On November 6, 2018 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) reported financial results for the third quarter of 2018 and provided a business update (Press release, Regeneron, NOV 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234530860]).

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"Regeneron continues to grow and diversify our business, while continuing to deliver very strong financial results. In addition to EYLEA reaching over $1 billion in quarterly U.S. net sales, we also made significant progress with Dupixent, a key driver of future growth, and launched Libtayo, our first immuno-oncology therapy," said Leonard S. Schleifer, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Regeneron. "Dupixent is now approved in the U.S. for both atopic dermatitis and asthma and under regulatory review for the treatment of adolescents with atopic dermatitis – with another submission planned in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We also recently reported positive Phase 3 results for EYLEA in diabetic retinopathy, and expect an FDA action on our supplemental application for this indication in the first half of 2019."

Third Quarter 2018 Business Highlights

Key Pipeline Progress
Regeneron has twenty product candidates in clinical development, which consist of EYLEA and fully human antibodies generated using the Company’s VelocImmune technology, including eight in collaboration with Sanofi. Updates from the clinical pipeline include:
EYLEA (aflibercept) Injection
•
The FDA approved EYLEA for an every 12-week dosing regimen option after one year of effective therapy in patients with wet AMD.
•
The FDA accepted for review the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) of EYLEA for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, with a target action date of May 13, 2019.
•
The Company announced that the Phase 3 PANORAMA trial evaluating EYLEA in patients with moderately severe and severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy met its one-year primary endpoint and key secondary endpoints, including both the improvement of diabetic retinopathy and a reduction in the rate of vision-threatening complications.
•
The FDA issued a Complete Response Letter regarding the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls Prior-Approval Supplement (PAS) for the EYLEA pre-filled syringe. The Company expects to compile all the requested information and resubmit the PAS in the first half of 2019.

Dupixent (dupilumab) Injection
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In October 2018, the FDA approved Dupixent as an add-on maintenance therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma aged 12 years and older with an eosinophilic phenotype or with oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma.
•
The Company and Sanofi submitted an sBLA and a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for an expanded atopic dermatitis indication in adolescent patients (12–17 years of age). In November 2018, the FDA accepted for priority review the sBLA for atopic dermatitis in adolescent patients, with a target action date of March 11, 2019.
•
The Company and Sanofi announced positive top-line results from both pivotal Phase 3 placebo-controlled trials evaluating Dupixent in adults with inadequately-controlled CRSwNP.
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A Phase 2/3 study in eosinophilic esophagitis and a Phase 2 study in peanut allergy were initiated.

Praluent (alirocumab) Injection
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The FDA approved Praluent for the treatment of patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) undergoing apheresis.
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An sBLA for Praluent as a potential treatment to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events was accepted for review by the FDA, with a target action date of April 28, 2019.
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The FDA also accepted for review an sBLA for Praluent for first-line treatment of hyperlipidemia, with a target action date of April 29, 2019.
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A Phase 3 study in pediatric patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) was initiated.

Kevzara (sarilumab) Injection
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A Phase 3 study in polymyalgia rheumatica was initiated.

2

Libtayo (cemiplimab-rwlc) Injection
•
On September 28, 2018, the FDA approved Libtayo (cemiplimab-rwlc) for the treatment of patients with metastatic or locally advanced CSCC who are not candidates for curative surgery or curative radiation.

Fasinumab is an antibody targeting Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).
•
The Company and Teva announced positive top-line results from a Phase 3 study of fasinumab in patients with chronic pain from osteoarthritis of the knee or hip.

REGN3500 is an antibody to IL-33.
•
A Phase 2 study in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was initiated.

Business Development Update
•
In the third quarter of 2018, the Company entered into a collaboration agreement with bluebird bio, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize novel immune cell therapies for cancer.

