UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Trading |
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
On November 4, 2021, Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2021. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1.
The information in this Item 2.02 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, regardless of the general incorporation language of such filing, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
Exhibit No. |
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Description |
99.1 |
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104 |
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Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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FATE THERAPEUTICS, INC. |
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Date: |
November 4, 2021 |
By: |
/s/ J. Scott Wolchko |
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J. Scott Wolchko |
Exhibit 99.1
Fate Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results and Highlights Operational Progress
Initiated Enrollment in Phase 1 Clinical Studies of FT538 and FT576 for R/R Multiple Myeloma
FT596 Interim Phase 1 Data of 14 Patients in Single-Dose Escalation Cohorts 2 and 3 for R/R Lymphoma Showed 71% ORR and 50% CR; Differentiated Safety Profile with Two Low-Grade Events of CRS and No Events of ICANS or GVHD
FT516 Interim Phase 1 Data of 11 Patients in Multi-Dose, Multi-Cycle Escalation Cohorts 2 and 3 for R/R Lymphoma Showed 73% ORR and 55% CR; 63% of Responders Remained in Ongoing Response at Median Time of 5.2 Months; Enrollment in Multiple Disease-specific Expansion Cohorts Initiated
FT596 Oral and FT516 Poster Presentations to Highlight Updated Phase 1 Data for R/R Lymphoma at ASH on Monday, December 13; Eight Abstracts Accepted for Presentation
San Diego, CA – November 4, 2021 – Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of programmed cellular immunotherapies for patients with cancer, today reported business highlights and financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021.
“The interim Phase 1 data from our FT516 and FT596 programs in relapsed / refractory lymphoma demonstrate that our off-the-shelf, iPSC-derived NK cell product candidates have the potential to deliver substantial therapeutic benefit for patients along with a differentiated safety profile that supports outpatient treatment. We look forward to sharing additional clinical data from both of these programs at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in December,” said Scott Wolchko, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fate Therapeutics. “We also continue to be pleased with the clinical advancement of our multiplexed-engineered, iPSC-derived NK cell pipeline, where we have now successfully treated the first patients with FT516 in disease-specific expansion cohorts for lymphoma and with FT538 in combination with daratumumab for multiple myeloma. Additionally, we have successfully completed GMP manufacture and release of FT576, our multi-antigen targeted, CAR BCMA product candidate for multiple myeloma, and have initiated enrollment in our Phase 1 study.”
B-cell Malignancy Disease Franchise
AML Disease Franchise
Multiple Myeloma Franchise
Solid Tumor Franchise
Other Corporate Highlights
Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results
Today's Conference Call and Webcast
The Company will conduct a conference call today, Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. ET to review financial and operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2021. In order to participate in the conference call, please dial 877-303-6235 (toll free) or 631-291-4837 (toll) and refer to conference ID 9459084. The live webcast can be accessed under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors section of the Company's website at www.fatetherapeutics.com. The archived webcast will be available on the Company's website beginning approximately two hours after the event.
About Fate Therapeutics’ iPSC Product Platform
The Company’s proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) product platform enables mass production of off-the-shelf, engineered, homogeneous cell products that can be administered with multiple doses to deliver more effective pharmacologic activity, including in combination with other cancer treatments. Human iPSCs possess the unique dual properties of unlimited self-renewal and differentiation potential into all cell types of the body. The Company’s first-of-kind approach involves engineering human iPSCs in a one-time genetic modification event and selecting a single engineered iPSC for maintenance as a clonal master iPSC line. Analogous to master cell lines used to manufacture biopharmaceutical drug products such as monoclonal antibodies, clonal master iPSC lines are a renewable source for manufacturing cell therapy products which are well-defined and uniform in composition, can be mass produced at significant scale in a cost-effective manner, and can be delivered off-the-shelf for patient treatment. As a result, the Company’s platform is uniquely capable of overcoming numerous limitations associated with the production of cell therapies using patient- or donor-sourced cells, which is logistically complex and expensive and is subject to batch-to-batch and cell-to-cell variability that can affect clinical safety and efficacy. Fate Therapeutics’ iPSC product platform is supported by an intellectual property portfolio of over 350 issued patents and 150 pending patent applications.
About FT516
FT516 is an investigational, universal, off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell cancer immunotherapy derived from a clonal master induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line engineered to express a novel high-affinity 158V, non-cleavable CD16 (hnCD16) Fc receptor, which has been modified to prevent its down-regulation and to enhance its binding to tumor-targeting antibodies. CD16 mediates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), a potent anti-tumor mechanism by which NK cells recognize, bind and kill antibody-coated cancer cells. ADCC is dependent on NK cells maintaining stable and effective expression of CD16, which has been shown to undergo considerable down-regulation in cancer patients. In addition, CD16 occurs in two variants, 158V or 158F, that elicit high or low binding affinity, respectively, to the Fc domain of IgG1 antibodies. Numerous clinical studies with FDA-approved tumor-targeting antibodies, including rituximab, trastuzumab and cetuximab, have demonstrated that patients homozygous for the 158V variant, which is present in only about 15% of patients, have improved clinical outcomes. FT516 is being investigated in a multi-dose Phase 1 clinical trial as a monotherapy for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and in combination with CD20-targeted monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of advanced B-cell lymphoma (NCT04023071). Additionally, FT516 is being investigated in a multi-dose Phase 1 clinical trial in combination with avelumab for the treatment of advanced solid tumors resistant to anti-PDL1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy (NCT04551885).
