Vaxart Provides Business Update and Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results
November 13 2024 - 4:01PM
Vaxart, Inc. (Nasdaq: VXRT) today announced its business
update and financial results for the third quarter of 2024.
“Our successful initiation of sentinel cohort
dosing is a testament to our rapid execution in helping to ensure
that we remain on track to meet the milestones of our Biomedical
Advanced Research Development Authority (BARDA) contract,” said
Steven Lo, Vaxart’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are pleased to be
nearing completion of enrollment of the sentinel cohort. Then, if
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and independent Data
and Safety Monitoring Board’s (DSMB’s) 30-day safety data review is
favorable, we will initiate the 10,000-participant portion of the
Phase 2b trial. Our continued progress brings us closer to our goal
of demonstrating advantages of our mucosal technology against an
approved mRNA vaccine.”
“On our norovirus program, we received
constructive feedback from the FDA on our proposed correlate of
protection and are evaluating next steps,” Mr. Lo added.
“Additionally, our scientific team created potentially more potent
norovirus GI.1 and GII.4 constructs compared to the constructs
previously evaluated in our clinical trials. We are excited about
the potential these improvements may yield and remain committed to
moving forward with our norovirus program.”
Recent Business Highlights
COVID-19 Vaccine
Developments
- In September 2024, Vaxart initiated
the 400-participant sentinel cohort of its Phase 2b trial to
evaluate Vaxart’s oral pill COVID-19 vaccine candidate against an
approved mRNA vaccine comparator. The sentinel cohort is being
funded as part of the Phase 2b NextGen COVID-19 clinical trial,
valued at up to $456 million through the Rapid Response Partnership
Vehicle under the U.S. government’s Project NextGen.
- Enrollment of the sentinel cohort is expected to be completed
in November 2024. The 30-day safety data of the sentinel cohort
will then be reviewed by the independent DSMB and the FDA.
- If the review of safety data by the DSMB and FDA is favorable,
Vaxart expects the study to progress to the second part of the
trial in early 2025 by enrolling approximately 10,000
participants.
- The primary efficacy analysis will be performed when all
participants have either discontinued or completed a study visit 12
months post-vaccination.
Norovirus Vaccine
Developments
- In the second half of 2024, Vaxart
held productive conversations with the FDA on its data for
potential correlates of protection and next steps for Vaxart’s
norovirus program.
- Based on the latest feedback, the
FDA requested new clinical data before proceeding with further
review of Vaxart’s potential correlate.
- Vaxart created additional norovirus
GI.1 and GII.4 constructs that may be more potent than the
constructs being evaluated in clinical trials. Vaxart is discussing
regulatory feedback, clinical data on current constructs, and
preclinical data generated on its new constructs with certain key
opinion leaders in determining the best way to progress its
norovirus program.
- In October 2024, Vaxart presented
clinical research demonstrating the potential of its norovirus oral
pill vaccine candidate at IDWeek.
Other Programs
- In August 2024,
preclinical data was published in Vaccines, demonstrating the
potential of Vaxart’s mucosal vaccine technology platform in
enabling therapeutic vaccination against HPV-related cervical
dysplasia.
Financial Results for the Third Quarter
Ended September 30, 2024
- Cash, cash
equivalents and investments totaled $58.7 million as of September
30, 2024. Vaxart continues to anticipate cash runway into
2026.
- Vaxart reported
a net loss of $14.1 million for the third quarter of
2024, compared to $17.4 million for the third quarter of 2023. Net
loss per share for the third quarter of 2024 was $0.06,
compared to a net loss per share of $0.11 for the third
quarter of 2023.
- Revenue for the
third quarter of 2024 was $4.9 million, compared
to $2.1 million for the third quarter of 2023. Revenue in the
third quarter of 2024 was primarily from government contracts
related to the BARDA contracts awarded in January 2024 and June
2024. Revenue in the third quarter of 2023 was primarily from
revenue recognized for work performed under Vaxart’s grant from the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and non-cash royalty revenue
from increased sales of Inavir in Japan.
