BERKELEY, Calif., May 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aduro Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADRO) today reported financial results for the first quarter 2016.  For the three months ended March 31, 2016, net loss was $28.8 million, or $0.45 per share, compared to a net loss of $16.6 million, or $39.97 per share for the same period in 2015. 

Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $408.5 million at March 31, 2016, compared to $431.0 million at December 31, 2015. 

“Our cash position remains strong and we are uniquely positioned in the immunotherapy field with a deep pipeline of assets and programs,” said Stephen T. Isaacs, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Aduro. “We anticipate reaching key inflection points this year for our pancreatic cancer program, with data from our Phase 2b ECLIPSE clinical trial this quarter and interim results from the Phase 2b STELLAR trial in the second half of the year.”

Recent Progress

  • Initiated Phase 1/2 combination clinical trial of CRS-207 and epacadostat in ovarian cancer
  • Established the Immunotherapeutics and Vaccine Research Initiative with UC Berkeley
  • Announced receipt of $22.4 million in clinical development milestone payments from Janssen
  • Expanded patent portfolio with newly issued patents covering LADD and GVAX combination therapy

First Quarter 2016 Financial Results
Revenue was $4.0 million for the first quarter of 2016, compared to $9.6 million for the same period in 2015.  The decrease was primarily due to deferred revenue from our Janssen collaborations.

Research and development expenses were $20.9 million for the first quarter of 2016, compared to $10.6 million for the same period in 2015. This increase was primarily due to manufacturing costs, clinical development expenses associated with our ongoing trials in pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, as well as personnel related expenses associated with continued workforce growth.

General and administrative expenses were $9.0 million for the first quarter of 2016, compared to $6.2 million for the same period in 2015.  This increase was primarily due to stock based compensation expense and additional personnel and facility related expenses to support the company’s growth.

Loss from remeasurement of fair value of warrants was zero for the first quarter of 2016, compared to $9.3 million for the same period in 2015.  In April 2015, all such warrants ceased being liability-classified as the contingency surrounding the number of shares issuable upon the warrant exercise expired.  In April 2015, all outstanding warrants were equity-classified and not subject to future remeasurement.

Provision for income taxes was $3.2 million for the first quarter of 2016, compared to zero for the same period in 2015. The income tax expense recorded for the first quarter of 2016 primarily related to current and deferred federal income taxes.

About Aduro
Aduro Biotech, Inc. is an immunotherapy company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies that transform the treatment of challenging diseases. Aduro’s technology platforms, which are designed to harness the body’s natural immune system, are being investigated in cancer indications and have the potential to expand into autoimmune and infectious diseases. Aduro’s LADD technology platform is based on proprietary attenuated strains of Listeria that have been engineered to express tumor-associated antigens to induce specific and targeted immune responses. Based on compelling clinical data in advanced cancers, this platform is being developed as a treatment for multiple indications, including pancreatic, lung and prostate cancers, mesothelioma and glioblastoma. Aduro’s STING Pathway Activator platform is designed to activate the intracellular STING receptor, resulting in a potent tumor-specific immune response. Aduro’s B-select monoclonal antibody platform includes a number of immune modulating assets in research and preclinical development. Aduro is collaborating with leading global pharmaceutical companies to expand its products and technology platforms. For more information, please visit www.aduro.com.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions or current expectations concerning, among other things, the potential for our technology, plans, timing and the availability of results of our clinical trials and the potential for eventual regulatory approval of our product candidates. In some cases you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “will,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “project,” “expect” or the negative or plural of these words or similar expressions.  Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those anticipated, including, but not limited to, our history of net operating losses and uncertainty regarding our ability to achieve profitability, our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates, our ability to use and expand our technology platforms to build a pipeline of product candidates, our dependence on our lead product candidate, CRS-207, and GVAX Pancreas, our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our product candidates, our inability to operate in a competitive industry and compete successfully against competitors that have greater resources than we do, our reliance on third parties, and our ability to obtain and adequately protect intellectual property rights for our product candidates.  We discuss many of these risks in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate, may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Any forward-looking statements that we make in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We assume no obligation to update our forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.

ADURO BIOTECH, INC.  
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations  
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)  
(Unaudited)  
    Three Months Ended March 31,  
    2016     2015  
Revenue:                
Collaboration and license revenue   $ 3,983     $ 9,238  
Grant revenue     47       336  
Total revenue     4,030       9,574  
Operating expenses:                
Research and development     20,927       10,646  
General and administrative     8,999       6,210  
Amortization of intangible assets     137        
Total operating expenses     30,063       16,856  
Loss from operations     (26,033 )     (7,282 )
Loss from remeasurement of fair value of warrants           (9,342 )
Interest income     454        
Other (loss) income, net     (22 )     8  
Loss before income tax     (25,601 )     (16,616 )
Provision for income taxes     3,226        
Net loss   $ (28,827 )   $ (16,616 )
Net loss per common share, basic and diluted   $ (0.45 )   $ (39.97 )
Shares used in computing net loss per common share, basic and diluted     63,802,391       415,746  

ADURO BIOTECH, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
    March 31,     December 31,  
    2016     2015  
Assets                
Current assets:                
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 120,133     $ 150,456  
Short-term marketable securities     281,848       265,198  
Accounts receivable     1,867       4,846  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets     9,723       4,004  
Total current assets     413,571       424,504  
Long-term marketable securities     6,479       15,391  
Property and equipment, net     5,548       3,986  
Goodwill     8,766       8,469  
Intangible assets, net     30,471       29,400  
Other assets     3,177       75  
Total assets   $ 468,012     $ 481,825  
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                
Current liabilities:                
Accounts payable   $ 5,226     $ 5,086  
Accrued clinical trial and manufacturing expenses     10,614       5,522  
Accrued expenses and other liabilities     10,207       5,412  
Deferred revenue     15,046       15,046  
Total current liabilities     41,093       31,066  
Deferred rent     932        
Contingent consideration     3,594       3,750  
Deferred revenue     174,276       178,037  
Deferred tax liabilities     7,840       7,350  
Total liabilities     227,735       220,203  
Commitments and contingencies                
Stockholders’ equity:                
Preferred stock            
Common stock     6       6  
Additional paid-in capital     369,009       362,807  
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)     941       (339 )
Accumulated deficit     (129,679 )     (100,852 )
Total stockholders’ equity     240,277       261,622  
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 468,012     $ 481,825  

 

CONTACT: Contact:
Sylvia Wheeler	
SVP, Corporate Affairs	
510 809 9264	

Media Contact:
Angela Bitting
925 202 6211
press@aduro.com

Mike Beyer
Sam Brown, Inc.
312 961 2502

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