Michael Kauffman
Analyst · JMP Securities
Thank you, Chris, and good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us on our call today. Today, I'd like to start by highlighting a number of events that have happened during the second quarter which mark significant progress across several of our development programs especially with selinexor. First and foremost on the exciting data coming out of the Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma or DLBCL program, our second lead indication after multiple myeloma. In an oral presentation at EHA 2017 we were extremely pleased to present updated data from the Phase 2B SADAL study in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL where the overall response rate has increased to 33.3% for the overall trial population and a median duration of response is over seven months. In patients with double or triple-hit DLBCL, we saw similar response rates indicating a clear activity in this population which usually has a particularly poor prognosis. Selinexor also showed robust single-agent activity against both GCB and non-GCB subtypes of DLBCL and in relapsed DLBCL as well as refractory disease. In the GCB subtype we saw an ORR of 28% and in patients with non-GCB also called ABC subtype the ORR was about 39%. The adverse events in the 60 mg treatment arm the dose level will be taken forward are predictable and manageable with dose modifications and/or standard supportive care. Side effects were consistent with those previously reported with selinexor and known and safety signals were identified including in patients with DLBCL remaining on therapy over one year. As many of you are aware, about 60% of patients with DLBCL are currently cured, 50% with initial [indiscernible] typically are chopped and another 10% with chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cells transplantation in second line. There is no standard of care therapy for the remaining 40% of patients or about 10,000 per year in the United States and novel agents are required. Chimeric is in receptor modified T-cells commonly called CAR-T therapy are being explored but are only suitable for the minority of patients who are medically stable enough to undergo this therapy. Selinexor which is taken as an outpatient represents a completely novel option. The data reported to date from the SADAL study indicates that selinexor has a well tolerated and effective safety profile and efficacy profile and are exciting because they support our belief that as a single agent oral therapy that can be taken at home, selinexor has significant potential and could be a tremendous value to the patients and physicians in need of new treatments. Along with the impressive SADAL data reported earlier this year, we also recently communicated our planned development path forward for selinexor in this indication. We have shared the SADAL clinical data with the U.S. FDA and given their robust response rate and duration, along with better tolerability and durability of the 60 mg twice weekly dose cohort versus the 100 mg cohort, we have obtained the FDA's agreement to continue the lower dose arm and remove the 100 mg arm. We plan to enroll up to 90 additional patients at the 60 mg dose for a total of 130 patients in this arm and are expected to report top-line results from the SADAL study in the second half of 2018. Assuming we continue to see the response rate and durability observed to date we plan to use these data from the SADAL study to support submission of a new drug application with request for accelerated approval in the U.S. for single agent selinexor as a new treatment option for relapsed or refractory DLBCL. We continue to make strong progress in multiple myeloma our lead indication for selinexor. In June we dosed the first patient in our pivotal randomized Phase 3 BOSTON study evaluating oral selinexor in combination with a proteasome inhibitor Velcade also known as bortezomib and low dose dexamethasone, the regimen we call SVd. Compared to Velcade and low dose dexamethasone or Vd in patients with myeloma who have at least one to three prior lines of therapy. The dosing regimen on SVd is 100 mg of selinexor once weekly, 1.3 mg per meter square of Velcade subcutaneously, also once weekly given four out of every five weeks and 40 mg of dexamethasone weekly which is a standard low dose dexamethasone commonly used in the treatment of myeloma. The BOSTON study incorporates two novel innovations into Velcade based myeloma regimens. First, to the best of our knowledge this is the first study to evaluate once weekly subcutaneous Velcade in the experimental arm. Once weekly Velcade is a regimen preferred over the standard twice weekly regimen by many physicians because it carries significantly reduced risk of peripheral neuropathy and typically requires only once weekly office visits. Second, the trial design permits patients on the Vd control arm to received standard twice weekly Velcade to cross over to the SVd arm once progression has been confirmed by the independent review committee. We believe that these innovative designs make the trial attractive for both caregivers and patients. In BOSTON, the two primary endpoints or the differences in progression free survival along with overall response rate between the two arms. We expect the study to enroll approximately 360 patients at over 100 clinical sites internationally with accrual projected to complete in 2018 and top-line data expected in 2019. Assuming a positive outcome from the BOSTON study we expect to be well positioned to support a request for full approval for selinexor for patients with at least one prior therapy for their myeloma. Moreover, we believe that this simplified once weekly Velcade based therapy could become an important and convenient regimen for patients relapsing after frontline treatment. Turning to our other trials in myeloma, the ongoing Phase 2B STORM study continues to