Steve Rubin
Analyst · Yale Jen from Laidlaw & Company
Thank you, Phil, and good afternoon everyone. 2018 was an eventful year. As with the first couple months of 2019, we've seen a number of successes during that time. 2018 saw improved quarter-over-quarter sales for RAYALDEE and we also completed enrolment in trials for type 2 diabetes and obesity and growth hormone deficiency. Through the efforts of our partner, Vifor Fresenius, RAYALDEE was approved in Canada and we initiated additional clinical trials including the Phase 2 clinical trial for higher dose RAYALDEE to treat Stage 5 CKD that will expand the breadth of RAYALDEE indications. As Phil noted, we appointed a new leadership team at BRL, our BioReference Labs, with Geoff Monk now serving as President and Dr. Jon Cohen joining us as Executive Chairman. Both gentlemen have deep expertise and extensive relevant experience in the management and growth of lab services and we are very pleased that they chose to join BRL. Through its GenPath Oncology diagnostics division, BRL forged that collaboration with the National Cancer Institute to participate in the institute’s precision medical clinical trial known as NCI-MATCH. In this trial, patients are assigned to receive treatment based on the genetic changes found in their tumors through genomic sequencing and other tests. We are pleased to be selective with this collaboration as it puts our GenPath Oncology diagnostics on the cutting edge of genetically based cancer therapy development. GeneDx reached another high impact milestone in June with the announced completion of 100,000 additional individual exome sequences representing one of the largest cohorts of sequence exomes by an independent clinical laboratory in the world. GeneDx has now surpassed to 140,000 exome work. This work is important because the information we gathered from the body of sequences can be used to help diagnose and therefore better manage disease, more specifically identifying variations in genes that may lead to a variety of neurological, metabolic or other disorders. GeneDx’s R&D program continues to launch many new tests and has about 40 tests slated to launch this year alone, which will enable GeneDx to enter a number of new clinical markets. Most recently we announced the FDA approval of our point-of-care Sangia Total PSA tests with the Claros 1 Analyzer. There are 25 million PSA tests performed in the United States annually, so this approval represents a significant market opportunity. We believe there are many advantages both to patients and to physicians in offering test results right at the point-of-care. Further with the momentum of this approval, we will continue our work to expand the test menu on this technology platform. We are also taking steps to attain CLIA waiver for the test and analyzer, which would permit the test to be performed by most medical office personnel with minimal training in a planning for scale up of our manufacturing capacity during 2019 as necessary for commercial launch. 2018 was also a year for challenges. Phil already noted the Novitas decision regarding our 4kscore test. And we are evaluating options to appeal the decision and undertake other steps with the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services to have 4kscore covered from Medicare patients. We will keep you apprised of our progress as our path forward is clarified. And as you also know in late December we and Dr. Frost settled irrelevant actions brought against us in an SEC complaint each without admitting or denying any of the allegations. The settlement ends what would have been an expensive contentious and time consuming litigation that will continue to negatively impact the wellbeing of the company and the focus of our employees and management. We are pleased to put this behind us, so we can continue our work unimpeded by this unfortunate turn of events. And as a final topic in February, we successfully raised $200 million to the issuance of 4.5% convertible senior notes due 2025. Adam will cover this in greater detail, but this financing provides Opko with sufficient funding to accelerate our research and development efforts. It still provides us with the ability to reinvest in our commercial activities. I will now go into a bit more detailed overview of our programs. Looking at specific diagnostic products, as you know, our 4Kscore blood test gives a man with elevated PSA levels, a personalized prediction of his chance of having or developing an aggressive form of prostate cancer. In 2018 we processed over 79,000 tests, representing a 4% increase compared with 2017. 4Kscore tests performed in the fourth quarter increased by almost 6% from Q3 2018 to 19,500 tests. Although this represented a 5% decrease from the comparable quarter in 2017, test process for urologists where we are now primarily focusing our sales efforts, grew 12% in 2018 compared to 2017. We intend to submit the 4Kscore test to the FDA for approval or clearance during the second quarter. I think everyone on this call understands the importance of 4Kscore and believes in the need for this test. To restate its credentials, 4Kscore test has been ordered by more than 12,000 practicing physicians worldwide with over 200,000 test orders. The test has been extensively studied in more than 25,000 patients with results presented an 18 peer-reviewed scientific publications. Results of five new studies covering the 4Kscore test were presented at the American Urological Association's 2018 Annual Meeting, including a study demonstrating the test’s ability to stratify risk of prostate cancer mortality in men with elevated PSA. For pharmaceuticals, turning now to that portion of our business, let me start with RAYALDEE, the first and only therapy approved by the FDA that both raises 25-hydroxy vitamin D and lowers parathyroid hormone levels in patients with chronic kidney disease with a safety profile similar to placebo. We are continuing to build sales momentum and have seen a growth of 250% in total prescriptions for 2018 versus 2017. Total prescriptions of RAYALDEE in Q4 as reported by IQVIA increased 21%, compared with Q3, new patients 12% in Q4, versus Q3. Since launch, there had been a total of approximately 7,500 patients on RAYALDEE. We have also increased the number of healthcare providers who prescribe RAYALDEE. As of Q4 over 1,700 prescribers have written RAYALDEE, of which over 200 were new prescribers. We ended 2018 with RAYALDEE being available