About FT596
FT596 is an investigational, universal, off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell cancer immunotherapy derived from a clonal master induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line engineered with three anti-tumor functional modalities: a proprietary chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) optimized for NK cell biology that targets B-cell antigen CD19; a novel high-affinity 158V, non-cleavable CD16 (hnCD16) Fc receptor, which has been modified to prevent its down-regulation and to enhance its binding to tumor-targeting antibodies; and an IL-15 receptor fusion (IL-15RF) that augments NK cell activity. In preclinical studies of FT596, the Company has demonstrated that dual activation of the CAR19 and hnCD16 targeting receptors enhances cytotoxic activity, indicating that multi-antigen engagement may elicit a deeper and more durable response. Additionally, in a humanized mouse model of lymphoma, FT596 in combination with the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab showed enhanced killing of tumor cells in vivo as compared to rituximab alone. FT596 is being investigated in a multi-center Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed / refractory B-cell lymphoma as a monotherapy and in combination with rituximab, and for the treatment of relapsed / refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) as a monotherapy and in combination with obinutuzumab (NCT04245722).
About FT538
FT538 is an investigational, universal, off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell cancer immunotherapy derived from a clonal master induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line engineered with three functional components: a novel high-affinity 158V, non-cleavable CD16 (hnCD16) Fc receptor, which has been modified to prevent its down-regulation and to enhance its binding to tumor-targeting antibodies; an IL-15 receptor fusion (IL-15RF) that augments NK cell activity; and the deletion of the CD38 gene (CD38KO), which promotes persistence and function in high oxidative stress environments. FT538 is designed to enhance innate immunity in cancer patients, where endogenous NK cells are typically diminished in both number and function due to prior treatment regimens and tumor suppressive mechanisms. In preclinical studies, FT538 has shown superior NK cell effector function, as compared to peripheral blood NK cells, with the potential to confer significant anti-tumor activity to patients through multiple mechanisms of action. FT538 is being investigated in a multi-dose Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and in combination with daratumumab, a CD38-targeted monoclonal antibody therapy, for the treatment of multiple myeloma (NCT04614636). FT538 is also being investigated in a multi-dose Phase 1 clinical trial in combination with one of an array of tumor-targeting monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of advanced solid tumors (NCT05069935).
About FT819
FT819 is an investigational, universal, off-the-shelf, T-cell receptor (TCR)-less CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell cancer immunotherapy derived from a clonal master induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line, which is engineered with the following features designed to improve the safety and efficacy of CAR19 T-cell therapy: a novel 1XX CAR signaling domain, which has been shown to extend T‑cell effector function without eliciting exhaustion; integration of the CAR19 transgene directly into the T‑cell receptor alpha constant (TRAC) locus, which has been shown to promote uniform CAR19 expression and enhanced T‑cell potency; and complete bi-allelic disruption of TCR expression for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease. FT819 demonstrated antigen-specific cytolytic activity in vitro against CD19-expressing leukemia and lymphoma cell lines comparable to that of primary CAR T cells, and persisted and maintained tumor clearance in the bone marrow in an in vivo disseminated xenograft model of lymphoblastic leukemia (Valamehr et al. 2020). FT819 is
being investigated in a multi-center Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed / refractory B-cell malignancies, including B-cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (NCT04629729).
About Fate Therapeutics, Inc.
Fate Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of first-in-class cellular immunotherapies for patients with cancer. The Company has established a leadership position in the clinical development and manufacture of universal, off-the-shelf cell products using its proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) product platform. The Company’s immuno-oncology pipeline includes off-the-shelf, iPSC-derived natural killer (NK) cell and T-cell product candidates, which are designed to synergize with well-established cancer therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, and to target tumor-associated antigens using chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Fate Therapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information, please visit www.fatetherapeutics.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and sufficiency of its cash and cash equivalents to fund its operations, as well as statements regarding the advancement of and plans related to its product candidates, clinical studies and preclinical research and development programs, the Company’s progress, plans and timelines for the manufacture and clinical investigation of its product candidates, the timing for the Company’s receipt of data from its clinical trials and preclinical studies, the initiation of additional clinical trials and additional dose cohorts in ongoing clinical trials of the Company’s product candidates and the submission of IND applications for additional programs, the Company’s development and regulatory strategy, and the therapeutic and market potential of the Company’s product candidates. These and any other forward-looking statements in this release 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. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that the Company’s product candidates may not demonstrate the requisite safety or efficacy to achieve regulatory approval or to warrant further development, the risk that results observed in prior studies of the Company’s product candidates, including preclinical studies and clinical trials, will not be observed in ongoing or future studies involving these product candidates, the risk of a delay or difficulties in the manufacturing of the Company’s product candidates or in the initiation of, or enrollment of patients in, any clinical studies, the risk that the Company may cease or delay preclinical or clinical development of any of its product candidates for a variety of reasons (including requirements that may be imposed by regulatory authorities on the initiation or conduct of clinical trials, the amount and type of data to be generated, or otherwise to support regulatory approval, difficulties or delays in patient enrollment and continuation in the Company’s ongoing and planned clinical trials, difficulties in manufacturing or supplying the Company’s product candidates for clinical testing, and any adverse events or other negative results that may be observed during preclinical or clinical development), risks related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of the Company’s business and operations, including its ability to initiate, conduct and complete its clinical trials, and the risk that the Company’s expenditures may exceed current expectations for a variety of reasons. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause the Company’s actual
results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the Company’s most recently filed periodic report, and from time to time in the Company’s press releases and other investor communications. Fate Therapeutics is providing the information in this release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Availability of Other Information about Fate Therapeutics, Inc.
