SG&A Expenses: Selling, general and administrative expenses were $57.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $44.0 million for the same period in 2023. The increase was primarily driven by higher personnel-related expenses due to added headcount to support the Company's launch, commercialization initiatives, and operations as a public company, and other expenses.
Net Loss: Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $118.8 million, or $1.75 on a fully diluted per share basis, compared to a net income of $1.6 million, or $0.02 on a fully diluted per share basis for the same period in 2023.
Cash Position: Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $373.3 million at March 31, 2024, compared to $371.4 million at December 31, 2023. The Company expects cash runway into 2026, which will allow the organization to deliver on key upcoming milestones, including anticipated data readouts from HELIOS (AMX0035 in Wolfram syndrome), ORION (AMX0035 in PSP), and its planned trial of AMX0114 in ALS.
Investor Conference Call Information
Amylyx' management team will host a conference call and webcast today, May 9, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss financial results and provide an update on the business. To access the conference call, please dial +1 (877)-346-6112 (U.S. & Canada) or +1 (848)-280-6350 (international) at least 10 minutes prior to the start time and ask to be joined into the Amylyx Pharmaceuticals call. A live audio webcast of the call will be available under "Events and Presentations" in the Investor section of the Company's website, https://investors.amylyx.com/news-events/events. The webcast will be archived and available for replay for 90 days following the event.
Available Information
We periodically provide other information for investors on our corporate website, https://amylyx.com, and our investor relations website, https://investors.amylyx.com. This includes press releases and other information about financial performance, information on corporate governance, and details related to our annual meeting of stockholders. We intend to use our website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor our website, in addition to following the Company's press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls and webcasts.
About AMX0035
AMX0035 is an oral, fixed-dose combination of sodium phenylbutyrate $(PB)$ and taurursodiol (TURSO; also known as ursodoxicoltaurine outside of the U.S.). AMX0035 was designed to slow or mitigate neurodegeneration by targeting endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, two connected central pathways that lead to cell death and neurodegeneration. Preclinical studies have provided evidence that AMX0035 may reduce cell death and improve cellular function, also supporting the synergistic effect of AMX0035 compared to individual compounds. AMX0035 is being studied as a potential treatment in neurodegenerative diseases, including Wolfram syndrome and progressive supranuclear palsy $(PSP)$.
About AMX0114
AMX0114 is an antisense oligonucleotide designed to target the gene encoding calpain-2, a key contributor to the axonal (Wallerian) degeneration pathway. Axonal degeneration has been recognized as an important early contributor to the clinical presentation and pathogenesis of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. Calpain-2 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of ALS based on findings of elevated levels of calpain-2 and its cleavage products in postmortem ALS tissue, therapeutic benefit of calpain-2 modulation in animal models of ALS, and the role of calpain-2 in cleaving neurofilament, a broadly researched biomarker in ALS. Preclinical studies completed to date have shown that AMX0114 achieves potent, dose-dependent, and durable knockdown of CAPN2 mRNA expression and calpain-2 protein levels in human motor neurons. Moreover, in preclinical efficacy studies, treatment with AMX0114 reduced extracellular neurofilament light chain levels following neurotoxic insult in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human motor neurons, and improved survival of iPSC-derived human motor neurons harboring ALS-linked, pathogenic TDP-43 mutations.
About the HELIOS Trial
The HELIOS trial (NCT05676034) is a 12-participant, open-label Phase 2 trial designed to study the effect of AMX0035 on safety and tolerability, and various measures of endocrinological, neurological, and ophthalmologic function in adult participants living with Wolfram syndrome.
About Wolfram Syndrome
Wolfram syndrome is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease characterized by childhood-onset diabetes, optic nerve atrophy, and neurodegeneration. Common manifestations of Wolfram include diabetes mellitus, optic nerve atrophy, central diabetes insipidus, sensorineural deafness, neurogenic bladder, and progressive neurologic difficulties. Literature suggests approximately 3,000 people are living with Wolfram syndrome in the United States. Genetic and experimental evidence suggests that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction is a critical pathogenic component of Wolfram. The prognosis of Wolfram is poor, and many people with the disease die prematurely with severe neurological disabilities.
About the ORION Trial
The ORION trial (NCT06122662) is a global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial designed to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of AMX0035 compared to placebo in people living with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). ORION was designed and planned in collaboration with key global academic leaders, people living with PSP and their caregivers, and industry advocacy organizations.
About PSP
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a sporadic, rare, and adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder that affects walking and balance, eye movement, swallowing, and speech. People living with PSP have a life expectancy of six to eight years after initial diagnosis, and its epidemiology is similar to that of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). PSP typically begins in late-middle age and rapidly progresses over time. The disease affects approximately seven in 100,000 people worldwide, and there are currently no disease-modifying therapies approved for the treatment of PSP.
PSP is characterized by abnormal tau inclusions and is consequently also known as a tauopathy. Similar to other neurodegenerative diseases, pathophysiologic changes underlying PSP are multifactorial, with several genetic and environmental factors likely contributing to tau dysfunction and aggregation.
Multiple pathways, including genetic mutations, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and the activation of unfolded protein response, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation have been implicated as contributors to tau dysfunction and aggregation.
About ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as motor neuron disease) is a relentlessly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by motor neuron death in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neuron loss in ALS leads to deteriorating muscle function, the inability to move and speak, respiratory paralysis, and eventually, death. More than 90% of people with ALS have sporadic disease, showing no clear family history. ALS affects around 30,000 people in the U.S., and more than 30,000 people are estimated to be living with ALS in Europe (European Union and the United Kingdom). People living with ALS have a median survival of approximately two years from diagnosis.
About Amylyx Pharmaceuticals
Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is committed to supporting and creating more moments for the neurodegenerative disease community through the discovery and development of innovative new treatments. Amylyx is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, visit amylyx.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X, formerly known as Twitter. For investors, please visit investors.amylyx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release and related comments in our earnings conference call regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the potential of AMX0035 (sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol) as a treatment for Wolfram syndrome and PSP or other neurodegenerative diseases; expectations regarding the timing of the announcement of results from the Company's Phase 3 ORION trial of AMX0035 for the treatment of PSP, and additional results from the Company's Phase 2 HELIOS trial of AMX0035 for the treatment of Wolfram syndrome, including planned discussions with regulatory authorities related to the latter; the potential for AMX0114 as a treatment for ALS and the planned initiation of a trial evaluating AMX0114 in ALS; the availability of RELYVRIO/ALBRIOZA for patients currently taking RELYVRIO/ALBRIOZA; the timing and significance of learnings from the PHOENIX trial; the Company's expectations regarding its financial performance; expectations regarding the contributions of the Company's board of directors; and expectations regarding the Company's cash runway and longer-term strategy. Any forward-looking statements in this press release and related comments in the Company's earnings conference call are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: the success, cost, and timing of Amylyx' program development activities; Amylyx' ability to execute on its
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