Vivoryon Therapeutics N.V. Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial
Results and Highlights Operational Progress
Vivoryon Therapeutics N.V. Reports Third
Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Highlights Operational
Progress
- VIVIAD and VIVA-MIND studies both
advancing as planned at 600mg twice daily following positive DSMB
decisions; VIVIAD safety update with cut-off as of November 20,
2023, confirms low level of discontinuations
- On track to report VIVIAD final
topline Phase 2b data during end of Q1/2024
- Commenced preparations for
VIVALONG, an open-label extension study
- Unveiling focused growth strategy
leveraging varoglutamstat and VIVIAD and investing in QPCT/L small
molecule platform
- Chief Financial Officer transition
with promotion of Anne Doering, CFA, effective March 1, 2024
- Management to host conference call
today at 3:00 pm CET (9:00 am EST)
Halle (Saale) / Munich, Germany,
December 6, 2023 – Vivoryon Therapeutics N.V. (Euronext
Amsterdam: VVY; NL00150002Q7) (Vivoryon), a
clinical stage company focused on the discovery and development of
small molecule medicines to modulate the activity and stability of
pathologically altered proteins, today announced financial results
for the third quarter of 2023, ended September 30, 2023, and
provided an update on its corporate progress.
“In the third quarter of 2023, we continued to
make significant progress with the clinical development of our core
asset, varoglutamstat. From learnings across currently approved
monoclonal antibodies, we see a clear unmet need among early
Alzheimer’s disease patients for a safe and effective oral therapy
and we believe that varoglutamstat can address this gap,” said
Frank Weber, MD, CEO of Vivoryon. “We are preparing for the
upcoming European Phase 2b VIVIAD study readout during the end of
the first quarter of 2024 and potential discussions with the FDA
thereafter. Separately, we have initiated the identification of
novel oral QPTC/L inhibitors as second generation compounds in
early AD from our oral small molecule platform. We are also
integrating additional biomarkers of kidney function into the
VIVIAD study to assess the potential of QPCT/L inhibitors in
chronic kidney disease. We are committed to growing Vivoryon into a
leading biotech company with our highly attractive programs that
have prospects in multiple disease areas with high unmet need
including AD, chronic kidney disease, NASH, oncology and orphan
CNS.”
Dr. Weber continued, “I would also like to
express my gratitude to Florian Schmid, our CFO, who has decided
not to renew his contract as a member of the Vivoryon executive
leadership team and pursue other opportunities. Florian has played
a significant role in increasing the quality of our financial
position and processes over the last several years. In light of
this transition, I am excited to announce the promotion of Anne
Doering as CFO whose extensive capital markets experience will be
instrumental to Vivoryon’s next phase of growth. To ensure a smooth
transition we are pleased that Florian plans to continue with us as
a strategic advisor after Anne assumes the CFO role.”
Q3 2023 and Post-Period Portfolio
Highlights
Varoglutamstat Clinical
Program:
Varoglutamstat is a differentiated
investigational small-molecule medicine in development to treat
Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is currently being investigated in two
large Phase 2 studies, VIVIAD (NCT04498650) in Europe and VIVA-MIND
(NCT03919162) in the U.S., where it continues to show evidence of a
favorable safety profile at the therapeutic dose of 600mg twice
daily (BID), a dose demonstrated to result in a target occupancy of
nearly 90%. In addition, VIVALONG, an open-label extension study,
will allow for the potential confirmation of the long-term safety
and health outcome benefits of varoglutamstat after patients have
completed the double blinded studies VIVIAD and VIVA-MIND. The
study will also generate relevant pharmacoeconomic data.
Varoglutamstat is designed to prevent N3pE-Abeta
formation, rather than aiming to clear existing plaques, making it
an intervention upstream of other approaches such as monoclonal
antibodies (mAbs). Through a second mode of action, varoglutamstat
also modulates neuroinflammation via the CCL2 pathway, which, in
turn, has an impact on tau pathology.
VIVIAD
VIVIAD (NCT04498650) is a state-of-the-art Phase
2b study being conducted in Europe and is designed to evaluate the
safety, tolerability, and efficacy of varoglutamstat in 259
subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild AD.
- In July 2023, Vivoryon announced a
safety update based on data from all 259 randomized patients
which showed no clinical signs of varoglutamstat associated ARIAs
at the cutoff date of June 14, 2023. The independent Data Safety
Monitoring Board (DSMB) decided the study should continue as
planned and that no additional DSMB meeting will be required until
study completion.
- In October 2023, Vivoryon hosted a
virtual R&D Event with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) focused on
the clinical utility of primary and secondary endpoints of the
VIVIAD study. The primary endpoint, which is a combination of three
elements of the Cogstate neuropsychological test battery (NTB),
called “Cogstate 3-item scale,” includes Identification, Detection
and One Back tests and evaluates attention and working memory
domains over 48-96 weeks. Key secondary efficacy endpoints include
in hierarchical order: Cogstate Brief Battery (CBB, 4-item scale),
the full Cogstate NTB (8-item scale), the Amsterdam Instrumental
Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire (A-IADL-Q), and
electroencephalogram (EEG).
