Play_Chips
16 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery and development of small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of cancer in the United States. The company provides therapeutics through the use of its proprietary suite of technologies based upon gene expression analysis, known as AvalonRx. Its primary drug candidate, AVN944, an oral delivery, small molecule drug candidate, is in early stage clinical development for the treatment of hematological cancers. The company?s discovery and development programs comprise AVN944 for the inhibition of inosine 5?-monophosphate dehydrogenase, an enzyme elevated in the cells of cancer patients, particularly those with leukemia and lymphoma. Its other development programs include the application of AvalonRx to inhibit b-Catenin pathway in the initiation of cancer, as well as Aurora kinase pathways in colon and breast cancers, and leukemia. The company also involves in anti body development. The company has collaborations with MedImmune, Inc.; Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Inc.; Medarex, Inc.; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated; Gene Logic, Inc.; and Asinex, Ltd. for the development of therapeutic anti bodies. Avalon Pharmaceuticals, formerly known as Therapeutic Genomics, Inc., was co-founded in 1999 by Kenneth C. Carter, Thomas G. David, Alan G. Walton, and Bradley G. Lorimier. The company is headquartered in Germantown, Maryland.
emulwa
16 years ago
Biotech Clinical Data Inc. will buy a Maryland competitor for $10 million in stock, the companies announced on Tuesday.
Newton, Mass.-based Clinical Data (Nasdaq: CLDA) said the acquisition of Avalon Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: AVRX) in Germantown, Md., will help expand its cancer business with technology to help identify both new diagnostics and treatments.
The price is based on the 15-day volume weighted average price of $12.49 for Clinical Data’s common stock through Oct. 27.
Clinical Data buys rival for $10M in stock
The agreement also entailed Clinical Data completing a private placement of nearly 3.4 million shares of Avalon’s common stock. Clinical Data also loaned Avalon $3 million, and paid Avalon $1 million in exchange for a global, exclusive license to that company’s technology for drug and biomarker discovery. A biomarker can indicate the activity or likelihood of a certain disease such as cancer.
Late in September, Clinical Data negotiated a $25 million private placement to handle day-to-day working capital.
The company is developing new biotechnology treatments and also tests to help predict drug safety and effectiveness.
Clinical Data’s headquarters will remain in Newton. The company employs about 300 people around the world.
TITAN
16 years ago
Partnerships
Avalon owns full commercialization rights to all of our internal product development programs. As these programs mature during the next few years, we will keep some products solely for internal development and expand the potential of others through partnering. In select cases, we will also likely sign additional partnerships based on the use of AvalonRx. We believe this strategy will expand our product pipeline.
Merck
In March 2007, we entered into a drug discovery, development and commercialization agreement with Merck & Co., Inc., to identify and develop inhibitors against an undisclosed target in oncology. Using our AvalonRx® platform we will screen a select set of compounds from Merck’s proprietary compound library and identify hits against this target, which is generally regarded as "undruggable." We are responsible for the selection of compound families and optimization of those compounds to a preclinical candidate selection stage. Merck is responsible for the clinical development, regulatory approval and commercialization of any resulting product candidates.
astrazeneca/medimmune
In June 2005, we entered into a drug discovery, development and commercialization agreement with AstraZeneca/MedImmune, Inc. for the discovery of small molecule therapeutics in the area of inflammatory diseases. We are using AvalonRx® to identify lead compounds. AstraZeneca/MedImmune is responsible for preclinical and clinical testing of any resulting product candidates, as well as all future development, sales and marketing activities.
TITAN
16 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery and development of cancer therapeutics using AvalonRx technology in the United States. The company offers AVN944, a Phase I clinical development product for the treatment of hematologic and solid tumor cancers. It also engages in preclinical programs to develop inhibitors of the Beta-catenin and Aurora pathways, and discovery programs for Survivin and Myc pathway inhibitors. The company has collaborations with Merck & Co., Inc.; MedImmune, Inc.; Medarex, Inc.; ChemDiv, Inc.; and Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Inc. Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Germantown, Maryland.
