Synlogic Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

Treated first subject in clinical trials of two Synthetic BioticTM medicines, SYNB1020 and SYNB1618; both studies expected to generate data in 2018 –

May 16, 2018 Microbiome Times Finance, Pharma & Human Health

 

Corporate

  • Leadership Transition: On May 10, 2018, Synlogic announced a CEO transition; Chief Medical Officer, Aoife Brennan, M.B., B.Ch., was appointed to serve as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer as successor to Jose-Carlos Gutiérrez-Ramos, Ph.D.; Peter Barrett, Ph.D., the Chairman of Synlogic’s board of directors will serve as Executive Chairman and oversee a Board committee to conduct a search for a permanent CEO.
  • Strengthened Company’s balance sheet: As of March 31, 2018, Synlogic had cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $125.8 million. In April 2018, the Company completed a registered direct offering generating $28.9 million in net proceeds. Synlogic expects its current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities position will be sufficient to fund operations to mid-2020 based on its current business plan.

Pipeline

  • Treatment of the first subject in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial evaluating SYNB1618, in development for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU). This Phase 1/2a clinical trial is a single (SAD) and multiple (MAD) dose-escalation, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of orally administered SYNB1618 in healthy adult volunteers and adult subjects with PKU. The study is designed to evaluate safety, tolerability, kinetics, and pharmacodynamics as well as exploratory end-points associated with the ability of SYNB1618 to metabolize phenylalanine. Synlogic expects to report interim data from this trial in the second half of 2018 and the full data in 2019. More information about this study can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
  • Treatment of the first subject in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial evaluating SYNB1020, in development for the treatment of hyperammonemia. This Phase1b/2a clinical trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of SYNB1020, as well as its ability to lower blood ammonia levels, in patients with cirrhosis and elevated blood ammonia. Synlogic expects to report topline date from this trial at the end of 2018. Additional information about this study can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
  • Fast-Track designation granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for SYNB1618 for the treatment of PKU. The FDA Fast Track program is designed to facilitate the development of important new drugs intended to treat a serious condition and to fill an unmet medical need. The designation enables early and frequent communication between the FDA and Synlogic ensuring that questions and issues are resolved quickly, and often leading to earlier drug approval and access by patients.
  • Presentation of preclinical data from Synlogic’s immuno-oncology (IO) program at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). The data demonstrate that, in mouse models, Synthetic Biotic medicines stimulate an antitumor response and robustly reprogram the tumor microenvironment, potentially enabling the treatment of a variety of cancers.

First Quarter 2018 Financial Results
For the three months ended March 31, 2018, Synlogic reported a consolidated net loss of $11.2 million, or $0.55 per share, compared to a net loss of $7.4 million, or $4.49 per unit, for the corresponding period in 2017. The increase in net loss was primarily due to increases in compensation-related expenses as Synlogic continues to grow its employee headcount and hire into key positions to support its corporate goals, as well as increases in research and development expenses to support its advancing clinical programs.

Research and development expenses were $8.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to $5.1 million for the corresponding period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to an increase in compensation-related expenses associated with increased headcount, increased external costs associated with process and formulation development, pre-clinical and clinical studies and increased costs associated with Synlogic’s move to a larger facility.

General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2018 were $3.6 million compared to $2.4 million for the corresponding period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to increases in compensation-related expenses associated with increased headcount and increases in expenses related to being a newly public company, including audit, legal and investor relations.

As of March 31, 2018, Synlogic had cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $125.8 million.