On November 7, 2018 Calithera Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CALA), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel small molecule drugs directed against tumor metabolism and tumor immunology targets for the treatment of cancer, reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018 (Press release, Calithera Biosciences, NOV 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234531158]). As of September 30, 2018, cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $141.5 million.

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"Calithera continues to advance the development of our novel oncometabolism clinical candidates," said Susan Molineaux, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Calithera. "In this quarter we broadened the development of the novel glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 with two new clinical trial collaborations with Pfizer. We are actively enrolling CANTATA and ENTRATA, two randomized trials of CB-839 for the treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma, with data from the ENTRATA trial expected in 2019. In addition, we and our partner Incyte expect data on INCB001158 to be presented at a medical meeting in the first half of 2019."

Third Quarter 2018 and Recent Highlights

Announced two new clinical trial collaborations to evaluate Pfizer’s CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib, also known as IBRANCE, and the dual-mechanism poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor talazoparib also known as TALZENNA, each in combination with Calithera’s glutaminase inhibitor CB-839. Calithera will initiate Phase 1/2 clinical studies in the first quarter of 2019. Preclinical data suggest that CB-839 synergizes with CDK4/6 inhibitors by enhancing cell cycle arrest and blocking cancer cell proliferation. CB-839 also synergizes preclinically with PARP inhibitors to impair DNA synthesis, enhance DNA damage, and block cancer cell proliferation.

Two Randomized Combination Trials of CB-839 in Combination for the Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma. The ENTRATA trial, a randomized double-blind study of late line patients, will enroll approximately 66 patients to receive either CB-839 plus everolimus or everolimus alone. Topline results are expected in 2019. The CANTATA trial is a randomized, global, double-blind trial comparing patients treated with cabozantinib and CB-839 to patients treated with cabozantinib alone. Topline results are expected in 2020. The trial will enroll patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma who have previously received one or two prior lines of therapy. The trial, originally designed to enroll 300 patents has been enlarged to approximately 400 patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for CB-839 in combination with cabozantinib for the treatment of this patient population. Updated Phase 1b data of CB-839 combined with cabozantinib presented in the quarter demonstrated a disease control rate of 100%, and response rate of 50% in 10 evaluable patients with clear cell RCC.

INCB001158 Arginase Inhibitor Immuno-oncology Program. INCB001158 is being evaluated in multiple clinical trials for the treatment of patients with solid tumors both as a monotherapy, and in combination with immunotherapies and chemotherapy. INCB001158 is being developed as part of a collaboration and license agreement with Incyte. Data from INCB001158 is expected to be presented at a medical meeting in the first half of 2019.

CB-280 Arginase Inhibitor for the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis. Arginase is believed to be critical in the pathology of cystic fibrosis. It impairs production of nitric oxide and generates metabolites of arginine that may impair lung function. CB-280 is an orally administered small molecule inhibitor of arginase. An investigational new drug (IND) application for CB-280 with the FDA is planned for the first half of 2019.

CB-708 Oral Small Molecule CD73 Inhibitor. The immuno-oncology target CD73 is an enzyme that plays a critical role in the process of ATP conversion to adenosine. An IND application for CB-708, an orally administered small molecule inhibitor of CD73, is planned for 2019.

Selected Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $141.5 million at September 30, 2018.

Research and development expenses were $16.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018, compared with $10.8 million for the same period in the prior year. The increase of $5.6 million was due to an increase in the CB-839 program, including for the CANTATA trial which opened in 2018, an increase in the INCB001158 program, including Incyte’s co-funding of development costs, an increase in the CB-280 program, as well as investment in early stage research.

General and administrative expenses were $3.1 million for both the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 due to consistent headcount and stock-based compensation expense.

Net loss from operations for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $18.8 million, or $0.52 per share.

Conference Call Information

Calithera will host an update conference call today, November 7, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time/ 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The call can be accessed by dialing (855) 783-2599 (domestic) or (631) 485-4877 (international), and referring to conference ID 9368596. To access the live audio webcast or the subsequent archived recording, visit the Investors section of the Calithera website at www.calithera.com. The webcast will be recorded and available for replay on Calithera’s website for 30 days.

On November 7, 2018 Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018 (Press release, Nektar Therapeutics, NOV 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234531174]).

