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Crescent Biopharma, Inc. (CBIO)

Q3 2017 Earnings Call· Wed, Nov 8, 2017

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Good morning. And thank you all for joining GlycoMimetics Third Quarter 2017 Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Following management's remarks, we will hold a brief question-and-answer session. And at that time, the lines will be opened for you. [Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the call over to Ms. Shari Annes of the Investor Relations group at GlycoMimetics. Please go ahead.

Shari Annes

Analyst

Good morning. And welcome to GlycoMimetics' third quarter 2017 conference call. Copies of today's press release [Technical Difficulty] released last week on GlycoMimetics' accepted abstracts for ASH are available in the News section of the company's website at www.glycomimetics.com. Today's call is being recorded. Dial-in phone replay will be available for 24 hours after the close of the call. The webcast replay will also be available in the Investor Relations section of the company's website for 30 days. Joining me on the call today from GlycoMimetics is Rachel King, Chief Executive Officer; Brian Hahn, Chief Financial Officer; and Dr. Helen Thackray, Senior VP of Development and Chief Medical Officer. We will start today's call with Brian providing a review of the financial results for the third quarter of 2017. Rachel will then discuss recent progress and our clinical development outlook for this year and next. And then, Helen will also comment in more detail on the developing dataset for GMI-1271, a novel drug candidate for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Rachel will then make some concluding comments. And then we will ask the operator to open up the call for your questions. Before we start, I'd like to remind you that today's call will include forward-looking statements based on current expectations. Forward-looking statements contained on this call include but are not limited to statements about the timing of clinical results and presentation of data from our GMI-1271 clinical development program, as well as the development plans for rivipansel, our product candidate licensed to our collaborator Pfizer, and our other pipeline program, GMI-1359. Such statements represent management's judgment and intention as of today, and involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties. GlycoMimetics undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Please refer to GlycoMimetics' filings with the SEC, which are available from the SEC or on the GlycoMimetics website for information concerning the risk factors that could affect the company. I'd now like to turn the call over to Brian.

Brian Hahn

Analyst

Thank you, Shari. As of September 30, 2017, GlycoMimetics had cash and cash equivalents of $112.9 million, as compared to $40 million, as of December 31, 2016. The company raised $86.8 million in net proceeds from the public offering of common stock completed in May 2017. Subsequent to September 30, the company raised an additional $19.2 million in net proceeds under an at-the-market equity facility for pro forma cash balance of $132.1 million. This added to our shareholder base both new and existing blue-chip biotech investors. We are pleased to be in such as strong financial position. Research and development expenses for the third quarter of 2017 were $5.8 million compared to $5.9 million for the same period in 2016. Clinical trial expenses were decreased due to the completion of enrollment in the Phase 2 clinical trial of GMI-1271 for treatment of AML in May 2017, and a decrease in the cost for non-clinical toxicology studies and clinical studies for GMI-1359. These decreases were offset in part by additional costs related to the manufacturing of Phase 3 clinical supplies of GMI-1271. General and administrative expenses for the third quarter of 2017 were $2.4 million compared with $2 million recorded in the third quarter of 2016. Net loss and net loss per share for the third quarter of 2017 were $8 and $0.24 respectively, compared to $7.9 million and $0.34 respectively for the third quarter of 2016. I'll now turn the call over to Rachel King, our CEO, who will update you on progress across our pipeline.

Rachel King

Analyst

Thank you, Brian. And thank you for joining GlycoMimetics earnings call. From this point on, we're planning regular quarterly calls to discuss financial results, as well as provide updates on corporate progress. During the third quarter, we continued to make strong progress across our pipeline. The rivipansel Phase 3 trial is being conducted by our collaborator Pfizer, in patients hospitalized for vaso-occlusive crisis of sickle cell disease. Pfizer reports that the study remains on track for completion in the second half of 2018. Our GMI-1359 Phase 1 program is ongoing. In addition, we continue to make important progress in our pre-clinical programs. Most importantly, for GMI-1271, our Phase 2 study data has been accepted for an oral presentation at ASH. And we will say more about that in a moment. At a high level, let me remind you that GMI-1271 is uniquely positioned to potentially play a key role in treatment of AML, in multiple AML treatment settings. This is due to its novel and differentiated mechanism of action. At major medical meetings we presented data showing GMI-1271's potential benefits, both in cancer-related outcomes and in improving the tolerability of chemotherapy. As you'll hear today, our drug candidate also has potential for broad use in multiple AML patient sub-groups. This is in contrast to other agents in development in AML, focused on more narrow patient populations. We believe GMI-1271 is uniquely well positioned to expand its value in AML treatment settings, even beyond those we studied so far in the clinic. And we're excited to be in a position to share this evolving foundation of data with you. Last week, as Shari mentioned, we issued a press release to announce the fact that ASH had accepted for oral presentation. Two GMI-1271 abstracts we submitted. The first oral presentation will update the clinical data we presented earlier in the year at ASCO and EHA. The data that we presented was, as you recall, the basis for GMI-1271's designation as a breakthrough therapy in relapsed/refractory AML in May. And ASH will provide an important opportunity for us to share our evolving dataset with you. I'd now like to ask Helen Thackray, our CMO, to discuss the clinical abstract and the announced oral presentation in more detail. Helen?

