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Genelux Corporation Reports First Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Provides General Business Updates

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Genelux reported its first-quarter 2024 financial results and provided updates on its business activities. The company is progressing with its pivotal Phase 3 registration trial of Olvi-Vec in platinum resistant/refractory ovarian cancer and plans to expand its use into other cancer indications. Genelux is also enrolling patients in clinical trials for non-small cell lung cancer and recurrent small cell lung cancer. The company filed a shelf registration statement to offer up to $300.0 million in common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, and warrants. Financially, Genelux had $19.6 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments as of March 31, 2024. Research and development expenses increased by $1.2 million year-over-year, while general and administrative expenses increased by $0.3 million in the first quarter of 2024.

Positive
  • Progressing with pivotal Phase 3 registration trial of Olvi-Vec in platinum resistant/refractory ovarian cancer.

  • Expanded use of Olvi-Vec into additional cancer indications through intravenous administration.

  • Enrolling patients in clinical trials for recurrent non-small cell lung cancer and recurrent small cell lung cancer.

  • Filed a shelf registration statement to offer up to $300.0 million in common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, and warrants.

  • Had $19.6 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments as of March 31, 2024.

Negative
  • Net loss of $7.9 million for the first quarter of 2024, with a net loss per share of $0.29.

  • Research and development expenses increased by $1.2 million year-over-year in 2024.

  • General and administrative expenses increased by $0.3 million year-over-year in 2024.

Insights

Genelux Corporation's financial results for the first quarter of 2024 indicate a reduction in net loss year-over-year, from a net loss per share of $0.53 in the first quarter of 2023 to a net loss per share of $0.29 in the same period of 2024. This improvement may signal a more efficient management of expenses or an increase in operational efficiency. Furthermore, the company's R&D expenses have increased, which could be seen as a commitment to advancing their product pipeline, particularly their lead candidate Olvi-Vec. The shelf registration statement allowing for the potential sale of up to $300.0 million in various securities and the specific agreement for up to $100.0 million worth of common stock, suggest that Genelux is seeking to fortify its balance sheet for future endeavors. However, investors should be aware that such offerings could result in share dilution. A critical aspect to monitor would be the company's cash runway, which is expected to extend into the second quarter of 2025, according to the report. It's essential for investors to juxtapose the company's cash burn rate against the progress of its clinical trials to assess whether the current capital will suffice to reach key milestones.

Genelux's update on the ongoing clinical development of Olvi-Vec in various cancer indications is noteworthy for stakeholders. The enrollment progress in their Phase 3 trial and the anticipated trial for recurrent non-small cell lung cancer represent significant steps in the company's pipeline development. The use of systemic administration and intravenous delivery could potentially address the physician's preference for route of delivery and patient compliance. Additionally, the company's strategic partnership with Newsoara BioPharma for conducting trials in China highlights their expansion into the international markets. As the company anticipates interim data from their Phase 1b trial later in the year, investors should note that positive results could be a catalyst for the stock, while any setbacks could have an adverse effect. Clinical development details like these are critical for understanding the potential risk and reward of investing in a late clinical-stage biotech company like Genelux.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genelux Corporation (NASDAQ: GNLX), a late clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2024 and provided general business updates.  

“Our pivotal Phase 3 registration trial of Olvi-Vec in platinum resistant/refractory ovarian cancer continues to enroll patients,” said Thomas Zindrick, President, Chairman and CEO of Genelux. “Looking ahead, we are excited about advancing Olvi-Vec into additional cancer indications through intravenous administration, a physician-preferred route of delivery, and seeking to further validate our hypothesis that Olvi-Vec may reverse resistance to platinum in multiple tumor types.”

The Company expects to initiate our Phase 2 trial in recurrent non-small cell lung cancer in the second quarter of this year and to report interim data of our Phase 1b trial in recurrent small cell lung cancer later this year. Both trials are designed to intravenously administer Olvi-Vec and to re-challenge patients who previously failed platinum-based chemotherapy. The designs build on a previous clinical trial showing the benefit of intravenously administered Olvi-Vec in patients with lung disease (primary or metastatic) and on our Phase 2 data in platinum resistant/refractory ovarian cancer (PRROC).

Pipeline Highlights

We are actively enrolling patients in ongoing Phase 3 OnPrime/GOG-3076 registrational trial in PRROC in the United States. Currently, 22 sites have been activated to enroll patients with additional sites identified and in various stages of activation (NCT05281471). We are on track for topline results in the second half of 2025.

Patient enrollment has been increasing in the ongoing Phase 1b part of the Phase 1b/2 trial testing systemic administration of Olvi-Vec in patients with recurrent small cell lung cancer. The trial is co-sponsored with our partner Newsoara BioPharma Co., Ltd. and is being conducted at pre-eminent sites in China. We anticipate interim readout in the second half of 2024.

Initiation of the Phase 2 trial in the United States testing systemic administration of Olvi-Vec in recurrent non-small cell lung cancer trial is anticipated to begin in the first half of 2024.

Business Updates

In the first quarter of 2024, we filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Under the shelf registration statement, we may offer and sell, from time to time, up to $300.0 million in common stock, preferred stock, debt securities and/or warrants in one or more offerings. Concurrent with the shelf registration statement, the Company entered into a sales agreement under which the Company may offer to sell shares of our common stock up to $100.0 million through Guggenheim Securities, acting as our sales agent.

First Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $19.6 million as of March 31, 2024. We expect our existing cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments will provide runway into the second quarter of 2025.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $4.0 million for the first quarter of 2024, as compared to $2.8 million for the first quarter 2023, respectively. The $1.2 million year-over-year increase in R&D expenses in 2024 was primarily due to a $0.4 million increase related to new employee hires after the first quarter of 2023, a $0.3 million increase in stock compensation and a $0.4 million increase related to clinical manufacturing, regulatory and other R&D expenses.

