, is being conducted as an arm of a larger sponsored prostate cancer study. This study is currently enrolling patients.
The Phase 1b combination study of the cancer immunotherapy Tecentriq (atezolizumab; anti-PDL1) and Rubraca for the treatment of ovarian and triple-negative breast cancers. This study is sponsored by Roche and is currently enrolling patients.
Exploratory studies in other tumor types are also underway.

Lucitanib Clinical Development

Lucitanib is an oral, potent inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase activity of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1 through 3 (VEGFR1-3), platelet-derived growth factor receptors alpha and beta (PDGFR α/β) and fibroblast growth factor receptors 1 through 3 (FGFR1-3), which was previously evaluated in breast and lung cancers in partnership with Servier. Clovis has received notice from Servier that they will return their ex-US rights (excluding China) for lucitanib later in 2018. Clovis therefore will own global rights (excluding China) to lucitanib. There are no payments from Clovis to Servier related to the return of these ex-US rights.

Lucitanib was originally developed by Clovis and Servier with the hypothesis of activity in FGFR driven tumors; data in breast and lung cancer were insufficient to move the program forward. Recent data for a similar drug that inhibits these same three pathways – when combined with a PD-1 inhibitor – are extremely encouraging and represent a validated and alternative hypothesis for the development of lucitanib in combination with a PD(L)-1 inhibitor, and a Clovis-sponsored combination study is now being planned. Clovis also intends to initiate a study of lucitanib in combination with rucaparib, based on encouraging data of VEGF and PARP inhibitors in combination. Each of these studies is expected to initiate before the end of Q1 2019.

Conference Call Details

Clovis will hold a conference call to discuss Q1 2018 results this afternoon, May 8, at 4:30pm ET. The conference call will be simultaneously webcast on the Company’s web site at www.clovisoncology.com, and archived for future review. Dial-in numbers for the conference call are as follows: US participants 866.489.9022, International participants 678.509.7575, conference ID: 4198438.

About Rubraca (rucaparib)

Rubraca is an oral, small molecule inhibitor of PARP1, PARP2 and PARP3 being developed in ovarian cancer as well as several additional solid tumor indications. Studies open for enrollment or under consideration include ovarian, prostate, breast, gastroesophageal, pancreatic, lung and bladder cancers. Clovis holds worldwide rights for Rubraca.

In the United States, Rubraca is approved for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. Rubraca is also approved in the United States for the treatment of adult patients with deleterious BRCA mutation (germline and/or somatic) associated epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have been treated with two or more chemotherapies, and selected for therapy based on an FDA-approved companion diagnostic for Rubraca.

Rubraca is an unlicensed medical product outside of the U.S.