Checkmate Pharmaceuticals Announces Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results and Provides Business Update
Checkmate Pharmaceuticals (CMPI) announced its third quarter 2021 financial results and interim leadership changes, appointing Alan Fuhrman as President and CEO. The company is advancing clinical trials for vidutolimod in melanoma and head and neck cancers, with data readouts expected in 2022. Financial highlights include R&D expenses increasing to $11.4 million from $6.7 million year-over-year, and G&A expenses rising to $3.6 million from $3.2 million. As of September 30, 2021, Checkmate had $80.8 million in cash and investments.
- Clinical trials for vidutolimod ongoing with significant data readouts anticipated in 2022.
- Effective management transition with the appointment of an experienced biotech executive as interim CEO.
- Cash reserves of $80.8 million provide a strong financial cushion for ongoing clinical development.
- R&D expenses surged to $11.4 million, indicating higher costs that could impact profitability.
- G&A expenses increased to $3.6 million, reflecting rising operational costs.
Alan Fuhrman appointed interim President and CEO
Clinical trials with vidutolimod (CMP-001) in melanoma, head and neck cancer indications ongoing
Clinical data readouts anticipated in 2022
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMPI) (“Checkmate”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing its proprietary technology to harness the power of the immune system to combat cancer, today announced third quarter 2021 financial results and provided a business update.
“We are excited about the future of vidutolimod as a potential novel treatment for multiple tumor types, including melanoma and head and neck cancer. We continue to advance our clinical trials towards potential data readouts in 2022,” said Alan Fuhrman, interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Checkmate.
Recent Business Updates
- During The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 36th Annual Meeting, Dr. John Kirkwood from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center presented a poster on the final clinical data from the Phase 1b study of vidutolimod in combination with pembrolizumab or as a monotherapy in patients with anti-PD-1 refractory melanoma.
- Vidutolimod in combination with pembrolizumab led to an ORR of
23.5% by RECIST v1.1, a complete response rate of7.1% , and a median duration of response of 25.2 months. - Vidutolimod monotherapy resulted in a
20.0% ORR by RECIST v1.1 and a median duration of response of 5.6 months. - The most frequent treatment-related adverse events were consistent with flu-like symptoms and injection site reactions and were most commonly Grade 1 or 2.
- Vidutolimod in combination with pembrolizumab led to an ORR of
- We appointed Alan Fuhrman, an experienced biotech executive and Checkmate board member, as interim President and CEO.
- Ongoing patient recruitment activities and enrollment across our clinical trials evaluating vidutolimod, including:
- A Phase 2 trial of vidutolimod in combination with nivolumab in anti-PD-1 refractory advanced melanoma, supported by a clinical collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb.
- A randomized Phase 2/3 trial of vidutolimod in combination with nivolumab vs. nivolumab monotherapy in first-line metastatic or unresectable melanoma, also supported by the clinical collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb.
- A Phase 2 trial of vidutolimod in combination with pembrolizumab in recurrent or metastatic squamous cell head and neck cancer.
- Start-up activities underway for the planned expansion of the development program for vidutolimod in combination with cemiplimab in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma, supported by a clinical collaboration with Regeneron.
Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results
- Research and development expenses (R&D): R&D expenses for the three months ending September 30, 2021, were
$11.4 million , compared to$6.7 million for the same period in the prior year. This increase reflects higher third-party CRO and manufacturing costs directly related to the vidutolimod clinical trials, in addition to higher personnel and operating expense for the planning and execution of the clinical trials. - General and administration expenses (G&A): G&A expenses for the three months ending September 30, 2021, were
$3.6 million , compared to$3.2 million for the same period in the prior year. This increase was primarily attributable to increases in personnel and operating expense incurred in connection with Checkmate operating as a publicly traded company. - Cash, cash equivalents and investments: Cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale investments were
$80.8 million as of September 30, 2021.