Helen Thackray

Analyst

Thank you, Rachel. I'm pleased now to describe in more detail what we are seeing in our Phase 1/2 AML trial. As a reminder, we submitted data for the ASH abstract in August, shortly after the update presented at ASCO. We plan to provide an important further update of the data at ASH with a focus on durability of response and survival. From and overall perspective, we can share that the data remain very encouraging with respect to response rates and safety in both of the patient populations we are studying: AML patients with relapsed or refractory disease as well as those at least 60 years of age, who are newly diagnosed. Importantly, in both groups the response rates are substantially better than historical controls matched for age and risk. I can also tell you that we are seeing an encouraging signal in duration of response and survival as reflected in the abstract. And we look forward to providing meaningful update next month. As I noted, our data submitted for the abstract reflects a data cutoff as of mid-summer. At the time of the abstract deadline, the study was fully enrolled; Phase 1, 19 patients with relapsed or refractory disease were enrolled; and in Phase 2, 47 more with relapsed or refractory disease and another 25 of newly diagnosed AML were enrolled to give a total of 91 patients. In the abstract, we reported that there were 54 patients with relapsed or refractory disease treated at the recommended Phase 2 dose of 10 milligrams per kilogram of GMI-1271. For this group, treated at the selected Phase 2 dose level, we report in the abstract remission rate including CR and CRi of 41%, and an overall response rate which includes CR/CRi morphologic leukemia-free state and partial remission of 50%. In the…

Rachel King

Analyst

Thank you, Helen. Our next key step for the GMI-1271 program is to initiate a registration study in the relapsed/refractory AML population. We've begun engaging with the FDA under the Breakthrough Therapy designation GlycoMimetics received in May 2017. Those conversations have been productive and helpful as we design our Phase 3 protocol and other aspects of the program required for registration, including manufacturing and non-clinical aspects of the program. With regard to the clinical program, our immediate focus is on reviewing the data emerging from the Phase 1/2 study to determine how best to capture the diverse set of benefits we've seen, where we observe the strongest signals, and what we consider to be the optimal endpoint for the Phase 3. Of course, that determination will also take into account FDA's guidance and advice. And we're very encouraged by the approach the agency has taken with us under Breakthrough Therapy designation to expedite the drug's development. As soon as, we're able to do so, we will share our final study design for the pivotal trial in relapsed/refractory AML population. Our goals to initiate this Phase 3 trial in mid-2018 and this will be the key operational focus for the company. In addition to the clinical update, we are thrilled that preclinical data that further elucidates GMI-1271's mechanism of action has been accepted for second oral presentation at ASH. In the preclinical study that is a subject of our abstract, in Murine Models of AML, E-selectin was up-regulated, and AML cells binding to E-selectin increased chemo-resistance by activating specific tumor cell survival signaling pathways. We further report that this effect is unique to E-selectin as compared to other vascular adhesion molecules, and that it can be blocked by GMI-1271. This translational research provides important evidence that elucidates how treatment with GMI-1271…

Operator

Operator

Thank you. [Operator Instructions] And our first question comes from the line of Yatin Suneja from SunTrust. Your line is now open.

Yatin Suneja

Analyst

Good morning, guys. Thank you for taking my questions, and congrats on all the progress. Just a couple of questions. On the upcoming oral presentation, could you maybe share with us your expectations on the durability and survival, like what is a good benchmark in relapsed/refractory AML? And then, with regard to the frontline setting, do you think you have or you would have enough follow-up to reach a median OS by ASH? And then I have two more.

Rachel King

Analyst

Okay, good morning, Yatin. Thanks for your questions. I'm going to turn those over to Helen, could comment on that ASH data.

Helen Thackray

Analyst

Good morning, Yatin. So, for the question on what the benchmarks might be for relapsed and refractory disease, we expect an update on the overall survival and disease-free survival for that group at ASH. The historical controls that are matched for age and for the risk of disease, have seen an overall survival somewhere between 5 and 5.5 months, and the disease-free survival usually about 9 or so months. So those would be the benchmarks that we use for comparison. In terms of the 7+3 group, that group we do expect to, again, update in terms of survival data and durability of remission at ASH.

