On November 14, 2018 Cytori Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CYTX) ("Cytori" or the "Company") reported Q3 2018 financial results and provided updates on corporate activities (Press release, Cytori Therapeutics, NOV 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234531481]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Q3 2018 net loss was $2.3 million, or $0.27 per share. Operating cash burn for Q3 was approximately $2.6 million. Cytori ended Q3 with approximately $6.8 million of cash and cash equivalents.

Cytori is developing its lead chemotherapy drug, ATI-0918, a generic version of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride, with the goal of submitting a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) next year. We previously completed a bioequivalence study against the European reference drug and are in the process of completing manufacturing-related activities to support the MAA. The Company also continues to evaluate potential commercial partnering opportunities for ATI-0918 with a focus on Europe, which has a current estimated market size of over $120 million.

Cytori is also developing another chemotherapy drug, ATI-1123, a patented, albumin-stabilized pegylated liposomal docetaxel. The Company recently received an orphan drug designation from the U.S. FDA for small cell lung cancer and intends to pursue FDA’s 505(b)(2) new drug application (NDA) pathway in the U.S. which may offer accelerated and lower cost development.

In the first half of 2019, Cytori expects a 1-year data readout from the 45 patient, multi-center, potential pivotal clinical trial in stress urinary incontinence conducted in Japan called ADRESU.

Later in 2018, Cytori expects a 6-month data readout from the 40 patient, French SCLERADEC II clinical trial in scleroderma patients.

Cytori is actively conducting the U.S. Phase I RELIEF trial in thermal burn injury trial sponsored by BARDA. Cytori completed a successful In-Process Review meeting with BARDA this past June.

Commercially, Cytori is focusing its efforts in Japan and continues to see favorable growth trends in the use of its cell therapy products approved under the Regenerative Medicine Law in the aesthetic and orthopedic markets. The Company remains on track to see continued double digit year-over-year growth in Celution System consumable utilization.

Finally, Cytori recently received the first $1.0 million royalty milestone from Bimini Technologies, LLC (Bimini). In 2013, Cytori divested the Puregraft product line that includes periodic royalty payments of up to $10.0 million and certain other economic benefits based on Bimini achieving gross profits milestones.

"A key corporate objective is to complete manufacturing support activities and seek European marketing authorization for ATI-0918, our lead oncology drug product. Furthermore, we have recently expanded development activities for the ATI-1123 phase II oncology program and its potential 505(b)(2) acceptability," said Dr. Marc Hedrick, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cytori. "In cell therapy, we are focused on continued revenue growth based on positive quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year consumable utilization trends. In the meantime, we are awaiting pivotal clinical data from our Japanese stress urinary incontinence trial."

Q3 2018 and year-to-date Financial Performance

Q3 2018 and year-to-date operating cash burn was $2.6 million and $9.5 million, compared to $4.0 million and $13.9 million for the same periods in 2017, respectively.
Q3 2018 and year-to-date product revenues were $0.9 million and $2.2 million, compared to $0.5 million and $2.0 million for the same periods in 2017, respectively.
Q3 2018 and year-to-date contract revenues were $0.5 million and $2.3 million, compared to $1.3 million and $2.9 million for the same periods in 2017, respectively.
Q3 2018 and year-to-date consumable utilization in Japan grew by approximate 90% and 70%, when comparing to the same periods in 2017, respectively.
Cash and debt principal balances at September 30, 2018 were approximately $6.8 million and $13.0 million, respectively.
Q3 2018 adjusted net loss was $4.0 million or $0.45 per share, compared to a net loss of $4.8 million or $1.39 per share for the same period in 2017. The adjusted net loss excludes a non-cash beneficial conversion feature (a non gaap measure) related to the issuance of our Series C convertible preferred shares in the third quarter of 2018 of $2.5 million, as well as a credit of $1.7 million related to a change in fair value of warrant liability (a non gaap measure). Q3 2018 net loss allocable to common stockholders was $4.8 million, or $0.55 per share.
Year-to-date 2018 adjusted net loss was $12.1 million or $1.73 per share, compared to $18.4 million or $6.22 per share for the same period in 2017. The adjusted net loss excludes a non-cash beneficial conversion feature (a non gaap measure) related to the issuance of our Series C convertible preferred shares in the third quarter of 2018 of $2.5 million, as well as a credit of $1.7 million related to a change in fair value of warrant liability (a non gaap measure). Year-to-date 2018 net loss allocable to common stockholders was $12.9 million, or $1.85 per share.
Selected Key Anticipated Milestones:

