Steven Rubin
Analyst · Maury Raycroft from Jefferies. Please proceed with your question
Thank you, Jon. Turning now to Claros 1. We were pleased to announce on February 1 that the FDA approved our point-of-care Sangia Total PSA Test using the Claros 1 Analyzer. The test is designed to give quantitative total PSA results in the point-of-care setting, utilizing a finger-stick whole blood sample in 10 to 12 minutes. The accuracy of the Sangia Total PSA Test is compared to an FDA-approved total PSA assay. And it supports that the assay can quantitatively measure total PSA levels from 0.08 nanogram per milliliter to 15 nanogram per milliliter using capillary whole blood samples taken from the finger stick. There are 25 million PSA tests performed in the United States annually, so this approval represents a significant market opportunity. Sangia Total PSA Test is determined by FDA as a moderately complex test which requires CLIA waiver by the FDA. A CLIA waiver requires demonstration of minimal erroneous results when used in the field. We expect to submit our CLIA waiver request to FDA later this year. We believe there are many advantages both to patients and to physicians of offering test results right at the point of care. Further, with the momentum of this approval, we have accelerated the development of additional tests utilizing this technology platform, with testosterone being the most advanced. Turning now to our pharmaceutical 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, or PTH, levels in patients with chronic kidney disease, with a safety profile similar to placebo. RAYALDEE provides a single-drug solution for SHPT, replacing the use of both nutritional vitamin D and active vitamin D. The Marketing Authorization Applications for RAYALDEE submitted by Vifor Fresenius last month have been accepted for review in several European countries. These applications are for approval for RAYALDEE for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in adult non-dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. We are pleased with Vifor's progress that supports our global development and commercialization plans for RAYALDEE. Potential approval in multiple European countries offers us an opportunity to significantly increase the number of patients who may benefit from RAYALDEE. We are also excited, as Phil mentioned, by a recent publication in the American Journal of Nephrology and an associated editorial in March. A post hoc analysis of RAYALDEE pivotal trials provided the first prospective data demonstrating that the current clinical practice guidelines target for serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D in chronic kidney disease is too low to decrease elevated serum PTH levels in chronic kidney disease patients. These data suggest that the correct target is at least 51 nanograms per mL and possibly as high as 93 nanograms per mL, levels which no competitive therapy can reliably attain. This analysis received a favorable review in a copublished editorial by prominent key opinion leaders in nephrology. From a commercial perspective, the RAYALDEE numbers for the quarter break down as follows. We are continuing to build sales momentum and have seen a growth of 121% in total prescriptions for Q1 2019 versus Q1 2018. Total prescriptions of RAYALDEE in Q1, as reported by IQVIA, increased almost 12% compared with Q4. New patient starts increased 13% in Q1 versus Q4. Since launch, there has been a total of approximately 9,400 patients taking RAYALDEE. We also increased the number of health care providers who prescribe RAYALDEE. As of Q1, over 1,900 prescribers have written for RAYALDEE, of whom 225 were new prescribers in Q1. We ended Q1 2019 with 86% of commercially insured patients having access to RAYALDEE. Over 60% of Medicare and commercial lives are covered without prior authorization or other restrictions. After 6 months, most patients pay around $5 per month out of pocket for RAYALDEE. We completed our sales expansion -- sales force expansion last month from 70 to 85 sales professionals. The expanded field force will provide additional reach and frequency needed to drive increased use of RAYALDEE amongst our customers. We anticipate RAYALDEE growth to gain momentum throughout the year, driven by the improved unrestricted coverage, increased sales force size and new clinical analysis from the American Journal of Nephrology publication. Our team has begun to deliver the new publication information this quarter, and the message has been well received by physicians. Regarding our clinical development programs. We remain focused on expanding the clinical utilities of RAYALDEE in different patient populations and advancing other key programs. Last September, we initiated a global Phase II trial with a higher-strength RAYALDEE in patients with stage 5 CKD and vitamin D insufficiencies who require regular dialysis. Costs of this study are being shared with Vifor Fresenius and Japan Tobacco. The first cohort of approximately 44 patients is being treated for 26 weeks in a randomized, open-label fashion with either RAYALDEE or placebo to identify the appropriate dosing for the second cohort. The initial data readout of this first cohort is expected in Q3 2019. In 2020, we plan to initiate a second cohort of more than 200 patients to be treated for 26 weeks in a randomized, double-blind fashion with 1 of 3 different doses of RAYALDEE or placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint will be correction of vitamin D insufficiency and control of SHPT. Patients would then be treated with RAYALDEE for another 26 weeks in an open-label extension. Other ongoing and upcoming clinical trials for RAYALDEE extended-release calcifediol include an ongoing 80-patient open-label Phase IV study designed to demonstrate that RAYALDEE is superior to commonly used competitive