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Cash and investments in marketable securities at September 30, 2018 were $2.0 billion as compared to $353.2 million at December 31, 2017.

"We have made tremendous progress advancing our portfolio of immuno-oncology, immunology and pain programs in 2018," said Howard W. Robin, President and CEO of Nektar. "We are implementing the broad joint development plan for NKTR-214 with partner Bristol-Myers Squibb across a range of tumor types, with the first Phase 3 trial in melanoma initiated in September and the next seven trials in renal cell carcinoma, urothelial cancer and non-small cell lung cancer starting over the next several months. In addition, our new collaboration with Pfizer underscores the promise of NKTR-214 as a backbone therapy in multiple cancer treatment regimens. NKTR-358 continues to advance with the ongoing clinical study in lupus patients and NKTR-181 is continuing through the NDA review process with the FDA. Finally, we are in an exceptionally strong financial position to execute on our strategy, ending the quarter with $2.0 billion in cash."

Revenue in the third quarter of 2018 was $27.8 million as compared to $152.9 million in the third quarter of 2017. Year-to-date revenue for 2018 was $1.2 billion as compared to $212.2 million in the first nine months of 2017 and included the recognition of $1.06 billion of license revenue from the Bristol-Myers Squibb collaboration agreement. Revenue in the third quarter of 2017 included recognition of $127.6 million of the $150.0 million upfront payment from Nektar’s collaboration with Eli Lilly & Company for the development and commercialization of NKTR-358.

Total operating costs and expenses in the third quarter of 2018 were $126.4 million as compared to $83.4 million in the third quarter of 2017. Year-to-date total operating costs and expenses in 2018 were $365.3 million as compared to $247.9 million for the same period in 2017. Total operating costs and expenses increased primarily as a result of increased research and development (R&D) expense.

Research and development expense in the third quarter of 2018 was $102.9 million as compared to $65.7 million in the third quarter of 2017. Year-to-date R&D expense for 2018 was $290.7 million as compared to $187.0 million for the same period in 2017. R&D expense was higher in the third quarter and first nine months as compared to the same periods in 2017 primarily because of expenses for our pipeline programs, including the continued development of NKTR-214 in Phase 1/2 studies and Phase 3 preparatory activities and related manufacturing costs, costs related to the NKTR-181 New Drug Application and NKTR-181 pre-commercial manufacturing, Phase 1 clinical studies of NKTR-358, the Phase 1 study of NKTR-262 in combination with NKTR-214 and IND-enabling activities for NKTR-255.

General and administrative (G&A) expense was $18.7 million in the third quarter of 2018 as compared to $12.1 million in the third quarter of 2017. G&A expense in the first nine months of 2018 was $57.7 million as compared to $40.0 million for the same period in 2017. G&A expense was higher in the third quarter and first nine months of 2018 as compared to the same periods in 2017 primarily due to an increase in non-cash stock based compensation expense.

Net loss in the third quarter of 2018 was $96.1 million or $0.56 basic and diluted loss per share as compared to net income of $60.9 million or $0.37 diluted earnings per share in the third quarter of 2017. Net income in the first nine months of 2018 was $779.5 million or $4.34 diluted earnings per share as compared to net loss of $62.9 million or $0.41 basic and diluted loss per share in the first nine months of 2017.

Third Quarter 2018 and Recent Business Highlights

·In November, Nektar entered into an oncology clinical collaboration with Pfizer Inc. to evaluate several combination regimens in multiple cancer settings including metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Under the new collaboration, Pfizer will initiate a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to evaluate the anti-cancer activity of the combined agents, avelumab, talazoparib and NKTR-214, as well as avelumab, enzalutamide and NKTR-214.

·In October, Nektar appointed Karin Eastham as an independent director to its Board of Directors. Ms. Eastham brings more than 35 years of experience as both an executive and independent director in the biotechnology industry, with particular expertise in finance and operations.

·In September, Nektar and Bristol-Myers Squibb initiated a Phase 3 study of NKTR-214 combined with nivolumab versus nivolumab in participants with previously untreated unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

·In July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted Nektar’s New Drug Application (NDA) for NKTR-181, a first-in-class opioid investigational drug candidate, to treat chronic low back pain in adult patients new to opioid therapy. The NDA has been assigned a PDUFA (Prescription Drug User Fee Act) target action date of May 29, 2019 by the FDA.