General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $4.1 million in the first quarter of 2024, as compared to $3.8 million for the first quarter of 2023. The $0.3 million year-over-year increase in G&A expenses in 2024 was primarily the result of a $0.4 million increase in professional service expenses in 2024, primarily due to costs associated with our shelf registration on Form S-3 and a $0.5 million increase due to consulting expenses, employee related costs and other G&A expenses, offset by a $0.6 million decrease in stock compensation expense in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter of 2023.

Net loss was $7.9 million for the first quarter of 2024 or a net loss per share of $0.29, as compared to net loss of $10.4 million for the first quarter of 2023, or a net loss per share of $0.53.  

About Genelux Corporation

Genelux is a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a pipeline of next-generation oncolytic immunotherapies for patients suffering from aggressive and/or difficult-to-treat solid tumor types. The Company's most advanced product candidate, Olvi-Vec (olvimulogene nanivacirepvec), is a proprietary, modified strain of the vaccinia virus. Olvi-Vec currently is being evaluated in OnPrime/GOG-3076, a multi-center, randomized, open-label Phase 3 registrational trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Olvi-Vec in combination with platinum-doublet + bevacizumab compared to compared with physician's choice of chemotherapy and bevacizumab in patients with platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer. The core of Genelux's discovery and development efforts revolves around its’ proprietary CHOICE™ platform from which the Company has developed an extensive library of isolated and engineered oncolytic vaccinia virus immunotherapeutic product candidates, including Olvi-Vec. For more information, please visit www.genelux.com and follow us on Twitter @Genelux_Corp and on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “expect,” “may,” “plan” or “will”. Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements related to Genelux’s future plans and prospects, Genelux’s anticipated cash runway and the sufficiency of its resources to support its planned operations, the planned timing of the Genelux’s data results in its ongoing clinical trials and continued development of Olvi-Vec, the planned initiation of the Phase 2 non-small cell lung cancer trial and the timing thereof; and the potential capabilities and advantages of Olvi-Vec. Such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These and other risks are identified under the caption “Risk Factors” in Genelux’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management’s assumptions and estimates as of such date. Genelux does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise.

Investor and Media Contacts

Ankit Bhargava, MD
Allele Communications, LLC
genelux@allelecomms.com 

Source: Genelux Corporation

   
Genelux Corporation
Condensed Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except for share amounts and par value data)
   
 March 31,December 31,
  2024  2023 
ASSETS(Unaudited) 
Current Assets  
Cash and cash equivalents$4,061 $9,418 
Short-term investments 15,566  13,773 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1,577  1,012 
Total Current Assets 21,204  24,203 
   
Property and equipment, net 1,116  1,170 
Right of use assets 2,264  2,428 
Other assets 92  92 
Total Other Assets 3,472  3,690 
   
TOTAL ASSETS$24,676 $27,893 
   
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY  
Current Liabilities  
Accounts payable and accrued expenses$5,313 $3,784 
Accrued payroll and payroll taxes 1,908  2,117 
Lease liabilities, current portion 584  653 
Total Current Liabilities 7,805  6,554 
   
Lease liabilities, long-term portion 1,787  1,866 
Total Liabilities 9,592  8,420 
   
Shareholders' Equity  
Preferred stock, par value $0.001, 10,000,000 shares authorized;  
  no shares issued and outstanding, respectively; -  - 
Common stock, par value $0.001, 200,000,000 shares authorized;  
  26,996,740 and 26,788,986 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 27  27 
Treasury stock, 433,333 shares, at cost (433) (433)
Additional paid-in capital 244,869  241,389 
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (5) 14 
Accumulated deficit (229,374) (221,524)
Total Shareholders' Equity 15,084  19,473 
   
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $24,676 $27,893 
   
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
   


Genelux Corporation
Condensed Statements of Operations
(in thousands, except for share amounts and per share data)
   
 Three Months Ended
 March 31,
  2024  2023 
 (Unaudited)
   
Revenues$8 $170 
   
Operating expenses:  
  Research and development 4,010  2,845 
  General and administrative 4,113  3,787 
Total operating expenses 8,123  6,632 
   
Loss from operations (8,115) (6,462)
   
Other income (expenses):  
  Interest income 265  - 
  Interest expense -  (143)
  Debt discount amortization -  (649)
  Financing costs -  (3,110)
Total other income (expenses), net 265  (3,902)
   
NET LOSS$(7,850)$(10,364)
   
LOSS PER COMMON SHARE - BASIC AND DILUTED$(0.29)$(0.53)
   
WEIGHTED-AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING - BASIC AND DILUTED 26,849,737  19,575,631 
   
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
   


Genelux Corporation
Condensed Statements of Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands)
   
 Three Months Ended
 March 31,
  2024  2023 
 (Unaudited)
   
Net loss$(7,850)$(10,364)
   
Other comprehensive loss:  
   Net unrealized loss on short-term investments (19) - 
Comprehensive loss$(7,869)$(10,364)
   
   
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
   


FAQ

What trials is Genelux conducting with Olvi-Vec?

Genelux is conducting a Phase 2 trial in recurrent non-small cell lung cancer in the second quarter of 2024 and a Phase 1b trial in recurrent small cell lung cancer with interim data expected later this year.

What was Genelux 's net loss for the first quarter of 2024?

Genelux reported a net loss of $7.9 million for the first quarter of 2024, with a net loss per share of $0.29.

How much did Genelux have in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments as of March 31, 2024?

Genelux had $19.6 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments as of March 31, 2024.

Genelux Corporation

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE