On May 5, 2017 ImmunoGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMGN), a leader in the expanding field of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of cancer, reported recent highlights and reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2017 (Press release, ImmunoGen, MAY 5, 2017, View Source [SID1234518855]).

"We have started 2017 with significant progress towards our strategic priorities of advancing our portfolio, supporting our partners, and driving continued innovation in ADCs," said Mark Enyedy, ImmunoGen’s president and chief executive officer. "Following enrollment of our first patient in FORWARD I in January, we have since expanded the study to include additional centers in North America and Europe, and expect to activate more than 100 sites in these geographies before the end of the year. We presented data at the SGO Annual Meeting supporting our patient selection strategy for FORWARD I and delivered nine presentations at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting highlighting novel ADCs and enhancements to our platform technologies. For the remainder of the year, we look forward to a number of additional milestones, including sharing new efficacy and safety data for mirvetuximab soravtansine at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) and filing an IND for our CD123-targeting ADC, IMGN632, in the third quarter."

Recent Highlights

Proprietary Portfolio

Treated the first patient in FORWARD I and expanded the study to more than 40 sites in North America and Europe;
Presented expanded Phase 1 data from the biopsy cohort for mirvetuximab soravtansine at the Society for Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer demonstrating that archival tumor tissue can reliably identify patients with folate receptor alpha (FRα)-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and supporting the patient selection strategy for FORWARD I; and
Delivered nine presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting demonstrating improvements to ImmunoGen’s payload and linker technologies and highlighting data with novel ADCs directed to a range of tumor targets.
Partner Programs

Bayer completed enrollment in a registration-enabling Phase 2 study for anetumab ravtansine in mesothelioma; and
Takeda initiated preclinical development with the first ADC using ImmunoGen’s IGN platform directed to a solid tumor.
ASCO Presentations

ImmunoGen will report data on mirvetuximab soravtansine in poster presentations at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting on June 3, 2017:

Gynecologic Cancer: General Poster Session
Location: Hall A
Saturday, June 3, 2017, 1:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. CDT

Title: Mirvetuximab soravtansine (IMGN853), a folate receptor alpha (FRα)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), in platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients (pts): Activity and safety analyses in phase I pooled expansion cohorts. (Abstract No.: 5547, Poster Board No.: 369)
Title: Safety findings from FORWARD II: A phase 1b study evaluating the folate receptor alpha (FRα)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) mirvetuximab soravtansine (IMGN853) in combination with bevacizumab, carboplatin, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD), or pembrolizumab in patients (pts) with ovarian cancer. (Abstract No.: 5553, Poster Board No.: 375)
Title: FORWARD I (GOG 3011): A randomized phase 3 study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of mirvetuximab soravtansine (IMGN853) versus chemotherapy in adults with folate receptor alpha (FRα)-positive, platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), primary peritoneal cancer, or primary fallopian tube cancer. (Abstract No.: TPS5607, Poster Board No.: 425b)
Additional Upcoming Events

ImmunoGen expects to present initial Phase 1 data for IMGN779, a CD33-targeting ADC, for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in mid-2017. These will be the first clinical data reported with an ADC using ImmunoGen’s DNA-alkylating payload.
The Company anticipates filing an investigational new drug (IND) application in the third quarter of 2017 to support clinical testing with IMGN632, a CD123-targeting ADC integrating a more potent DNA-alkylating payload intended to treat a range of hematological malignancies.
ImmunoGen also anticipates advancing the first development candidate under its collaboration with CytomX into preclinical development in 2017.
Financial Results

Revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2017 were $28.5 million, compared to $19.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. License and milestone fees for the first quarter of 2017 included $6 million in partner milestone payments and $12.7 million in amortization of a non-cash fee related to the Company’s license agreement with CytomX, compared with $10 million from partner milestone payments in the same quarter in 2016. Revenues in the first quarter of 2017 included $7.6 million in non-cash royalty revenues, compared with $7.4 million in non-cash royalty revenues for the same quarter in 2016. Revenues for the first quarter of 2017 also included $1.5 million of research and development (R&D) support fees and $0.7 million of clinical materials revenue, compared with $1.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, for the same quarter in 2016.

Operating expenses for the first quarter of 2017 were $41.4 million, compared to $47.3 million for the same quarter in 2016. Operating expenses in the first quarter of 2017 include R&D expenses of $32.9 million, compared to $36.1 million for the same quarter in 2016. This change is primarily due to a workforce reduction resulting from the strategic review in September 2016, as well as decreased costs associated with manufacturing clinical materials on behalf of ImmunoGen’s partners. Partially offsetting these decreases, clinical trial costs increased in the first quarter of 2017 driven primarily by studies of mirvetuximab soravtansine. Operating expenses include general and administrative expenses of $8.1 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $11.2 million in the same quarter in 2016. This decrease is primarily due to a non-cash stock compensation charge in the first quarter of 2016 resulting from the CEO transition, as well as decreased personnel expenses in the first quarter of 2017.

ImmunoGen reported a net loss of $17.3 million, or $0.20 per basic and diluted share, for the first quarter of 2017 compared to a net loss of $31.9 million, or $0.37 per basic and diluted share, for the same quarter last year.

ImmunoGen had approximately $126.6 million in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2017, compared with $160.0 million as of December 31, 2016, and had $100.0 million of convertible debt outstanding in each period. Cash used in operations was $33.0 million for the first quarter of 2017, compared with $26.1 million for the first quarter of 2016. Capital expenditures were $0.4 million and $3.5 million for the quarters ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Financial Guidance

ImmunoGen’s financial guidance for 2017 remains unchanged from that issued in February 2017. ImmunoGen expects:

Revenues between $70 million and $75 million, which includes $28 million of expected upfront and milestone fees from partners;
Operating expenses between $175 million and $180 million; and
Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2017 between $35 million and $40 million.
ImmunoGen expects that its current cash plus expected cash revenues from partners and collaborators will enable the Company to fund operations into the second quarter of 2018.