On August 7, 2018 Synlogic (Nasdaq:SYBX) reported that Aoife Brennan, M.B., B.Ch., Synlogic’s interim president and chief executive officer, and chief medical officer, will present a corporate update at the 2018 Wedbush PacGrow Healthcare Conference at 3:05pm ET on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, in New York City (Press release, Synlogic, AUG 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234528504]).

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A live webcast of the presentation can be accessed under "Event Calendar" in the Investors & Media section of the Company’s website. An archived webcast recording will be available on the Synlogic website for approximately 30 days after the event.

On August 7, 2018 Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: DVAX) reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 (Press release, Dynavax Technologies, AUG 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234528754]). The net loss for the quarter was $39.4 million, or $0.63 per share, compared to $20.3 million, or $0.41 per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $216.0 million at June 30, 2018.

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Recent Highlights

HEPLISAV-B [Hepatitis B Vaccine (Recombinant), Adjuvanted]

100% of Medicare-insured lives, 94% of commercially-insured lives, and 73% of lives under state Medicaid plans are covered

219 of our largest targeted customers have received P&T committee approval, of whom 91 have progressed to purchase and 24 have implemented the use of HEPLISAV-B throughout their system

Another 198 target customers have sub-committee or P&T committee review scheduled

Q2 sales of $1.3 million compared to $0.2 million in Q1

Immuno-oncology

Encouraging SD-101 Phase 1b/2 advanced melanoma data in combination with KEYTRUDA in patients naïve to anti PD-1 therapy for 2 mg dose selected for Phase 3:

Overall response rate (ORR) of 70%

80% ORR in patients with low PD-L1

6-month progression free survival (PFS) rate of 76%

AEs related to SD-101 treatment were transient, mild to moderate flu-like symptoms

End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scheduled

Three abstracts accepted for presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2018 Annual Meeting, October 19-23, 2018

"The launch is progressing as planned and I continue to expect HEPLISAV-B will become the standard of care for vaccination of adults against hepatitis B. During my field visits, I have personally witnessed the strength of the product profile and label in motivating customers to switch vaccines," said Eddie Gray,

chief executive officer of Dynavax. "Our efforts to date are beginning to pay off with increasing sales, which we expect will accelerate during Q4 and into 2019, when we expect HEPLISAV-B to be cash generative before year end. In addition, we continue to advance our SD-101 clinical program which has shown encouraging results so far in both melanoma and head and neck carcinoma patients. We look forward to updating these data later this year."

Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $216.0 million at end of the second quarter, with $75 million available from the February 2018 term loan agreement

Net product revenue was $1.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, which consists of sales of HEPLISAV-B in the U.S. Product revenue from sales is recorded at the net sales price which includes estimates of product returns, chargebacks, discounts and other fees.

Cost of sales, product was $5.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 and consists of certain fill, finish and fixed overhead costs for HEPLISAV-B incurred after FDA approval and costs relating to excess capacity at our Dusseldorf manufacturing facility associated with resuming operations after receiving FDA approval of HEPLISAV-B and pre-filled syringes.

Cost of sales, amortization of intangible assets was $2.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 and consists of amortization of the intangible asset recorded as a result of milestone and sublicense payments relating to HEPLISAV-B.

Research and development expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, were $16.3 million and $14.8 million, respectively. The increase in 2018 reflects increased compensation and related personnel costs related to the ongoing development of SD-101, DV281 and earlier stage oncology programs. Additionally, in the current quarter, manufacturing related costs incurred by our Dusseldorf facility that were previously included in research and development expense are now accounted for as excess capacity in our cost of sales, product.

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, were $15.7 million and $5.6 million, respectively. The increase is primarily due to an overall increase in HEPLISAV-B sales, marketing and commercial activities, including full-deployment of a contract sales force, post-marketing studies and consultants for commercial development services.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Dynavax will hold a conference call today at 4:30pm ET/1:30pm PT. To access the call, participants must dial (800) 239-9838 in the U.S. or (323) 794-2551 internationally, and use the conference ID 2303066. The live call will be webcast and can be accessed in the "Investors and Media" section of the company’s website at www.dynavax.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for 30 days following the live event.

A replay of the conference call will be available for two weeks and can be accessed by dialing (844) 512-2921 in the U.S. or (412) 317-6671 internationally. The conference ID for the replay will be 2303066.

About Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a viral disease of the liver that can become chronic and lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. The hepatitis B virus is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV,i and transmission is on the rise.