Complete ATI-0918 development and manufacturing required to prepare and file a MAA with the EMA.
Seek FDA 505(b)(2) pathway applicability for ATI-1123 product.
Obtain Japan MHLW Class III approval for Celution System consumables.
Report 1-year Japanese ADRESU pivotal clinical trial data for post-surgical male stress urinary incontinence.
Enrollment update in the BARDA-funded U.S. RELIEF clinical trial.
Report French investigator initiated SCLERADEC II clinical trial data in scleroderma hand dysfunction.
Management Conference Call Webcast

Cytori will host a management conference call at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time today to further discuss its progress. The webcast will be available live and by replay two hours after the call and may be accessed under "Webcasts" in the Investor Relations section of Cytori’s website. If you are unable to access the webcast, you may dial in to the call at +1.877.402.3914, Conference ID: 9699923.

On November 14, 2018 Precision BioSciences (Precision) and MaxCyte reported they have entered into a non-exclusive, clinical and commercial license agreement that will allow Precision to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation technologies to robustly deliver Precision’s proprietary ARCUS genome-editing technology for use in next-generation gene edited allogeneic T-cell immunotherapies designed to treat a broad range of cancers (Press release, MaxCyte, NOV 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234537623]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

David Thomson, Chief Development Officer of Precision, expressed his support for the agreement, noting, "Precision’s therapeutic grade ARCUS editing platform is sufficiently compact and specific to use with a range of delivery systems. In considering these, we have found MaxCyte’s electroporation technology complements our approach to allogeneic T cell manufacturing, which is focused on preserving cell quality throughout the process while maximizing overall yield."

The clinical and commercial license builds upon an existing research and clinical license agreement between Precision and MaxCyte for the delivery of Precision’s ARCUS technology into T-cells. MaxCyte will supply its technology platform to Precision as part of the license agreement and will receive future payments including milestones and technology access licensing fees.

"The initiation of this commercial license agreement with Precision, a leader in genome editing with its own proprietary ARCUS technology, signifies a key milestone for MaxCyte and demonstrates the value and versatility of our platform, our intellectual property, and our ability to foster important collaborations with companies generating life-changing gene therapies," said Doug Doerfler, President & CEO of MaxCyte, Inc.

MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation Technology enables the engineering of a variety of therapeutically-relevant cell types at high efficiency while maintaining high viability and recovery. Precision’s lead allogeneic CAR T programs rely on genome editing, where ARCUS tools are used to transform healthy donor cells into therapeutics using the MaxCyte technology. These cell therapies can specifically target cancer cells in patients, potentially enabling a unique and specialized approach to cancer treatment.

On November 14, 2018 Sutro Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: STRO), a clinical-stage drug discovery, development and manufacturing company focused on the application of precise protein engineering and rational design to create next-generation oncology therapeutics, reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018 (Press release, Sutro Biopharma, NOV 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234531319]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"This has been an outstanding third quarter for Sutro. We have completed our initial public offering and achieved multiple milestones in the development of our own clinical programs for treatment of multiple myeloma and ovarian cancer," said Bill Newell, Sutro’s Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to working with our newest partners and collaborators as the Sutro team continues to execute at a high level to advance our vision of transforming the lives of patients."

Business Highlights and Recent Developments

STRO-001 Clinical Program

STRO-001 granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) agreed to contribute clinical development funding for STRO-001 through its Therapy Acceleration Program, which forges collaborations with biotechnology companies to help bring innovative therapies to patients faster.
Potential first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed against CD74 is currently being studied in a Phase 1 clinical trial enrolling separate dose escalation cohorts for myeloma and B-cell lymphoma.
STRO-002 Clinical Program

The FDA has concluded their 30-day review of Sutro’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for STRO-002, a targeted antibody-drug conjugate directed against folate receptor-alpha. Sutro expects to commence a Phase 1 clinical trial focused on ovarian and endometrial cancers in early 2019.
Corporate Highlights

Collaboration and licensing agreement signed with Merck to discover and develop novel immune-modulating therapies for cancer and autoimmune disorders.
Sutro is primarily responsible for preclinical research and Merck will obtain exclusive worldwide rights to therapeutic candidates derived from the collaboration.
Sutro received from Merck an upfront payment of $60 million, a $20 million investment in its Series E preferred stock, and $10 million investment in a private placement of common stock concurrent with the IPO.
Sutro is eligible for milestone payments totaling up to $1.6 billion, assuming the development and sale of all therapeutic candidates and all possible indications identified under the collaboration, as well as tiered royalties ranging from mid-single digit to low teen percentages on worldwide sales of commercial products that may result from the collaboration.
The initial public offering (IPO) that closed on October 1, 2018, provided Sutro with gross proceeds of $85.0 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses. Additionally, Sutro received proceeds of $10.0 million from Merck in a private placement of common stock concurrent with the IPO.
Appointment of Stephen Worsley as Chief Business Officer and Linda Fitzpatrick as Chief People and Communications Officer.
Third Quarter 2018 Financial Highlights

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities

As of September 30, 2018, Sutro had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $123.0 million.