TITAN
16 years ago
Estimated Market Cap
$1,550,043 as of Oct 22, 2008
Outstanding Shares
17,033,441 as of Jul 31, 2008
Number of Share Holders of Record
2,732 as of Mar 31, 2008
surf1944
16 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals Reports Second Quarter 2008 Results
Wednesday August 13, 10:00 am ET
Company also announces that it is restructuring operations
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVRX - News), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer therapeutics, today announced financial and operational results for the second quarter of 2008. For the three months ended June 30, 2008, net loss was $5.6 million, compared with $5.8 million in the second quarter of 2007. As of June 30, 2008, cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $16.7 million. The Company also announced today that it is restructuring its operations and reducing its workforce by approximately one-third.
“In the second quarter of 2008, we reached an important milestone for Avalon in naming AVN316 as the lead clinical candidate for our Beta-catenin Pathway Inhibitor program,” stated Kenneth C. Carter, Ph.D., President and CEO. “This compound, which is a potent inhibitor of the intractable Beta-catenin pathway, is the first compound to be named as a clinical candidate from our unique drug discovery platform, AvalonRx®. We believe this nomination provides validation for our unique drug discovery approach and we expect additional first-in-class compounds will be identified using AvalonRx in the future.”
“Given the difficult current funding environment, we have decided to restructure our operations in order to narrow our focus to those product development programs with the greatest potential value,” continued Dr. Carter. “We believe the operational changes we are making will allow us to advance our key programs as we continue seeking additional sources of capital and will position us well for success after we have raised additional funds.”
Conference Call & Webcast Information
Avalon Pharmaceuticals’ senior management will host a conference call at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time today, to discuss the quarterly results and recent business developments. Live audio of the conference call will be available to investors, members of the news media and the general public by dialing 877-548-7913 (in the U.S.) and 719-325-4932 (internationally), and providing the participant pass code, 3593548. To access the call by live webcast, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website at http://www.Avalonrx.com. An archived version of the webcast will also be available for seven (7) days on Avalon's website.
Recent Developments
* AVN316 was nominated as the lead clinical candidate in the Company’s Beta-catenin Pathway Inhibitor program.
* The Company identified small molecule allosteric inhibitors of the Aurora/Centrosome pathway and identified the target in the pathway as the Polo-Like Kinase 3 (PLK3) protein.
* During the quarter, AVN944 advanced to treatment at 400 mg twice a day in both the Phase I hematological and the Phase IIa pancreatic clinical trials. Two patients at the 400 mg dose level experienced elevated bilirubin. The Company has suspended treatment at the 400 mg dose level but is continuing dosing patients who are at lower dose levels while reviewing all relevant data to determine whether a maximum tolerated dose has been reached.
* The Company announced steps to restructure its operations and reduce its future cash burn rate.
Financial Results and Condition
Net loss was $5.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2008, compared with $5.8 million in the second quarter of 2007. The lower loss in 2008 was principally due to lower operating expenses and higher revenues in the 2008 period. Revenues for the second quarter of 2008 were $137,000, compared with $78,000 for the same period of 2007. Revenues in both periods were from the Company’s collaboration with Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research.
Total costs and expenses from operations were $5.8 million in the second quarter of 2008, compared with the $6.1 million reported for the second quarter of 2007. General and administrative expenses decreased in the 2008 period principally due to lower stock compensation expense and other costs related to personnel and consultants. Research and development expenses increased in the 2008 period due to higher clinical trial costs related to AVN944.
As of June 30, 2008, the Company had $16.7 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. Of that amount, $4.5 million was held in a restricted account to serve as collateral for long-term debt.
The Company estimates that its existing capital resources will not be sufficient to fund its planned operations significantly beyond December 31, 2008. Management continues to pursue additional funding sources; however, there is no assurance that the Company will raise capital sufficient to enable it to continue its operations past year end. A failure to raise additional funds in the near term would require Avalon to reduce its operating and capital expenditures, scale back or eliminate some or all of its research and development programs or license to third parties products or technologies that it would otherwise seek to develop itself. There is no assurance that the Company could continue as a going concern if this were the case.