Financial Results

Product Revenues: Net product sales were $1.025 billion in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $957 million in the third quarter of 2017. EYLEA net product sales in the United States were $1.022 billion in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $953 million in the third quarter of 2017. Overall distributor inventory levels for EYLEA in the United States remained within the Company’s one-to-two-week targeted range.

Total Revenues: Total revenues, which include product revenues described above, increased by 11% to $1.663 billion in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $1.501 billion in the third quarter of 2017. Total revenues include Sanofi and Bayer collaboration revenues of $521 million in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $482 million in the third quarter of 2017. The increase in Sanofi collaboration revenue in the third quarter of 2018 was primarily due to the Company’s share of higher net sales of Dupixent and Praluent, partly offset by the ceasing of funding by Sanofi in connection with the Company’s Discovery and Preclinical Development Agreement, which ended on December 31, 2017, and an increase in the collaboration’s Dupixent commercialization expenses. Bayer collaboration revenue increased in the third quarter of 2018 primarily due to an increase in net profits in connection with higher sales of EYLEA outside the United States. The increase in other revenue in the third quarter of 2018 was partially due to the recognition of a portion of $80 million in development milestones achieved in the third quarter of 2018 in connection with the Company’s fasinumab collaboration with Teva and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma.

The Company adopted Accounting Standard Codification (ASC) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as of January 1, 2018. The Company adopted the standard using the modified retrospective method, and therefore prior period amounts have not been adjusted. A more complete description of the impact of adopting ASC 606 can be found in the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2018.

Refer to Table 4 for a summary of collaboration and other revenue.

Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: GAAP R&D expenses were $557 million in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $530 million in the third quarter of 2017. The higher R&D expenses in the third quarter of 2018 were principally due to an increase in Libtayo development expenses and higher R&D headcount and facilities-related costs, partly offset by a decrease in Dupixent development expenses. In the third quarter of 2018, R&D-related non-cash share-based compensation expense was $60 million, compared to $70 million in the third quarter of 2017.

Selling, General, and Administrative (SG&A) Expenses: GAAP SG&A expenses were $369 million in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $307 million in the third quarter of 2017. The higher SG&A expenses in the third quarter of 2018 were primarily due to higher headcount and headcount-related costs and higher contributions to independent not-for-profit patient assistance organizations. In the third quarter of 2018, SG&A-related non-cash share-based compensation expense decreased to $43 million, compared to $48 million in the third quarter of 2017.

Income Tax Expense: In the third quarter of 2018, GAAP income tax expense was $41 million and the effective tax rate was 6.5%, compared to $177 million and 31.3% in the third quarter of 2017. The Company’s effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2018 was significantly impacted by the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "U.S. Tax Reform Act"), which reduced the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018. The effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2018 was positively impacted, compared to the U.S. federal statutory rate, primarily by the tax benefit associated with tax planning in connection with the U.S. Tax Reform Act, the federal tax credit for research activities, and, to a lesser extent, stock-based compensation and income earned in foreign jurisdictions with tax rates lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate. During the third quarter of 2018, the Company recorded an income tax benefit of $11.9 million as an adjustment to the provisional amount recorded as of December 31, 2017 for the U.S. Tax Reform Act, which was related to the re-measurement of the Company’s U.S. net deferred tax assets.

GAAP and Non-GAAP Net Income(2): GAAP net income was $595 million, or $5.50 per basic share and $5.17 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2018, compared to GAAP net income of $388 million, or $3.64 per basic share and $3.32 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2017.

Non-GAAP net income was $675 million, or $6.25 per basic share and $5.87 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2018, compared to non-GAAP net income of $470 million, or $4.41 per basic share and $3.99 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2017.

Regeneron records net product sales of EYLEA in the United States. Outside the United States, EYLEA net product sales comprise sales by Bayer in countries other than Japan and sales by Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in Japan under a co-promotion agreement with an affiliate of Bayer. The Company recognizes its share of the profits (including a percentage on sales in Japan) from EYLEA sales outside the United States within "Bayer collaboration revenue" in its Statements of Operations.