The Company also announced the following upcoming presentations through year-end 2018:

2018 Society for Immunotherapy and Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, Washington D.C.:

· Oral Presentation: "Immune monitoring after NKTR-214 plus nivolumab (PIVOT-02) in previously untreated patients with metastatic Stage IV melanoma"
o Session: Cytokines Reinvented
o Presenter: Dr. Adi Diab, MD Anderson Cancer Center
o Date: Friday, November 9, 2018, 5:05 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

Poster Presentations:

Session: Combination Therapy

· Abstract #P348: "Survival and immune modulation in homologous recombination deficient murine ovarian tumors using the PARP inhibitor, rucaparib and immune agonist, NKTR-214", Charych, D., et al.
o Date: Friday, November 9th from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 10th from 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

· Abstract #P364: "Systemic anti-tumor immunity and immune memory formation by a novel TLR7/8 targeting agent NKTR-262 combined with CD122-biased immunostimulatory cytokine NKTR-214", Kivimae, S., et al.
o Date: Friday, November 9th from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 10th from 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

· Abstract #P368: "Combination of a Dipeptidyl Peptidase Inhibitor BXCL701 and Biased CD122 Agonist NKTR-214 with Anti-PD1 Provides Functional Immunological Memory through Inflammatory Cell Death", MacDougall, J., et al.
o Date: Friday, November 9th from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 10th from 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

· Abstract #P378: "NKTR-214 (CD122-biased agonist) and NKTR-262 (TLR7/8 agonist) combination treatment pairs local innate immune activation with systemic CD8+ T cell expansion to enhance anti-tumor immunity", Rolig, A., et al.
oDate: Friday, November 9th from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 10th from 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

Session: Cytokines in Anti-Tumor Immunity

·Abstract #P418: "Pre-clinical investigation of NKTR-255, a polymer-conjugated IL-15 with a potent NK cell dependent anti-tumor efficacy", Miyazaki, T., et al.
oDate: Friday, November 9th from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 10th from 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

·Abstract #P419: "NKTR-214 in combination with radiation produces a potent in situ vaccine in the syngeneic B78 melanoma model", Sondel, P., et al.
oDate: Friday, November 9th from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 10th from 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

·Abstract #P422: "A polymer-associated human IL-15 (NKTR-255) has optimized biological activity and unique mechanisms of action on CD8 T Cells and NK Cells", Robinson T., et al.
oDate: Friday, November 9th from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 10th from 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

·Abstract #P424: "NKTR-214, an engineered IL-2, selectively depletes intratumoral Tregs and expands immunotherapy-induced effector T cell responses", Sharma, M., et al.
oDate: Friday, November 9th from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 10th from 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

Session: Mechanisms of Resistance to Immunotherapy

·Abstract #P557: "Overcoming genetically-based resistance mechanisms to PD-1 blockade", Torrejon, D., et al.
oDate: Friday, November 9th from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 10th from 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

2018 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA;

·Publication #2952: "Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Study of NKTR-255, a Polymer-Conjugated Human IL-15, in Cynomolgus Monkey", Miyazaki, T., et al.
oSession 625: Lymphoma: Pre-Clinical—Chemotherapy and Biologic Agents: Poster II
oDate: Sunday, December 2nd from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time
oLocation: San Diego Convention Center, Hall GH

Conference Call to Discuss Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Nektar management will host a conference call to review the results beginning at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time/2:00 p.m. Pacific Time today, Wednesday, November 7, 2018.

This press release and a live audio-only webcast of the conference call can be accessed through a link that is posted on the home page and Investors section of the Nektar website: View Source The web broadcast of the conference call will be available for replay through Monday, December 10, 2018.

To access the conference call, follow these instructions:

Dial: (877) 881-2183 (U.S.); (970) 315-0453 (international)

Passcode: 9395678 (Nektar Therapeutics is the host)

In the event that any non-GAAP financial measure is discussed on the conference call that is not described in the press release, or explained on the conference call, related information will be made available on the Investors page at the Nektar website as soon as practical after the conclusion of the conference call.

On November 7, 2018 Forbius, a clinical stage company developing biotherapeutics targeting EGFR and TGF-β pathways, reported that Ilia Tikhomirov, CEO of Forbius, will be presenting at two upcoming investor conferences in November (Press release, Forbius, NOV 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234531667]).