Restructuring
Avalon today announced plans to restructure its operations to focus primarily on its existing collaborations and on the pre-clinical and clinical development of its Beta-catenin inhibitor program. As a part of its restructuring plans, the Company is limiting its investment in the development of AVN944 as it seeks to identify development partners for this program. In connection with the restructuring of its operations, the Company is implementing across-the-board workforce reductions to lower the Company’s headcount by about one third to approximately 35 employees going forward. The Company expects to take restructuring charges related to this workforce reduction and the restructuring of its operations of between $0.9 million and $1.1 million for severance and related costs.
surf1944
16 years ago
Form 8-K/A for AVALON PHARMACEUTICALS INC
24-Jul-2008
Change in Directors or Principal Officers
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
(d) This amendment to the Current Report on Form 8-K of Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company"), dated March 14, 2008 and filed on March 17, 2008 is being filed to report that Dr. Philip Frost, previously announced as being appointed to the Company's board of directors, was appointed on July 23, 2008 as a member of the Company's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
Except as noted herein, the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K remains as originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 17, 2008.
surf1944
16 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals Nominates Lead Clinical Development Candidate in its Beta-catenin Pathway Inhibitor Program
Thursday June 26, 8:00 am ET
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVRX - News), announced today the nomination of AVN316 as a lead clinical development candidate in its Beta-catenin Pathway Inhibitor program. This novel compound inhibits the Beta-catenin pathway and is a potent inducer of cancer cell death. The Company plans to begin clinical testing of AVN316 in patients in 2009.
Beta-catenin is one of the most commonly activated cancer pathways and is known to play a key role in the initiation and progression of cancer. The Beta-catenin pathway is upregulated in a large number of different cancer types, in particular colon cancer, where it has been estimated to be abnormally activated in at least 90 percent of cases.
“The biological complexity and the classically intractable nature of the beta-catenin protein have prevented this pathway from being effectively targeted by conventional drug discovery techniques, despite the efforts of numerous pharmaceutical companies,” stated Kenneth Carter, Ph.D., President and CEO of Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “We are very pleased to name AVN316 as the lead compound for this intractable target, which we believe provides validation for our unique drug discovery platform, AvalonRx®.”
Using AvalonRx®, the Company identified several chemical compound series that inhibit beta-catenin function. One family of structurally distinct chemical compounds potently down-regulate the Beta-catenin pathway by reducing beta-catenin protein levels. This lead compound series (of which AVN316 is a member) decreases the beta-catenin protein levels in cancer cells and xenograft tumors, induces biomarkers of Beta-catenin pathway inhibition, and inhibits tumor growth. AVN316 was chosen from the series for its potency and tumor growth inhibition properties in animal models of human disease. Near-term activities with AVN316 include toxicology studies and large-scale manufacturing in preparation for IND submission to the FDA.
About Avalon Pharmaceuticals
Avalon is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class cancer therapeutics. Avalon’s lead product candidate, AVN944, an IMPDH inhibitor, is in Phase II clinical development. Avalon also has preclinical programs to develop inhibitors of the Beta-catenin and Aurora/Centrosome pathways, discovery programs for inhibitors of the Survivin and Myc pathways and partnerships with Merck, MedImmune, ChemDiv, Medarex, and Novartis. AvalonRx® is the company’s proprietary platform which is based on large-scale biomarker identification and monitoring, used to discover and develop therapeutics for pathways that have historically been characterized as "undruggable." Avalon is headquartered in Germantown, MD.
surf1944
16 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals Reports First Quarter 2008 Results
Wednesday May 7, 4:20 pm ET
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVRX - News), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer therapeutics, today announced financial and operational results for the first quarter of 2008. For the three months ended March 31, 2008, net loss was $6.2 million, compared with $5.3 million in the first quarter of 2007. As of March 31, 2008, cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $23.6 million.
