Emil Kakkis
Analyst · Steven Breazzano with Evercore ISI. Your line is now open. Mr. Breazzano you line might be muted
Thanks, Daniel and good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us. We’ve had an exciting 2017 with our first approval, progress in terms of major filings, clinical studies and Gene Therapy acquisition. I'll start by discussing our recent progress and milestones; Shalini will then give an overview of our fourth quarter and full year results; and finally Jayson Dallas will provide a commercial update. 2017 marked a year of transition for Ultragenyx from being development stage company to a commercial one with approval for our first commercial product MEPSEVII for the treatment of MPS 7. Commercial transitions happen only once in the life of company and we are approaching this transition with deep thought and care to assure we maintain and grow ourselves in the right way and become able to deliver our projects for the last mile of the journey through development to commercial availability. We must be in incredibly successful business and we must also manage global patient access consistent with our principles. In December, we have received a positive opinion from CHMP on the burosumab conditional marketing authorization for exhalation children or currently waiting a final EC decision this month. Burosumab is designated as a breakthrough therapy in the U.S. and the MPS has been extremely collaborative during the review process, but is on track for a PDUFA date of April 17, 2018. If approved we also expect to receive a priority review voucher for burosumabs and it has been a designated drug for a rare pediatric disease. Regarding pipeline development, we have progress our UX007 program into a Phase III study for Glut1 deficiency syndrome reading out later this year and also are negotiating the FDA regarding our early filing for fatty acid oxidation disease as well also preparing for our Phase III program to be initiated this year. Late in 2017, we acquired Dimension Therapeutics, which added AAV gene therapy technology to our portfolio including two clinical stage metabolic programs, one already underway for ornithine transcarbamylase, or OTC, and another clinical program beginning soon for Glycogen Storage Disorder Type 1a. So Gene Therapy acquisition gives us a wider variety of the unique method to treat rare disease that also includes recombinant protein small molecules, or mRNA. This combination now with gene therapy will allow us to select the best treatment strategy available for each disease. The integration of management Gene Therapy business has gone well with the retention of the very important techno leadership and management team that operate the program and continue to make progress across the portfolio. Finally, we finished 2017 with an Analyst Day where we disclosed two new pre-clinical programs: UX053 and mRNA based treatment for Glycogen Storage Disease Type 3 and UX068 a small molecule pro-drug for the treatment of Creatine Transporter Deficiency. With respect to burosumab at Analyst Day, a 48-week data from the adult Phase III was also presented that’s showing sustained maintenance of normal serum phosphate levels, increased rate of fracture healing and further improvement of stiffness, physical function and pain and notably a substantial decrease in pain medicine usage over 48-weeks. On November 15, 2017, our first product MEPSEVII was approved by the FDA for the treatment of MPS 7, marking a significant milestone for the company, our first approval. U.S. launch has gone well so far and Jayson will provide more color later in the call. In Europe, the review process continues and is moving along as expected and we anticipate a CHMP Opinion in the first half of 2018. As a reminder regarding burosumab review in the U.S., the FDA except our BLA for both the pediatric and adult indication and granted priority review with a PDUFA date of April 17, 2018. The accepted application is based on currently available data from our multiple ongoing studies for both children and adults. Today, we also announced that the 64-week burosumab treatment data from the Phase II study in one to 4-year-old demonstrate a reduction in rickets and bowing that was consistent with or further improvement what was seen as 48-week – 40-weeks. These results are also included in sustained improvements in serum phosphorus levels and a progressed reduction into the normal range of alkaline phosphatase, a commonly used metabolic sign of rickets. More importantly there were continued improvements in bowing and rickets at 64-weeks. The safety profile observed this study was consistent with other burosumab studies. These data continues to support the concept that early treatment could have a more profound effect on the bone deformity that would typically affect XLH patients throughout their lives. Today we also announced adult XLH bone biopsy data from all patients the bone quality study demonstrating a continued improvement in osteomalacia. In our discussion with FDA, they indicated the improvement in osteomalacia could also be considered an important outcome for adults with XLH. At 48 weeks, all ten patients with the valuable paired bone biopsies demonstrated meaningful improvements from baseline in mean osteoid volume relative to bone volume. The mean decreased from 26.1% to 11.2% among these patients, represents a 57% improvement from baseline in mean osteoid volume relative to bone volume, which is the gold standard for the evaluation of osteomalacia. The number of patients reached the single-digit percent level close to the 3% upper limit of normal for osteoid fraction of volume. The patients also demonstrated mean improvements of 32% and 26% in osteoid thickness and osteoid surface relative to bone surface parameters respectively while also experiencing a mean