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SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Principia Biopharma Inc. (Nasdaq: PRNB), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing transformative oral therapies to patients with significant unmet medical needs in immunology and oncology, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2018.
“In 2018, we made progress across all of our programs, in addition to completing a successful initial public offering. We continued the momentum into the new year with presentations at both the American Academy of Dermatology and the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis,” said Martin Babler, Chief Executive Officer of Principia. “In 2019, we are focusing on the continued clinical development of our assets. We will continue to expand enrollment in our Phase 3 program for PRN1008 around the world. One of our goals this year is to have top-line data from PRN1008 in both the Phase 2 clinical trial in immune thrombocytopenia and the Phase 2 extension trial in pemphigus.”
Full Year 2018 and Recent Program Highlights
General Corporate Recent Highlights
Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018 Financial Results
Cash Position: Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $180.6 million as of December 31, 2018, compared to $41.1 million as of December 31, 2017. The increase in Principia’s cash position is mainly due to net proceeds of $113.6 million from its IPO and net proceeds of $49.8 million from its Series C financing.
Revenues: Collaboration revenue was $26.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018, compared to $3.4 million for the same period in 2017. Collaboration revenue for the full year of 2018 was $69.1 million, compared to $5.2 million for the full year of 2017. The increase was due to the revenue recognition of an upfront payment of $40.0 million received in December 2017 from Sanofi and an upfront payment of $15.0 million received in June 2017 from AbbVie Biotechnology Limited, as well as the revenue recognition of milestone payments totaling $25.0 million received in 2018 from Sanofi, of which $10.0 million were received in the fourth quarter of 2018.
R&D Expenses: Total research and development expenses were $13.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018, including stock-based compensation expense of $0.8 million, compared to $7.5 million for the same period in 2017, including stock-based compensation expense of $0.1 million. For the full year of 2018, total research and development expenses were $40.5 million, including stock-based compensation expense of $1.4 million, compared to $25.4 million for full year of 2017, including stock-based compensation expense of $0.5 million. The increase in total research and development expenses was mainly driven by an increase in PRN1008 program costs, attributable to various manufacturing campaigns and the initiation of a global Phase 3 trial in pemphigus in November 2018 and the initiation of an ITP clinical trial in December 2017, as well as an increase in employee related expenses.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $4.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018, including stock-based compensation expense of $0.6 million, compared to $2.0 million for the same period in 2017, including stock-based compensation expense of $0.2 million. For the full year of 2018, general and administrative expenses were $11.5 million, including stock-based compensation expense of $1.4 million, compared to $6.4 million for the full year of 2017, including stock-based compensation expense of $0.6 million. The increase in total general and administrative expenses was primarily driven by increased employee related expenses and facility costs.
Net Income (Loss): For the three months ended December 31, 2018, net income was $9.4 million compared to a net loss of $2.8 million for the same period in 2017. For the full year of 2018, net income was $18.2 million, compared to a net loss of $28.7 million for the full year of 2017.
Financial Guidance
The Company anticipates its cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities will fund operations toward the end of 2020, based on existing planned expenditures.
About Principia Biopharma
Principia is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing transformative oral therapies to patients with significant unmet medical needs in immunology and oncology. Principia’s proprietary Tailored Covalency® platform enables Principia to design and develop reversible and irreversible covalent, small molecule inhibitors with potencies and selectivities that have the potential to rival those of injectable biologics yet maintain the convenience of a pill. PRN1008, a reversible covalent BTK inhibitor, is being evaluated in a Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with pemphigus, an orphan autoimmune disease, and in a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with immune thrombocytopenia, a rare hematological disease. PRN2246/SAR442168, a covalent BTK inhibitor which crosses the blood-brain barrier, has completed a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers, and has been partnered with Sanofi for development in multiple sclerosis and, potentially, for other diseases of the central nervous system. PRN1371, a covalent inhibitor of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) is being evaluated in a Phase 1 trial in patients with bladder cancer. For more information, please visit www.principiabio.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, Principia’s expectations regarding the Principia pipeline of product candidates, the clinical development of Principia’s assets, the enrollment of the Phase 3 trial of PRN1008 for pemphigus, the timing of top-line data from the Phase 2 clinical trial of PRN1008 in immune thrombocytopenia and from the Phase 2 extension trial of PRN1008 in pemphigus, the timing of data from the Phase 3 trial of PRN1008 in pemphigus, the initiation by Sanofi of a Phase 2 clinical trial of PRN2246/SAR442168 for multiple sclerosis, the timing of data from the Phase 1 dose escalation of PRN1371, and the length of time that Principia’s current cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities may be able to fund its operations. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that may cause Principia’s actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risks and uncertainties of the clinical development process and of clinical trial recruitment; risks and uncertainties about the efficacy, safety and tolerability of our product candidates; risks that early research or clinical results may be materially different from future clinical results; risks and uncertainties regarding Principia’s reliance on third-party organizations, such as contract research organizations, contract manufacturing organizations, and partners such as Sanofi; risks of third party claims alleging infringement of patents and proprietary rights or seeking to invalidate Principia’s patents or proprietary rights; and the risk that Principia’s proprietary rights may be insufficient to protect its technologies and product candidates. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the Principia’s business in general, see the risk factors set forth in Principia’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ending December 31, 2018. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Principia specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Principia Biopharma Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except share and per share amounts) |
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Three Months Ended
December 31, |
Year Ended
December 31, |
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2018 | 2017 | 2018 | 2017 | |||||||||||||
Collaboration revenue | $ | 26,137 | $ | 3,375 | $ | 69,137 | $ | 5,247 | ||||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||
Research and development | 13,678 | 7,543 | 40,533 | 25,390 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative | 4,197 | 2,015 | 11,462 | 6,443 | ||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 17,875 | 9,558 | 51,995 | 31,833 | ||||||||||||
Income (loss) from operations | 8,262 | (6,183 | ) | 17,142 | (26,586 | ) | ||||||||||
Other income (expense), net | 2 | 4,994 | (653 | ) | 5,096 | |||||||||||
Interest income | 1,113 | 14 | 1,678 | 16 | ||||||||||||
Interest expense | — | (1,655 | ) | — | (7,223 | ) | ||||||||||
Net income (loss) | $ | 9,377 | $ | (2,830 | ) | $ | 18,167 | $ | (28,697 | ) | ||||||
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders | $ | 9,377 | $ | (2,830 | ) | $ | 4,917 | $ | (28,697 | ) | ||||||
Net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders | ||||||||||||||||
Basic | $ | 0.39 | $ | (4.55 | ) | $ | 0.65 | $ | (50.37 | ) | ||||||
Diluted | $ | 0.37 | $ | (4.55 | ) | $ | 0.57 | $ | (50.37 | ) | ||||||
Weighted-average shares used to calculate net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders | ||||||||||||||||
Basic | 23,863,193 | 621,945 | 7,622,602 | 569,719 | ||||||||||||
Diluted | 25,552,347 | 621,945 | 8,627,473 | 569,719 |
Principia Biopharma Inc.
Summary Balance Sheet Data (In thousands) |
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December 31,
2018 |
December 31,
2017 |
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Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities | $ | 180,637 | $ | 41,054 | ||||
Total assets | 195,521 | 43,503 | ||||||
Stockholders’ equity (deficit) | 169,860 | (143,462 | ) | |||||
Investor Contact Christopher Chai, CFO ir@principiabio.com Media Contact Denise Powell denise@redhousecomms.com