On March 11, 2025 Lyell Immunopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: LYEL), a clinical-stage company advancing a pipeline of next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for patients with cancer, reported financial results and business highlights for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024 (Filing, 3 mnth, DEC 31, Lyell Immunopharma, 2025, MAR 11, 2025, View Source [SID1234651078]).
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"Last year was transformative for Lyell and now, based on promising emerging clinical data, we are poised to initiate pivotal development of IMPT-314, our next-generation dual-targeting CD19/CD20 CAR T-cell product candidate for patients with aggressive large B‑cell lymphoma," said Lynn Seely, M.D., Lyell’s President and CEO. "We believe IMPT-314 has the potential to deliver improved outcomes for patients by increasing complete response rates and prolonging the duration of response over approved CD19 CAR T-cell therapies, and this year we expect to share more mature data from the ongoing Phase 1/2 trial of IMPT-314. We also plan to initiate two pivotal programs for IMPT-314: one for patients in the 3rd line and later setting by the middle of this year and a second program for patients in the 2nd line setting by early 2026. In addition, we expect to submit a new IND in 2026 for a next-generation solid tumor CAR T-cell product candidate with a new target that is fully-armed with a suite of technologies, including our proprietary clinically-validated anti-exhaustion technology. Our strong cash position enables us to advance our pipeline through important clinical milestones and fund operations into 2027."
Fourth Quarter Updates and Recent Business Highlights
Lyell is advancing a pipeline of next-generation CAR T-cell product candidates. Its lead program, IMPT-314, is in Phase 1/2 clinical development for relapsed or refractory aggressive large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) and its preclinical programs target solid tumor indications. Lyell’s programs target cancers with large unmet need with substantial patient populations.
IMPT-314: A next-generation dual-targeting CD19/CD20 CAR T-cell product candidate designed to increase complete response rates and prolong the duration of response as compared to the approved CD19‑targeted CAR T-cell therapies for the treatment of LBCL
IMPT-314 is an autologous CAR T-cell product candidate with a true ‘OR’ logic gate to target B cells that express either CD19 or CD20 with full potency and is manufactured with a process that enriches for CD62L+ cells to generate more naïve and central memory CAR T cells with enhanced stemlike features and antitumor activity. The ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial is a multi-center, open-label study designed to evaluate the tolerability and clinical benefit of IMPT-314 in patients with relapsed/refractory LBCL and determine a recommended Phase 2 dose. IMPT-314 has received Fast Track Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma in the 3rd line and later (3rd line+) setting.
•A Phase 1/2 clinical trial is ongoing and currently enrolling patients in the 3rd line+ and 2nd line settings who have not previously received CAR T-cell therapy.
•Initial data from the Phase 1/2 trial was presented at the American Society for Hematology 2024 Annual Meeting on December 9, 2024. Data from 23 patients with relapsed or refractory, CAR T-naive LBCL who received IMPT-314 were reported. The efficacy evaluable population consisted of 17 patients. The overall response rate was 94% (16/17 patients), with 71% (12/17 patients) achieving a complete response by three months. The median follow up was 6.3 months (range 1.2 – 12.5 months) and 71% of patients were experiencing a response at last follow-up. In the safety evaluable population of 23 patients, no Grade 3+ CRS was reported. Grade 3 ICANS was reported in 13% (3/23) of patients with a median time to ICANS resolution of 5 days, and rapid improvement to Grade 2 or lower with standard therapy.
•More mature data from the ongoing Phase 1/2 trial in the 3rd line+ setting and initial data from patients in the 2nd line setting are expected to be presented in mid-2025.
•Pivotal trial in the 3rd line+ setting is expected to be initiated in mid-2025 in patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive LBCL who have not previously received CAR T-cell therapy.
•Pivotal trial in the 2nd line setting expected to be initiated by early 2026 in patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive LBCL who have not previously received CAR T-cell therapy.