- Research and
development expenses were $15.1 million for the third
quarter of 2024, compared to $15.0 million for the third
quarter of 2023. The R&D expenses in the latest quarter were
primarily due to increases in clinical trial expenses related to
Vaxart’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate and preclinical expenses across
multiple programs and facilities expenses, partially offset by
decreases in clinical trial expenses related to Vaxart’s norovirus
vaccine candidate, stock-based compensation expenses and
personnel-related costs, and manufacturing expenses.
- General and
administrative expenses were $4.3 million for the third
quarter of 2024, compared to $4.9 million for the
third quarter of 2023. The decrease was primarily due to decreases
in stock-based compensation expense and directors’ and officers’
insurance costs, partially offset by increases in legal and other
professional fees.
Conference CallThe Vaxart
senior management team will host a conference call to discuss the
business update and financial results for the third quarter of 2024
today, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The conference call can be accessed using the
following information:
Webcast: Click hereDate: Wednesday, November 13,
2024 – 4:30 p.m. ETDomestic: (877) 407-0832International: (201)
689-8433Conference ID: 13749666
Investors may submit written questions in
advance of the conference call to ir@vaxart.com.
A replay of the webcast will be available for 30
days on Vaxart’s website at www.vaxart.com following the conclusion
of the event.
About Vaxart Vaxart is a
clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a range of oral
recombinant vaccines based on its proprietary delivery platform.
Vaxart vaccines are designed to be administered using pills that
can be stored and shipped without refrigeration and eliminate the
risk of needle-stick injury. Vaxart believes that its proprietary
pill vaccine delivery platform is suitable to deliver recombinant
vaccines, positioning the company to develop oral versions of
currently marketed vaccines and to design recombinant vaccines for
new indications. Vaxart’s development programs currently include
pill vaccines designed to protect against coronavirus, norovirus
and influenza, as well as a therapeutic vaccine for human
papillomavirus (HPV), Vaxart’s first immune-oncology indication.
Vaxart has filed broad domestic and international patent
applications covering its proprietary technology and creations for
oral vaccination using adenovirus and TLR3 agonists.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements This press release contains forward-looking
statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All
statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in
this press release regarding Vaxart's strategy, prospects, plans
and objectives, receipt of funding from BARDA, results from
preclinical and clinical trials and the timing of such results and
such trials, commercialization agreements and licenses, and beliefs
and expectations of management are forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such words
as “should,” “believe,” “could,” “potential,” “will,” “expected,”
“anticipate,” “plan,” and other words and terms of similar meaning.
Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to,
statements relating to Vaxart’s receipt of funding from BARDA for
the Phase 2b study (or for any other purpose); Vaxart's ability to
develop and commercialize its product candidates, including its
vaccine booster products; Vaxart's expectations regarding clinical
results and trial data, including their design, and the timing of
such trials and of receiving and reporting such clinical results
and trial data; Vaxart’s expectations regarding timing of
enrollment in studies; and Vaxart's expectations with respect to
the effectiveness of its product candidates and the potential of
its vaccine pill platform. Vaxart may not actually achieve the
plans, carry out the intentions, or meet the expectations or
projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements, and you
should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from
the plans, intentions, expectations, and projections disclosed in
the forward-looking statements. Various important factors could
cause actual results or events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements that Vaxart makes, including
uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the
ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement,
and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission
dates, regulatory approval dates, and/or launch dates, as well as
the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further
analyses of existing clinical data; the risk that clinical trial
data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by
regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be
satisfied with the design of and results from the clinical studies;
decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling,