“Our clinical trials, pre-clinical product development programs and major collaborations continued to progress as planned in the first quarter of 2008,” stated Kenneth C. Carter, Ph.D., President and CEO. “We are excited about recent progress in our Aurora/Centrosome inhibitor program where we identified small molecule allosteric inhibitors of the PLK3 protein. We are also pleased with the progress of our other programs as we continue on track to complete our AVN944 Phase I hematological and Phase IIa pancreatic clinical trials in 2008.”
Conference Call & Webcast Information
Avalon Pharmaceuticals’ senior management will host a conference call on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, to discuss the quarterly results. Live audio of the conference call will be available to investors, members of the news media and the general public by dialing (877-419-6597) (in the U.S.) and (719-325-4858) (internationally), and providing the participant pass code, 4845885. To access the call by live webcast, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website at http://www.Avalonrx.com. An archived version of the webcast will also be available through June 30, 2008 on Avalon's website.
Recent Highlights
Highlights so far in 2008 include the following previously reported events.
* At a poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research 2008 Annual Meeting held April 12-16, in San Diego, CA, the Company reported that it used AvalonRx®, its biomarker-based drug discovery system, to identify small molecule allosteric inhibitors at the Aurora/Centrosome pathway, and to reveal the protein targeted by these compounds. These inhibitors potently induce death in cancer cells and inhibit the Polo-Like Kinase 3 (PLK3) protein, a key node in the centrosome pathway.
* The Company’s drug discovery collaboration with Novartis progressed to the next stage which triggered an undisclosed payment to Avalon for research support. In the current phase of this collaboration, the Company is characterizing compounds identified from the completed high-throughput screen.
* The Company identified hit compounds that affect the Hsp90 pathway under its collaboration with ChemDiv.
* Dr. Philip Frost, M.D., Ph.D., was appointed to the Company’s board of directors. Dr. Frost has extensive experience in drug discovery and development over a very successful career in industry and academia, including leading positions at ImClone, Wyeth, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of California, Irvine.
Financial Results
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080507/20080507006278.html?.v=1
surf1944
16 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals to Release First Quarter 2008 Results
Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVRX), today announced that it is scheduled to release financial results for the first quarter of 2008 on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 after the close of the U.S. financial markets. The Company will also host a conference call on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 8:30 am Eastern Time to provide a company update and discuss the financial results for the quarter. Interested investors, analysts, members of the media and the general public can listen to the call live over the Internet or by dialing the numbers listed below.
Conference Call details:
Dial-In: (877) 419-6597 (U.S.)
(719) 325-4858 (International)
Passcode: 4845885
Webcast:
To access the call by live webcast, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website at http://www.Avalonrx.com. An archived version of the webcast will be available for 30 days.
About Avalon Pharmaceuticals
Avalon is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class cancer therapeutics. Avalon’s lead product candidate, AVN944, an IMPDH inhibitor, is in Phase II clinical development. Avalon also has preclinical programs to develop inhibitors of the Beta-catenin and Aurora/Centrosome pathways, discovery programs for inhibitors of the Survivin and Myc pathways and partnerships with Merck, AstraZeneca/MedImmune, ChemDiv, Medarex, and Novartis. AvalonRx® is the company’s proprietary platform which is based on large-scale biomarker identification and monitoring, used to discover and develop therapeutics for pathways that have historically been characterized as "undruggable." Avalon is headquartered in Germantown, MD.
Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
C. Eric Winzer
Executive Vice President &
Chief Financial Officer
301-556-9900
Fax: (301) 556-9910
info@avalonrx.com
or
Dorland Global Public Relations
Kate Gormley (Media)
215-928-2720
kgormley@dorland.com
or
The Trout Group
Chad Rubin (Investors)
646-378-2947
Source: Business Wire (April 30, 2008 - 8:01 AM EDT)
News by QuoteMedia
www.quotemedia.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/cc/9/93009.html
surf1944
16 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals Identifies Small Molecule Inhibitors of the Aurora/Centrosome Cancer Pathway that Block PLK3 Protein Function
Monday April 14, 11:00 am ET
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVRX - News), announced today that it has used AvalonRx®, its biomarker based drug discovery system, to identify small molecule inhibitors of the Aurora/Centrosome pathway, and to reveal the protein targeted by these compounds. Their findings were announced today in a poster presentation entitled “Identification of Small Molecule Inhibitors of the Aurora/Centrosome Pathway,” at the American Association for Cancer Research 2008 Annual Meeting, in San Diego, CA.
