On May 4, 2016 Delcath Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: DCTH), a specialty pharmaceutical and medical device company focused on oncology with an emphasis on the treatment of primary and metastatic liver cancers, reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2016 (Press release, Delcath Systems, MAY 4, 2016, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2164855 [SID:1234511886]).
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!
Highlights for the first quarter of 2016 and recent weeks include:
Initiation of patient enrollment in the global Phase 3 FOCUS Clinical Trial for Patients with Hepatic Dominant Ocular Melanoma (the FOCUS trial), which is being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support marketing approval in the U.S.
Addition of two prestigious U.S. cancer centers as FOCUS trial clinical sites
Activation of Hacettepe University Clinic in Ankara, Turkey as the first CHEMOSAT commercial treatment center outside of the European Union
Initiation of hospital negotiations for definition of ZE reimbursement levels in Germany
Completion of more than 300 treatments with CHEMOSAT since the second generation of the system was launched
"We began 2016 with strong momentum in our clinical development program, kicking off the year with the acceptance of a SPA agreement with the FDA for initiation of our FOCUS Phase 3 trial," said Jennifer K. Simpson, Ph.D., MSN, CRNP, President and Chief Executive Office of Delcath. "We are delighted that three leading U.S. cancer centers are now open and several others have committed to participate in the FOCUS trial and we look forward to opening additional trial sites in both the U.S. and Europe over the course of 2016. We made further progress with our Phase 2 trial for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and expect to report interim data on the ICC cohort mid-year.
"We also continued to make steady progress commercializing CHEMOSAT in Europe. In February hospitals in Germany began negotiations to determine coverage levels for CHEMOSAT under the ZE national reimbursement mechanism. We anticipate coverage levels to be defined in mid-to-late 2016, which we believe will enhance growth in procedure volumes in Germany beginning late this year and provide important validation for reimbursement appeals in other markets in Europe.
"In April we announced our first expansion into markets outside of the European Union with the activation of Hacettepe University Clinic in Ankara, Turkey. Hacettepe is a well-regarded cancer treatment center in Turkey, and we believe it will serve as an excellent hub for CHEMOSAT treatments in the entire region.
"We look forward to executing our strategic plan throughout the remainder of the year, which includes multiple presentations and publications of data in support of CHEMOSAT as a treatment for metastatic liver cancers," concluded Dr. Simpson.
First Quarter Financial Results
Total revenue for the first quarter of 2016 was $0.4 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses for the first quarter of 2016 were $2.4 million, an improvement of $0.6 million or 20% from $3.0 million reported for the same period in 2016, primarily attributable to a reduction in severance accruals related to workforce and lease restructurings. Research and development expenses increased to $1.3 million for the 2016 first quarter from $1.0 million for the same period in 2015, primarily due to increased investment in clinical development initiatives.
Total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2016 decreased to $3.7 million from $4.0 million for the same period in 2015. This reflects an increase in clinical development initiatives, partially offset by a reduction in severance and compensation-related expenses following significant workforce and lease restructurings, as well as a reduction in facility expenses.
The Company recorded a net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2016 of $1.8 million, a decrease of $1.7 million or 49% from a net loss of $3.5 million for the same period in 2015. This decrease in net loss is primarily due to a $1.3 million change in the fair value of the warrant liability, a non-cash item and a $0.3 million reduction in operating expenses.
Balance Sheet Highlights
As of March 31, 2016, Delcath had cash and cash equivalents of $9.5 million, compared with $12.6 million as of December 31, 2015. During the first quarter of 2016, the Company used $3.8 million in cash to fund its operating activities. Delcath believes it has sufficient capital to fund its operating activities through the third quarter of 2016.