Inventiva provides a corporate update and reports its unaudited
2024 first-half financial results
- Recruitment in NATiV3 clinical trial progresses with over 85%
of the targeted number of patients enrolled in the main cohort and
a statistical powering of the study expected to be superior to 95%
for both doses evaluated in the trial.
- Baseline characteristics of patients randomized in the main
cohort of NATiV3 remain consistent with the characteristics of
patients enrolled in the completed Phase IIb, NATIVE, clinical
trial.
- Blinded analyses of patients in NATiV3 suggest a positive
evolution of key biomarkers comparable to the Phase IIb, NATIVE,
study results and that weight gain plateaus and stabilizes starting
at week 24 to 36.
- Last patient randomization is anticipated in the first half of
2025 following the end of screening planned for the end of the year
as guided. Topline results are expected in the second half of
2026.
- Cash and cash equivalents at €10.1 million as of June 30, 2024,
compared to cash and cash equivalents at €26.9 million,
€0.011 million of short-term deposits and
€9.02 million of long-term deposits as of December 31,
2023.
- Inventiva is actively reviewing potential financing and
discussing strategic options with its financial advisors and
potential counterparties, including its major shareholders and
potential new investors.
- On July 18, 2024, Inventiva issued royalty certificates
subscribed by Samsara BioCapital and existing shareholders (BVF
Partners, NEA, Sofinnova and Yiheng) for an amount of €20.1
million.
- Cash runway extended until mid-October 20243,
following the issuance of the royalty certificates announced on
July 18, 2024, and the implementation of cash preservation
measures.
Daix (France), Long
Island City (New York, United States), September
25, 2024 – Inventiva (Euronext Paris and Nasdaq: IVA) (the
“Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on
the development of oral small molecule therapies for the treatment
of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (“MASH”), also
known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (“NASH”), and other diseases
with significant unmet medical needs, today provided a corporate
and a financial update for the six months ended June 30, 2024.
“We are actively engaged in
discussions seeking additional financing with the goal of funding
the Company through the anticipated Phase III topline results. We
believe the recent €20.1 million royalty deal, subscribed by
Samsara BioCapital and longstanding shareholders such as BVF
Partners, NEA, Sofinnova, and Yiheng, is a powerful endorsement of
our strategy. Their continued support underscores their strong
confidence in lanifibranor and our vision for transforming patient
care. We remain confident in the ongoing progress of our Phase III
NATiV3 clinical trial.” stated Frédéric Cren,
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and cofounder of
Inventiva. “We would like to thank our key
partners and the clinical trial sites on the Phase III clinical
trial for their continued efforts and engagement in our study which
is reflected in the progress in the recruitment for
NATiV3.”
Update on its clinical program
evaluating lanifibranor for the treatment of MASH
As of the date hereof, the NATiV3 trial is
progressing with screening at 359 sites across 24 countries. To
date, 837 patients have been randomized in the main cohort,
achieving more than 85% of the targeted enrolment. 296 patients
have been randomized in the exploratory cohort, compared to the
original target of 200 patients. The top 10 countries contributed
for more than 90% of patients randomized, with the United States
accounting for 61%.
The patients’ characteristics at baseline in the
main cohort align with expectations and are consistent with those
from the NATIVE Phase IIb clinical trial (“NATIVE”). Furthermore,
13% of patients enrolled in the main cohort were on a stable dose
of GLP-1 receptor agonist at baseline which should provide valuable
insights into the potential benefits of a combination of this class
of products with lanifibranor.
A power analysis of NATiV3 conducted in
September 2024 which assumed a response rate on the primary
endpoint based on the results from Phase IIb, NATIVE, using the
same patient population randomized in NATiV3 and a dropout rate
similar to the one observed in the ongoing NATiV3 trial, confirmed
that the study is well powered with both doses expected to exceed
95% of statistical power. A blinded review which included 545
patients at week 24 and 119 patients at week 72 (placebo and
treatment arms pooled) showed a positive evolution of hepatic,
lipid, glycaemic and fibrosis markers as well as of scores using
Fibroscan®, comparable to the NATIVE Phase IIb study results which
suggests that lanifibranor is having the expected benefits in the
patients enrolled in NATiV3. The blinded analysis also showed a
similar weight gain as the one observed after six months in the
NATIVE Phase IIb trial. Furthermore, in NATiV3 the weight gain
appears to plateau and stabilize after 24 to 36 weeks of treatment.
If confirmed, this encouraging result highlights the particular
profile of lanifibranor versus single PPAR gamma in particular
pioglitazone, where such a plateau effect has not been
observed4.