These inhibitors potently induce death in cancer cells and inhibit the Polo-Like Kinase 3 (PLK3) protein, a key node in the centrosome pathway. The Aurora/Centrosome pathway is critical for control of cellular growth and chromosomal integrity in cancer cells, and is frequently misregulated in cancer.
“The Aurora/Centrosome pathway is important in many cancers; therefore, we believe that the identification of these allosteric inhibitors of the PLK3 protein is a significant advancement in the development of potential therapeutics for cancer,” said Dr. Stephen Horrigan, Avalon’s Vice President of Research.
Compounds in Avalon's lead small molecule series have broad activity in cell lines from multiple cancers, while acting as selective allosteric inhibitors of the PLK3 protein. PLK3 has been recognized as a key regulator of cancer cell function whose activation has been implicated in multiple cancer types, including breast, lung and stomach.
surf1944
16 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals to Present at the American Association for Cancer Research 2008 Annual Meeting
Monday April 7, 8:00 am ET
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVRX - News), today announced that it will conduct four poster presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research 2008 Annual Meeting, April 12-16, in San Diego, CA.
Abstract #2306, “Identification of Small Molecule Inhibitors of the Aurora/Centrosome Pathway,” will be presented by Irina Lonskaya, Ph.D, Scientist at Avalon, on Monday, April 14, from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon.
Abstract #2929, “An Evaluation of Pharmacodynamic Markers for the Identification of Novel Therapeutic Agents That Modulate the Wnt Signaling Pathway,” will be presented by Pavan Adiseshaiah, Ph.D., Scientist at Avalon, on Monday, April 14, from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Abstract #226, “Characterization of a Myeloid Leukemia Cell Line Resistant to Inosine Monophosphate Dehydrogenase (IMPDH) Inhibition: Correlation of Molecular Pathway Markers and GTP Depletion with Clinical Biomarkers,” will be presented by Jeffrey Strovel, Ph.D., Senior Scientist at Avalon, on Sunday, April 13, from 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon.
Abstract #796, “Avalon Compound Profiling Toolkit: Use of Gene Transcription Biomarker Signatures for Drug Discovery,” will be presented by Qin Zong, Ph.D., Associate Director of Lead Discovery at Avalon, on Sunday, April 13, from 1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.
surf1944
16 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2007 Results
Wednesday March 19, 4:15 pm ET
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVRX - News), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer therapeutics, today announced financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2007. For the three months ended December 31, 2007, net loss was $5.1 million, compared with $4.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2006. For the year ended December 31, 2007, net loss was $21.7 million, compared with a loss of $17.1 million for 2006. As of December 31, 2007, cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $28.5 million.
“Avalon continues to execute on our corporate strategy of building a pipeline of first-in-class drugs for Avalon and our partners,” stated Kenneth C. Carter, Ph.D., President and CEO. “Our Phase I and Phase II (a) clinical trials of AVN944 continue to demonstrate a strong safety profile and dose-dependant biologic activity and pharmacology. Through our proprietary AvalonRx® technology, we continue to advance our two key internal pre-clinical programs for inhibitors of the Beta-catenin and Aurora/Centrosome pathways and expect to nominate a development candidate for Beta-catenin in 2008. We are making good progress in our partnerships including our recently announced advancements in the Novartis collaboration that triggered a research support payment and our identification of hit compounds that affect the Hsp90 pathway for our ChemDiv collaboration.”