to over 80% of the overall insured population with over 60% unrestricted coverage of the Medicare population. Overall, we continue to see progress in adoption, reimbursement and awareness of RAYALDEE. Our sales team continues to demonstrate impact, and our market penetration continues to grow. Regarding our clinical development programs, we remain focused on progressing our portfolio addressing indications with significant, unmet medical needs in large markets. We have a robust pipeline of candidates at various stages of development, which provides attractive opportunities for creating near-term and long-term value for our shareholders. Starting with our work in renal, our partner Vifor Fresenius remains on track to file a Market Authorisation Application with the European Medicines Agency later this year as a treatment for SHPT and CKD patients. In September, we initiated a global Phase 2 trial with a higher strength RAYALDEE in patients with stage five CKD and vitamin D insufficiency, who require regular dialysis. Cost of this study will be shared with our development partner Vifor Fresenius and Japan Tobacco. The first cohort of approximately 44 patients will be treated for 26 weeks in a randomized, open-label fashion with either RAYALDEE or placebo to identify the appropriate dosing to be studied in the second cohort. Initial data readout for this first cohort is expected this year. The second cohort of more than 200 patients will be treated for 26 weeks in a randomized, double-blind fashion with one of three different doses of RAYALDEE or placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint will be correction of vitamin D insufficiency and control of SHPT. Patients will then be treated with RAYALDEE for another 26 weeks in an open-label extension. Turning to our metabolic and endocrinology pipeline, we have several late-stage programs underway or nearing initiation. As you know our long long-acting human growth hormone product, somatrogon, or hGH-CTP is partnered with Pfizer for worldwide commercialization. We were pleased to announce in August that we completed enrollment in our global Phase 3 study in growth hormone deficient children. Pediatric indications represent more than 80% of the hGH market. This is a pivotal, non-inferiority study comparing for a 12-month period single weekly injection of Somatrogon with daily injections of GENOTROPIN. This 228 patient study uses the pen device and formulation intended for commercial launch. We're hopeful that the outcomes will support a dosing change from daily to weekly administration and positively impact the quality of life for children with growth hormone deficiency. With a 12-month primary end point, as mentioned, we expect to report top-line results from this study in Q4 of this year. We recently completed enrollment and a 44-patient Phase 2 study evaluating the effect of hGH-CTP on safety and growth of pediatric patients in Japan. The study compares once weekly hGH-CTP with a once-daily GHD product and is required for a future Somatrogon submission to the Japanese regulatory authorities. Turning to our work with OPK88004, a selective androgen receptor modulator that has the ability to serve as an agonist resulting in increased anabolic effects, such as increased lean body mass and physical function and decreased fat mass and as an antagonist to androgen receptors in the prostate. These promising clinical data suggest that OPK88004 can be used for the treatment of a number of symptoms such as frailty, decreased physical function and quality of life parameters associated with aging and low testosterone levels. In a press release on January 31 we announced that we are suspending the BPH trial as it was originally designed due to variability and measuring changes of prostate volume and transient increases in liver enzymes observed in several men at these higher doses. The liver enzyme levels resolved after the drug was withdrawn. Based on the positive anabolic effects of OPK88004 observed in a 420-patient study in aging males, we are planning a Phase 2 clinical study to assess the drug in prostate cancer patients treated with Androgen Deprivation Therapy or ADT. ADT lowers testosterone to castration levels resulting in a number of side effects as a decreased lean body mass, physical function, bone quality and increases in body fat, frailty and hot flashes. The diminished quality of life results in approximately one-third of men treated with ADT stopping treatment within six months of initiation. Because of OPK88004 selective androgen activity, it may be well suited to treat the severe side effects associated with ADT in men with prostate cancer. Approximately one million men are receiving ADT therapy in the United States. In mid-June, we reported that enrollment in our Phase 2b dose escalation trial for our once-weekly GLP1 glucagon dual agonist oxyntomodulin, for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. This study includes 115 Type 2 diabetics at 35 clinical sites in the U.S. and was designed to assess a dosing regimen that is expected to improve weight loss, and glucose control and to demonstrate an acceptable safety profile as a drug candidate is prepared to advancing the Phase 3 studies. We completed this study earlier this month and we expect to report the findings from this study in March of this year. So in closing, 2018 and the first part of 2019 has been a busy period for us with both successes and challenges. Yet we affirm our commitment to our business model and our product pipeline. We have advanced multiple products across our diverse portfolio and continue to see increases in sales and performance indicators for RAYALDEE. We are pleased to have received FDA approval for Claros 1. And we applaud our partner, Vifor Fresenius for their work to secure approval for RAYALDEE in Canada. And we look forward to the global expansion of the RAYALDEE franchise in partnership with Japan Tobacco and Vifor Fresenius. We are pleased to announce completion of enrollment in both our pediatric hGH and diabetes programs. These milestones represent significant progress in our department of these therapeutics. We are advancing a robust clinical development program that addresses several large markets. We expect to make meaningful progress with these programs and to achieve several important milestones. And with that overview, let me turn the call over to Adam for discussion of our fourth quarter and full year financial performance.