On November 5, 2019 Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:CNAT) reported financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2019 (Press release, Conatus Pharmaceuticals, NOV 5, 2019, View Source [SID1234550316]).
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Recent Developments
In June 2019, Conatus announced that top-line results from its ENCORE-LF clinical trial of emricasan did not meet its primary endpoint, and, Conatus and its partner, Novartis, had no further development plans for emricasan. In September 2019, Conatus and Novartis mutually agreed to terminate the collaboration agreement between the parties for the global development and commercialization of emricasan.
As previously announced, Conatus has engaged Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., as its financial advisor to assist in the exploration and evaluation of strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value. There can be no assurance of a successful outcome from these efforts, or of the form or timing of any such outcome.
In connection with the discontinuation of emricasan and Conatus’ efforts to explore and evaluate strategic alternatives, Conatus announced in June 2019 that it was implementing a restructuring plan in order to extend its resources, which included reducing staff and suspending development of its inflammasome disease candidate, CTS-2090, and in September 2019 it implemented another restructuring plan in order to extend its resources, which included further reducing staff.
Financial Results
The net loss for the third quarter of 2019 was $3.3 million compared with $4.6 million for the third quarter of 2018. The net loss for the first nine months of 2019 was $8.7 million compared with $14.1 million for the first nine months of 2018.
All revenues were related to the company’s collaboration with Novartis. Total revenues were $3.4 million for the third quarter of 2019 compared with $7.7 million for the third quarter of 2018. Total revenues were $21.2 million for the first nine months of 2019 compared with $26.2 million for the first nine months of 2018. The decreases in revenues for both periods were primarily due to lower emricasan-related research and development expenses resulting in corresponding lower revenues from Novartis.
Research and development expenses were $4.7 million for the third quarter of 2019 compared with $9.7 million for the third quarter of 2018. The decrease in research and development expenses was primarily due to lower spending related to emricasan-related activities. Research and development expenses were $22.7 million for the first nine months of 2019 compared with $32.5 million for the first nine months of 2018. These decreases were primarily due to lower emricasan-related research and development expenses.
General and administrative expenses were $2.0 million for the third quarter of 2019 compared with $2.7 million for the third quarter of 2018. General and administrative expenses were $7.7 million for the first nine months of 2019 compared with $8.0 million for the first nine months of 2018. These decreases were primarily due to lower personnel costs resulting from the restructuring plan announced in June 2019.
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $22.7 million at September 30, 2019, compared with $40.7 million at December 31, 2018. The company is projecting a year-end 2019 net balance of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of between $10 million and $15 million.