Conference Call & Webcast Information
Avalon will host a conference call on Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, to discuss Avalon Pharmaceuticals’ financial results as well as the 2008 business outlook. Live audio of the conference call will be available to investors, news media and the general public by dialing 1-888-287-5529 (in the U.S.) or 719-457-2088 (internationally), and providing the participant pass code, 5811984. To access the call by live webcast, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website at http://www.Avalonrx.com. An archived version of the webcast will be available for 30 days.
Recent Highlights
* Patient enrollment continued in both the AVN944 Phase I clinical trial for hematological patients and the AVN944 Phase II (a) clinical trial for pancreatic patients.
* Presentation of preliminary results from the AVN944 Phase I trial in adult Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) patients that showed AVN944 is well tolerated in refractory AML patients, with drug exposure increasing at higher dose levels and patients experiencing reductions in blast cell counts. These data were presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.
* An additional ASH presentation showed the small molecule compound family in the Company’s Beta-catenin pathway inhibitor program has potent inhibitory effects on Wnt/Beta-catenin signaling in Multiple Myeloma (MM) cells. The Beta-catenin pathway is activated in the majority of MM cells, and is known to play a critical role in Myeloma cell survival. The Company previously demonstrated that this compound family potently inhibits colorectal cancer cell growth.
* The Company’s drug discovery collaboration with Novartis progressed to the next stage which triggered an undisclosed payment to Avalon for research support. In the current phase of this collaboration, the Company is characterizing compounds identified from the completed high-throughput screen.
* The Company identified hit compounds that affect the Hsp90 pathway under its collaboration with ChemDiv.
* Dr. Philip Frost, M.D., Ph.D., was appointed to the Company’s board of directors. Dr. Frost has extensive experience in drug discovery and development over a very successful career in industry and academia, including leading positions at Imclone, Wyeth, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of California, Irvine.
Company Expectations for 2008
The Company is advancing numerous programs in its strategy of building a pipeline of first-in-class drugs and is driving to attain the following goals in 2008.
* Complete AVN944 Phase II(a) clinical trial (Pancreatic)
* Initiate AVN944 Phase II(b) clinical trial (Pancreatic)
* Complete AVN944 Phase I clinical trial (Hematological)
* Name Beta-catenin development candidate and begin pre-IND enabling work
* Name Aurora/Centrosome novel target
* Partner AVN944 and/or the Beta-catenin program
* Sign additional discovery partnership
Financial Results
Net loss was $5.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2007 compared with $4.4 million in the last three months of 2006. For all of 2007, net loss was $21.7 million, compared with $17.1 million in 2006. Lower revenues and higher costs in the 2007 periods resulted in the higher losses in 2007.
Total costs and expenses from operations were $5.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2007, an increase of $0.1 million compared with the $5.3 million reported for the fourth quarter of 2006. Total costs and expenses were $23.6 million for 2007, compared with $20.9 million in 2006. The increases in 2007 were principally due to clinical trial costs related to AVN944.
No revenues were reported for the fourth quarter of 2007, compared with $0.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2006. Revenues for the full year of 2007 were $0.8 million, compared with $2.7 million in 2006. Revenues in 2007 were from the collaboration with Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research. Revenues in 2006 were from collaborations with Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, MedImmune and the University of Louisville.
As of December 31, 2007, the Company had $28.5 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. Of that amount, $5.3 million was held in a restricted account to serve as collateral for long-term debt. Cash burn, defined as net cash used for all activities excluding cash raised in equity financings, was $4.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2007 and $20.3 million for all of 2007.
surf1944
16 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals Appoints Philip Frost, M.D., Ph.D., to Its Board of Directors
Monday March 17, 8:00 am ET
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVRX - News), today announced the appointment of Philip Frost, M.D., Ph.D., to its Board of Directors effective March 14, 2008. The addition of Dr. Frost brings the Avalon Board to eight members.
“We are pleased to have Dr. Frost join the Avalon Board,” stated Kenneth C. Carter, Ph.D., President and CEO of Avalon Pharmaceuticals. “His expertise will be a tremendous asset to Avalon as we work toward advancing our pipeline and ultimately commercializing our oncology products.”
