Agios to Present at the Leerink Global Healthcare Conference on Thursday, February 28, 2019

On February 21, 2019 Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGIO), a leader in the field of cellular metabolism to treat cancer and rare genetic diseases, reported that the company is scheduled to present at the Leerink Global Healthcare Conference in New York City on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. ET (Press release, Agios Pharmaceuticals, FEB 21, 2019, View Source [SID1234533528]).

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A live webcast of the presentation can be accessed under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors section of the company’s website at www.agios.com. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Agios website for at least two weeks following the presentation

Genomic Health Reports Record 2018 Fourth Quarter and Year-end Financial Results and Provides 2019 Financial Guidance

On February 21, 2019 Genomic Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: GHDX) reported financial results and business progress for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2018 (Press release, Genomic Health, FEB 21, 2019, Genomic Health Reports Record 2018 Fourth Quarter and Year-end Financial Results and Provides 2019 Financial Guidance [SID1234533545]).

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"2018 was a record year for Genomic Health. We delivered $394.1 million in revenue and non-GAAP net income of $39.7 million, exceeding expectations for the year. In December, we achieved a significant milestone delivering our one millionth Oncotype DX tests to cancer patients worldwide," said Kim Popovits, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and president of Genomic Health. "Additionally, positive results from the landmark NCI-sponsored TAILORx trial, published in June, elevated Oncotype DX to a new global standard of care for early-stage breast cancer. In 2019, we expect this momentum to continue as we increase penetration of our Oncotype DX tests both in the U.S. and key European markets and broaden global access with national reimbursement progress. We also expect to continue the expansion and diversification of our portfolio through multiple platforms and partners for longer-term growth."

Full Year 2018 Financial Results
Total revenue for 2018 was $394.1 million, compared with pre-606 adjusted revenue* of $334.0 million for 2017, an increase of 18 percent. Reported revenue was $340.8 million for 2017.

U.S. product revenue was $334.7 million for the full year 2018, compared with pre-606 adjusted revenue* of $281.6 million for 2017, an increase of 19 percent. U.S. product reported revenue was $287.4 million for 2017. U.S. invasive breast revenue from Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score tests was $299.4 million for 2018, compared with pre-606 adjusted revenue* of $254.0 million for 2017, an increase of 18 percent. U.S. invasive breast reported revenue was $259.7 million for 2017. U.S. prostate test revenue from Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score (GPS) tests was $26.8 million in 2018, compared with pre-606 adjusted revenue* of $17.9 million in 2017, an increase of 50 percent. U.S. prostate test reported revenue from GPS tests was $17.9 million in 2017.

International product revenue for 2018 was $59.4 million, compared with pre-606 adjusted revenue* of $52.0 million for 2017, an increase of 14 percent, and an increase of 12 percent on a non-GAAP constant currency basis. International product reported revenue was $53.1 million for 2017.

GAAP net income was $25.7 million, or $0.72 and $0.68 per share on a basic and diluted basis, respectively, for 2018, an improvement of $29.6 million, compared with a net loss of $3.9 million, or $0.11 per share on a basic and diluted basis, for 2017. GAAP operating income was $23.9 million for 2018, an improvement of $30.4 million, compared with an operating loss of $6.5 million for 2017.

Non-GAAP net income was $39.7 million for 2018, an improvement of $41.3 million, compared with a $1.6 million non-GAAP net loss for 2017. Non-GAAP operating income was $38.8 million for 2018, an improvement of $41.0 million, compared with a non-GAAP operating loss of $2.2 million for 2017.

2019 Financial Guidance
"We have entered 2019 with strong momentum in our business and expect to deliver revenue growth between 11 and 14 percent and significantly greater improvement in profitability for the full year with continued operating leverage," said Brad Cole, chief financial officer of Genomic Health. "In 2019, operating margin expansion is expected to deliver net income growth between 35 and 50 percent for the year on a non-GAAP basis."

The company is providing the following guidance for the full year ending December 31, 2019:

Low

High

Revenue(1)

$ 436

$ 448

Revenue Growth

11%

14%

Net Income (GAAP) (1)

$ 48

$ 54

GAAP Diluted EPS (2)

$ 1.23

$ 1.38

Net Income (Non-GAAP) (1) (3)

$ 54

$ 60

Non-GAAP Diluted EPS (2)

$ 1.38

$ 1.54

(1)

In millions.

(2)

Based on 39 million estimated shares outstanding for Diluted EPS.

(3)

Non-GAAP net income excludes charges for clinical and commercial development milestone payments; changes in fair value of investments and acquisition fees.