Conference Call Information

Regeneron will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast to discuss its third quarter 2018 financial and operating results on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at 8:30 AM. To access this call, dial (800) 708-4539 (U.S.) or (847) 619-6396 (International). A link to the webcast may be accessed from the "Investors and Media" page of Regeneron’s website at www.regeneron.com. A replay of the conference call and webcast will be archived on the Company’s website and will be available for 30 days.

This press release uses non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per share, non-GAAP unreimbursed R&D, and non-GAAP SG&A, which are financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). These non-GAAP financial measures are computed by excluding certain non-cash and other items from the related GAAP financial measure. Non-GAAP adjustments also include the estimated income tax effect of reconciling items.

The Company makes such adjustments for items the Company does not view as useful in evaluating its operating performance. For example, adjustments may be made for items that fluctuate from period to period based on factors that are not within the Company’s control (such as the Company’s stock price on the dates share-based grants are issued or changes in the fair value of the Company’s equity investments) or items that are not associated with normal, recurring operations (such as changes in applicable laws and regulations). Management uses these non-GAAP measures for planning, budgeting, forecasting, assessing historical performance, and making financial and operational decisions, and also provides forecasts to investors on this basis. Additionally, such non-GAAP measures provide investors with an enhanced understanding of the financial performance of the Company’s core business operations. However, there are limitations in the use of these and other non-GAAP financial measures as they exclude certain expenses that are recurring in nature. Furthermore, the Company’s non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable with non-GAAP information provided by other companies. Any non-GAAP financial measure presented by Regeneron should be considered supplemental to, and not a substitute for, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the Company’s historical GAAP to non-GAAP results is included in Table 3 of this press release.

The Company’s 2018 financial guidance does not assume the completion of any significant business development transactions not completed as of the date of this press release.

On November 6, 2018 BerGenBio ASA (OSE:BGBIO) reported that a Late-breaking Abstract detailing median progression-free-survival (mPFS) during the first stage of its phase II clinical trial with bemcentinib, a first-in-class selective oral AXL inhibitor, in combination with the anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in patients with previously treated, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been published today and will be presented at the annual Society for Immunotherapy in Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2018 congress in Washington D.C. (7-10 November 2018) (Press release, BerGenBio, NOV 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234530877]).

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24 patients have been enrolled during the first stage of the combination trial. The median time that patients lived without progression of their disease (mPFS) was 5.9 months in AXL positive patients (n=10) and thus greater than the mPFS of 3.3 months in patients whose tumours did not show any AXL expression as per BerGenBio’s proprietary biomarker test (n=11). mPFS is an outcome criterion that measures the time that patients can stay on treatment in the trial without their disease getting worse.

The full abstract is available at View Source and a poster will be presented by the study’s lead investigator at the SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) congress in Washington DC on Friday, 9 November 2018.

Richard Godfrey, Chief Executive Officer of BerGenBio, commented: "In addition to very encouraging tumour response data previously reported, today we can reveal for the first time the median progression-free survival (mPFS) for patients on our phase II trial combining bemcentinib with KEYTRUDA. We are excited to report in the late-breaking abstract that patients with AXL-positive disease showed an almost 80 percent improvement in mPFS compared to AXL-negative patients. Whilst the number of patients included in stage 1 of the trial remains relatively small, we are very encouraged that mPFS of almost six months in AXL-positive patients on the bemcentinib/KEYTRUDA combination trial compares favourably to historically reported PFS data from advanced NSCLC patients on anti-PD-1 therapy, such as KEYTRUDA, alone (1, 2). Of note, PFS during stage 1 of our trial was not driven by high PD-L1 expression as the population studied was predominantly negative or only weakly positive for the PD-L1 biomarker. This indicates that we would only expect a limited benefit from KEYTRUDA monotherapy. Stage 2 of the trial is actively recruiting and we look forward to further update outcome data at future medical conferences."