About Checkmate Pharmaceuticals
Checkmate Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing its proprietary technology to harness the power of the immune system to combat cancer. Checkmate Pharmaceuticals’ product candidate, vidutolimod (CMP-001), is an advanced generation Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist, delivered as a biologic virus-like particle utilizing a CpG-A oligodeoxynucleotide as a key component, designed to trigger the body’s innate immune system to attack tumors in combination with other therapies. Information regarding Checkmate Pharmaceuticals is available at www.checkmatepharma.com.
Availability of Other Information About Checkmate Pharmaceuticals
Investors and others should note that we communicate with our investors and the public using our website (www.checkmatepharma.com), our investor relations website (ir.checkmatepharma.com), and on social media (Twitter and LinkedIn), including but not limited to: investor presentations and investor fact sheets, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. The information that Checkmate Pharmaceuticals posts on these channels and websites could be deemed to be material information. As a result, we encourage investors, the media, and others interested in us to review the information that is posted on these channels, including the investor relations website, on a regular basis. This list of channels may be updated from time to time on our investor relations website and may include additional social media channels. The contents of our website or these channels, or any other website that may be accessed from our website or these channels, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.
Forward Looking Statements
Various statements in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “could,” “expect,” “estimate,” “design,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “objective,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “likely,” “should,” “will,” and “would,” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions or words, identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations that involve risks, changes in circumstances, assumptions, and uncertainties. These statements include those regarding vidutolimod (formerly CMP-001), including its development and therapeutic potential and the advancement of our clinical and preclinical pipeline; expectations regarding the results and analysis of clinical data and timing thereof; expectations regarding the timing, initiation, implementation and success of its planned and ongoing clinical trials for vidutolimod and the benefits and related implications of current and future partnerships and/or collaborations; and expectations regarding the Company’s use of capital, expenses and other financial results. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and may not be accurate indications of when such performance or results will be achieved. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those related to the development of our product candidate, including any delays in our ongoing or planned preclinical or clinical trials, the results from clinical trials, including the fact that positive results from a trial may not necessarily be predictive of the results of future or ongoing clinical trials, the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on our business, operations, clinical supply and plans, the risks inherent in the drug development process, the risks regarding the accuracy of our estimates of expenses and timing of development, our capital requirements and the need for additional financing, and obtaining, maintaining and protecting our intellectual property. These and additional risks are discussed in the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ending September 30, 2021 and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) which is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors in our subsequent filings with the SEC. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and we undertake no duty to update this information unless required by law.
CHECKMATE PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||
| Operating expenses: | |||||||||||||||
| Research and development | $ | 11,375 | $ | 6,673 | $ | 36,618 | $ | 19,462 | |||||||
| General and administrative | 3,605 | 3,160 | 11,498 | 6,465 | |||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 14,980 | 9,833 | 48,116 | 25,927 | |||||||||||
| Loss from operations | (14,980 | ) | (9,833 | ) | (48,116 | ) | (25,927 | ) | |||||||
| Other income (expense), net: | |||||||||||||||
| Interest income | 14 | 4 | 87 | 32 | |||||||||||
| Loss on sale of available-for-sale investments | -- | -- | (35 | ) | -- | ||||||||||
| Change in fair value of convertible loan notes | -- | -- | -- | (83 | ) | ||||||||||
| Total other income (expense), net | 14 | 4 | 52 | (51 | ) | ||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (14,966 | ) | $ | (9,829 | ) | $ | (48,064 | ) | $ | (25,978 | ) | |||
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic and diluted | 21,626 | 13,580 | 21,611 | 5,519 | |||||||||||
| Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders – basic and diluted | $ | (0.69 | ) | $ | (0.84 | ) | $ | (2.22 | ) | $ | (5.79 | ) | |||
CHECKMATE PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)
| September 30, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | |||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents and investments | $ | 80,844 | $ | 125,859 | ||||
| Other assets | 8,495 | 7,215 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 89,339 | $ | 133,074 | ||||
| Total liabilities | 7,812 | 7,875 | ||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | 81,527 | 125,199 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | 89,339 | $ | 133,074 | ||||
FAQ
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