Additional 2018 Full Year and Fourth Quarter Financial Results
Total revenue was $104.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with pre-606 adjusted revenue* of $85.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2017, an increase of 22 percent. Revenue growth in the fourth quarter would have been 18 percent excluding $3.5 million to reflect ASC-606 portfolio adjustments. Reported revenue was $87.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2017.

U.S. product revenue was $88.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with pre-606 adjusted revenue* of $72.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2017, an increase of 23 percent. U.S. product reported revenue was $73.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. U.S. invasive breast revenue from Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score tests was $79.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with pre-606 adjusted revenue* of $64.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, an increase of 22 percent. U.S. invasive breast reported revenue was $66.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. U.S. prostate test revenue from Oncotype DX GPS tests was $7.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with pre-606 adjusted revenue* of $5.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, an increase of 48 percent. U.S. prostate test reported revenue from GPS tests was $5.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2017.

International product revenue was $16.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with pre-606 adjusted revenue* of $13.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2017, an increase of 19 percent, and a 21 percent increase on a non-GAAP constant currency basis. International product reported revenue was $13.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2017.

GAAP net income was $8.9 million, or $0.25 and $0.23 per share on a basic and diluted basis, respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2018, an improvement of $7.0 million, compared with $1.9 million, or $0.05 per share on a basic and diluted basis, in the fourth quarter of 2017. GAAP operating income was $9.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, an improvement of $7.3 million, compared with $2.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Non-GAAP net income was $12.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, an improvement of $9.5 million, compared with non-GAAP net income of $2.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. Non-GAAP operating income was $12.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with a non-GAAP operating income of $3.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2017.

More than 35,530 Oncotype test results were delivered in the fourth quarter of 2018, an increase of 11 percent, compared with more than 31,990 test results delivered in the same period in 2017. Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score tests delivered in the U.S. grew 9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with the same period in 2017. Oncotype DX GPS tests delivered in the U.S. grew 19 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with the same period in 2017. Oncotype DX international tests delivered grew 15 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with the same period in 2017 and represented approximately 24 percent of total test volume in the quarter.

More than 136,380 Oncotype test results were delivered for the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of 8 percent, compared with more than 126,730 test results delivered in the same period in 2017. Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score tests delivered in the U.S. grew 7 percent in 2018 compared to the prior year. Oncotype DX GPS tests delivered in the U.S. grew 23 percent in 2018 compared to the prior year. Oncotype DX international tests delivered grew 4 percent in 2018 compared to the prior year and represented approximately 24 percent of total test volume in 2018.

Cash and cash equivalents and short-term marketable securities at December 31, 2018, were $209.8 million, an increase of $80.2 million compared with $129.6 million at December 31, 2017.

Recent Business Highlights

Delivered, in collaboration with physicians around the world, more than 1 million Oncotype DX tests to cancer patients worldwide since the first test was made available to patients in 2004. To date, more than 53,000 physicians across 90 countries have used Oncotype DX to optimize treatment decisions for their breast, prostate and colon cancer patients, improving outcomes and saving more than $5 billion in healthcare costs.
Expanded exclusive collaboration with Biocartis Group NV to include urology for the anticipated development of an in vitro diagnostic version of the Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score test on Biocartis’ Idylla platform.
The U.K.’sNational Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued updated guidance again recommending the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test for use in clinical practice to guide adjuvant chemotherapy treatment decisions and expanding its prior recommendation to now include patients with micrometastases.
The Breast published results from a French prospective decision impact study on the real-life utilization of the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test in clinical practice, demonstrating a 36 percent reduction in chemotherapy use. Consistent with other decision impact studies worldwide, these results highlight the value and need for broader patient access in France.
Nature Partner Journals (NPJ) Breast Cancer published a new analysis of the randomized NSABP B-20 study confirming patients with Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score results greater than 25 receive life-saving benefit from chemotherapy, reinforcing the conclusions of the landmark TAILORx study.
Presented results from two Oncotype DX studies at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium reinforcing the real-world value of the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test in optimizing treatment and outcomes in breast cancer patients regardless of age or race.
Received acceptance to present five studies at the 16thSt. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference in March 2019.
Urology published results from a multi-center study establishing Oncotype DX as the first genomic prostate cancer test with prospective validation for predicting adverse pathology to identify patients for active surveillance.
Presented results from multiple studies in men on active surveillance at the 2019 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium demonstrating association between the Oncotype DX GPS test and adverse pathology, underscoring its value in identifying patients who will ultimately require surgery due to disease progression.
*Pre-606 Adjusted Product Revenue
Effective January 1, 2018, the company adopted the new ASC 606 accounting standard for revenue, using the modified retrospective method, which applies the new standard prospectively and does not impact prior years’ financial statements. Since the as-reported 2017 quarterly and annual financial statements will not be restated to reflect the new accounting standard, the company has provided a supplemental financial schedule in the non-GAAP tables at the end of this press release, reflecting an estimate of revenue as if the new standard had been applied to the historical 2017 product revenue portion of revenue as of January 1, 2017, referred to herein as "pre-606 adjusted revenue."

Non-GAAP Disclosure
The company makes reference in this press release to "non-GAAP operating income (loss)," which excludes 2018 expenses resulting from the restructuring charges for the cessation of the Oncotype SEQ Liquid Select test product development and commercialization activities in the first quarter of 2018, the cessation of its collaboration with Cleveland Diagnostics in the second quarter of 2018, the expenses for milestone payments to Biocartis N.V. (Biocartis) in the second and third quarters of 2018, as well as the payment to Biocartis for exercising its option to expand the collaboration to include urology in the fourth quarter of 2018. Additionally, the company references "non-GAAP net income (loss)," which also excludes fair value adjustments related to its collaborations with Biocartis and Epic Sciences, and the gain on sale of marketable securities in the first quarter of 2017. The company believes that excluding these items and their related tax effects from its financial results reflects operating results that are more indicative of the company’s ongoing operating performance while improving comparability to prior periods, and, as such, may provide investors with an enhanced understanding of the company’s past financial performance and prospects for the future. The company also considers the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on its global business as described in the constant currency table accompanying this press release. The company’s management uses such non-GAAP measures internally to evaluate and assess its core operations and to make ongoing operating decisions. This information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for income (loss) from operations or net income (loss) information prepared in accordance with GAAP. An explanation and reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is included in the tables accompanying this press release.

Conference Call Details
To access the live conference call today, February 20, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time via phone, please dial (877) 303-7208 from the United States and Canada, or +1 (224) 357-2389 internationally. The conference call ID is 8989205. Please dial in approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. To access the live and subsequently archived webcast of the conference call, go to the Investor Relations section of the company’s website at View Source Please connect to the website at least 15 minutes prior to the presentation to allow for any software download that may be necessary.

AIVITA Completes Treatment of First Patient in Phase 2 Ovarian Cancer Trial

On February 21, 2019 AIVITA Biomedical, Inc., a biotech company specializing in innovative stem cell applications, reported that its first patient has completed treatment in its multi-center Phase 2 ROOT OF CANCER ovarian cancer trial (Press release, AIVITA Biomedical, FEB 21, 2019, View Source [SID1234533563]). The patient has received the eighth and final dose of the study therapy under the guidance of Principal Investigator Dr. Lisa Abaid of Gynecologic Oncology Associates in Newport Beach, CA.

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AIVITA’s trial calls for approximately 99 patients to be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either the Company’s patient-specific cancer-stem cell targeting treatment or a control agent consisting of autologous monocytes. Eight subjects have been randomized to receive the study therapy, which is administered in a series of eight injections along with standard care. 11 subjects are currently enrolled in the study across five clinical sites, with three additional sites opening soon.

"Interest amongst oncologists has been extremely high, as our therapy complements standard of care and has such a high efficacy rate," said Dr. Robert Dillman, Chief Medical Officer at AIVITA. "Of the eight subjects currently randomized in our trial we have been successful in manufacturing treatments for all eight, further evidencing that this technology can be quickly and reliably produced for the treatment of multiple cancer types."

AIVITA is currently conducting three clinical studies investigating its platform ROOT OF CANCER therapy in patients with ovarian cancer, glioblastoma and melanoma. AIVITA uses 100% of proceeds from the sale of its ROOT of SKIN skin care line to support the treatment of women with ovarian cancer.

About Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of female cancer deaths, with an estimated 22,240 new diagnoses in 2018 and 14,070 deaths. The median age at diagnosis is 63, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 50% for all, and about 35% for the two thirds who have advanced disease (stage III or IV) at the time of initial diagnosis. Current standard of care includes surgical debulking and several courses of chemotherapy.

About ROOT OF CANCER

AIVITA’s treatment is a platform technology applicable to most solid tumor types and consists of autologous dendritic cells loaded with autologous tumor antigens from purified autologous self-renewing tumor-initiating cells.

AIVITA’s ovarian Phase 2 double-blind study is active and enrolling approximately 99 patients who are being randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either the autologous cancer stem cell-targeting immunotherapy or autologous monocytes as a comparator.

