On November 13, 2018 Rubius Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: RUBY), a biotechnology company developing an entirely new class of allogeneic cellular therapies, reported third quarter 2018 financial results and operational progress (Press release, Rubius Therapeutics, NOV 13, 2018, View Source [SID1234531334]).

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!

"During the third quarter, we remained focused on advancing our first program, RTX-134, for the treatment of phenylketonuria. We are on track to file an Investigational New Drug application during the first quarter of 2019," said Pablo J. Cagnoni, M.D., chief executive officer of Rubius Therapeutics. "We are also continuing to advance our earlier pipeline, which we believe holds broad therapeutic potential across cancer, autoimmune disease and additional enzyme deficiencies. In order to successfully bring our medicines to patients, we are ensuring that we will have state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities in place, as shown through the purchase, in July, of our 135,000-square foot manufacturing facility in Smithfield, RI."

Third quarter highlights include:

· On track to submit first IND for lead program, RTX-134, during the first quarter of 2019, and an additional three to four INDs during 2019 and 2020

· Closed initial public offering (IPO) in July 2018, raising $254.3 million in net proceeds

· Acquired and initiated renovations on manufacturing facility in Smithfield, RI; facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2020

· Continued to generate promising preclinical data in support of additional pipeline programs; data expected to be published during 2019

· Strengthened internal capabilities in discovery, platform development and manufacturing and grew the organization to 110 employees to predominantly support research and development (R&D) activities

Third Quarter Financial Results

Net loss for the third quarter of 2018 was $26.4 million or $0.42 per common share, compared to $11.9 million or $1.48 per common share in the third quarter of 2017.

In the third quarter of 2018, Rubius invested $14.4 million in R&D related to its novel RED PLATFORM and towards expanding and advancing its product pipeline, compared to $6.1 million in the third quarter of 2017. The year-over-year increase was due to an additional $2.9 million of costs incurred in preparation for the Phase 1/2a clinical trial for RTX-134, and $3.6 million was associated with personnel costs and stock-based compensation driven by increases in R&D headcount to support Rubius’ goal of delivering four to five IND’s during 2019 and 2020.

G&A expenses were $13.2 million during the third quarter of 2018, as compared to $5.8 million for the third quarter of 2017. The higher costs were primarily driven by a $4.6 million increase in stock-based compensation and a $1.9 million increase in personnel costs and professional fees to support the Company’s growth and to operate as a public company.

Nine Month Financial Results

Net loss for the first nine months of 2018 was $62.0 million or $2.33 per common share, compared to $27.0 million or $3.42 per common share in the first nine months of 2017.

In the nine months ended September 30, 2018, Rubius invested $35.2 million in R&D related to its novel RED PLATFORM and towards expanding and advancing its product pipeline, compared to $14.6 million in the first nine months of 2017. The year-over-year increase was due to an increase of $5.8 million of costs incurred in preparation for the Phase 1/2a clinical trial for RTX-134, and $6.6 million in personnel costs and stock-based compensation driven by increases in R&D headcount to support Rubius’ goal of delivering four to five IND’s during 2019 and 2020.

G&A expenses were $27.3 million during the first nine months of 2018, as compared to $11.2 million for the same period in 2017. The higher costs were primarily driven by a $8.7 million increase in stock-based compensation and a $6.0 million increase in personnel costs and professional fees to support the Company’s growth and to operate as a public company.

During the third quarter of 2018, the Company adopted new guidance for the accounting for stock-based payments to nonemployees, effective as of January 1, 2018. As a result of this adoption, previously reported amounts for the six months ended June 30, 2018 for R&D expenses and G&A expenses were reduced by $0.7 million and $8.0 million, respectively.

Cash Position

As of September 30, 2018, cash, cash equivalents and investments grew significantly to $408.9 million as compared to $104.3 million as of December 31, 2017, providing Rubius with a cash runway into 2021. The increase in cash reflects $254.3 million of net proceeds from the company’s IPO during the third quarter of 2018 and $101.0 million of net proceeds received from its Series C preferred stock financing during the first quarter of 2018. The proceeds received from the financings were offset by $38.6 million used in operations during the nine-month period and $11.7 million of capital purchases, including $8.0 million to acquire the manufacturing facility in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

About Phenylketonuria and RTX-134

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited, rare enzymatic disorder characterized by the body’s inability to effectively metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine. The accumulation of phenylalanine in the blood causes damage to the central nervous system and a range of symptoms, including intellectual disability, delayed development and impaired cognitive function. RTX-134 is an allogeneic cellular therapy for the treatment of PKU, which expresses the enzyme phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) inside the cell. In preclinical studies, phenylalanine was shown to diffuse into RTX-134, where PAL converted phenylalanine into ammonia and trans-cinnamic acid, metabolites that are cleared by the body. Compared to current therapeutic interventions, RCT product candidates may have a longer and more sustained treatment duration given the 120-day half-life of red blood cells and may avoid immune-driven adverse events and reduction in efficacy, which result from antibody formation.

On November 13, 2018 Context Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, reported that new preclinical data on Apristor, its first-in-class full progesterone receptor antagonist, will be featured at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium taking place on December 4-8, 2018 in San Antonio, TX (Press release, Context Therapeutics, NOV 13, 2018, View Source [SID1234531332]).

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!