therapies: paricalcitol or Zemplar, immediate-release calcifediol or Hidroferol and cholecalciferol or vitamin D3. Initial data readout started in late Q1 2019, with final data expected to be available by the end of this year. The early data suggest that RAYALDEE is the only therapy which can reliably raise and maintain serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels at sufficiently high levels to control elevated parathyroid hormone in patients with stage 3 or 4 CKD. A Phase III study with RAYALDEE in pediatric patients, this is a post-market requirement, is our next study. And final protocol has been submitted to FDA, and the study will start in the U.S. as soon as the protocol is approved by the FDA, likely in Q2 of this year. A Phase II study with RAYALDEE for SHPT associated with vitamin D insufficiency in bariatric surgery patients is also being planned. The protocol has been finalized and resubmitted to FDA, and that study is expected to start in Q3. Finally, a Phase II study with RAYALDEE for SHPT and vitamin D insufficiency in anephric patients or patients with no kidneys is being planned. The final protocol has been submitted to FDA. This study is expected to start in Q3 2019, and the point of this study is to -- conclusively to demonstrate that RAYALDEE can be activated outside of the kidney. Turning to our metabolic and endocrinology pipeline. We have several late-stage programs underway or nearing initiation. I'll start with our long-acting human growth hormone product, Somatrogon or hGH-CTP. Now as you know, Somatrogon is partnered with Pfizer for worldwide commercialization. We are approaching conclusion of our pivotal non-inferiority study comparing a single-weekly injection of Somatrogon for 12 months with daily injections of GENOTROPIN. This 225-patient study uses the pen device and formulation intended for commercial launch. We are 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. The last patient, last injection of this study will be the end of August, and we expect to announce top line data from this study in Q4 of this year. Last summer, we began a pediatric registration study in Japan to assess pharmacokinetics and compare efficacy of weekly Somatrogon to daily GENOTROPIN in 44 prepubertal growth hormone-deficient subjects. We completed enrollment in this 12-month study in early 2019. Over 95% of the patients who were eligible to enter the open-label extension study are continuing in the second year study with Somatrogon as the sole treatment. We are expanding our rare and necrology disease pipeline by utilizing our existing platform technologies: the CTP, which is used for Somatrogon; and reverse PEG, to identify lead candidates where long-acting therapeutic drugs would have significant benefits to patients. We plan to bring at least 3 additional product candidates into development. Our products under development include MOD-12104 [ph] which is a long-acting CTP-hGH antagonist for the treatment of acromegaly; MOD-1501 [ph], a long-acting GLP-2 peptide for the treatment of small bowel syndrome; and MOD-1301 [ph], a long-acting CTP IGF-1 for the treatment of growth failure associated with severe primary insulin-like growth factor 1 deficiency. Each of these development targets represents a significant market opportunity, a relatively clear and fast regulatory pathway to market and an existing standard of care that we believe can be greatly improved by application of our technology. Turning to OPK88003, our oxyntomodulin product. In early February, we reported that our Phase IIb dose escalation trial for this once-weekly GLP-1/glucagon dual-agonist oxyntomdulin for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and obesity was complete. In March, we reported top line data from the modified intent to treat population, and then in April, we reported further data from the Per Protocol population. This study included 110 Type 2 diabetics with an inadequate glucose control with metformin and/or diet and exercise and evaluated HbA1c, weight loss and safety over 30 weeks. Patients were randomized to OPK88003 or placebo, with the OPK88003-treated arm starting with 20 milligrams for 4 weeks, then 40 milligrams for 4 weeks and finally, our target dose of 70 milligrams for 22 weeks. The modified intent to treat population included patients who received at least one dose of drug and had one post-baseline evaluation. This analysis showed that OPK88003 met the primary objective with a statistically significant lowering of hemoglobin A1c after 30 weeks of treatment versus placebo as well as statistically significant weight loss versus placebo, which was a key secondary endpoint. In the Per Protocol population, which includes all patients who received OPK88003 for at least 26 weeks of the 30-week trial, the decrease in HbA1c and the increase in weight loss were even more pronounced. Similarly, other efficacy parameters improved in the Per Protocol population, such as percentage of patients achieving less than 6.5% HbA1c, the percentage of patients achieving weight loss greater than 5% and the decrease in serum triglycerides. We are pleased with the result of this trial and believe OPK88003 has the potential to compete favorably with other drugs in the market or under development. We plan to further evaluate OPK88003 in a Phase III clinical program in Type 2 diabetes and obesity as well as in other promising indications such as NASH. With respect to OPK88004, our once-daily oral selective androgen receptor modulator or SARM, we are planning an additional exploratory Phase II clinical study to assess OPK88004 in prostate cancer patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy. We expect to finalize and submit the protocol to the FDA later this year. With that overview, let me turn the call over to Adam for a discussion of our first quarter financial performance.