Patients eligible for randomization and treatment will be those (1) who have undergone debulking surgery, (2) for whom a cell line has been established, (3) who have undergone leukapheresis from which sufficient monocytes were obtained, (4) have an ECOG performance grade of 0 or 1 (Karnofsky score of 70-100%), and (5) who have completed primary therapy.

For additional information about AIVITA’s AVOVA-1 trial patients can visit: www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02033616

AIVITA’s glioblastoma Phase 2 single-arm study is active and is enrolling approximately 55 patients to receive the cancer stem cell-targeting immunotherapy.

Patients eligible for treatment will be those (1) who have recovered from surgery such that they are about to begin concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CT/RT), (2) for whom an autologous tumor cell line has been established, (3) have a Karnofsky Performance Status of > 70 and (4) have undergone successful leukapheresis from which peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained that can be used to generate dendritic cells (DC).

For additional information about AIVITA’s AV-GBM-1 trial please visit: www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03400917

AIVITA’s melanoma Phase 1B open-label, single-arm study will establish the safety of administering anti-PD1 monoclonal antibodies in combination with the cancer stem cell-targeting immunotherapy in patients with measurable metastatic melanoma. The study will also track efficacy of the treatment for the estimated 14 to 20 patients.

Patients eligible for treatment will be those (1) for whom a cell line has been established, (2) who have undergone leukapheresis from which sufficient monocytes were obtained, (3) have an ECOG performance grade of 0 or 1 (Karnofsky score of 70-100%), (4) who have either never received treatment for metastatic melanoma or were previously treated with enzymatic inhibitors of the BRAF/MEK pathway because of BRAF600E/K mutations and (5) are about to initiate anti-PD1 monotherapy.

For additional information about AIVITA’s AV-MEL-1 trial please visit: www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03743298

Linnaeus Therapeutics Awarded $2,000,000 Phase 2 SBIR by National Cancer Institute

On February 21, 2019 Linnaeus Therapeutics, Inc. ("Linnaeus"), a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel, small molecule oncology therapeutics, reported it has been awarded a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research ("SBIR") Award by the National Cancer Institute ("NCI") of the National Institute for Health ("NIH") (Press release, Linnaeus Therapeutics, FEB 21, 2019, View Source [SID1234539504]).

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The $2,000,000 award was granted to the company after a highly competitive peer-review process. The award will help fund the early development of its lead compound, LNS8801, which targets a G protein-coupled receptor, known as GPER, for the treatment of various cancers.

"This award provides a strong peer-reviewed validation of the core science that is the basis of LNS8801 and its target GPER," said Patrick Mooney, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Linnaeus. "This money will allow us to further develop LNS8801 as a potentially safe, oral and effective therapeutic for the treatment of various cancers, including melanoma, pancreas, lung and colon cancers, among others. We plan to aggressively develop LNS8801, and we hope to continue our relationship with NCI over the long term."

argenx to host conference call & webcast to report fourth quarter business update and full year 2018 financial results on February 28, 2019

On February 21, 2019 argenx (Euronext & Nasdaq: ARGX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a deep pipeline of differentiated antibody-based therapies for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases and cancer, reported that it will host a conference call and audio webcast on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 3:00 pm CET (9:00 am ET) to discuss its 2018 financial results and provide a fourth quarter business update (Press release, argenx, FEB 21, 2019, https://www.argenx.com/en-GB/news-internal/argenx-to-host-conference-call-webcast-to-report-fourth-quarter-business-update-and-full-year-2018-financial-results-on-february-28-2019/30213/ [SID1234533546]).

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Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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To participate in the conference call, please select your phone number below and use the confirmation code 9795988. The webcast may be accessed on the homepage of the argenx website at www.argenx.com or by clicking here.

A replay of the webcast will also be available at the argenx website.

Dial-in numbers:

Please dial in 5–10 minutes prior to 3 p.m. CET/ 9 a.m. ET using the number and conference ID below.

Confirmation Code: 9795988

Belgium +32 (0)2 400 9874

Belgium 0800 48740

France +33 (0)1 767 00794

France 0805 103028

Netherlands +31 (0)20 714 3545

Netherlands 0800 0249557

United Kingdom +44 (0)844 571 8892

United Kingdom 0800 376 7922

United States +1 (631) 510 7495

United States +1 (866) 966 1396

A question and answer session will follow the presentation of the results. Go to www.argenx.com to access the live audio webcast. The archived webcast will also be available (90 days) for replay shortly after the close of the call from the "Downloads" section of the argenx website.