- In the VIVIAD study,
discontinuation rates to date remain favorable (cut-off date of
November 20, 2023). The total number of discontinuations remains
low in VIVIAD throughout the study at less than 13% based on
blinded data. In addition, the number of discontinuations due to
adverse events (AEs) has remained at less than 4%.
- The statistical power of VIVIAD to
detect a potential treatment difference of Cohen’s d of 0.35
between active and placebo is confirmed to be above 80% as assumed
in the study protocol.
- Vivoryon remains on track to share
final topline data during the end of the first quarter of 2024 and
the full dataset at a subsequent medical meeting. Following the
VIVIAD data readout, the Company expects to conduct an end of Phase
2 meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in
the second half of 2024.
- The end of the active treatment
phase in VIVIAD is estimated to occur by year end 2023, which is
then followed by a minimum period of four weeks of safety follow-up
visits with rigorous data and statistical analysis thereafter.
- Vivoryon expects the final VIVIAD
dataset to include an evaluation of patients following the 12-week
titration period, which is the same for every patient randomized to
the active arm. The 600mg BID is applied in approximately 75% of
the treatment weeks of all patients and the 300mg BID is applied in
approximately 25% of the treatment weeks.
VIVA-MIND
VIVA-MIND (NCT03919162) is a complementary Phase
2 study for varoglutamstat being conducted in the U.S. which seeks
to enroll 180 patients with early AD into the Phase 2a adaptive
dose finding portion and to enroll a further 234 patients in the
Phase 2b portion of the study. VIVA-MIND is running in parallel to
VIVIAD to provide robust evidence on slowing AD progression and to
support Vivoryon’s regulatory strategy.
- In October 2023, Vivoryon announced
that the study’s independent DSMB unanimously recommend that
VIVA-MIND should proceed with a dose of 600mg BID through the
remainder of Phase 2a and 2b. This decision follows the September
2023 DSMB quarterly safety review of adverse events and labs, and
the October 2023 analysis of treatment-emergent adverse events of
special interest (AESI) pertaining to skin and subcutaneous tissue
disorders and hepatobiliary disorders, as well as target occupancy
and plasma pharmacokinetic (PK) data.
- With VIVA-MIND, the Company has
confirmed the feasibility of an up-titration protocol to the final
dose of 600mg BID which is accelerated compared to the ongoing
VIVIAD Phase 2b study. VIVA-MIND is continuing to recruit
participants into the second cohort, with 21 sites open across the
U.S.
- Vivoryon’s regulatory strategy for VIVA-MIND follows an
adaptive trial design which includes the option to expand the study
to a confirmatory Phase 3 study contingent on VIVIAD results and
regulatory feedback.
VIVALONG
- In July 2023, Vivoryon announced
that it commenced preparations for an open-label extension (OLE)
study, VIVALONG, to provide a long-term treatment option to
patients after completion of treatment under the VIVIAD or
VIVA-MIND protocol.
- The launch of VIVALONG is
contingent on the outcome of VIVIAD.
- Pending VIVIAD results, Vivoryon
plans to assess the long-term treatment of varoglutamstat including
positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and other key safety and
efficacy endpoints.
Early-Stage Pipeline and Kidney Disease
Exploration:
- Vivoryon is unveiling additional
opportunities in R&D activities stemming from its proprietary
oral small molecule QPCT/L inhibitor platform. Following the VIVIAD
readout, Vivoryon plans to leverage findings to further bolster its
platform capabilities and potentially nominate new development
projects in 2024.
- The Company has initiated the
identification of novel oral QPCT/L inhibitors as second generation
compounds in early AD.
- The VIVIAD study will now include
additional biomarkers to investigate the effect of QPCT/L
inhibition on kidney function.
- Activities to identify suitable new
chemical entity (NCE) oral QPCT/L inhibitors as potential
development projects in 2024 are underway in multiple disease areas
including AD, chronic kidney disease, NASH, oncology and orphan
CNS, such as Huntington’s disease and Down syndrome.
Corporate Development
Updates:
- In September 2023, Vivoryon held an
Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) related to the appointment of
Frank Weber, MD, as CEO and Anne Doering, CFA, as
Chief Strategy & Investor Relations Officer (CS&IRO).
The shareholders approved all items on the agenda of the meeting,
including the appointment of Dr. Weber and Anne Doering to the
Company’s Board as executive directors.
- The Company announced the
appointment of Anne Doering as Chief Financial Officer (CFO),
leveraging Ms. Doering’s deep capital markets experience and
enabling a smooth management transition as she succeeds Florian
Schmid on March 1, 2024.
Financial Results for the Third Quarter
of 2023
No revenues were generated in
the nine months ended September 30, 2023, or the nine months ended
September 30, 2022.
Research and development
expenses of EUR 10.4 million in the nine months ended
September 30, 2023, decreased by EUR 5.6 million compared to the
nine months ended September 30, 2022. This decrease is
primarily attributable to EUR 3.0 million lower expenses related to
our clinical trial VIVIAD and EUR 2.6 million lower manufacturing
cost for study drug production.