approval arm. STORM is evaluating oral selinexor in patients with Penta-refractory myeloma which we believe represents a significant unmet medical need. Perhaps our most important near term milestone, we remain on track to report top-line response data from STORM no later than April 2018. If we continue to see the robust responses and durability in this study, that we have previously reported at the interim at ASH 2016 we intend to submit the full STORM data to the FDA in the second half of 2018 with a request for accelerated approval for selinexor as a new treatment for patients with Penta-refractory myeloma. In addition, the Phase 1B2 STORM study continues as planned evaluating the backbone of selinexor plus low dose dexamethasone with a variety of other anti-myeloma agents. The data reported to date from this study indicates that the combination of a proteasome inhibitor and selinexor is highly synergistic in the clinic with the combination of selinexor with either Velcade or Kyprolis are active even against proteasome inhibitors as to myeloma. Enrollment in the selinexor-Velcade-dex arm or the ongoing STORM study has reached 42 patients and is now complete. In addition, dose escalation is complete and expansion is ongoing in the arms evaluated in the all oral selinexor IMID combinations including selinexor plus dex with either Revlimidm so called SRd and separately with Pomalyst or SPd. We expect to report updated data on these convenient oral regimens by year end 2017. Finally, we have now dosed our first patients in the new STOMP arm evaluating selinexor in combination with Darzalex and low dose dex in patients with heavily pretreated myeloma. The SDd arm is expected to enroll up to 16 patients with top-line data from this cohort expected in the first half of 2018. An important takeaway I'd like to mention here is that our emerging safety profile of selinexor particularly is we are no longer treating patients with doses higher than 80 mg twice weekly. With the dosing regimens that are being utilized in our T trials including BOSTON, STORM, SADAL and SEAL selinexor continues to be well tolerated particularly when used once weekly in the combination regimens under study. Adverse events tend to highly predictable and manageable with standard supportive care and/or dose modifications and as you know we have had patients on selinexor for more than one to two years. Turning now to our selinexor start up programs in solid tumors. Enrollment is now complete in the Phase 2 portion of the blinded randomized Phase 2/3 SEAL study evaluating single-agent selinexor in patients with advanced liposarcoma after at least one prior therapy. We view this trial as our third lead program after myeloma and DLBCL and we look forward to reporting hazard ratio for the primary endpoint or PFS or progression free survival from the Phase 2 portion of the SEAL study along with an update regarding the planned development path in this indication in September or October 2017. As a reminder, both the trial design and study endpoints have been accepted by both the FDA and European Medicines Agency. Before I discuss a few highlights relating to our pipeline assets, I'd like to mention that in EvaluatePharma's report titled World Preview 2017, Outlook to 2022 that was recently published, in that report oral selinexor was projected to be one of the top-5 selling oncology R&D products worldwide by 2022 with the potential to generate estimated revenues of just less than $1 billion in worldwide annual sales and to capture an estimated 0.5% of the worldwide oncology market share in the same timeframe. EvaluatePharma is an industry leader in consensus forecast analyses for the biotech and pharma sectors. We are extremely pleased to receive this recognition and further validation of selinexor's future potential. Turning now to the pipeline assets beyond selinexor including KPT-9274 and KPT-8602. KPT-9274 is an oral dose inhibitor PAK4/NAMPT. During the second quarter we presented preclinical data highlighting KPT-9274 in anticancer activities in canine companion analysis on canine lymphomas. These data which are represented by Cheryl London of Tufts University has late breaking abstract at the AACR 2017 Annual Meeting demonstrating the activity and synergy of KPT-9274 with doxorubicin to treat spontaneous canine lymphomas. 9274 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 study for safety and tolerability in patients with advanced solid tumor malignancies including sarcoma, colon and lung cancers, whose disease has relapsed after standard therapy. We look forward to reporting top-line data from this study later this year. KPT-8602 is our second generation SINE inhibitor compound with reduced blood-brain barrier penetration compared with selinexor. We expect to report additional data later this year from our ongoing Phase 1/2 study of 8602 plus dexamethasone in patients with multiple myeloma. And finally, verdinexor previously called KPG 335 is another oral SINE compound that is closely related to selinexor. We recently executed and out licensing agreement with privately held Anivive Lifesciences, transferring to them exclusive worldwide rights to develop, to research, develop and commercialize verdinexor for the treatment of cancer and compare analysis. Under the terms of the agreement, Karyopharm received a one-time upfront payment of $1 million and is eligible to receive up to an additional $43 million based on technology transfer and achievement of specific regulatory clinical and commercial milestones. Karyopharm is also eligible to receive a low double-digit royalty based on future net sales of verdinexor. Important, this Anivive transaction enables us to monetize our non-core assets as we continue to focus and advance on advancing the developing of selinexor in our lead human indications of myeloma, DLBCL and myelosarcoma. With that, I'd now like to turn the call over to Mike. Mike?