In October 2018, Sutro announced the closing of its IPO of 5,667,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $15.00 per share. The gross proceeds to Sutro from the IPO, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses, were $85.0 million. In addition to the IPO, Sutro concurrently sold in a private placement to Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. (Merck) additional shares of common stock at the IPO offering price for gross proceeds of $10.0 million. Proceeds from the IPO and the concurrent private placement are not reflected in Sutro’s September 30, 2018 balance sheet.

Revenue

Revenue was $7.8 million for the third quarter of 2018, which included collaboration revenue of $6.9 million recognized primarily from Merck, Celgene and EMD Serono, in addition to other revenue of $0.9 million. During the third quarter of 2018, Sutro began recording revenue from Merck primarily from the $60.0 million upfront payment received by Sutro under the July 2018 collaboration and licensing agreement, for which revenue is being recognized ratably over an approximate four-year period. Future collaboration revenue from Merck, Celgene and EMD Serono, and from any future collaboration partners, will fluctuate as a result of the timing and amount of upfront, milestones and other collaboration agreement payments.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses for the third quarter of 2018 were $18.0 million, comprised of research and development expenses of $12.6 million and general and administrative expenses of $5.4 million. Total operating expenses for the quarter included non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $0.3 million and depreciation and amortization expense of $1.1 million. In future quarters, Sutro expects to incur additional general and administrative expenses as it operates as a public company following its IPO that closed on October 1, 2018.

Net Loss Per Share Calculation

The financial statements as of September 30, 2018, including share and per share amounts, do not give effect to the IPO, or the conversion of the redeemable convertible preferred stock, as the IPO and such conversions were completed on October 1, 2018. Relatedly, the weighted-average shares used in calculating net loss per share for the third quarter of 2018 include only common stock outstanding prior to the IPO.

On November 14, 2018 GamaMabs Pharma, a biotechnology company developing optimized therapeutic antibodies targeting the Anti-Müllerian Hormone Receptor II (AMHRII) for the treatment of cancer, reported its presentation of new data regarding its First-In-Class GM102 antibody at two upcoming conferences (Press release, GamaMabs Pharma, NOV 14, 2018, View Source [SID1234531457]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Clinical data for 20 Granulosa Cell Tumor patients treated with GM102 in the C101 clinical study, will be presented at the EORTC–NCI–AACR 2018 Symposium, Dublin (Ireland), on November 13-16, 2018. The poster describes safety and hints of activity of GM102 in this orphan disease with high unmet need and no approved therapy.

"Following the first results of the C101 study in gynecological cancers published at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) this year, we will present additional clinical data for the subset of granulosa ovarian cancer patients who do not have therapeutic alternatives at this stage in their disease," said Dr. Isabelle Tabah-Fisch, Chief Medical Officer at GamaMabs Pharma

Unveiled activation of T-cells by GM102 following macrophage activation and synergy with immune-checkpoint inhibitors targeting T-cells, will be presented at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2018 Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Miami (Florida) on November 27-30.

"We are looking forward to presenting new data on T-cell activation induced by GM102, confirming the potential of our mAb as a single agent and in combination with immune-checkpoint inhibitors," said Jean-François Prost, Chief R&D Officer at GamaMabs.

The presentation details are:

EORTC–NCI–AACR Symposium 2018
Title: ‘GM102, a first-in-class monoclonal glyco-engineered antibody (Ab) targeting Anti-Mullerian-Hormone-Receptor II (AMHRII): safety and hints of activity in Granulosa Cell Tumors (GCT)’, Leary A.
Session: Late Breaking Poster Presentation
Abstract number: 15LBA
Date and time: November 16, 2018, 10am ­– 2pm
Location: Exhibition Hall, The Convention Centre, Dublin (CCD)
AACR Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy
Title: ‘GM102, a low fucosylated anti-Müllerian Hormone type II Receptor (AMHRII) antibody, promotes in vitro antitumoral activities of innate (macrophages) and adaptative (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) immune cells’
Poster number: B77
Date and time: Thursday, November 29, 5pm – 7pm (EST)
Session category/title: Poster Session B
Location: Loews, Miami Beach, rooms Americana 3 and 4
GM102 is a first-in-class glyco-engineered (low-fucose) monoclonal antibody selectively targeting AMHRII-expressing tumors. AMHRII, an embryonic receptor involved in the regression of the Müllerian ducts in the male embryo, is constitutively expressed in ovarian granulosa tumors (GCT) and is re-expressed in a majority of tumor samples in a wide range of gynecological and non-gynecological tumors such as colorectal and lung cancers, hepatocarcinoma or renal cell carcinoma. GM102 is currently being studied in two clinical trials, a phase 1b in recurrent gynecological cancers and a phase 2 in advanced or metastatic colorectal cancers.