Key financial results for the first half
of 2024
(in
thousands of euros) |
|
Six months ended |
|
June 30, 2024 |
|
June 30, 2023 |
Revenues |
|
41 |
|
1,901 |
Other income |
|
2,693 |
|
4,721 |
Research and development expenses |
|
(46,822) |
|
(54,062) |
Marketing – business development expenses |
|
(598) |
|
(705) |
General and administrative expenses |
|
(7,701) |
|
(6,812) |
Other operating income (expenses) |
|
138 |
|
(44) |
Net operating loss |
|
(52,249) |
|
(55,003) |
Net financial income |
|
3,507 |
|
(273) |
Share of net loss - Equity method |
|
(168) |
|
0 |
Income tax |
|
(119) |
|
7 |
Net loss for the period |
|
(49,029) |
|
(55,269) |
Basic/diluted loss per share (euros/share) |
|
(0.94) |
|
(1.31) |
Weighted average number of outstanding shares used for computing
basic/diluted loss per share |
|
51,982,093 |
|
42,044,796 |
The Company did not record any
revenues in the first half of 2024, as compared to
€1.9 million recorded during the same period in 2023. The revenues
recorded by the Company in the first half of 2023 were attributed
to a milestone payment by CTTQ, a Sino Biopharm subsidiary, after
it received the Investigational New Drug (“IND”) approval from the
Chinese National Medical Products Administration (“NMPA”) in May
2023, allowing the initiation of the clinical development of
lanifibranor in MASH/NASH in mainland China.
Other income amounted to €2.7
million for the first half of 2024, as compared to €4.7 million for
the first half of 2023, decreased 42.5% mainly driven by the
reclassification in 2024 of some R&D expenses reinvoiced to
CTTQ that were previously recorded in other income, and to a lesser
extent by the slight decrease in research tax credit due to
decrease in R&D expenses for the period compared to the first
half of 2023.
R&D expenses for the first
half of 2024 amounted to €46.8 million, mainly driven by the
development of lanifibranor in MASH/NASH and were down 13.4%
compared to the €54.1 million for the first half of 2023.
The decrease in R&D expenses over the period is primarily due
to the temporary voluntary pause in the recruitment of patients in
the NATiV3 Phase III clinical trial of lanifibranor in MASH/NASH
(“NATiV3") following the Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse
Reaction (“SUSAR”) previously reported in the first quarter of 2024
and, to a lesser extent, due to the completion of the LEGEND Phase
IIa combination trial with lanifibranor and empagliflozin in
patients with MASH/NASH and type 2 diabetes (“T2D”). R&D
expenses are expected to increase in the second half of 2024
following the restart of patient recruitment in NATiV3, as well as
the planned clinical development activities and related costs
associated with the NATiV3 for the second half of 2024.
Marketing and business development
expenses stood at €0.6million for the first half of 2024
compared to €0.7 million for the same period in 2023.
General and administrative expenses
(G&A) amounted to €7.7 million in the first half of
2024, compared to €6.8 million in the first half of 2023. Increase
by 13% is mainly due to personnel costs and consulting fees.
Net financial income (loss)
amounted to €3.5 million in the first half of 2024, compared to
(€0.3) million. The income mainly relates to the change in fair
value of the warrants issued to the European Investment Bank
(“EIB”) in connection with the drawdown of two tranches of €25
million under our unsecured loan agreement with EIB (the “Finance
Contract”), and is partially offset by an increase in the financial
interests borne on those tranches and on the royalty certificates
issued in August 2023 (the “2023 Royalty Certificates”).
The Company’s net loss stood at
(€49.0) million as of June 30, 2024, compared to (€55.3) million as
of June 30, 2023.
As of June 30, 2024, the Company’s cash
and cash equivalents stood at €10.1 million, compared to
cash and cash equivalents at €26.9 million, short-term
deposits1 of €0.01million, and long-term
deposits2 of €9.0 million as of December 31,
2023.
Net cash used in operating activities amounted
to (€48.3) million in the first half of 2024, compared to (€45.2)
million for the same period in 2023 down by 6.8% while the R&D
expenses for the first half of 2024 were (€46.8) million, down
13.3% compared to the first half of 2023 (see above)
partially offset by a negative working capital variance between
both periods.
Net cash generated from
investing activities for the first half of 2024 amounted
to €8.9 million, compared to (€7.7) million used in the first half
of 2023. The change is mostly due to the variation in term deposits
between both periods.
Net cash generated from financing
activities for the first half of 2024 amounted to €22.6
million, compared to (€2.2) million used in the first half of 2023.