Yatin Suneja

Analyst

Got it. And then, with regard to the potential pivotal program, I mean, you have a breakthrough designation for relapsed/refractory setting. Is there a way you could accelerate or is there an accelerated approval pathway there? I guess, I'm just trying to understand what the feedback has been from the FDA in terms of using something other than an OS endpoint for that particular setting?

Rachel King

Analyst

Yes, we have had some very constructive discussions with the FDA around those questions. And we are looking hard at defining what we think would be the most expedited path to approval, taking into account the things that we have seen in the activity of the drugs to-date. So, as I said, we will be looking for the most expedited path to approval. And we're not yet in a position to say, what that is going to involve, what specific endpoint that would involve. We are encouraged by the fact that the FDA has shown flexibility with its recent approvals, couple of recent approvals in AML where they've looked at endpoints other than overall survival. So, we certainly consider those. But again, looking at how the drug functions, where we're seeing the best responses and where we think we're therefore mostly likely to see the benefit in a Phase 3.

Yatin Suneja

Analyst

Got it. And then just final, just maybe one more question, I mean, I know you're going to provide an update on the pivotal later this year or sometime in December. But maybe could you comment on the scope and the size of the program. And then, in terms of the control arm that you're going to use, will that be MEC or are you going to use something else as well on the control? Thank you.

Rachel King

Analyst

Well, again, the size of the program is going to depend on the end-point that we determine. And so, I'm really not in a position to talk to the size yet. As far as the control arm, we have had some thoughts on that. Helen, do you want to comment on…?

Helen Thackray

Analyst

Yeah, so for the pivotal trial being relapsed/refractory AML, we have a data now from the current trial with MEC chemotherapy as the backbone chemotherapy. So, it makes sense to include that in the trial as a control. We have also been looking at other regimens that include the cytarabine or intensive regimens that would give - the expectancy to give similar outcomes and we're assessing whether it makes sense to include those in the trial as well.

Yatin Suneja

Analyst

Got it. Thank you very much.

Rachel King

Analyst

Thanks, Yatin.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. [Operator Instructions] And our next question comes from the line of Stephen Willey from Stifel. Your line is now open.

Prakhar Verma

Analyst

Hi, good morning. This is Prakhar Verma on for Steve. Thanks for taking my questions. So, a question on the pivotal trial that you plan to start on mid-2018, so I was wondering, if you're planning to build an interim analysis just to look at the response data probably to get a - to expedite the path to approval, any possibility you can build an interim analysis in the trial?

Rachel King

Analyst

Again, that's a question that we'll be happy to answer once we define the details of the study. Again, we are looking to define the most expedited path to approval. So, we'll certainly be looking at any opportunity to do that.

Prakhar Verma

Analyst

Okay. And then, with respect to the newly diagnosed AML setting, what's your plan there? Do you need to see more data from the ongoing trial to initiate a Phase 3 there? And also, for the control arm, have you thought about evaluating it in combination with Vyxeos. I know Vyxeos was recently launched by Jazz. And it's been - the adoption has been - based on management commentary, the adoption has been pretty good. So, do you have any plans to evaluate [oxam-d1] [ph] in combination with Vyxeos?

Rachel King

Analyst

So, we do believe that the data we have in the study so far in the newly diagnosed patients does support moving to a study which could potential be a registration study in newly diagnosed patients. Our focus, as I said, our own operational focus is on the relapsed/refractory setting currently, but we're exploring what path we might take forward in the newly diagnosed setting. And as we define our broader plans for the more comprehensive development program, we'll be sharing those with you. Helen, do you want to comment on Vyxeos at all?

Helen Thackray

Analyst

Yeah. So Vyxeos is available and so it's now on available therapies. It can be used for patients with newly diagnosed AML. It also combines to drugs that we have experience with in the current study, where we have the patients with newly diagnosed disease, who are getting 7+3. So, we know that with 7+3, we're seeing what we think are benefit above that expected for the baseline chemotherapy. And I think, it would make a lot of sense to also consider adding this to Vyxeos in the future to see if you can see a benefit for those patients on Vyxeos. It makes a lot of sense.

Prakhar Verma

Analyst

Is that something you can do in collaboration with the consortium that you talked about?

Rachel King

Analyst

That's possible. And again, we'll give more details as those plans come together.

Prakhar Verma

Analyst

Okay. Thank you. Thanks for taking my questions.

Rachel King

Analyst

Thank you.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. [Operator Instructions] And I'm showing no further questions over the phone line. I would like to turn the call back over to Rachel King for closing remarks.

Rachel King

Analyst

Great. Thank you, operator. And thank you everyone for your questions and for taking the time to listen to the call. We do feel that the next 12 months, we will be delivering some very key milestones including the presentation at ASH that's coming up next month. And we'll be in the office all day today and available for calls if anyone wants to reach out to us here. Thank you.

Operator

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your participation in today's conference. This does conclude the program. And you may now disconnect. Everyone, have a great day.