Study Design and additional data from the Late-breaking Abstract
A Phase II study of bemcentinib (BGB324), a first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor, in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced NSCLC: Analysis of the first stage (BerGenBio study reference: BGBC008)

Matthew Krebs, PhD, et al
Category: 33rd Annual Meeting Late-Breaking Abstracts Presentation number: P715
Friday 9 November, 12:45 – 2:15 p.m Eastern time, Hall E
The BGBC008 study is investigating whether adding bemcentinib to KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in previously treated, PD-L1 unselected and immunotherapy naive patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung is well tolerated and improves patient outcomes. A total of 48 patients across two stages will be enrolled.

The first stage is fully enrolled with 24 patients, of which 5 patients remain on treatment or in follow-up; the second stage is open and enrolling
The biomarker analysis revealed that
10 of 21 evaluable patients were AXL positive (48%)
Of 21 patients evaluated for PD-L1 expression, 11 (46%) were PD-L1 negative (< 1%); 7 (29%) were weakly positive (1-49%) and 2 (8%) were strongly positive ( >50%)
40% overall response rate (ORR) was reported in AXL-positive patients with a disease control rate (DCR) of 70%, compared with 9% ORR (45% DCR) for AXL-negative patients
Median progression-free survival was 5.9 months in AXL-positive patients, compared to 3.3 months in AXL-negative patients

An update from BerGenBio’s biomarker and companion diagnostic programme will also be presented as a poster within the regular abstract section at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) on Nov 9th. Both presentations will be made available on the BerGenBio website in the Investors / Presentations section on the day of presentation.

END

About SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper)
The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) is the world’s leading member-driven organisation specifically dedicated to improving cancer patient outcomes by advancing the science and application of cancer immunotherapy. Over 4,000 delegates are expected to attend the SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) 33rd Annual Congress in Washington D.C. on Nov 7-10 2018. For more information, please see www.sitcancer.org

Late-breaking abstracts highlight novel and potentially practice-changing studies, and their acceptance for presentation is subject to favourable assessment by a panel of clinical and scientific experts. In total, only 21 abstracts were accepted in the late-breaking category at this year’s SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) congress: View Source

About the BGBC008 trial
A Phase II study of bemcentinib in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC.

The BGBC008 trial is a phase II multi-centre open-label study of bemcentinib in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in previously treated, immunotherapy naive, patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung, the most common form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective of the trial is to determine the anti-tumour activity of this novel drug combination. Responses will be correlated with biomarker status (including AXL kinase and PD-L1 expression).

For more information please access trial NCT03184571 at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About AXL
AXL kinase is a cell membrane receptor and an essential mediator of the biological mechanisms that drive aggressive and life-threatening diseases. In cancer, AXL drives tumour survival, treatment resistance and spread, as well as suppressing the body’s immune response to tumours. AXL expression has been established as a negative prognostic factor in many cancers. AXL inhibitors, therefore, have potential value at the centre of cancer combination therapy, addressing significant unmet medical needs and multiple high-value market opportunities.

On November 6, 2018 Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FPRX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing innovative immuno-oncology protein therapeutics, reported financial results for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2018 (Press release, Five Prime Therapeutics, NOV 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234530939]).

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"With five programs in the clinic, we and our partners are advancing drug candidates to target multiple immune cell types in the tumor microenvironment, focusing on drugs that demonstrate single-agent activity or activity in tumor types that have been insensitive to checkpoint inhibitors," said Aron Knickerbocker, Chief Executive Officer of Five Prime Therapeutics. "Since our last earnings call, we dosed the first patient in our Phase 3 FIGHT pivotal trial of bemarituzumab in gastric and GEJ cancer. BMS also continues to advance the randomized Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating cabiralizumab and OPDIVO in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer."

