On August 4, 2022 Schrödinger, Inc. (Nasdaq: SDGR), whose physics-based software platform is transforming the way therapeutics and materials are discovered, reported financial results for the second quarter of 2022 (Press release, Schrodinger, AUG 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234617547]).
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"We are very pleased with our performance for the quarter and for the first six months of 2022, with both software and drug discovery revenue contributing to strong growth, and our cash position is strong," stated Ramy Farid, Ph.D., chief executive officer at Schrödinger. "Additionally, we are seeing continued progress across our collaborative and internal drug discovery pipeline. In the second quarter, our investigational new drug application for our MALT1 inhibitor, SGR-1505, was cleared to proceed to Phase 1 clinical development. We are on track to initiate our Phase 1 study of SGR-1505 in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma in the fourth quarter of 2022."
At June 30, 2022, Schrödinger had cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and marketable securities of approximately $513 million, compared to approximately $529 million at March 31, 2022.
Recent Company Highlights
Collaborative Programs and Internal Pipeline
In June, Schrödinger announced that its investigational new drug (IND) application for its MALT1 inhibitor, SGR-1505, was cleared to proceed to Phase 1 clinical development. Schrödinger expects to initiate a Phase 1 trial of SGR-1505 in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma in the fourth quarter of 2022. The planned multi-center, dose-escalation study will be conducted in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and early signals of clinical activity of SGR-1505 as a monotherapy. Once the recommended dose is determined, an expansion cohort is planned to evaluate SGR-1505 in combination with other anti-cancer agents, such as BTK and BCL-2 inhibitors, in patients with specific B-cell malignancies.
Schrödinger continues to optimize multiple lead series within its Wee1 program and expects to select a Wee1 development candidate with a differentiated profile by the end of this year and to submit an IND at the end of 2023. Wee1 is emerging as a potentially important therapeutic target for a range of solid tumors, including ovarian and uterine cancer.
Schrödinger continues to advance its CDC7 inhibitor, SGR-2921, through IND-enabling studies. The company expects to submit an IND to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the first half of 2023 and to initiate a Phase 1 clinical study in the second half of 2023, subject to regulatory clearance. Targeting proteins such as CDC7 that play important roles in DNA replication and replication stress is gaining momentum as a new therapeutic approach based on the proliferative capacity of cancer cells to bypass DNA damage responses.
Schrödinger is progressing multiple undisclosed research programs in the areas of oncology and immunology. In the first half of this year, the company added four new programs to its wholly-owned pipeline, for a total of six early discovery programs, including targets with first-in-class potential.
The company’s collaborative programs continue to progress through discovery, preclinical and clinical development. A total of eight collaborative programs are in the clinic, which underscores the impact of its platform.
Underlying Science
Schrödinger continues to make scientific advances underlying the predictive power of the company’s computational platform. Schrödinger scientists were authors on seven recent publications in peer-reviewed life sciences and materials science journals, including the publication of data validating the use of the company’s recently developed next-generation induced fit docking methods to optimize homology models to enable predictive modeling of targets where experimental structures have been unavailable, broadening the applicability of Schrödinger’s platform. Additionally, Nimbus Therapeutics and Schrödinger scientists co-authored a manuscript based on data from the companies’ ongoing collaboration describing how Schrödinger’s predictive computational methods accelerated Nimbus’s discovery of potent, selective Tyk2 inhibitors with activity in preclinical models of psoriasis.
In June, Schrödinger hosted its second annual Educator’s Day, which brought together educators from across the globe to discuss the growing opportunity for incorporating computational tools in the classroom. Schrödinger is committed to empowering and training the next generation of computational scientists, and Educator’s Day is one component of Schrödinger’s ongoing educational initiatives.
2022 Financial Outlook
As of August 4, 2022, Schrödinger maintained the following expectations for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022:
Total revenue expected to range from $161 million to $181 million, representing 17 percent to 31 percent growth over 2021
Total software revenue expected to range from $126 million to $136 million, representing 11 percent to 20 percent growth over 2021
Total drug discovery revenue expected to range from $35 million to $45 million, representing 42 to 82 percent growth over 2021
Operating expense growth is expected to be slightly lower than the 42 percent reported for the year ended December 31, 2021
Software gross margin percentage is expected to be in the mid-70s
For the third quarter of 2022, software revenue is expected to range from $23 million to $25 million.
Webcast and Conference Call Information
Schrödinger will host a conference call to discuss its second quarter 2022 financial results on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. ET. The live webcast can be accessed under "News & Events" in the investors section of Schrödinger’s website, View Source To participate in the live call, please register for the call here. It is recommended that participants register at least 15 minutes in advance of the call. Once registered, participants will receive the dial-in information. The archived webcast will be available on Schrödinger’s website for approximately 90 days following the event.