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Details for the presentations:

Event: Jefferies 2018 London Healthcare Conference

Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Time: 10:40 a.m. GMT

Event: Evercore ISI Healthcare Conference

Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Time: 2:20 p.m. EST

On November 7, 2018 NantHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: NH), a next-generation, evidence-based, personalized healthcare company, reported that it will report financial results for its 2018 third quarter on Thursday, November 15, 2018, after market close (Press release, NantHealth, NOV 7, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2375793 [SID1234530850]). NantHealth management will host a conference call that same day at 1:30 p.m. PT (4:30 p.m. ET) to review the company’s performance. The company intends to file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 on or before November 23, 2018.

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The company’s normal process for compilation and review of its financial statements was delayed due to the effects of Hurricane Michael on accounting personnel and accounting operations in the company’s offices in Panama City, Florida.

The conference call will be available to interested parties by dialing 844-309-3709 from the U.S. or Canada, or 281-962-4864 from international locations, passcode 9992769. The call will be broadcast via the Internet at www.nanthealth.com.

On November 7, 2018 DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) reported financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and provided a corporate update (Press release, DURECT, NOV 7, 2018, http://investors.durect.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=121590&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2375965 [SID1234530911]).

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Total revenues were $8.0 million and net loss was $2.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 as compared to total revenues of $20.7 million and net income of $6.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017. The third quarter of 2018 included a $5 million milestone payment from Indivior related to the FDA approval of PERSERIS (risperidone). The third quarter of 2017 included $12.5 million in revenues from the upfront payment related to a patent purchase agreement with Indivior.
At September 30, 2018, cash and investments were $41.5 million, compared to cash and investments of $36.9 million at December 31, 2017. Debt at September 30, 2018 was $19.9 million.
"During the third quarter, we benefited from two product approvals through corporate relationships, most notably U.S. FDA approval of Indivior’s PERSERIS to treat adults with schizophrenia, as well as the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare’s approval of Orient Pharma’s Methydur Sustained Release Capsules to treat patients with ADHD," stated James E. Brown, D.V.M., President and CEO of DURECT. "We expect anticipated earn-outs and royalties from these approvals to begin providing cash flow, starting next year, that will help finance the development of our proprietary pipeline, including DUR-928, which we are currently evaluating in two Phase 2a clinical trials in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We are planning to accelerate enrollment in the AH trial by enrolling both moderate and severe AH patients simultaneously going forward. In addition, we plan to initiate a Phase 2a clinical trial of topical DUR-928 in patients suffering from psoriasis in the first quarter of 2019, and a trial in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients in the first half of 2019."

Update on Selected Programs:

Epigenetic Regulator Program. DUR-928, the lead product candidate in the Company’s Epigenetic Regulator Program, is an endogenous, first-in-class small molecule, which may have broad applicability in several hepatic and renal diseases such as NASH and PSC, in acute organ injuries such as AH and acute kidney injury (AKI), and in inflammatory skin disorders such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

Ongoing Clinical Trials

Alcoholic Hepatitis (AH)

DURECT is conducting a Phase 2a clinical trial with intravenously administered DUR-928 in patients with AH. This is an open label, dose escalation, multi-center U.S. study, originally designed to be conducted in two sequential parts. Part A includes patients with moderate AH (as determined by the Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores, a common scoring system to assess the severity and prognosis of AH patients), and Part B includes patients with severe AH. Three dose levels (30, 90 and 150 mg) are planned for testing in Part A. Dose escalation occurs following review of safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) results of the prior dose level by a Dose Escalation Committee (DEC). The target number of patients for the study is 4-6 per dose group. The objectives of this study include safety, PK and pharmacodynamic (PD) signals, including liver biochemistry and biomarkers. Additional information on the trial design, including eligibility criteria and site locations, can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov using the NCT Identifier NCT03432260.
The Company recently completed dosing for the low-dose 30 mg cohort (n=4) of Part A (moderate AH patients). After completing the safety and PK review by the DEC, DURECT plans to commence the 90 mg cohort in Part A.
The Company has amended the protocol so that after the DEC completes its review, DURECT can begin enrolling Part B (severe AH patients), starting with the low dose, while it simultaneously continues enrolling Part A (moderate AH patients). The Company believes enrolling Part A and B simultaneously will accelerate the overall timeline for the trial. Over the course of the trial, the clinical sites have encountered many severe AH patients who may have qualified for Part B but were deemed screen failures due to their MELD scores being too high for Part A.
AH is a syndrome of progressive inflammatory liver injury associated with long-term heavy intake of alcohol, and encompasses a spectrum that ranges from mild injury to severe, life threatening liver damage. The prevalence of AH is estimated to occur in 10-35% of heavy drinkers. According to an article in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology (2015 July; 49(6): 506-511), there were over 320,000 hospitalizations related to alcoholic hepatitis in 2010, resulting in hospitalization costs of nearly $50,000 per patient.
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)

