SELLAS Life Sciences Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLS) (“SELLAS” or the
“Company”), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused
on the development of novel cancer immunotherapies for a broad
range of cancer indications, today reported financial results for
the year ended December 31, 2019 and provided a business update.
“Our clinical and corporate progress in 2019 has laid the
foundation for a busy and exciting 2020. We are progressing our
clinical development program for galinpepimut-S (GPS), including
our Phase 3 REGAL study in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), our Phase
1/2 basket study in combination with pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®), and
our Phase 1 trial in combination with nivolumab (Opdivo®) in
malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The positive follow-up data
of the Phase 2a AML CR2 study announced last month further support
our Phase 3 REGAL study design,” said Angelos Stergiou, MD, ScD
h.c., President and Chief Executive Officer of SELLAS.
“Additionally, we have received and incorporated feedback from the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the design and plan for
a Phase 3 registration-enabling study of nelipepimut-S (NPS) in
patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Coupled with
the Phase 2b data for NPS in combination with pembrolizumab in TNBC
patients that were recently published in Clinical Cancer Research,
this supports our business development efforts to pursue
out-licensing opportunities for NPS’ clinical development.”
Recent Pipeline Highlights
Galinpepimut-S (GPS) Program
- In February 2020, SELLAS announced positive follow-up data from
its Phase 1/2 study of GPS in patients with AML in second complete
remission (CR2). The final data show a median overall survival (OS)
of 21.0 months, at a median follow-up of 30.8 months, in patients
receiving GPS compared to 5.4 months in patients treated with best
standard care (p-value < 0.02). GPS therapy continued to be
well-tolerated throughout the study.
- In February 2020, SELLAS announced the enrollment of the first
patient in an investigator-sponsored clinical trial of GPS in
combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb’s anti-PD-1 therapy,
nivolumab (Opdivo®), in patients with MPM.
- In January 2020, SELLAS announced that it has commenced patient
screening for its pivotal Phase 3 REGAL study of GPS in patients
with AML in CR2.
Nelipepimut-S
(NPS) Program
- Today, SELLAS is announcing that final results from the
efficacy and safety data analysis of the Phase 2b independent
investigator-sponsored clinical trial of the combination of
trastuzumab (Herceptin®) +/- NPS targeting HER2 low-expressing
breast cancer patient cohorts, including TNBC patients, were
recently published in the peer reviewed journal, Clinical Cancer
Research. With regard to the TNBC patient cohort, the data
analysis shows: º Disease-free survival (DFS) landmark
rate at 24 months for patients treated with NPS plus trastuzumab
(n=53) was 92.6% compared to 70.2% for those treated with
trastuzumab alone (n=44), a clinically and statistically
significant improvement. º There was a statistically
significant reduction of 71.9% (p=0.01) in the frequency of
clinically detected recurrences in patients treated with the
combination (NPS plus trastuzumab) versus trastuzumab alone.
º The combination was generally well-tolerated and there were
no clinicopathologic differences between the study groups.
- In February 2020, SELLAS announced it finalized the design and
plan for a Phase 3 registration-enabling study of NPS in
combination with trastuzumab for the treatment of patients with
TNBC in the adjuvant setting after standard treatment, following
feedback from a Type C review with the FDA. SELLAS is actively
pursuing out-licensing opportunities to fund and conduct the future
clinical development of NPS.
Recent Corporate Highlights
- In February 2020, SELLAS announced the appointment of Dragan
Cicic, MD, as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development.
- In January 2020, SELLAS entered into a securities purchase
agreement with institutional investors to purchase approximately
$6.5 million of its common shares (or pre-funded warrants to
purchase common shares in lieu thereof) in a registered direct
offering priced at-the-market and warrants to purchase common
shares in a concurrent private placement.
Year End 2019 Financial Results
Cash Position: As of December 31, 2019, cash
and cash equivalents were $7.3 million, compared to $5.3 million as
of December 31, 2018. Net cash used in operating activities was
$17.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to
$30.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Net cash
provided by financing activities was $19.6 million for the year
ended December 31, 2019, primarily attributable to $16.0 million in
net proceeds from the sale of equity securities and $3.6 million in
net proceeds from the exercise of warrants to acquire shares of
common stock. For the year ended December 31, 2018, net cash
provided by financing activities was $23.1 million, primarily
attributable to $31.2 million in net proceeds from the sale of
equity securities, partially offset by $7.6 million in principal
payments on previously outstanding debt and $0.5 million in cash
dividends paid to the holders of previously outstanding preferred
stock.
