Proposed new US Government body ARPA-H is raising both hopes and skepticism

Monthly market moves of selected competitors compared to NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (NBI)

ADC Therapeutics

ADCT reported net loss of $52 million, or $0.67 per basic and diluted share, for the 1Q 2021, compared to net loss of $44 million, or $0.85 per basic and diluted share, for the same quarter in 2020. The company’s Zynlonta has been included in the latest NCCN Guidelines in oncology for B-cell lymphomas.

Immunogen

Immunogen reported net loss for 1Q 2021 was $34 million, or $0.17 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $29 million, or $0.17 per basic and diluted share, for 1Q 2020. Separately, the company announced mature data from the FORWARD II study evaluating mirvetuximab soravtansine plus Avastin in patients with medium and high FRα-expressing recurrent OVCA.

Mersana Therapeutics

Mersana came out with a quarterly loss of $0.50 per share versus the Estimate of a loss of $0.39. This compares to loss of $0.35 per share a year ago. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -28.21%. 

Seattle Genetics

Seagen reported net loss for first quarter of 2021 was $121 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, compared to net loss of $168 million, or $0.98 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2020. Astellas and Seagen announced updated results from two trials examining Padcev alone and in combo with Keytruda in locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer.

Nektar Therapeutics

Nektar announced publication of preclinical data from its rhIL-15 receptor agonist NKTR-255, in Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. The data demonstrate that NKTR-255 retains the full spectrum of IL-15 biology but with improved pharmacologic properties and anti-tumor activity versus other rhIL-15 agonists. Separately, Nektar reported net loss for the first quarter of 2021 was $123 million or $0.68 basic and diluted loss per share as compared to a net loss of $139 million or $0.78 basic and diluted loss per share in 1Qf 2020.

Xencor

Xencor and BMS announced a technology license agreement for Xencor’s Xtend Fc technology to extend the half-life of a novel antibody combination therapy for treatment or prevention of Covid-19. SARS-CoV-2 mAb Duo was discovered by researchers at The Rockefeller University and was subsequently licensed by BMS.

Allogene Therapeutics

Allogene reported net loss for 1Q 2021 was $33.0 million, or $0.25 per share.  This compares to loss of $0.50 per share a year ago. The company also highlighted positive results from Phase 1 studies of ALLO-501 and ALLO-501A in relapsed/refractory NHL and plan to initiate pivotal study in 2021.

Autolus Therapeutics

Autolus reported net loss of $33 million for 1Q 2021, compared to $30 million for the same period in 2020. The basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share for 1Q 2021 totaled $0.53 compared to $0.60 for 1Q 2020. Autolus also announced an abstract presentation related to AUTO1 in relapsed or refractory indolent B cell lymphomas at EHA.

Bellicum Pharmaceuticals

Bellicum reported a net loss of $11 million for the first quarter of 2021 compared to net income of $18 million for the comparable period in 2020. The results included a non-cash loss of $2 million related to the change in fair value of the warrant and private placement option liability for 1Q 2021.

Mustang Bio

FDA accepted Mustang’s IND application to initiate a Phase 1/2 to assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of MB-106, a CD20-targeted CAR T therapy for relapsed or refractory CD20+ B-cell NHL and CLL. MB-106 cells express a third-generation CAR derived from a fully human antibody that originated in Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center labs.

Arcus Biosciences

The company announced initial data from one of the cohorts in ARC-6 Phase 1b/2 study, evaluating combination of etrumadenant (dual A2a/A2b receptor antagonist) plus zimberelimab (anti-PD1 antibody) and docetaxel in people with taxane-naïve mCRPC who progressed following treatment with one or more new hormonal agents and were checkpoint inhibitor-naive. The composite ORR was 41% in people previously treated for mCRPC.

Immutep

The company announced that data from its Phase 2 studies TACTI-002 of eftilagimod alpha and pembrolizumab in patients with PD-L1 unselected metastatic NSCLC.and INSIGHT-004 of f eftilagimod alpha combined with avelumab in advanced solid tumors have been published in abstracts available at ASCO.

NorthWest Biotherapeutics

NW Bio announced that application for certification of the manufacturing facility in Sawston, UK has been submitted to MHRA.

Clovis Oncology

Clovis highlighted Rubraca and lucitaninb data at ASCO. New data analyses from the Phase 3 ARIEL3 and ARIEL4 trials further characterize Rubraca’s efficacy and consistent safety profile in patients in the advanced OVCA maintenance treatment and treatment settings.