Investors and others should note that the Company routinely communicates with investors and the public using its website (www.fatetherapeutics.com) and its investor relations website (ir.fatetherapeutics.com) including, without limitation, through the posting of investor presentations, SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts on these websites. The information posted on these websites could be deemed to be material information. As a result, investors, the media, and others interested in Fate Therapeutics are encouraged to review this information on a regular basis. The contents of the Company’s website, or any other website that may be accessed from the Company’s website, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
(unaudited)
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Three Months Ended |
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Nine Months Ended |
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September 30, |
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September 30, |
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2021 |
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2020 |
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2021 |
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2020 |
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Collaboration revenue |
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$ |
14,225 |
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$ |
7,558 |
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$ |
38,777 |
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$ |
15,538 |
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Operating expenses: |
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Research and development |
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53,130 |
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30,694 |
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146,004 |
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86,641 |
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General and administrative |
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15,718 |
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8,351 |
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40,385 |
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23,583 |
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Total operating expenses |
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68,848 |
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39,045 |
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186,389 |
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110,224 |
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Loss from operations |
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(54,623 |
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(31,487 |
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(147,612 |
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(94,686 |
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Other income (expense): |
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Interest income |
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289 |
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447 |
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1,012 |
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2,054 |
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Change in fair value of stock price appreciation milestones |
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11,026 |
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(27,644 |
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3,070 |
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(27,644 |
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Total other income (expense), net |
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11,315 |
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(27,197 |
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4,082 |
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(25,590 |
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Net loss |
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$ |
(43,308 |
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$ |
(58,684 |
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$ |
(143,530 |
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$ |
(120,276 |
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Other comprehensive income (loss): |
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Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net |
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13 |
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(311 |
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(143 |
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290 |
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Comprehensive loss |
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$ |
(43,295 |
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$ |
(58,995 |
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$ |
(143,673 |
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$ |
(119,986 |
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Net loss per common share, basic and diluted |
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$ |
(0.45 |
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$ |
(0.68 |
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$ |
(1.52 |
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$ |
(1.49 |
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Weighted–average common shares used to |
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95,409,201 |
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86,887,280 |
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94,396,485 |
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80,715,564 |
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Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
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September 30, |
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December 31, |
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2021 |
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2020 |
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Assets |
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Current assets: |
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Cash and cash equivalents |
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$ |
129,180 |
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$ |
167,347 |
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Accounts receivable |
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7,311 |
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5,515 |
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Short-term investments and related maturity receivables |
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549,521 |
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315,569 |
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Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
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7,701 |
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5,892 |
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Total current assets |
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693,713 |
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494,323 |
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Long-term investments |
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124,877 |
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— |
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Operating lease right-of-use assets |
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64,970 |
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67,084 |
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Other long-term assets |
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101,011 |
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61,050 |
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Total assets |
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$ |
984,571 |
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$ |
622,457 |
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Liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
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Current liabilities: |
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Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
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$ |
60,442 |
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$ |
21,847 |
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Deferred revenue, current portion |
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23,545 |
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21,144 |
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CIRM award liability, current portion |
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3,200 |
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3,200 |
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Operating lease liabilities, current portion |
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4,697 |
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3,355 |
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Stock price appreciation milestones, current portion |
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— |
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36,018 |
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Total current liabilities |
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91,884 |
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85,564 |
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Deferred revenue, net of current portion |
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32,563 |
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46,021 |
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CIRM award liability, net of current portion |
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800 |
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800 |
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Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion |
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104,360 |
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93,943 |
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Stock price appreciation milestones, net of current portion |
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24,632 |
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11,684 |
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Stockholders’ equity |
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730,332 |
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384,445 |
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Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
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$ |
984,571 |
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$ |
622,457 |
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Contact:
Christina Tartaglia
Stern Investor Relations, Inc.
212.362.1200
christina@sternir.com