Mr. Knickerbocker continued, "In addition, FPA150, our first-in-class B7-H4 antibody, is generating strong interest from investigators, and we are ahead of schedule in initiating our dose exploration basket cohort in patients whose tumors overexpress B7-H4. Additionally, we are screening patients in Australia for our Phase 1 clinical trial of FPT155, our first-in-class CD80 fusion protein. FPT155 induces strong single-agent activity in multiple preclinical models, and we look forward to evaluating this drug in various tumor settings."

Third Quarter 2018 Business Highlights and Recent Developments

Clinical Pipeline:

Bemarituzumab (FPA144): A first-in-class isoform-selective antibody with enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in development as a targeted immuno-therapy for tumors that overexpress FGFR2b.

Five Prime initiated patient dosing in the randomized, controlled Phase 3 FIGHT (FGFR2b Inhibition in Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer Treatment) global registrational trial (NCT03694522).
The FIGHT trial is designed to evaluate 15 mg/kg of bemarituzumab in combination with mFOLFOX6 against placebo in combination with mFOLFOX6 in approximately 550 patients with advanced gastric or GEJ cancer.
Five Prime plans to conduct the FIGHT trial at over 200 clinical trial sites in North America, Europe and Asia. In China, Five Prime is conducting the trial in collaboration with Zai Lab.
Five Prime is using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) tests to identify the estimated 10% of patients with FGFR2b-overexpressing gastric and GEJ cancer who would be eligible for the trial.
An abstract featuring data on bemarituzumab in combination with mFOLFOX6 from the Phase 1 safety lead-in (NCT03343301) has been accepted as a poster presentation at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) GI conference in January.
Cabiralizumab (FPA008): An antibody that inhibits CSF1R and has been shown to block the activation and survival of tumor-associated macrophages.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) is currently enrolling patients in a randomized, open-label, multi-arm Phase 2 clinical trial to determine the efficacy of cabiralizumab in combination with OPDIVO (nivolumab), with and without chemotherapy, as a second-line treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer (NCT03336216). BMS plans to enroll approximately 160 pancreatic cancer patients from the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, each of whom will be randomized to one of four study arms based on the patient’s prior therapy.
Stand Up To Cancer and BMS are supporting the study titled Nivolumab + Cabiralizumab + Gemcitabine Versus Gemcitabine in Patients With Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer Achieving Disease Control in Response to First-line Chemotherapy (GemCaN Trial) (NCT03697564). This is a randomized Phase 2 front-line maintenance trial to determine whether the combination of gemcitabine with cabiralizumab and OPDIVO can provide prolonged disease control in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer compared to gemcitabine alone.
Apexigen, Inc. and BMS continue to support a Phase 1/1b clinical trial to evaluate APX005M (anti-CD40) in combination with cabiralizumab and OPDIVO (NCT03502330). The expansion portion of the trial will study the triple drug combination in patients with melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer or renal cell carcinoma whose disease has progressed on a prior regimen containing a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor without intervening therapy.
FPA150 (anti-B7-H4): A first-in-class anti-B7-H4 antibody designed to target tumor cells through two mechanisms of action: (i) by blocking B7-H4 from sending an inhibitory signal to CD8 T cells and (ii) by enhancing killing of B7-H4 overexpressing tumors by ADCC. B7-H4 is frequently overexpressed in breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers.