manufacturing processes, and safety that could affect the
availability or commercial potential of any product candidate,
including the possibility that Vaxart's product candidates may not
be approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities; that,
even if approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities,
Vaxart's product candidates may not achieve broad market
acceptance; that a Vaxart collaborator may not attain development
and commercial milestones; that Vaxart or its partners may
experience manufacturing issues and delays due to events within, or
outside of, Vaxart's or its partners' control; difficulties in
production, particularly in scaling up initial production,
including difficulties with production costs and yields, quality
control, including stability of the product candidate and quality
assurance testing, shortages of qualified personnel or key raw
materials, and compliance with strictly enforced federal, state,
and foreign regulations; that Vaxart may not be able to obtain,
maintain, and enforce necessary patent and other intellectual
property protection; that Vaxart's capital resources may be
inadequate; Vaxart's ability to resolve pending legal matters;
Vaxart's ability to obtain sufficient capital to fund its
operations on terms acceptable to Vaxart, if at all; the impact of
government healthcare proposals and policies; competitive factors;
and other risks described in the "Risk Factors" sections of
Vaxart's Quarterly and Annual Reports filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission. Vaxart does not assume any
obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as
required by
law. Contact
Vaxart Media and Investor RelationsMatt
SteinbergFINN PartnersIR@vaxart.com(646) 871-8481
Vaxart, Inc. |
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets |
|
|
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
December 31, |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(1) |
|
|
|
(in thousands) |
Assets |
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ |
22,035 |
|
|
$ |
34,755 |
|
Investments in marketable debt securities |
|
36,676 |
|
|
|
4,958 |
|
Accounts receivable |
|
591 |
|
|
|
3,008 |
|
Unbilled receivable from government contracts |
|
3,085 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Prepaid expenses and other assets |
|
4,911 |
|
|
|
3,741 |
|
Property and equipment, net |
|
9,476 |
|
|
|
11,731 |
|
Long-term prepaid clinical services |
|
60,116 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Right-of-use assets, net |
|
21,536 |
|
|
|
24,840 |
|
Intangible assets, net |
|
3,740 |
|
|
|
4,289 |
|
Goodwill |
|
4,508 |
|
|
|
4,508 |
|
Total assets |
$ |
166,674 |
|
|
$ |
91,830 |
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
|
|
|
Accounts payable |
$ |
2,524 |
|
|
$ |
1,584 |
|
Deferred government revenue |
|
65,447 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Accrued and other liabilities |
|
7,185 |
|
|
|
5,927 |
|
Operating lease liability |
|
18,201 |
|
|
|
20,088 |
|
Liability related to sale of future royalties |
|
4,875 |
|
|
|
6,426 |
|
Total liabilities |
|
98,232 |
|
|
|
34,025 |
|
Stockholders’ equity |
|
68,442 |
|
|
|
57,805 |
|
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
$ |
166,674 |
|
|
$ |
91,830 |
|
|
|
|
|
(1) Derived from the audited consolidated financial
statements of Vaxart, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2023,
included on the Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 14, 2024.
Vaxart, Inc. |
Condensed Consolidated Statements of
Operations |
(Unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended September 30, |
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
|
2024 |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue |
$ |
4,933 |
|
|
$ |
2,101 |
|
|
$ |
13,515 |
|
|
$ |
4,134 |
|
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development |
|
15,066 |
|
|
|
15,002 |
|
|
|
51,559 |
|
|
|
53,437 |
|
General and administrative |
|
4,342 |
|
|
|
4,921 |
|
|
|
16,757 |
|
|
|
17,144 |
|
Total operating expenses |
|
19,408 |
|
|
|
19,923 |
|
|
|
68,316 |
|
|
|
70,581 |
|
Operating loss |
|
(14,475 |
) |
|
|
(17,822 |
) |
|
|
(54,801 |
) |
|
|
(66,447 |
) |
Other income (expense), net |
|
413 |
|
|
|
461 |
|
|
|
(78 |
) |
|
|
1,444 |
|
Loss before income taxes |
|
(14,062 |
) |
|
|
(17,361 |
) |
|
|
(54,879 |
) |
|
|
(65,003 |
) |
Provision for income taxes |
|
18 |
|
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
84 |
|
|
|
87 |
|
Net loss |
$ |
(14,080 |
) |
|
$ |
(17,400 |
) |
|
$ |
(54,963 |
) |
|
$ |
(65,090 |
) |
Net loss per share, basic and diluted |
$ |
(0.06 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.11 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.28 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.45 |
) |
Shares used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted |
|
227,452,883 |
|
|
|
152,026,112 |
|
|
|
193,655,660 |
|
|
|
145,810,175 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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