GM102 exerts its anti-tumor activity through NK cell and macrophage engagement in the tumor microenvironment, resulting in enhanced tumor phagocytosis and subsequent T cell activation.

Following presentation, the two posters will be available on the publication page of GamaMabs’ website

On November 13, 2018 BerGenBio ASA (OSE: BGBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, selective AXL kinase inhibitors for multiple cancer indications, reported its results for the third quarter 2018 (Press release, BerGenBio, NOV 13, 2018, View Source [SID1234531234]). A presentation of the results by the Company’s management will take place today at 10.00 am CET in Oslo – details below.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Richard Godfrey, Chief Executive Officer of BerGenBio, commented: "We are pleased with the progress of our phase II clinical development programme with our selective AXL inhibitor bemcentinib, particularly in NSCLC. The observed correlation between patient response and positive AXL status in our combination trial with KEYTRUDA gives us confidence in bemcentinib’s proposed mode of action and its broad appeal as a promising new agent treating aggressive cancer. The next six to nine months will be an exciting time for the company as we anticipate further clinical data from our phase II trials, particularly in NSCLC and acute myeloid leukaemia."

Highlights – Third Quarter & 2018
Bemcentinib/KEYTRUDA combination in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) delivers highly promising phase II clinical results

40% overall response rate & 70% clinical benefit rate observed in AXL-positive, previously treated NSCLC patients, including PD-L1 negative patients (data presented at World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC))
5.9 months median progression-free-survival (PFS) in AXL positive vs. 3.3 months in AXL negative patients presented as late breaking abstract at Society Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) congress (SITC, post-period)
Efficacy endpoint met and stage two of the trial actively enrolling
Additional lung cancer phase II trials show promise for bemcentinib in combination with chemo- and targeted agents

Median PFS of NSCLC patients receiving the bemcentinib/TARCEVA combination in first line has surpassed that of TARCEVA monotherapy (data presented at WCLC)
Encouraging efficacy reported for bemcentinib in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy in patients who had exhausted all available therapy options (data presented at WCLC)
Tissue- and blood-based biomarkers with potential for development as companion diagnostics

Novel biomarkers identified and qualified across multiple clinical trials with bemcentinib, presented as poster discussion at European
Society for Medical Oncology meeting (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) and SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2018 (post period)
Arbitration process with Rigel Pharma Inc.

The Company is seeking clarification of interpretation and application of certain provisions of the 2011 bemcentinib license agreement
Anticipated data and news flow in the coming months

AML and MDS mono- and combination therapy at ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) 2018
Stage 2 of bemcentinib/KEYTRUDA combination trial in H1 2019
IND filed for BGB149, first in class AXL function blocking antibody (post period)
Financial Highlights (Figures in brackets = same period 2017 unless otherwise stated)

Total operating expenses for the third quarter were NOK 38.1 million (NOK 36.6 million). Total operating expenses for the first nine months of 2018 amounted to NOK 143.6 million (NOK 136.2 million)
Research and development expenses accounted for 75.3 % of total operating expenses in Q3, and 72.3 % for the first nine months of 2018
Comprehensive loss for the third quarter amounted to NOK 37.7 million (loss of NOK 35.4 million). Comprehensive loss for the first nine months of 2018 was NOK 140.7 million (loss of NOK 134.6 million)
Cash and cash equivalents amounted to NOK 398.2 million at the end of September 2018 (NOK 440.3 million at 30 June 2018 and NOK 370.3 million at 31 December 2017)
Presentation and Webcast Details

A presentation by BerGenBio’s senior management team will take place at 10.00 am CET at:

Hotel Continental, Stortingsgaten 24/26, 0117 Oslo

The presentation will webcast live and the link will be available at www.bergenbio.com in the section Investors/ Financial Reports. A recording will be available shortly after the webcast has finished.

The results report and the presentation will be available at www.bergenbio.com in the section: Investors/ Financial Reports from 7:00 am CET the same day.

END

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