In October 2018, Five Prime initiated an exploratory cohort to investigate FPA150 monotherapy in patients with tumors that overexpress B7-H4 at a dose predicted to be active based on preclinical data. Five Prime plans to enroll up to 10 patients whose tumors overexpress B7-H4 in this exploratory cohort to evaluate potential preliminary clinical activity of FPA150.
The exploratory cohort is part of an ongoing Phase 1a/1b clinical trial of FPA150 (NCT03514121) in multiple cancers. The Phase 1a dose escalation portion of the trial is evaluating FPA150 monotherapy in advanced solid tumors. Five Prime is advancing through dose escalation and is currently evaluating the seventh of eight expected dose levels.
After completing the Phase 1a dose escalation portion of the trial, Five Prime plans to select a dose and initiate the Phase 1b expansion portion of the trial to evaluate FPA150 monotherapy in disease-specific cohorts of patients whose tumors overexpress B7-H4, initially in HR+/HER2- and triple-negative breast cancers, ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer.
Five Prime anticipates presenting Phase 1 data at a medical conference in 2019.
FPT155 (CD80-Fc): A first-in-class CD80 fusion protein that uses the binding interactions of soluble CD80 to (i) directly engage CD28 to enhance its co-stimulatory T cell activity without inducing super agonism and (ii) block CTLA-4 from competing for endogenous CD80, allowing CD28 signaling to prevail in T cell activation in the tumor microenvironment.

Studies in preclinical models suggest FPT155 has the potential to be a potent T cell co-stimulator with strong monotherapy antitumor activity and may have a synergistic effect when combined with anti-PD1 therapy.
Five Prime is conducting a Phase 1a/1b clinical trial of FPT155 in Australia in patients with solid tumors. The objectives of this trial are to gain data on safety, pharmacokinetics and potential preliminary single-agent activity of FPT155. In October 2018, the company opened enrollment in the Phase 1a dose escalation portion of the trial.
BMS-986258 (anti-TIM-3): A fully-human monoclonal antibody targeting TIM-3 (T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3), an immune checkpoint receptor that is known to limit the duration and magnitude of T cell responses.

BMS is conducting a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to evaluate BMS-986258 as a single agent and in combination with each of OPDIVO and Halozyme’s rHuPH20 (recombinant human hyaluronidase, PH20) enzyme in patients with advanced malignant tumors (NCT03446040).
BMS-986258 is the first clinical candidate from BMS’s immuno-oncology research collaboration with Five Prime.
BMS’s poster #P684 titled "Preclinical Studies of TIM-3 Blockade Supporting Clinical Development of BMS-986258, an Anti‒TIM-3 Monoclonal Antibody" will be presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in November.
Corporate

Five Prime announced David V. Smith will join as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer on November 26.
Summary of Financial Results and Guidance:

Cash Position. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $321.6 million as of September 30, 2018, compared to $292.7 million as of December 31, 2017. The increase in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities was primarily attributable to $107.6 million in net proceeds from the January 2018 public offering of common stock and $34.5 million in milestone and upfront payments Five Prime received from collaboration partners, net of cash used by Five Prime in operations to advance its clinical stage programs as well as preclinical research and development.
Revenue. Collaboration and license revenue for the third quarter of 2018 decreased by $2.5 million, or 30%, to $5.8 million from $8.3 million for the third quarter of 2017. This decrease was primarily due to decreased revenue recognized under the cabiralizumab collaboration with BMS and the fibrosis and CNS collaboration with UCB, offset by the collaboration and license revenue from Five Prime’s China collaboration with Zai Lab executed in December 2017.
R&D Expenses. Research and development expenses for the third quarter of 2018 increased by $2.0 million, or 5%, to $44.7 million from $42.7 million in the third quarter of 2017. This increase was primarily related to milestone payments triggered by the dosing of the first patient in the Phase 3 FIGHT trial and increased clinical expenses to advance Five Prime’s development programs and employee compensation, offset by decreased spending on preclinical programs.
G&A Expenses. General and administrative expenses for the third quarter of 2018 increased by $0.1 million, or 1%, to $9.8 million from $9.7 million in the third quarter of 2017. This was primarily due to increased patent, legal and consulting expenses, offset by reduced personnel and other miscellaneous costs.
Net Loss. Net loss for the third quarter of 2018 was $47.2 million, or $1.37 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $43.3 million, or $1.54 per basic and diluted share, for the third quarter of 2017.
Shares Outstanding. Total shares outstanding were 34.5 million as of September 30, 2018.
Cash Guidance. Five Prime expects full-year 2018 net cash used in operating activities to be less than $135 million, which includes the previously mentioned milestone payments earned by Five Prime. Five Prime has revised its guidance and now estimates ending 2018 with approximately $265 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, an increase from its previous guidance of approximately $250 million.