The change is due to the second tranche of €25 million drawn in
January 2024 under the Finance Contract. As a condition to the
drawdown of the second tranche, the Company issued 3,144,654
warrants to the EIB.
Over the first half of 2024, the Company
recorded a positive exchange rate effect on cash
and cash equivalents of €0.1 million, compared to a negative effect
of (€0.4) million for the first half of 2023, due to the evolution
of the EUR/USD exchange rate.
Financial information after closing the
accounts
On July 18, 2024, Inventiva announced the
issuance of royalty certificates (the “2024 Royalty Certificates”)
subscribed by Samsara BioCapital, and existing shareholders BVF
Partners, NEA, Sofinnova, and Yiheng, for an amount of €20.1
million. The 2024 Royalty Certificates give the holders thereof the
right to an annual payment of royalties equal to 3% of the
potential future net sales of lanifibranor, if any, in the United
States, the European Union and the United Kingdom over a 14-year
term from the date of their issuance5.
Considering its current cost structure and
forecasted expenditures and including the proceeds of €20.1 million
from the issuance of the 2024 Royalty Certificates and the
implementation of cash preservation measures, the Company estimates
that its cash, cash equivalents and deposits should allow the
Company to fund its operations until mid-October 20246.
These factors raise substantial doubt regarding the Company’s
ability to continue as a going concern.
The Company is actively reviewing potential
financing and discussing strategic options with its financial
advisors and potential counterparties, including its major
shareholders and potential new investors. In particular, the
Company may seek to raise additional funds to achieve its
development goals for its research and development programs through
potential public or private equity or debt offerings and potential
strategic transactions such as business development partnerships,
royalty and/or business combination transactions, and/or other
arrangements or transactions or series of transactions or a
combination thereof.
The review of potential financial and strategic
options may not result in any particular action or transaction
being pursued, entered into or consummated, and there is no
assurance as to the timing, sequence or outcome of any action or
transaction or series of actions or transactions.
The unaudited half-year condensed consolidated
statement of the Company as at and for the six-month period ended
June 30, 2024, have been prepared under the responsibility of the
Board of Directors and approved by the latter based on the
principle of continuity of operations on September 23, 2024, for
the purposes of this press release.
To date, given the current context of the
discussions conducted by the Company on the financing necessary to
continue its activities mentioned above, the Statutory Auditors
have not yet issued their report on the review of the condensed
consolidated half-yearly financial statements. They have informed
the Company that they are unable to conclude on the appropriateness
of the Company's use of the going concern basis of accounting and
on the relevance of the related information presented in these
accounts prepared in accordance with this basis of accounting.
Consequently, pending the outcome of these discussions, the
Statutory Auditors are unable, to date, to form a conclusion on the
condensed consolidated half-yearly financial statements.
The publication of the audited interim financial
report including the half year financial statement for the period
ended June 30, 2024, has therefore been delayed and will occur as
soon as possible.
Next key milestones
expected7
- Randomization of the last Patient of the NATiV3 Phase III
clinical trial evaluating lanifibranor in MASH/NASH – expected
in the first half 2025 following the end of screening targeted for
the end of the year 2024.
- Topline results of NATiV3– expected in the second half of
2026.
Upcoming investor conference
participation
- KBC Securities life sciences conference - September 26 –
Brussels
- H.C. Wainwright 9th Annual MASH Investor Conference
– October 7 - Virtual
- Portzamparc BNP Paribas Séminaire Biotech & Santé – October
8-9 – Virtual
- Guggenheim Global Healthcare Conference - November 11-13 –
Boston
- Stifel Healthcare Conference – November 18-19 – New
York
Upcoming scientific conference
participation
- AASLD The Liver Meeting – November 15-19 – San Diego, United
States
About Inventiva
Inventiva is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on the research and development of oral small
molecule therapies for the treatment of patients with MASH/NASH and
other diseases with significant unmet medical need. The Company
benefits from a strong expertise and experience in the domain of
compounds targeting nuclear receptors, transcription factors and
epigenetic modulation. Inventiva is currently advancing one
clinical candidate and has a pipeline of two preclinical
programs
Inventiva’s lead product candidate,
lanifibranor, is currently in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial,
NATiV3, for the treatment of adult patients with MASH/NASH, a
common and progressive chronic liver disease.
Inventiva’s pipeline also includes odiparcil, a
drug candidate for the treatment of adult MPS VI patients. As part
of Inventiva’s decision to focus clinical efforts on the
development of lanifibranor, it suspended its clinical efforts
relating to odiparcil and is reviewing available options with
respect to its potential further development. Inventiva is also in
the process of selecting a candidate for its Hippo signaling
pathway program.