General and administrative
expenses of EUR 6.8 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2023, increased by EUR 2.6 million from EUR 4.2
million in the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The main
reasons for the increase were EUR 0.9 million higher personnel
costs, EUR 0.9 million higher costs for the non-executive Board and
EUR 0.8 million higher consulting costs. The reasons for the cost
increases in personnel and the non-executive Board were
predominantly caused by accelerated share-option expenses and
severance payments as a result of the 2023 Board changes.
Net loss of EUR 17.1 million
for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, compares to
EUR 18.9 million for the nine months ended September 30,
2022.
The Company held EUR 17.0 million in
cash and cash equivalents as of September 30,
2023, compared to EUR 26.6 million as of December 31, 2022. In the
nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company entered into Euro
term deposits of EUR 16.0 million resulting in a disclosure of
these funds in the balance sheet as financial assets. Combining the
cash and cash equivalents with the term deposits, Vivoryon has EUR
33.0 million in liquid funds at its disposal.
Cash flows used in operating
activities were EUR (33.3) million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2023, compared to EUR (14.7) million
in the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The change
in operating cash flow by EUR (18.5) million mainly results from
newly disclosed term deposits with a term of more than three months
of EUR (16.0) million that are disclosed in the Company`s financial
assets and not in cash equivalents as well as other changes in
working capital. Excluding this shift in cash to term deposits,
cash flows used in operating activities would have been EUR (17.3)
million.
Cash flows used in investing
activities were EUR (0.5) million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2023, compared to EUR 2.0 thousand in the nine
months ended September 30, 2022.
Cash flows provided from financing
activities were EUR 24.2 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2023, including EUR 1.3 million from the exercise of
share options, compared to EUR 19.1 million in the nine months
ended September 30, 2022.
Financial Guidance
Including the proceeds from the capital raise
completed in May 2023, according to current planning and estimates,
Vivoryon expects that its existing cash and cash equivalents will
be sufficient to fund its research and development expenses, as
well as the general and administrative expenses and cash flows from
investing and financing activities into the second half of 2024.
This guidance does not include potential milestone payments from
development partnerships, potential payments from licensing
agreements and/or additional financing measures, as exercise of the
options granted in connection with the private placement announced
September 30, 2022 (see note 8.11 of the Company’s annual financial
statements for the year ended December 31, 2022).
Conference Call and Webcast
Vivoryon will host a conference call and webcast
today, December 6, 2023, at 3:00 pm CET (9:00 am EST). A Q&A
session will follow the presentation of the third quarter
results.
A live webcast and slides will be made available at:
www.vivoryon.com/investors-news/news-and-events/presentations-webcasts/
To join the conference call via phone, participants may
pre-register and will receive dedicated dial-in details to easily
and quickly access the call via the following website:
https://register.vevent.com/register/BI44eb013feef24cb5818e6711539120de
It is suggested participants dial into the conference call 15
minutes prior to the scheduled start time to avoid any delays in
attendance.
Approximately one day after the call, a slide-synchronized audio
replay of the conference will be available on:
www.vivoryon.com/investors-news/news-and-events/presentations-webcasts/
###
About Vivoryon Therapeutics
N.V.Vivoryon is a clinical stage biotechnology company
focused on developing innovative small molecule-based medicines.
Driven by our passion for ground-breaking science and innovation,
we strive to change the lives of patients in need suffering from
severe diseases. We leverage our in-depth expertise in
understanding post-translational modifications to develop medicines
that modulate the activity and stability of proteins which are
altered in disease settings. Beyond our lead program,
varoglutamstat, which is in Phase 2 clinical development to treat
Alzheimer’s disease, we have established a solid pipeline of orally
available small molecule inhibitors for various indications
including cancer, inflammatory diseases and fibrosis.
www.vivoryon.com
Vivoryon Forward Looking
StatementsThis press release includes forward-looking
statements, including, without limitation, those regarding the
business strategy, management plans and objectives for future
operations of the Vivoryon Therapeutics N.V. (the “Company”),
estimates and projections with respect to the market for the
Company’s products and forecasts and statements as to when the
Company’s products may be available. Words such as “anticipate,”
“believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,”
“plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar
expressions as they relate to the Company are intended to identify
such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements
are not guarantees of future performance; rather they are based on
the Management’s current expectations and assumptions about future
events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. The
forward-looking statements involve a number of known and unknown
risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties and other
factors could materially adversely affect the outcome and financial
effects of the plans and events described herein. Actual results,
performance or events may differ materially from those expressed or
implied in such forward-looking statements and from expectations.
As a result, no undue reliance should be placed on such
forward-looking statements. This press release does not contain
risk factors. Certain risk factors that may affect the Company’s
future financial results are discussed in the published annual
financial statements of the Company. This press release, including
any forward-looking statements, speaks only as of the date of this
press release. The Company does not assume any obligation to update
any information or forward-looking statements contained herein,
save for any information required to be disclosed by law.
For more information, please contact:
Investor ContactStern IRJanhavi MohiteTel: +1
212-362-1200Email: janhavi.mohite@sternir.com
Media ContactTrophic CommunicationsValeria
FisherTel: +49 175 8041816Email: vivoryon@trophic.eu
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