The Company is currently conducting a Phase 2a clinical trial in PSC with orally administered DUR-928. This is a randomized, open label, multi-center study with two cohorts (10 mg and 50 mg), in which patients (n = 15-20 per cohort) receive daily oral dosing of DUR-928 for four weeks with follow-up for an additional four weeks. The objectives of this study include safety, PK and PD signals, including the percent change from baseline of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and other biomarkers. Additional information on the trial design, including eligibility criteria and site locations, can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov using the NCT Identifier NCT03394781. To date, five PSC patients have been dosed, and as such the Company is not able to provide meaningful interim data at this time. The Company plans to continue enrolling patients and will provide an update when enrollment has reached a critical mass for data analysis.
PSC is a chronic liver disease characterized by a progression of cholestasis (decrease in bile flow) with inflammation and fibrosis of bile ducts. DUR-928 has been awarded orphan drug designation for the PSC indication.
Planned Clinical Trials

Psoriasis

The Company is planning to conduct a Phase 2a proof-of-concept trial with topical DUR-928 in patients with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis beginning in the first quarter of 2019. This will be a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled clinical trial conducted in the U.S. Approximately 20 subjects will be enrolled to obtain about 15 evaluable subjects in the study. DUR-928 will be applied topically once-daily for four weeks. Patients will serve as their own controls, as each patient will have similar contralateral plaques. DUR-928 will be applied to one plaque and the vehicle control will be applied to the contralateral plaque daily for four weeks. Patients will be followed for an additional four weeks and the primary efficacy endpoint will be improvement in local psoriasis scores in the DUR-928-treated plaque compared to the vehicle-treated plaque.
The Company observed activity of DUR-928 in a previous exploratory Phase 1b trial utilizing intralesional injections of DUR-928 in psoriasis patients. In support of the upcoming study, it has completed multiple non-clinical safety studies for topically applied DUR-928.
Skin inflammatory disorders, such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, affect approximately 7.5 million and 32 million Americans, respectively. Most currently available topical treatments, typically as first line therapy, either slow down excessive skin cell proliferation or reduce inflammation. Steroids are the most commonly used topical anti-inflammatory agents because they reduce the swelling and redness of lesions.
Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

DURECT is planning to conduct a clinical trial in NASH patients with orally-administered DUR-928 beginning in the first half of 2019. Further details on study design and timing will be provided as the Company gets closer to initiation. In the Company’s previous Phase 1b NASH study, reported at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in April 2017, a reduction of certain biomarkers after a single oral dose of DUR-928 was observed. Exploratory biomarker analysis indicated that a single oral dose of DUR-928 in NASH patients resulted in statistically significant reductions from baseline of both full-length and cleaved cytokeratin-18 (CK-18), bilirubin, hsCRP and IL-18.
Indivior Agreement and PERSERIS. In September 2017, the Company entered into a patent purchase agreement with an affiliate of Indivior PLC, whereby the Company assigned certain of its U.S. patent rights to Indivior. This assignment may provide further intellectual property protection for PERSERIS (risperidone) extended-release injectable suspension for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults.

