On November 2, 2016 Loxo Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq:LOXO), a biopharmaceutical company innovating the development of highly selective medicines for patients with genetically defined cancers, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2016. Loxo Oncology will not be conducting a conference call in conjunction with this earnings release (Press release, Loxo Oncology, NOV 2, 2016, View Source [SID1234516197]).
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!
"Enrollment in the LOXO-101 program and progress in the preclinical pipeline have positioned us well for the remainder of 2016 and 2017," said Josh Bilenker, M.D., chief executive officer of Loxo Oncology. "In December, we plan to share updated Phase 1 clinical data for LOXO-101 at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Asia. At that time, we will also provide a comprehensive program update that integrates trial enrollment progress with written regulatory feedback to provide increased visibility into the commercial timelines for LOXO-101. Additionally, we look forward to starting Phase 1 studies in 2017 for named candidates LOXO-292 and LOXO-195."
Upcoming Milestones
LOXO-101
Updated clinical data from the adult Phase 1 trial of LOXO-101 have been accepted for an oral presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Asia Congress, taking place December 16-19, 2016 in Singapore. The presentation is titled, "Clinical safety and activity from a phase 1 study of LOXO-101, a selective TRKA/B/C inhibitor, in solid-tumor patients with NTRK gene fusions" and will take place at 4:30PM SGT on Sunday, December 18, 2016.
In conjunction with ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Asia, Loxo Oncology will be hosting a conference call and webcast on December 19, 2016 at 8:00AM ET. Dial-in instructions and webcast information will be posted to the Loxo Oncology website. During this call, Loxo Oncology will review the updated LOXO-101 Phase 1 data and provide an overview of its clinical development plans across the company’s portfolio of investigational medicines. The LOXO-101 program update is expected to include:
Current enrollment as "percent to goal"
Expected timing of full enrollment relative to goal
Expected timing of NDA/MAA filings and label potential
Preclinical data for LOXO-101 have been accepted for an oral presentation at the 58th American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, taking place December 3-6, 2016 in San Diego. The presentation is titled, "Genetic Modeling and Therapeutic Targeting of ETV6-NTRK3 with LOXO-101 in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia" and will take place at 7:45AM PT on Sunday, December 4, 2016.
Preclinical Programs
Preclinical data for Loxo Oncology’s RET program (LOXO-292) and TRK acquired resistance program (LOXO-195) have been accepted for presentation at the EORTC-NCI-AACR (Free EORTC-NCI-AACR Whitepaper) Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Symposium, taking place November 29 – December 2, 2016 in Munich, Germany.
Initiation of a Phase 1 study of LOXO-292, Loxo Oncology’s selective RET inhibitor, is expected in early 2017.
Initiation of a Phase 1 study of next-generation TRK inhibitor LOXO-195, addressing previously treated patients with acquired resistance, is expected in 2017.
Third Quarter 2016 Financial Results
As of September 30, 2016, Loxo Oncology had aggregate cash, cash equivalents and investments of $156.5 million, compared to $153.9 million as of December 31, 2015.
Loxo Oncology continues to expect cash burn of $48 to $52 million in 2016. Based on the current operating plan, the company believes existing capital resources will be sufficient to fund anticipated operations into late 2018.
Research and development expenses were $14.2 million for the third quarter of 2016, compared to $6.3 million for the third quarter of 2015. This increase was primarily due to expanded clinical development activities for LOXO-101, as well as additional expenses related to the preclinical pipeline. Loxo Oncology also recognized research and development-related stock-based compensation expenses of $1.6 million during the third quarter of 2016, compared to $0.5 million for the third quarter of 2015.
Research and development expenses were $34.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, compared to $15.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. This increase was primarily due to expanded clinical development activities for LOXO-101, as well as additional expenses related to the preclinical pipeline. Loxo Oncology also recognized research and development-related stock-based compensation expenses of $2.1 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2016, compared to $1.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015.
General and administrative expenses were $3.7 million for the third quarter of 2016, compared to $2.6 million for the third quarter of 2015. This increase was primarily due to employment costs and professional fees. Loxo Oncology also recognized general and administrative-related stock-based compensation expense of $1.2 million during the third quarter 2016, compared to $0.7 million for the third quarter 2015.
General and administrative expenses were $10.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, compared to $7.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. This increase was primarily due to employment costs and professional fees. Loxo Oncology also recognized general and administrative-related stock-based compensation expenses of $3.3 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2016, compared to $2.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015.
Net loss was $17.7 million and $45.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, compared to $8.8 million and $23.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively.
About LOXO-101
LOXO-101 is a potent, oral and selective investigational new drug in clinical development for the treatment of patients with cancers that harbor abnormalities involving the tropomyosin receptor kinases (TRKs). Growing research suggests that the NTRK genes, which encode for TRKs, can become abnormally fused to other genes, resulting in growth signals that can lead to cancer in many sites of the body. In an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial, LOXO-101 has demonstrated encouraging preliminary efficacy. LOXO-101 is also being evaluated in the NAVIGATE global Phase 2 multi-center basket trial in patients with solid tumors that harbor TRK gene fusions, and the SCOUT Phase 1 trial in pediatric patients, including patients with advanced cancer, TRK gene fusions and infantile fibrosarcoma. LOXO-101 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the U.S. FDA. For additional information about the LOXO-101 clinical trials, please refer to www.clinicaltrials.gov. Interested patients and physicians can contact the Loxo Oncology Physician and Patient Clinical Trial Hotline at 1-855-NTRK-123 or visit www.loxooncologytrials.com.