R&D Expenses: Research and development
expenses were $7.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, as
compared to $8.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The
$1.5 million decrease was primarily due to a $1.0 million decrease
in personnel related expenses due to decreased headcount, a $0.6
million decrease in licensing fees primarily due to a clinical
milestone for GPS recognized in 2018, a $0.3 million decrease in
clinical expenses due to the completion of the Phase 2b trial of
NPS in combination with trastuzumab in 2018 and a $0.2 million
decrease in other research and development expenses. These
decreases were partially offset by a $0.6 million increase in
manufacturing related expenses for GPS.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative
expenses were $9.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, as
compared to $12.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The
$2.9 million decrease was primarily driven by a $0.8 million
decrease in outside services and public company costs, a $0.7
million decrease in legal fees, a $0.7 million decrease in
personnel related expenses due to reduced headcount, a $0.4 million
decrease in rebates and returns related to former commercial
products, a $0.2 million decrease in accounting fees, and a $0.3
million decrease in other general and administrative expenses.
These decreases during 2019 reflect the Company’s efforts to limit
expenses in order to preserve capital. These decreases were
partially offset by a $0.2 million increase in insurance
premiums.
Net Loss: Net loss for the year
ended December 31, 2019 was $19.3 million and loss attributable to
common stockholders was $28.0 million, or a basic and diluted loss
per share to common stockholders of $10.92, as compared to a net
loss of $27.7 million and loss attributable to common stockholders
of $41.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, or a basic
and diluted loss per share to common stockholders of $157.72. Net
loss and loss attributable to common stockholders for the year
ended December 31, 2019 includes a $2.8 million one-time non-cash
impairment charge of in-process research and development associated
with the abandonment of future development of GALE-301 and
GALE-302, cancer immunotherapies that target the E39 peptide
derived from the folate binding protein, as they are outside of the
Company's core focus of the development of GPS. Net loss and loss
attributable to common stockholders for the year ended December 31,
2018 includes a $9.6 million one-time non-cash impairment charge of
in-process research and development associated with the termination
of a license agreement for anagrelide CR formulation
(GALE-401).
Keytruda® and Herceptin® are registered trademarks of Merck
Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.,
Kenilworth, N.J., USA, and Genentech, Inc., respectively, and are
not trademarks of SELLAS. The manufacturers of these brands are not
affiliated with and do not endorse SELLAS or its products.
About SELLAS Life Sciences Group, Inc.
SELLAS is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company
focused on the development of novel cancer immunotherapeutics for a
broad range of cancer indications. SELLAS’ lead product candidate,
GPS, is licensed from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and
targets the WT1 protein, which is present in an array of tumor
types. GPS has potential as a monotherapy or in combination to
address a broad spectrum of hematologic malignancies and solid
tumor indications. SELLAS’ second product candidate, NPS, is a
HER2-directed cancer immunotherapy with potential for the treatment
of patients with early stage breast cancer with low to intermediate
HER2 expression, otherwise known as HER2 1+ or 2+, which includes
triple negative breast cancer patients, following standard of
care.
For more information on SELLAS, please visit
www.sellaslifesciences.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All
statements other than statements of historical facts are
“forward-looking statements,” including those relating to future
events. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified
by terminology such as “plan,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “may,”
“might,” “will,” “should,” “project,” “believe,” “estimate,”
“predict,” “potential,” “intend,” or “continue” and other words or
terms of similar meaning. These statements include, without
limitation, statements related to the Company’s plans for further
development of and regulatory plans for GPS, including the timing
of clinical results, the potential for GPS as a drug development
candidate, plans for further development of and regulatory plans
for NPS, statements regarding the outcome of discussions with the
FDA regarding NPS and statements about the Company’s strategy and
plans for out-licensing NPS. These forward-looking statements are
based on current plans, objectives, estimates, expectations and
intentions, and inherently involve significant risks and
uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking
statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which
include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated
with immune-oncology product development and clinical success
thereof, the uncertainty of regulatory approval, the uncertainty
regarding the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic on the
Company’s business, and other risks and uncertainties affecting
SELLAS and its development programs as set forth under the caption
“Risk Factors” in SELLAS’ Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March
13, 2020 and in its other SEC filings. Other risks and
uncertainties of which SELLAS is not currently aware may also
affect SELLAS’ forward-looking statements and may cause actual
results and the timing of events to differ materially from those
anticipated. The forward-looking statements herein are made only as
of the date hereof. SELLAS undertakes no obligation to update or
supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect actual
results, new information, future events, changes in its
expectations or other circumstances that exist after the date as of
which the forward-looking statements were made.
Investor ContactsWill O’ConnorStern Investor
Relations, Inc.212-362-1200ir@sellaslife.com
Investor RelationsSELLAS Life Sciences Group,
Inc.917-438-4353info@sellaslife.com
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