In 2015, new cases of acute hepatitis B increased by more than 20 percent nationally.ii There is no cure for hepatitis B, but effective vaccination can prevent the disease.

In adults, hepatitis B is spread through contact with infected blood and through unprotected sex with an infected person. The CDC recommends vaccination for those at high risk for infection due to their jobs, lifestyle, living situations and travel to certain areas.iii Because people with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to infection, the CDC recommends vaccination for adults age 19 to 59 with diabetes as soon as possible after their diagnosis, and for people age 60 and older with diabetes at their physician’s discretion.iv Approximately 20 million U.S. adults have diabetes, and 1.5 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed each year.v

About HEPLISAV-B

HEPLISAV-B is an adult hepatitis B vaccine that combines hepatitis B surface antigen with Dynavax’s proprietary Toll-like Receptor (TLR) 9 agonist to enhance the immune response. Dynavax has worldwide commercial rights to HEPLISAV-B.

For more information about HEPLISAV-B, visit View Source

About SD-101

SD-101, the Company’s lead clinical candidate, is a proprietary, second-generation, Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist CpG-C class oligodeoxynucleotide. Dynavax is evaluating this intratumoral TLR9 agonist in several clinical studies to assess its safety and activity, including a Phase 2 study in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), an anti-PD-1 therapy, in patients with advanced melanoma and in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer, in a clinical collaboration with Merck. Dynavax maintains all commercial rights to SD-101.

On August 7, 2018 RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) a biotechnology company developing the next generation of immuno-oncology therapeutics based on its proprietary self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNA) therapeutic platform reported that it will report its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018, and provide a business update on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 after the close of the U.S. financial markets (Press release, RXi Pharmaceuticals, AUG 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234528489]).

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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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A live audio webcast will begin at 4:30 p.m. EDT. The webcast link is available under the "Investors – Events and Presentations" section of the Company’s website, www.rxipharma.com. The event may also be accessed by dialing toll-free in the United States: +1 844-376-4678. International participants may access the event by dialing: +1 209-905-5958.

An archive of the webcast will be available on the company’s website approximately two hours after the presentation.

On August 7, 2018 Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:DCPH), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on addressing key mechanisms of tumor drug resistance, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018, and provided an update on recent clinical and corporate developments (Press release, Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, AUG 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234528505]).

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"The first half of 2018 was marked by exceptional progress, with data presented at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in June demonstrating the potential of DCC-2618, our lead product candidate, in second- and third-line GIST patients, and supporting the planned Phase 3 trial, INTRIGUE, in second-line GIST patients," said Michael D. Taylor, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Deciphera. "In addition, we observed continued robust clinical activity in heavily pretreated patients. For the balance of this year, we look forward to presenting additional data from the Phase 1 DCC-2618 study, as well as to the planned initiation of the INTRIGUE study."

Dr. Taylor continued, "In addition to our clinical progress, we also strengthened both our leadership team and balance sheet, and we are well positioned to advance our pipeline of novel kinase switch control inhibitors toward key milestones."

Clinical Programs

DCC-2618
At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in June 2018, Deciphera presented updated data from its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of DCC-2618 in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Highlights from the presentation included:
Initial objective response rates (ORR) and disease control rates (DCR) in second-and third-line GIST patients treated with DCC-2618 at ≥100mg daily exceeded previously published results of registrational trials for currently approved therapies, sunitinib in second-line patients and regorafenib in third-line patients.
Mutational profiling data across second-, third- and fourth-line GIST patients demonstrated the breadth of KIT mutations in GIST at baseline and the ability of DCC-2618 to reduce KIT mutant allele frequency.
Deciphera previously announced that following discussions with regulatory authorities in the United States and in Europe, it has designed the INTRIGUE trial as a randomized, multicenter, open-label, Phase 3 trial evaluating DCC-2618 vs. sunitinib in second-line GIST patients. The Company plans to initiate this trial later this year.
Deciphera completed enrollment in the three GIST cohorts in the expansion stage of the ongoing Phase 1 study, totaling 130 patients with second- through fourth-line plus GIST. In addition, enrollment is ongoing in the Company’s Phase 3 INVICTUS study in fourth-line and fourth-line plus GIST.
Deciphera will present an update on the GIST patients in the ongoing Phase 1 study as a Proffered Paper (oral) presentation at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2018 Congress. The presentation titled "Initial Results of Phase 1 Study of DCC-2618, a Broad-spectrum KIT and PDGFRa Inhibitor, in Patients (pts) with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) by Number of Prior Regimens" will be presented on October 19, 2018 in Munich.
In April 2018, the Company reported preclinical data at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) demonstrating that compared to the in vitro profiles of the FDA-approved kinase inhibitors imatinib, sunitinib, regorafenib, and midostaurin, and the investigational agent avapritinib (BLU-285), DCC-2618 demonstrated the broadest profile of inhibition of primary and secondary KIT mutations and primary PDGFRα mutations.
The Company also reported updated clinical data at the 2018 AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting demonstrating the safety and tolerability profile of DCC-2618 in 100 GIST patients treated at the recommended Phase 2 dose of 150 mg QD, which supports the selection of this dose for the ongoing pivotal, randomized Phase 3 INVICTUS study.
Rebastinib
Deciphera expects to initiate a company-sponsored open-label, multicenter Phase 1b study of rebastinib in combination with paclitaxel to assess safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors later this year.
DCC-3014
Deciphera continues to enroll patients in the Phase 1 dose escalation study of DCC-3014, a selective CSF1R immunokinase inhibitor, and expects to provide an update from this study later this year.
Corporate Updates

