On August 10, 2023 Celcuity Inc. (Nasdaq: CELC), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pursuing development of targeted therapies for oncology, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023 and provided other recent corporate updates (Press release, Celcuity, AUG 10, 2023, View Source [SID1234634183]).

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"Patient enrollment in the Phase 3 VIKTORIA-1 trial is progressing in-line with our planned timeline. Nearly 200 sites are now recruiting patients in 20 countries," said Brian Sullivan, CEO and Co-Founder of Celcuity. "We are also very encouraged by the updated median PFS and DOR data we reported for gedatolisib in combination with letrozole and palbociclib in the first-line setting. These results continue to drive our confidence that gedatolisib can play an important role in improving outcomes for women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer, regardless of PIK3CA-status."

Second Quarter 2023 Business Highlights and Other Recent Developments

● The VIKTORIA-1 Phase 3 trial remains on track to provide initial data and analysis of the PIK3CA wild type patient sub-group in the second half of 2024 and data for the PIK3CA mutated patient sub-group in the first half of 2025.
○ The Phase 3 VIKTORIA-1 clinical trial is now recruiting patients at nearly 200 sites in 20 countries.
○ VIKTORIA-1 is evaluating gedatolisib in combination with fulvestrant, an endocrine therapy, with and without palbociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, in adults with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer.

● In May 2023, updated results from a Phase 1b trial evaluating gedatolisib, in combination with palbociclib and the aromatase inhibitor, letrozole, were presented at the 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Breast Cancer Annual Congress, with data updated as of March 16, 2023.
○ For treatment-naïve patients from Escalation Arm A and Expansion Arm A (n=41), mPFS was 48.6 months, mDOR was 46.9 months, and ORR was 79%.
○ This data compares favorably to published data for current first-line standard-of-care treatments for patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer.

● In April 2023, Celcuity presented a poster at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting demonstrating gedatolisib’s superior therapeutic activity relative to the various PI3K, AKT, and mTOR inhibitors, regardless of the cell lines’ PTEN, PI3K, or AKT mutational status in endometrial, ovarian and cervical cancer cell lines.

● Enrollment is ongoing in the FACT-1 and FACT-2 trials for CELsignia selected patients who have early-stage HR+/HER2- breast cancer with interim results expected in the first half of 2024.

Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Unless otherwise stated, all comparisons are for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023, compared to the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.

Total operating expenses were $15.1 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $9.6 million for the second quarter of 2022. Net cash used in operating activities for the second quarter of 2023 was $9.7 million, compared to $11.3 million for the second quarter of 2022.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $13.7 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $8.4 million for the second quarter of 2022. Of the approximately $5.4 million increase in research and development expenses, $0.5 million was related to increased employee and consulting expenses. The remaining $4.9 million increase in research and development expenses was primarily the result of activities supporting the VIKTORIA-1 pivotal trial.

General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $1.3 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $1.2 million for the second quarter of 2022.

Net loss for the second quarter of 2023 was $14.6 million, or $0.66 loss per share, compared to a net loss of $10.0 million, or $0.67 loss per share, for the second quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP adjusted net loss for the second quarter of 2023 was $12.8 million, or $0.58 loss per share, compared to non-GAAP adjusted net loss for the second quarter of 2022 of $8.3 million, or $0.55 per share. Non-GAAP adjusted net loss excludes stock-based compensation expense and non-cash interest expense. Because these items have no impact on Celcuity’s cash position, management believes non-GAAP adjusted net loss better enables Celcuity to focus on cash used in operations. For a reconciliation of financial measures calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) to non-GAAP financial measures, please see the financial tables at the end of this press release.

At June 30, 2023, Celcuity reported cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $146.2 million.

Webcast and Conference Call Information

The Celcuity management team will host a webcast/conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET today to discuss the second quarter financial results and provide a corporate update. To participate in the teleconference, domestic callers should dial 1-888-886-7786 and international callers should dial 1-416-764-8658. A live webcast presentation can also be accessed using this weblink: View Source;tp_key=c09a941d3d. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Celcuity website following the live event.