The Company has a scientific team of
approximately 90 people with deep expertise in the fields of
biology, medicinal and computational chemistry, pharmacokinetics
and pharmacology, and clinical development. It owns an extensive
library of approximately 240,000 pharmacologically relevant
molecules, approximately 60% of which are proprietary, as well as a
wholly-owned research and development facility.
Inventiva is a public company listed on
compartment B of the regulated market of Euronext Paris (ticker:
IVA, ISIN: FR0013233012) and on the Nasdaq Global Market in the
United States (ticker: IVA). www.inventivapharma.com
Contacts
Inventiva
Pascaline Clerc
EVP, Strategy and Corporate Affairs
media@inventivapharma.com
+1 202 499 8937 |
Brunswick Group
Tristan Roquet Montegon /
Aude Lepreux /
Julia Cailleteau
Relations médias
inventiva@brunswickgroup.com
+33 1 53 96 83 83 |
Westwicke, an ICR Company
Patricia L. Bank
Relations investisseurs
patti.bank@westwicke.com
+1 415 513-1284 |
Important Notice
This press release contains “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements,
other than statements of historical facts, included in this press
release are forward-looking statements. These statements include,
but are not limited to, preliminary unaudited financial
information, expectations with respect to Inventiva’s cash
resources and estimated cash runway, including the effects thereon
by cash preservation measures and Inventiva’s ability to execute
any potential financing or strategic options or further
transactions or arrangements, including the impacts of any such
transaction or arrangement, and the likelihood of success thereof,
expectations with respect to the review of Inventiva’s financial
statements by its auditors and the publication thereof, forecasts
and estimates with respect to Inventiva’s pre-clinical programs and
clinical trials, including design, duration, timing, recruitment
costs, screening and enrollment for those trials, including the
ongoing NATiV3 Phase III clinical trial with lanifibranor in
MASH/NASH, potential development of and regulatory pathway for
odiparcil, clinical trial data releases and publications, the
information, insights and impacts that may be gathered from
clinical trials, the potential therapeutic benefits of Inventiva’s
product candidates, including lanifibranor alone and in combination
with other treatments, potential regulatory submissions and
approvals, and Inventiva’s pipeline and preclinical and clinical
development plans, future activities, expectations, plans, growth
and prospects of Inventiva and its partners, business and
regulatory strategy, the potential commercialization of
lanifibranor and achievement of any sales related thereto,
potential payment of royalties and anticipated future performance,.
Certain of these statements, forecasts and estimates can be
recognized by the use of words such as, without limitation,
“believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “seeks”,
“estimates”, “may”, “will”, “would”, “could”, “might”, “should”,
“designed”, “hopefully”, “target”, “potential”, “opportunity”,
“possible”, “aim”, and “continue” and similar expressions. Such
statements are not historical facts but rather are statements of
future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are
based on management's beliefs. These statements reflect such views
and assumptions prevailing as of the date of the statements and
involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause
future results, performance or future events to differ materially
from those expressed or implied in such statements. Actual events
are difficult to predict and may depend upon factors that are
beyond Inventiva's control. There can be no guarantees with respect
to pipeline product candidates that the clinical trial results will
be available on their anticipated timeline, that future clinical
trials will be initiated as anticipated, that product candidates
will receive the necessary regulatory approvals, or that any of the
anticipated milestones by Inventiva or its partners will be reached
on their expected timeline, or at all. Actual
results may turn out to be materially different from the
anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed
or implied by such statements, forecasts and estimates due to a
number of factors, including the completion of financial closing
procedures, final adjustments and other developments that may arise
that could cause the preliminary financial results for the first
half of 2024 to differ from the financial results that will be
reflected in Inventiva’s final financial statements, the outcome of
the auditor’s review of the Company's financial statements,
including the use of the going concern basis of accounting and the
information disclosed in the financial statements, that Inventiva
cannot provide assurance on the impacts of the SUSAR on enrollment
or the ultimate impact on the results or timing of the NATiV3 trial
or regulatory matters with respect thereto, that Inventiva is a
clinical-stage company with no approved products and no historical
product revenues, Inventiva has incurred significant losses since
inception, Inventiva has a limited operating history and has never
generated any revenue from product sales, Inventiva will require
additional capital to finance its operations, in the absence of
which, Inventiva may be required to significantly curtail, delay or
discontinue one or more of its research or development programs or
be unable to expand its operations or otherwise capitalize on its
business opportunities and may be unable to continue as a going
concern, Inventiva’s ability to obtain financing and to enter into
potential transactions or further arrangements with its creditors
and the impacts therefrom, Inventiva's future success is dependent