“I am very excited to join the Board of Avalon Pharmaceuticals,” stated Dr. Frost. “The Company’s unique approach to drug discovery and development, and strong oncology pipeline make for a bright future ahead.”
About Dr. Frost
Dr. Philip Frost is currently the President of Calesca Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Calesca, Dr. Frost was Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at ImClone Systems, Inc. from 2005 to 2007 where he oversaw the company’s research, clinical and regulatory departments. He also served as Interim Chief Executive Officer at ImClone in 2006. Prior to ImClone Systems, Dr. Frost served as Vice President of Oncology and Co-Director of the Oncology Therapeutic Area Leadership Team at Wyeth where he was responsible for the development of various oncology compounds. Dr. Frost has also held the positions of Adjunct Professor of Cell Biology and Adjunct Professor of Medicine at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center since 1992. Dr. Frost has also held other academic positions at the University of Texas and University of California, Irvine. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Innovive Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Frost earned his Medical Degree at State University of New York at Buffalo and his Ph.D. at the Clinical Research Center in London, England
surf1944
17 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals to Present at 20th Annual Roth Capital Partners Growth Stock Conference
Thursday February 14, 8:00 am ET
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVRX - News), today announced that C. Eric Winzer, Executive Vice President and CFO, will provide an update on the Company at the 20th Annual Roth Capital Partners Growth Stock Conference.
The conference will be held at The Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel, CA, February 18-21. Mr. Winzer is scheduled to present on Tuesday, February 19, at 11:00am.
About Avalon Pharmaceuticals
Avalon is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class cancer therapeutics. Avalon’s lead product candidate, AVN944, an IMPDH inhibitor, is in Phase II clinical development. Avalon also has preclinical programs to develop inhibitors of the Beta-catenin and Aurora/Centrosome pathways, discovery programs for inhibitors of the Survivin and Myc pathways and partnerships with Merck, MedImmune, ChemDiv, Medarex, and Novartis. AvalonRx® is the company’s proprietary platform which is based on large-scale biomarker identification and monitoring, used to discover and develop therapeutics for pathways that have historically been characterized as "undruggable." Avalon is headquartered in Germantown, MD.
surf1944
17 years ago
Avalon Pharmaceuticals to Present at BIO CEO & Investor Conference
Wednesday February 6, 12:35 pm ET
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVRX - News), today announced that Kenneth C. Carter, Ph.D., President and CEO, will provide an update on the Company at the BIO CEO & Investor Conference.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080206/20080206006057.html?.v=1
surf1944
17 years ago
Press Release Source: Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Avalon Pharmaceuticals Announces the Initiation of Compound Characterization Phase in Drug Discovery Collaboration
Monday January 14, 8:00 am ET
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVRX - News), today announced the initiation of the next phase in its drug discovery collaboration with Novartis. The collaboration aims to discover small molecule therapeutic compounds targeted against a pathway selected by Novartis. The terms of the collaboration provide for upfront, research support and milestone payments.
AvalonRx®, Avalon’s proprietary drug discovery platform, was used to screen, identify and characterize compounds from Novartis’ proprietary compound library. Candidate hit compounds were successfully identified by monitoring gene expression changes of a transcriptional signature reflecting disruption of the selected pathway. The parties have agreed to initiate characterization of the identified compounds which triggers an undisclosed payment to Avalon for research support under the terms of the agreement.
“We are very pleased with the progress of this collaboration,” stated Stephen K. Horrigan, Ph.D., Vice President of Research. “Our AvalonRx® drug discovery platform brings real value to programs through greater speed in identifying compounds with more selectivity against virtually any pathway or target, including those which historically have been considered undruggable.”
surf1944
17 years ago
I was buying back AVRX this week a little at a time, it has been so thin, and I was only buying a thousand shares a day. Your right when the shelf offering was released, I just stood aside and just waited. Secondaries hurt a stock short term, but in many cases longer term it can add support to the stock. Also, there was news from American Society of Hematology today, that should help next week.