At the conference, Dr. Deepak Lala, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer of Context Therapeutics will present preclinical data highlighting Apristor in inhibiting breast cancer cell proliferation alone or when combined with Palbociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor or FASLODEX (Fulvestrant), an estrogen receptor antagonist. The study was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Carol Lange, Ph.D., Tickle Family Chair of Breast Cancer Research at the University of Minnesota,

The poster details are as follows:

Poster Title: The pure progesterone receptor (PR) antagonist onapristone enhances the anti-proliferative effects of CDK4/6 inhibitors in preclinical in-vitro breast cancer models

Poster: #926

Session Date: Saturday, 12/8/201

Session Time: 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM CT

Location: Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center/ Poster Hall 1

For more information on SABCS 2018, please visit View Source

About Apristor

Apristor (onapristone extended release) is Context’s wholly owned, first-in-class, orally active extended release formulation of onapristone, a full progesterone receptor antagonist. Progesterone receptor [PR] plays a critical role in driving breast cancer disease progression as well as therapeutic resistance to first line antiestrogen or Cdk4/6 inhibitor therapy. Apristor is the only full PR antagonist that is being developed to target breast cancer. Apristor has the potential to transform the treatment of breast cancer, through the potent inhibition of PR signaling thereby blocking breast cancer cell proliferation and overcoming resistance to first line antiestrogen and Cdk4/6 inhibitor therapy.

On November 13, 2018 Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRNX), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for rare endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors, reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 and provided an update on its corporate activities and product pipeline (Press release, Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, NOV 13, 2018, View Source [SID1234531330]).

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!

"Following the success of our July 2018 initial public offering, the Crinetics team is on track for the initiation of our Phase 2 EVOLVE and Phase 2 EDGE clinical trials in early 2019 for our lead product candidate, CRN00808, in acromegaly," said Scott Struthers, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Crinetics. "In addition, we continue to work towards advancing our other pipeline programs and expand our engagement with the scientific, medical and patient communities."

Third Quarter Highlights

Filed IND with the FDA. In August 2018, the company filed its Investigational New Product Application (IND) for CRN00808 in acromegaly. The IND is in effect, thereby allowing the company to proceed with its planned Phase 2 clinical studies, the ACROBAT EVOLVE and ACROBAT EDGE trials.

Completed initial public offering. In July 2018, the company closed its initial public offering of 6,900,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $17.00 per share. Net proceeds were approximately $106.5 million, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions, and offering expenses.

Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Research and development expenses were $6.9 million and $16.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively, compared to $2.5 million and $6.7 million for the same periods in 2017. The increases were primarily attributable to manufacturing and development activities associated with the company’s clinical and preclinical programs and personnel costs.

General and administrative expenses were $1.7 million and $4.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, compared to $0.5 million and $1.5 million for the same periods in 2017. The increases were primarily due to costs to operate as a public company, as well as personnel costs to support the company’s growth.

Net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $7.6 million, compared to a net loss of $2.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the company’s net loss was $18.6 million compared to a net loss of $6.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017.

Cash and cash equivalents totaled $169.7 million as of September 30, 2018, which includes the net proceeds from the company’s July 2018 initial public offering, compared with $14.2 million as of December 31, 2017.

As of October 31, 2018, the company had 24,036,983 common shares outstanding.

On November 13, 2018 OncoSec Medical Inc., (OncoSec) (NASDAQ:ONCS), a company developing intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, reported that TAVO will be featured in two poster sessions during the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) taking place December 4-8 in San Antonio, Texas (Press release, OncoSec Medical, NOV 13, 2018, View Source [SID1234531329]). Posters include data on TAVO as a monotherapy and an initial project overview for KEYNOTE-890, a Phase 2 clinical trial in combination with Merck’s KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) for the treatment of late stage triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).

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!

"We are encouraged with the preliminary clinical observations we are seeing thus far, both in a monotherapy setting and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors," said Daniel J. O’Connor, President and Chief Executive Officer of OncoSec. "Based on this, we are excited to continue on the path toward developing novel treatment options for this large unmet medical need,"

Details on the poster presentations are as follows:

Presentation Title: Intratumoral tavokinogene telseplasmid and electroporation in pre-treated inoperable locally advanced or recurrent triple-negative breast cancer
Session Date & Time: Thursday, December 6, 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. CT (8:00 – 10:00 a.m. ET)
Session Title: Poster Session 2: Treatment: Immunotherapy (clinical)
Location: Hall 1, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

Presentation Title: A phase 2 study of intratumoral tavokinogene telseplasmid (tavo) plus electroporation with pembrolizumab in patients with inoperable locally advanced or metastatic triple negative breast cancer
Session Date & Time: Thursday, December 6, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. CT (6:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET)
Session Title: Ongoing Clinical Trials: Immunotherapy
Location: Hall 1, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

The abstracts for these presentations are now available online on the SABCS website at View Source

On November 13, 2018 IntelGenx Technologies Corp. (TSX-V:IGX) (OTCQX:IGXT) (the "Company" or "IntelGenx") reported the closing of Tilray, Inc.’s strategic investment in IntelGenx by way of private placement (the "Private Placement") (Press release, IntelGenx, NOV 13, 2018, View Source [SID1234531303]). Pursuant to the Private Placement, the Company issued 1,428,571 common shares ("Common Shares") at a subscription price of U.S.$0.70 per Common Share for gross proceeds of U.S.$1,000,000. The Corporation intends to use the proceeds of the Private Placement for cannabis-infused VersaFilm product development under its previously announced definitive license, development and supply agreement (the "Agreement") with Tilray Inc.

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!

The Common Shares issued to Tilray, Inc. are subject to a four-month statutory hold period which expires March 14, 2019. Additionally, under the Private Placement purchase agreement, Tilray, Inc. agreed that until May 14, 2019 it would not cause or permit any transfer of any Common Shares.