Conference Call Information

Five Prime will host a conference call and live audio webcast today at 4:30 p.m. (ET) / 1:30 p.m. (PT) to discuss its financial results and provide a corporate update. To participate in the conference call, please dial (877) 878-2269 (domestic) or (253) 237-1188 (international) and refer to conference ID 6489275. To access the live webcast please visit the "Events & Presentations" page under the "Investors" tab on Five Prime’s website at www.fiveprime.com. An archived copy of the webcast will be available on Five Prime’s website beginning approximately two hours after the conference call. Five Prime will maintain an archived replay of the webcast on its website for at least 30 days after the conference call.

On November 6, 2018 South Korean pharma company Yuhan Corp (KS: 000100) reported it has licensed out its new clinical-stage lung cancer drug to Janssen Biotech, a unit of US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), in a deal potentially valued at up to $1.25 billion, according to the Korea Herald and other local media (Press release, Genosco, NOV 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234531533]).

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11/16/2018 Yuhan signs $1.25 billion licensing deal with Janssen View Source 2/3 Yuhan said it had entered a licensing and cooperation agreement with Janssen to develop lazertinib, a novel clinical-stage therapeutic candidate for the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Following news of the agreement, shares of Yuhan spiked 29.78% to close at 231,000 won on Monday.
Deal includes $50 million upfront payment
Under the terms of the agreement, Yuhan will receive an upfront payment of $50 million and is eligible to receive up to $1.205 billion in potential
development and commercial milestone payments, along with tiered double-digit royalties on future net sales.
"Yuhan is committed to developing lazertinib as an effective treatment option for patients suffering from NSCLC. And Janssen, with strong
scientific expertise in lung cancer and oncology, is the best strategic partner to achieve this mission," said Lee Jung-hee, president and chief
executive of Yuhan, adding: "We are excited to start this collaboration and dive into advancing this treatment regimen with a focus on improving
the lives of people who suffer from lung cancer."
The compound is currently in an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trials in Korea. Interim results showed that lazertinib exhibited robust disease activity
in patients with NSCLC with acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs, with or without brain metastasis and was well tolerated with low rates of Grade 3
or higher adverse events.
In 2015, US firm Genosco partnered globally with Yuhan for development and commercialization of lazertinib, on which data from a Phase I/II
study in NSCLC were presented at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) meeting in June this year.
Results from the open-label, multi-center dose-escalation, Phase I/II study of lazertinib (YH25448, GNS-1480) for patients with advanced EGFRTKI-resistant
NSCLC with or without CNS metastasis concluded that lazertinib was well-tolerated with low rates of Grade 3 or higher adverse
events (AE) and exhibited robust activity in patients with NSCLC with acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs, with or without brain metastasis.

On November 6, 2018 Vericel Corporation (NASDAQ:VCEL), a leader in advanced cell therapies for the sports medicine and severe burn care markets, reported financial results and business highlights for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018 and raised its full year 2018 revenue guidance (Press release, Vericel, NOV 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234530758]).
Third Quarter 2018 Financial Highlights

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Total net revenues increased 58% to $22.5 million compared to $14.3 million in the third quarter of 2017;

Gross margins of 64% compared to gross margins of 50% in the third quarter of 2017;

Net loss of $1.1 million, or $0.02 loss per share, compared to net loss of $5.4 million, or $0.16 per share, in the third quarter of 2017;

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA of $0.9 million compared to a loss of $2.9 million in the third quarter of 2017;

As of September 30, 2018, the company had $97.8 million in cash and short-term investments compared to $26.9 million in cash at December 31, 2017; and

Full year 2018 revenue guidance raised to $87 to $90 million compared to previous full year revenue guidance of $80 to $83 million.