Preclinical Pipeline, Technologies and Manufacturing Protocols
•The first IND for a fully-armed CAR T-cell product candidate with an undisclosed target for solid tumors is expected in 2026. Lyell is advancing next-generation fully-armed CAR T-cell product candidates, meaning they are armed with multiple technologies, each designed to address different barriers to effective cell therapies, including T-cell exhaustion, lack of durable stemness, as well as immune suppression within the hostile tumor microenvironment.
•Presented nonclinical and clinical data from cell therapy product candidates incorporating anti‑exhaustion and manufacturing technologies that demonstrated the potential of Lyell’s technologies to improve T‑cell function in solid tumors. These presentations, from multiple scientific conferences throughout the year, can be found at View Source
Corporate Updates
•Streamlined expenses and expect net cash use in 2025 to be between $175 million – $185 million. The disciplined expense management will be accomplished by focusing clinical development efforts on the pivotal trials of IMPT-314 and research efforts on developing next-generation fully-armed CAR T-cell programs for solid tumors.
Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results
Lyell reported a net loss of $191.9 million and $343.0 million for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively, compared to a net loss of $52.9 million and $234.6 million for the same periods in 2023. Net loss for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024 included $87.2 million in acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D) expense as part of our acquisition of ImmPACT Bio USA Inc (ImmPACT Bio) and $51.3 million of long‑lived asset impairment expense. Non‑GAAP net loss, which excludes stock-based compensation, non-cash expenses related to the change in the estimated fair value of success payment liabilities, acquired IPR&D expense, long‑lived asset impairment expense and certain non-cash investment gains and charges, was $45.9 million and $159.5 million for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively, compared to $43.9 million and $177.4 million for the same periods in 2023.
GAAP and Non-GAAP Operating Expenses
•Research and development (R&D) expenses were $48.7 million and $171.6 million for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively, compared to $47.0 million and $182.9 million for the same periods in 2023. The increase in fourth quarter 2024 R&D expenses of $1.7 million was primarily due to increased facilities costs. The decrease in annual 2024 R&D expenses of $11.3 million was primarily driven by a $14.0 million decrease in personnel-related expenses mainly due to lower headcount following the Company’s November 2023 reduction in workforce, partially offset by a $3.2 million increase in research activities primarily driven by clinical trial activity. Non‑GAAP R&D expenses, which exclude non-cash stock-based compensation and non-cash expenses related to the change in the estimated fair value of success payment liabilities, for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024 were $45.4 million and $157.3 million, respectively, compared to $42.9 million and $165.7 million for the same periods in 2023. The $2.5 million increase in fourth quarter 2024 non-GAAP R&D expenses was primarily driven by increased facilities costs. The $8.3 million decrease in annual 2024 non-GAAP R&D expenses was primarily driven by the decrease in personnel-related expenses mainly due to lower headcount following the Company’s November 2023 reduction in workforce.
•General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $14.5 million and $52.0 million for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively, compared to $13.2 million and $67.0 million for the same periods in 2023. The decrease in annual 2024 G&A expenses of $14.9 million was primarily driven by a decrease in non‑cash stock-based compensation. Non‑GAAP G&A expenses, which exclude non-cash stock‑based compensation, for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024 were $9.7 million and $33.5 million, respectively, compared to $8.5 million and $38.1 million for the same periods in 2023. The $1.3 million increase in fourth quarter 2024 non-GAAP G&A expenses was primarily driven by acquisition-related personnel expenses. The $4.6 million decrease in annual 2024 non-GAAP G&A expenses was primarily driven by the decrease in personnel-related expenses mainly due to lower headcount following the Company’s November 2023 reduction in workforce.
•Operating expenses for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, include $87.2 million of acquired IPR&D expenses recognized as a part of the acquisition of ImmPACT Bio. Additionally, operating expenses for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, include an impairment charge of $51.3 million for long-lived assets, resulting from the continued decline in our stock price and related market capitalization.
A discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, including reconciliations of the most comparable GAAP measures to non‑GAAP financial measures, is presented below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2024 were $383.5 million compared to $562.7 million as of December 31, 2023. Lyell believes that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities balances will be sufficient to meet working capital and capital expenditure needs into 2027.