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- Phase 1 Trial of Sleeping Beauty TCR-T cell therapy for patients with solid tumors to begin at NCI in mid-2019 –
- Third-generation Sleeping Beauty CD19-specific CAR-T U.S. trial to begin in 2H2019 –
- Phase 2 trial of Controlled IL-12 in combination with Regeneron’s Libtayo® for patients with rGBM to open 2Q2019 –
- Ziopharm abstracts accepted for presentation at ASCO 2019 –
BOSTON, May 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ziopharm Oncology, Inc. (“Ziopharm” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ZIOP), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company developing next generation cell and gene therapies, today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019, and provided an update on the Company’s recent activities.
“We are on track to achieve significant clinical milestones in 2019. All three of our novel immuno-oncology programs are expected to be in the clinic this year,” said Laurence Cooper, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Ziopharm. “We are looking forward to treating patients with solid tumors mid-year with the first non-viral, neoantigen-specific TCR-T cell therapy at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Our Controlled IL-12 platform is expected to open a phase 2 combination trial with Regeneron’s Libtayo® this quarter, and we expect to begin a third-generation Sleeping Beauty platform, CD19-specific CAR-T phase 1 trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center in the second half of 2019.”
David Mauney, M.D., President of Ziopharm, added, “Our stated focus for the year centers on executional excellence and increasing shareholder value, as we advance our cutting-edge science with each of our programs in the clinic this year. We are pleased to report significant progress with each of these articulated goals and look forward to continuing these efforts throughout the remainder of 2019.”
Program Updates
Sleeping Beauty TCR-T Therapies
The Company is using its non-viral gene transfer technology to implement personalized T-cell therapy targeting solid tumors with T-cell receptors, or TCRs. Under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), which was recently extended through January of 2022, the NCI plans to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial to treat patients with a variety of metastatic/advanced solid tumors using our Sleeping Beauty platform to genetically modify patient-derived T cells to target patient-specific neoantigens.
Sleeping Beauty CAR-T Therapies
Ziopharm is advancing the Sleeping Beauty platform for the rapid personalized manufacture (RPM) of CAR-T cells, co-expressing membrane-bound interleukin-15, or mbIL15, with a safety switch, enabling T cells to be infused within two days after genetic modification. This work on our third-generation Sleeping Beauty technology is undertaken in collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States and will be accomplished in Greater China through a joint venture, Eden BioCell.
Controlled IL-12
Ziopharm is developing its Controlled IL-12 platform, or Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex, as a drug to control the production of human interleukin 12 (hIL-12) which activates the immune system to recruit cancer-fighting T cells into solid tumors. In the setting for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM), Ziopharm is advancing Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex as a monotherapy and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
First Quarter 2019 Financial Results
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | ||||||||||
Statements of Operations | ||||||||||
(in thousands except share and per share data) | ||||||||||
(unaudited) | ||||||||||
Three Months Ended | ||||||||||
March 31, | ||||||||||
(unaudited) | ||||||||||
2019 | 2018 | |||||||||
Collaboration revenue | $ | - | $ | 146 | ||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||||
Research and development | 9,476 | 10,183 | ||||||||
General and administrative | 4,145 | 6,159 | ||||||||
Total operating expenses | 13,621 | 16,342 | ||||||||
Loss from operations | (13,621 | ) | (16,196 | ) | ||||||
Other income (expense), net | 187 | 148 | ||||||||
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities | - | 28 | ||||||||
Net loss | (13,434 | ) | (16,020 | ) | ||||||
Preferred stock dividends | - | (5,120 | ) | |||||||
Net Income (loss) applicable to common stockholders | $ | (13,434 | ) | $ | (21,140 | ) | ||||
Basic and diluted net loss per share | $ | (0.08 | ) | $ | (0.15 | ) | ||||
Weighted average common shares outstanding used | ||||||||||
to compute basic and diluted net loss per share | 160,640,859 | 140,853,120 | ||||||||
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | |||||||
Balance Sheet Data | |||||||
(in thousands) | |||||||
(unaudited) | |||||||
March 31, | December 31, | ||||||
2019 | 2018 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | 51,487 | 61,729 | |||||
Working capital | 65,754 | 74,802 | |||||
Total assets | 83,503 | 95,051 | |||||
Total stockholders' equity (deficit) | 74,216 | 85,564 | |||||
Conference Call Webcast
The call can be accessed by dialing 1-844-309-0618 (U.S. and Canada) or 1-661-378-9465 (international). The passcode for the conference call is 9185154. To access the live webcast or the subsequent archived recording, visit the "Investors" section of the Ziopharm website at www.ziopharm.com. The webcast will be recorded and available for replay on the Company's website for two weeks.
About Ziopharm Oncology, Inc.
Ziopharm Oncology is an immuno-oncology company focused on developing end-to-end cost-effective solutions using its non-viral Sleeping Beauty platform for TCR and CAR T-cell therapies and immune-stimulating gene therapy with Controlled interleukin 12 (IL-12). The Sleeping Beauty platform genetically modifies T cells with DNA plasmids to express T-cell receptors (TCRs) to target specific antigens in solid tumors and chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) to target CD19 in blood cancers with the Company’s 3rd generation T-cell manufacturing process, rapid personalized manufacture (RPM). The Sleeping Beauty platform is being advanced in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Eden BioCell. The Company also is developing its Controlled IL-12 platform, or Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex, as monotherapy and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat brain cancer, including in collaboration with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts, and in some cases can be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "could," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," and "believes." These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's business and strategic plans, the availability of cash resources, and the progress and timing of the Company's research and development programs, including the anticipated dates for the initiation, completion and readouts of its clinical trials. Although Ziopharm’s management team believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Ziopharm, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, changes in our operating plans that may impact our cash expenditures, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, future clinical data and analysis, including whether any of Ziopharm’s product candidates will advance further in the preclinical research or clinical trial process, including receiving clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies to conduct clinical trials and whether and when, if at all, they will receive final approval from the U.S. FDA or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies and for which indication; the strength and enforceability of Ziopharm’s intellectual property rights; competition from other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies as well as risk factors discussed or identified in the public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission made by Ziopharm, including those risks and uncertainties listed in Ziopharm’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by Ziopharm with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We are providing this information as of the date of this press release, and Ziopharm does not undertake any obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason.
Company contact:
Chris Taylor VP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications 617-502-1881 ctaylor@ziopharm.com |