on the successful clinical development, regulatory approval and
subsequent commercialization of current and any future product
candidates, preclinical studies or earlier clinical trials are not
necessarily predictive of future results and the results of
Inventiva's and its partners’ clinical trials may not support
Inventiva's and its partners’ product candidate claims, Inventiva's
expectations with respect to its clinical trials may prove to be
wrong and regulatory authorities may require holds and/or
amendments to Inventiva’s clinical trials, Inventiva’s expectations
with respect to the changes to the clinical development plan for
lanifibranor for the treatment of MASH/NASH may not be realized and
may not support the approval of a New Drug Application, Inventiva
and its partners may encounter substantial delays beyond
expectations in their clinical trials or fail to demonstrate safety
and efficacy to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory
authorities, the ability of Inventiva and its partners to recruit
and retain patients in clinical studies, enrollment and retention
of patients in clinical trials is an expensive and time-consuming
process and could be made more difficult or rendered impossible by
multiple factors outside Inventiva's and its partners’ control,
Inventiva's product candidates may cause adverse drug reactions or
have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory
approval, or limit their commercial potential, Inventiva faces
substantial competition and Inventiva’s and its partners’ business,
and preclinical studies and clinical development programs and
timelines, its financial condition and results of operations could
be materially and adversely affected by geopolitical events, such
as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and related sanctions,
impacts and potential impacts on the initiation, enrollment and
completion of Inventiva’s and its partners’ clinical trials on
anticipated timelines, and the state of war between Israel and
Hamas and the related risk of a larger conflict, health epidemics,
and macroeconomic conditions, including global inflation, rising
interest rates, uncertain financial markets and disruptions in
banking systems. The review of potential financial and strategic
options may not result in any particular action or transaction
being pursued, entered into or consummated, and there is no
assurance as to the timing, sequence or outcome of any action or
transaction or series of actions or transactions. If Inventiva is
unable to continue as a going concern, it may have to liquidate its
assets and may receive less than the value at which those assets
are carried on its financial statements, and it is likely that
investors will lose all or part of their investment. Given these
risks and uncertainties, no representations are made as to the
accuracy or fairness of such forward-looking statements, forecasts
and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts
and estimates only speak as of the date of this press release.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these
forward-looking statements.
Please refer to the Universal Registration
Document for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the
Autorité des Marchés Financiers on April 3, 2024, and the Annual
Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 3, 2024
for other risks and uncertainties affecting Inventiva, including
those described under the caption “Risk Factors,” and in our future
filings with the SEC. Other risks and uncertainties of which
Inventiva is not currently aware may also affect its
forward-looking statements and may cause actual results and the
timing of events to differ materially from those
anticipated.
All information in this press release is as of the date of
the release. Except as required by law, Inventiva has no intention
and is under no obligation to update or review the forward-looking
statements referred to above. Consequently, Inventiva accepts no
liability for any consequences arising from the use of any of the
above statements.
1 Short-term deposits were included in the category
“other current assets” in the IFRS consolidated statement of
financial position and were considered by the Company as liquid and
easily available.
2 The long-term deposit had a two year-term, were
accessible prior to the expiration of the term with a notice period
of 31 days and were considered as liquid by the Company.
3 This estimate is based on the Company’s current
business plan and excludes any potential milestones payable to or
by the Company and any additional expenditures related to the
potential continued development of the odiparcil program or
resulting from the potential in licensing or acquisition of
additional product candidates or technologies, or any associated
development the Company may pursue. The Company may have based this
estimate on assumptions that are incorrect, and the Company may end
up using its resources sooner than anticipated.
4 Sanyal A et al. NEJM, 362 ; 18, 2010
5 Inventiva-PR-Royalty-Deal-EN-07-18-2024.pdf
(inventivapharma.com)
6 This estimate is based on the Company’s current
business plan and excludes any potential milestones payable to or
by the Company and any additional expenditures related to the
potential continued development of the odiparcil program or
resulting from the potential in licensing or acquisition of
additional product candidates or technologies, or any associated
development the Company may pursue. The Company may have based this
estimate on assumptions that are incorrect, and the Company may end
up using its resources sooner than anticipated.
7 Assuming the Company obtains necessary financing
- Inventiva - PR - Corporate and Financial updates - EN - 09 25
2024
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