Under the terms of the agreement, Indivior made an upfront non-refundable payment to the Company of $12.5 million. Indivior also agreed to make an additional $5 million payment to the Company based on NDA approval of PERSERIS, as well as quarterly earn-out payments that are based on a single digit percentage of U.S. net sales for certain products covered by the patent rights, including PERSERIS. The patent rights include granted patents extending through at least 2026. In July 2018, the FDA approved the NDA for PERSERIS and the Company received the $5 million milestone payment in August 2018. On November 1, 2018, Indivior stated that they are preparing a full promotional launch of PERSERIS with a field force of 40 to 60 representatives, contingent upon the preliminary injunction against Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories being upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Indivior further stated that they will be making PERSERIS available in the U.S. in Q4 2018 to begin generating product awareness and trial. For more information on PERSERIS, please see Indivior’s earnings press release dated November 1, 2018. U.S. sales of long acting injectables to treat schizophrenia were in excess of $3 billion in 2017.

POSIMIR (SABER-Bupivacaine) Post-Operative Pain Relief Depot. POSIMIR is the Company’s investigational post-operative pain relief depot that utilizes the Company’s patented SABER technology and is designed to deliver bupivacaine to provide up to 3 days of pain relief after surgery.

In October 2017, the Company reported that PERSIST, a Phase 3 clinical trial for POSIMIR did not meet its primary efficacy endpoint of reduction in pain on movement as compared to standard bupivacaine HCl over the first 48 hours after surgery. While the efficacy results trended in favor of POSIMIR versus the comparator, they did not achieve statistical significance. In May 2018, the Company amended its U.S. licensing agreement with Sandoz, pursuant to which DURECT is now eligible for up to $30 million in milestone payments based on NDA approval, and remains eligible for up to an additional $230 million in sales-based milestones. Each party, pursuant to the Amendment, is also permitted to develop or commercialize competing products. The Amendment also includes modifications to DURECT’s development obligations and to both parties’ termination provisions, including a right for DURECT to terminate for convenience prior to NDA approval. There is also a new termination fee payable to DURECT in the event that Sandoz terminates the agreement for convenience. The agreement between the two companies remains in full force and effect, except as expressly covered in the Amendment. DURECT continues to evaluate and consider potential next steps with the program.

Methydur Sustained Release Capsules (ORADUR-methylphenidate ER Capsules). In September 2018, Orient Pharma informed DURECT that it had obtained marketing authorization from the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan for Methydur Sustained Release Capsules. This product is indicated for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and will be available in three strengths (22 mg, 33 mg and 44 mg) in Taiwan. Orient Pharma also has stated that it expects to make Methydur Sustained Release Capsules commercially available in Taiwan in 2019, while seeking a partner in China and pursuing regulatory approvals in selected other countries where it has commercialization rights and a commercial presence.

In August 2009, DURECT entered into a development and license agreement with Orient Pharma Co., Ltd., a diversified multinational pharmaceutical, healthcare and consumer products company with headquarters in Taiwan. In this agreement, DURECT granted to Orient Pharma the development and commercialization rights to ORADUR-Methylphenidate ER Capsules (Methydur Sustained Released Capsules) in certain defined Asian and South Pacific countries. DURECT retains rights to North America, Europe, Japan and all other countries not specifically licensed to Orient Pharma. DURECT is entitled to receive a royalty on sales of Methydur Sustained Release Capsules by Orient Pharma. Orient Pharma has also committed to supply a portion of the commercial requirements in territories other than the United States for Methydur Sustained Release Capsules.

Debt amendment. In November 2018, the Company amended its existing $20 million term loan with Oxford Finance such that principal payments now commence 18 months later than previously scheduled (i.e., commencing June 1, 2020 rather than December 1, 2018) and the final maturity date is moved back by 30 months (i.e., from August 1, 2020 to November 1, 2022). The interest rate and final payment remain unchanged, and the Company paid Oxford Finance an amendment fee of $900,000.

Upcoming investor conference. DURECT will be presenting at the Stifel 2018 Healthcare Conference at 11:45 am Eastern time on Wednesday, November 14. The conference is being held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel. A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available by accessing View Source . A live audio webcast of these presentations will also be available by accessing DURECT’s homepage at www.durect.com and clicking "Investor Relations." If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived on DURECT’s website under Audio Archive in the "Investor Relations" section.

Earnings Conference Call
A live audio webcast of a conference call to discuss third quarter 2018 results and provide a corporate update will be broadcast live over the internet at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on November 7 and will be available by accessing DURECT’s homepage at www.durect.com and clicking "Investor Relations." If you are unable to participate in the live webcast, the call will be archived on DURECT’s website under Audio Archive in the "Investor Relations" section.