Atossa Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATOS), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative proprietary medicines to address significant unmet needs in cancer, today announced financial results for the fiscal quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and provided an update on recent company developments.
Key developments from Q4 2022 and year to date include:
Initiation and First Patient Dosed in Phase 2 EVANGELINE Study – EVANGELINE (Endoxifen Versus exemestANe GosEreLIn), is our Phase 2 randomized non-inferiority study of (Z)-endoxifen compared to exemestane plus goserelin as a neoadjuvant treatment for premenopausal women with Grade 1 or 2 ER+ / HER2- breast cancer. Participants receive neoadjuvant treatment for up to six months, followed by surgery. Several FDA-approved neoadjuvant therapies exist for ER- breast cancers, but few exist for ER+ patients, which account for approximately 78% of breast cancers. We expect to enroll approximately 175 patients at up to 25 sites across the United States.
Continued Enrollment in Phase 2 Karisma-Endoxifen Study – The Karisma-Endoxifen study is our randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of healthy, pre-menopausal women with increased breast density. The treatment cohort receives daily doses of (Z)-endoxifen for six months, over the course of which mammograms will be conducted to measure reduction in mammographic breast density (MBD). Patients will also be given a mammogram at 24 months to assess the durability of the MBD changes. MBD affects more than 10 million women in the United States and many millions more worldwide. Increased MBD reduces the ability of mammograms to detect cancer. Studies have also shown that women with MBD have an increased risk of developing breast cancer and that the higher the MBD, the higher the incidence of breast cancer. We expect to fully enroll the study by the end of 2023.
Initiation of New Study Arm in the Ongoing Phase 2 I-SPY 2 Clinical Trial – (Z)-endoxifen is being evaluated in a new study arm of the ongoing I-SPY 2 clinical trial. The I-SPY 2 trial evaluates neoadjuvant treatments for locally advanced breast cancer and is a collaborative effort among academic investigators from major cancer research centers across the United States, Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Cancer Biomarkers Consortium. Approximately 20 patients will be treated with (Z)-endoxifen for up to 24 weeks prior to surgery.
Additional Intellectual Property Protection for (Z)-endoxifen – The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted a new patent (No. 11,572,334) directed to (Z)-endoxifen encapsulated in an enteric capsule. Enteric capsules have an acid resistant coating to prevent them from dissolving when they pass through the stomach. Enteric capsules are dissolved when they pass through an alkaline environment, which is usually when they reach the small intestine. Delivering oral (Z)-endoxifen via an enteric capsule prevents breakdown of the endoxifen in the stomach. This patent further reinforces Atossa's broad Intellectual Property portfolio related to (Z)-endoxifen.
Investment in Dynamic Cell Therapies, Inc. (DCT) – DCT is a privately held, venture capital backed developer of CAR-T therapies in the pre-clinical phase of developing controllable CAR-T cells to address difficult-to-treat cancers. Its platform technology of dynamic control of engineered T-cells is designed to improve the safety, efficacy, and durability of CAR-T cell therapies. Our investment totaled $4.7 million and resulted in Atossa owning approximately 19% of the outstanding capital stock of DCT.
"Our focus remains on both helping reduce the incidence of breast cancer and changing the treatment paradigm for patients who are not benefiting from, or are unable to tolerate, currently approved therapies," said Dr. Steven Quay, Atossa's President and Chief Executive Officer. "With a strong balance sheet and three Phase 2 trials underway, we are well positioned to continue accelerating the development of (Z)-endoxifen, which we feel has the potential to address significant unmet needs across the continuum of breast cancer."
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022, FINANCIAL RESULTS (IN THOUSANDS)
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $111,000.
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