improvement – meaningful improvement in mineralization lag time. Results are consistent with the data already provided to the FDA in the first six of these ten showing to substantial reduction in osteomalacia. These data provide important supportive data on substantial severity of their underlying osteomalacia bone disease in adult XLH patients and the ability of burosumab to treat this underlying bone disease present in adult XLH patients. Now turning to our OTC gene therapy program, we recently presented data from the first lowest dose cohort of the Phase I/II study in OTC. One patient’s rate of ureagenesis was normalized, maintaining – maintained with a 3% increase in the rate ureagenesis from baseline to week 12 to reach 87% of normal. The second patient did not show clinically meaningful change in the rate of ureagenesis over the 12 week period. And the third week – third patient showed a modest increase in ureagenesis from baseline over the first six weeks of treatment with 12 week treatment not yet available. There were no efficient related adverse events and no serious adverse events reported. The only treatment related adverse events were mild clinically asymptomatic and manageable elevation of the Alanine Aminotransferase, or ALT, in two patients and both completed a standard tapering course of corticosteroids to treat the ALT elevations. Additional extension deal will be coming soon and in second quarter as planned once the DMC completes its review in early March. Regarding UX007, we announced that following in end of Phase II meeting, we are working to provide additional information to submit to FDA for consideration of an early filing based on the results from the Phase II study. While the FDA still preferred that a randomized controlled trial be completed before filing, it left open the possible filing on the current data. We’re simultaneously completing the design of Phase III study that to be used for registration or confirmatory purposes depending on the outcome of the other data review. With more than 100 FAOD patients treated over the years and about 80% of the subjects still on therapy for an average of four years with some as long as 17 years. We do believe there is enough evidence to support the safety and efficacy of UX007. As said a randomized controlled Phase III study confirming a substantial reduction in major clinical events as observed in our Phase II study would be extremely helpful in the long-term regulatory view and commercialization of UX007. Now on the Glut1 program, the screening has closed in the Phase III study for the treatment of Glut1 with the movement disorder phenotype. Data from this study is expected in the second half of 2018. I would like now to take a moment to recognize and welcome Camille Bedrosian to Ultragenyx as our Chief Medical Officer. I am particularly happy now that Camille will be taking of her responsibility for the Chief Medical Officer role from me. I have been it doing for the last many months. We’re excited that Camille will bring her passion and track record in developing new rare disease treatments to improve the lives of rare disease patients as we continue to build and advance our pipeline. Camille is a hematologist and oncologist by training and was most recently a Chief Medical Officer at Alexion. She spent a number of years at Genetics Institute, Wyeth-Ayerst and Alexion developing multiple drugs mainly for rare disease indication. She has both the skills and the driving spirit required to work successfully in the rare disease space. This year 2018 shaping up to be a year with a number of important catalysts across the portfolio potentially launching two products – two programs in the Phase III, two gene therapy programs reading out early clinical data. For burosumab from retro V standpoint, we're expecting a final EC Decision in February on the burosumab conditional marketing authorization for pediatric XLH. Our BLA for the treatment of XLH in both pediatric and adults is being reviewed by FDA and we have PDUFA date of April 17, 2018. For study data we are expecting new data for the randomized active control pediatric Phase III study comparing burosumab to oral phosphate and active vitamin D therapy in the second half of 2018. This study will not be required for U.S. approval and will serve in the confirmatory study in Europe. We do believe we will product further support for the benefit of burosumab over current therapy. Finally for TIO data from all patients, the safety is expected in the half of 2018. For U.S. for the treatment of Glut1 deficiency syndrome and FAOD, our Glut1 indication enrollment has gone well and screening have closed. We expect data from the Phase III movement disorder study in Glut1 deficiency syndrome in the second half of 2018. In the FAOD patients, we expect the decision are potentially filing for approval based on Phase II data in FAOD. And FAOD patients will be made by mid 2018. For the DTX 301 AAV gene therapy for the treatment of OTC deficiency, full data for the first cohort in the Phase I/II study and the DMC review are expected in March. The second cohort patient is being screening now and the product is already manufactured. We would expect cohort two treatments occur in the first half after the DMC review with data available in the second half of 2018. Of the DTX 401, AAV gene therapy for the treatment of GSD1a, an IND filing in GSD1a patients is expected in the first half of 2018. The product is also already being manufactured with the trial and the data from the first quarter of patients is expected to in the second half of 2018. Finally for DTX 201 and AV treatment for hemophilia A partnered with Bayer, an IND filing in hemophilia A is on tract for the second half of 2018. With that I will turn the call over to Shalini to provide an overview of our financial results.