Alan Auerbach
Analyst · Bank of America
Thank you, Mariann, and thank you all for joining our call today. Today, Puma reported total revenue for the second quarter of 2022 of $59.5 million. Total revenue includes product revenue net, which consists entirely of NERLYNX sales, as well as license fees and royalties from our sub-licensees. Product revenue net was $51.3 million in the second quarter of 2022, which represents an increase, as expected, from the $40.7 million in product revenue net reported in the first quarter of 2022 and $48.9 million in product revenue net reported in Q2 2021. Product revenue for the second quarter of 2022 included approximately $2.7 million on inventory build at our specialty pharmacies and specialty distributors. Royalty revenue was $8.2 million in the second quarter of 2022, an increase from $5 million in Q1 of 2022 and $4.3 million in Q2 2021. We recorded no license revenue in the latest quarter. We reported 3,200 bottles of NERLYNX sold in the second quarter of 2022, an increase of 520 from 2,680 bottles sold in Q1 2022. We estimate that the Q2 inventory build amounted to approximately 175 bottles. As noted on our last quarter call, we estimate that inventory stocking in late 2021 caused a reduction of approximately 282 bottles in Q1 2022. In Q2 2022, new prescriptions, NRx, were down approximately 8% compared to Q1, while total prescriptions, TRX, were up about 1.6%. Jeff will provide further details in his comments and slides. I will now provide a clinical review of the quarter. And then Jeff Ludwig will add additional color on NERLYNX commercial activities. Maximo Nougues will follow with highlights of the key components of our financial statements for the second quarter of 2022. As we have mentioned on our prior calls, Puma has an ongoing basket trial of neratinib and HER2-mutated cancers, referred to as the SUMMIT trial. The arm of trial that has enrolled the most patients to date is the arm that is testing neratinib in patients with homoreceptor positive, HER2-negative breast cancer who have a HER2 mutation. And as we have discussed on previous investor calls, Puma has been looking to pursue a regulatory approval in this indication, and more specifically, for the triplet of neratinib plus trastuzumab plus fulvestrant, for which clinical data was presented at the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in June. As investors are aware, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting in June, data was presented on the HER2-targeted antibody drug conjugate in HER2 in patients with HER2-negative HR-positive metastatic breast cancer in a trial referred to as DESTINY-Breast04 or DBO4. This trial showed an improvement in progression-free survival and overall survival. And assuming that it is approved, we believe it is likely to become the new standard of care for patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. Based on the inclusion criteria for DB04, we believe that it is likely that the population of patients studied in DB04 overlaps with that of SUMMIT for neratinib in HR-positive, HER2-negative, HER2-mutated breast cancer. While we do not know what percent of the patients in DB04 had HER2 mutations, we acknowledge that in HER2 is a HER2-targeted agent and has shown activity in and is in the NCCN guidelines for other HER2-mutated tumors. Due to this, we believe that it is unlikely that the FDA would grant accelerated approval for neratinib based on the SUMMIT data and would instead require us to either: one, do a head-to-head trial against in HER2 in this indication; two, do a trial of the triplet in combination with in HER2 versus in HER2 monotherapy; or three, study neratinib in a HER2-mutated population that does not overlap with the DBO4 indication. We believe that the head-to-head trial against in HER2 is not in the best interest of shareholders as the cost of this trial would be prohibited and the likelihood of success would be low. The trial of the triplet in combination with in HER2 versus in HER2 monotherapy would require a new trial of the safety of the trip within HER2 and is further complicated by the fact that in HER2 is trastuzumab-based, which would complicate giving the triplet, which includes trastuzumab with in HER2. The third option of studying neratinib in a different indication would require us to redo the randomized 3-arm study, which tested neratinib plus trastuzumab plus flavestrants, versus trastuzumab plus fulvestrant versus fulvestrants alone, in a new population, such as an earlier stage group of patients who are fulvestrant naive, or a later group of patients who have already received in HER2. Due to the rarity of the HER2 mutation in breast cancer and the time it would take to enroll this 3-arm randomized trial and the subsequent Simon 2-stage expansions, it is not clear that this can be accomplished in a time frame that would result in a positive return for Puma shareholders. Puma plans to submit the final data from SUMMIT to the FDA later this year to confirm our thoughts on this indication with the FDA and obtain their guidance. Puma will continue to update investors on the status of this as it progresses. As investors are also aware, in November 2020, we announced interim data from another cohort of the SUMMIT trial, and more specifically, in the cohort of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, with epidermal growth factor exon 18 mutations who have been previously treated with an EGFR targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor. As was shown in the data that was presented, there were 4 responders out of 11 patients. And therefore, the criteria have been met to proceed to Stage II of the Simon 2-stage design and to enroll 30 patients. There are currently 31 patients enrolled in this arm of the trial. And we anticipate that we will have additional data from this cohort to report in the second half of 2022. Once we receive the data, we plan to meet with the FDA to discuss the regulatory pathway for this indication. Puma anticipates that the FDA will either allow the company to file for accelerated approval based on single-arm data or may require additional data or a separate randomized trial for this indication. If a randomized trial is required, the company will make a decision whether or not to proceed based on the time and cost of the trial versus the potential market opportunity. Enrollment to this arm of the trial has been halted while we analyze the current data and wait for regulatory guidance. As mentioned on prior earnings calls and in response to investor questions, Puma is also evaluating several drugs to potentially in-license that would allow the company to diversify itself and leverage Puma’s existing R&D, regulatory and commercial infrastructure. Puma will continue to update investors on the status of this as it progresses. I will now turn the call over to Jeff Ludwig, Puma’s Chief Commercial Officer, for a review of our commercial performance during the quarter.