On November 05, 2015 OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:OMED), a clinical-stage company developing novel cancer stem cell (CSC) and immuno-oncology therapeutics, reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2015 (Press release, OncoMed, NOV 5, 2015, View Source [SID:1234507972]). The company ended the third quarter with $175.2 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short term investments.

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"Our internally discovered research and development pipeline continues to advance, with both demcizumab and tarextumab in two randomized Phase 2 clinical trials each," said Paul J. Hastings, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We now have seven product candidates in 17 clinical trials, and are advancing two additional immuno-oncology product candidates to IND filings."

Pipeline Update

Demcizumab (anti-DLL4, OMP-21M18)

Enrollment continues in the randomized Phase 2 YOSEMITE pancreatic cancer and Phase 2 DENALI non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) trials.

Planning advances for a Phase 1b trial testing combination of demcizumab with pembrolizumab (an anti-PD1 antibody). Participating institutions include Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Columbia University, Royal Marsden Hospital.
Tarextumab (anti-Notch 2/3, OMP-59R5)

Completed enrollment in the randomized Phase 2 ALPINE pancreatic cancer trial in August. A readout of the trial data, including overall survival results from both intent-to-treat and Notch3 biomarker populations, is anticipated in the second half of 2016.
Enrollment continues in the randomized Phase 2 PINNACLE small cell lung cancer (SCLC) trial.

Presented Notch3 biomarker results at the World Congress on Lung Cancer in September highlighting the role of overexpression of Notch3 as a poor prognostic factor in SCLC patients and as a potential biomarker for tarextumab treatment. Updated survival data continued to suggest greater benefit of tarextumab in a dose-dependent fashion, with median overall survival not yet reached in patients with high Notch3 tumors receiving higher doses of tarextumab.

Wnt Pathway Programs

Reached an agreement with Bayer to enroll up to 24 additional subjects, including some subjects who will undergo serial tumor biopsies, in the Phase 1b clinical trial of vantictumab (anti-Fzd7, OMP-18R5) in breast cancer and the Phase 1b clinical trial of ipafricept (Fzd8-Fc, OMP-54F28) in ovarian cancer, to further elucidate the profile of these product candidates and generate additional data to inform Bayer’s opt-in decisions. Bayer has agreed to reimburse OncoMed for all out-of-pocket expenses to support this additional patient enrollment. Delivery of opt-in packages to Bayer for both vantictumab and ipafricept is now anticipated in late 2016/early 2017.

Brontictuzumab (anti-Notch1, OMP-52M51)

De-prioritized and discontinued the Phase 1a hematologic malignancy trial to focus on solid tumor indications in biomarker selected populations. Data will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.

Data to be presented on November 8, 2015 at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)-NCI-EORTC AACR-NCI-EORTC (Free AACR-NCI-EORTC Whitepaper) International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (EORTC-NCI-AACR) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) (Free EORTC-NCI-AACR Whitepaper) Meeting in November in Boston show single-agent activity of brontictuzumab in Notch1 biomarker positive solid tumor subjects.

Advanced plans to clinically test brontictuzumab in combination with standard-of-care in solid tumor indications with a focus on patients whose tumors overexpress the active form of Notch1.
Anti-DLL4/VEGF (OMP-305B83) and Anti-RSPO3 (OMP-131R10)

Enrollment continues in Phase 1a study of anti-DLL4/VEGF bispecific in solid tumors.
Presented pre-clinical data at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) of the immune mediated anti-cancer effects of OncoMed’s anti-DLL4/VEGF bispecific antibody.

Advance plans to study anti-DLL4/VEGF in Phase 1b in combination with standard-of-care.
Enrollment continues in Phase 1a/b study of anti-RSPO3 in solid tumors.

Immuno-oncology Research

Presented new data for GITRL-Fc showing potent single-agent anti-tumor activity and activity in combination with checkpoint inhibitors at the Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference (CIMT) (Free CIMT Whitepaper) in September. OncoMed is advancing GITRL-Fc into IND-enabling studies with the goal of ultimately filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Advanced preclinical testing of an immuno-oncology antibody under the collaboration with Celgene with goal of achieving formal designation as a clinical development candidate in the collaboration by the end of 2015 followed by an IND filing in 2016.

Third Quarter 2015 Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $175.2 million as of September 30, 2015, compared to $200.2 million as of June 30, 2015.

Revenues for the third quarter 2015 totaled $4.7 million, as compared to $19.0 million in the third quarter of 2014. Revenues were higher in the third quarter of 2014 primarily due to milestone revenues from the GlaxoSmithKline and Bayer collaborations achieved during that period.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the third quarter 2015 were $24.7 million compared with $21.0 million for the same period in 2014. Increases in R&D expenditures in the three months ended September 30, 2015 were primarily attributable to increased personnel expenses, increased program costs associated with the advancement of demcizumab and tarextumab into randomized Phase 2 trials, as well as increased costs related to advancement of our anti-DLL4/VEGF and anti-RSPO3 programs into clinical development.

General and administrative (G&A) expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2015 were $4.5 million, compared to $3.5 million for the same three-month period in 2014. The increased costs during the third quarter 2015 were attributable to higher employee-related costs, increased patent expenses, and financial expenses related to the June 2015 S-3 shelf registration filing.

Net loss for the third quarter 2015 was $24.5 million ($0.81 per share), compared to $5.5 million ($0.18 per share) for the same three-month period of 2014. The change in net loss for the third quarter of 2015 was primarily due to an increase in operational expenses and lower milestone revenues.