In June 2018, Deciphera announced the closing of an underwritten public offering of 4,945,000 shares at a public offering price of $40.00 per share, which included the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to 645,000 additional shares of common stock. Total net proceeds to Deciphera were approximately $185.3 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses.
In May 2018, the Company announced the appointment of Stephen B. Ruddy, Ph.D. as Chief Technical Officer. Dr. Ruddy brings to Deciphera more than 25 years of global pharmaceutical management and leadership experience in small-molecule and biologics development and manufacturing. He will be responsible for establishing and leading a world-class manufacturing and supply chain organization.
In May 2018, the Company also announced the appointment of Steven L. Hoerter, Chief Commercial Officer at Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., to its Board of Directors. Mr. Hoerter has more than 25 years of global pharmaceutical and biotechnology experience, having held senior positions at leading oncology companies. He will serve as an independent director and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Cash Position: As of June 30, 2018, cash and cash equivalents were $346.5 million compared to cash and cash equivalents of $196.8 million as of December 31, 2017. This increase was primarily related to proceeds obtained through the Company’s recent underwritten public offering offset by cash used in operating activities.
R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses for the second quarter of 2018 were $18.0 million compared to $8.4 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to an increase in spending on the DCC-2618 program of $5.5 million as a result of clinical trial costs related to the pivotal Phase 3 INVICTUS study that began enrollment in January 2018 and the ongoing Phase 1 trial. Clinical costs also increased as a result of start-up activities related to the pivotal Phase 3 INTRIGUE study in second-line GIST, which is expected to be initiated in the second half of 2018. Manufacturing costs increased for DCC-2618 as a result of new process development to support anticipated greater drug requirements for commercialization as well as the manufacture of registration lots required to support the submission of a new drug application. Expenses related to our rebastinib program increased approximately $0.6 million primarily as a result of start-up activities related to our planned clinical trials. In addition, personnel-related, facility-related and other costs increased an aggregate of $3.6 million as the result of an increase in costs associated with an increase in headcount and incurred in connection with our early-stage drug discovery programs. Personnel costs for each of the second quarters of 2018 and 2017 included non-cash share-based compensation expense of $1.0 million and $0.2 million, respectively.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2018 were $4.5 million, compared to $2.2 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to an increase in non-cash share-based compensation expense related to additional employee stock options and a higher value of our common stock and to an increase in legal and professional fees as a result of various advisory fees related to ongoing operations as a public company as well as costs incurred for pre-commercialization activities. Non-cash share-based compensation was $1.2 million and $0.4 million for each of the second quarters of 2018 and 2017, respectively.
Net Loss: For the second quarter of 2018, Deciphera reported a net loss of $21.7 million, or $0.65 per share, compared with a net loss of $10.6 million, or $0.91 per share for the same period in 2017.

On August 7, 2018 Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) reported that it will participate in the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference on Thursday, Sept. 6th, at the InterContinental, Boston, MA (Press release, Johnson & Johnson, AUG 7, 2018, View Source [SID1234528658]). Jorge Mesquita, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Chairman, Consumer will represent the Company in a session scheduled at 12:45 p.m. (Eastern Time).

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This webcast will be available to investors and other interested parties by accessing the Johnson & Johnson website at www.investor.jnj.com.

A webcast replay will be available approximately two hours after the live webcast.