Recent Business Highlights
During and since the third quarter of 2018, the company:

Reported record third quarter revenues, marking the sixth consecutive quarter with record revenues for the reported quarter;

Announced plans to increase the MACI sales force by 20%, adding a sixth sales region and increasing from 40 to 48 representatives in 2019;

Expanded MACI manufacturing capacity to meet increased MACI demand;

Appointed Dr. Jonathan Hopper as Chief Medical Officer; and

Announced acceptance of four abstract podium presentations for Epicel at the upcoming Annual North American Burn Society Conference in January 2019.

"We achieved record third quarter revenues and our consistently strong revenue growth has generated significant improvements in gross margins, profitability and cash flow," said Nick Colangelo, president and CEO of Vericel. "Based on the strength of our performance year to date and the continued momentum in MACI uptake, we have raised our full year 2018 revenue guidance and plan to further expand the MACI sales force to meet an expanded addressable market."
Third Quarter 2018 Results
Total net revenues for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 were $22.5 million, which included $16.4 million of MACI (autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane) net revenue and $6.0 million of Epicel (cultured epidermal autografts) net revenue, compared to $9.9 million of MACI net revenue and $4.4 million of Epicel net revenue, respectively, in the third quarter of 2017.
Gross profit for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 was $14.3 million, or 64% of net revenues, compared to $7.1 million, or 50% of net revenues, for the third quarter of 2017.
Total operating expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 were $15.7 million compared to $11.1 million for the same period in 2017. The increase in operating expenses was primarily due to $1.2 million in service fees paid to MACI pharmacy distributors, a $1.0 million increase in MACI sales force expenses as a result of the MACI sales force expansion, a $1.0 million increase in reimbursement support services as a result of increased MACI demand, and a $1.0 million increase in stock-based compensation expenses.
Loss from operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 was $1.3 million, compared to a loss of $4.0 million for the third quarter of 2017. Material non-cash items impacting the operating loss for the quarter included $1.9 million of stock-based compensation expense and $0.3 million in depreciation expense, compared to $0.8 million of stock-based compensation expense and $0.4 million in depreciation expense in the third quarter of 2017.
Other income for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 was $0.3 million compared to other expense of $1.4 million for the third quarter of 2017. The increase in other income is primarily due to income recognized upon the expiration of unexercised warrants in the current quarter compared to an expense for the change in the fair value of warrants in the third quarter of 2017.
Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA was $0.9 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 compared to a loss of $2.9 million in the third quarter of 2017. See table reconciling non-GAAP measures for more details.
Vericel’s net loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 was $1.1 million, or $0.02 per share, compared to a net loss of $5.4 million, or $0.16 per share, for the third quarter of 2017.

As of September 30, 2018, the company had $97.8 million in cash and short-term investments compared to $26.9 million in cash at December 31, 2017.
Full Year 2018 Financial Guidance
The company now expects total net product revenues for the full year 2018 to be in the range of $87 to $90 million, compared to the previous full year revenue guidance of $80 to $83 million.
Conference Call Information
Today’s conference call will be available live at 8:30am Eastern time in the Investor Relations section of the Vericel website at View Source." target="_blank" title="View Source." rel="nofollow">View Source Please access the site at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time in order to download the required audio software if necessary. To participate in the live call by telephone, please call (877) 312-5881 and reference Vericel Corporation’s third-quarter 2018 investor conference call. If calling from outside the U.S., please use the international phone number (253) 237-1173.
If you are unable to participate in the live call, the webcast will be available at View Source until November 6, 2019. A replay of the call will also be available until 11:30am (EDT) on November 11, 2018 by calling (855) 859-2056, or from outside the U.S. (404) 537-3406. The conference ID is 9585868.