MethylGene Reports First Quarter 2013 Financial Results
Montreal, Canada, May 13, 2013 – MethylGene Inc. (“MethylGene” or the “Company”) (TSX: MYG) today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013.
Corporate Highlights
• On May 9, 2013 we announced that subject to court approval and approval by our shareholders at our Annual and Special General Meeting, we have proposed to change the company’s jurisdiction of incorporation of Canada to the State of Delaware in the United States under the name Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. through a court-approved Plan of Arrangement (the “Arrangement”), and to list on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
• In the first quarter, we made several management changes including the appointment of Mark J. Gergen as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer; the appointment of Jamie A. Donadio as Vice President Finance in our San Diego office; as well as the departures of several executives in our Montreal offices.
• As a company we are now primarily focused on targeted oncology drug development. Our lead oncology program, the multi-targeted kinase inhibitor MGCD265 continues to enroll in both monotherapy and combination therapy trials. We are also actively exploring development plans for our selective HDAC inhibitor, mocetinostat and our differentiated kinase inhibitor, MGCD516.
• The Phase 2 study of MGCD290 in vulvovaginal candidiasis did not demonstrate a benefit of the combination with fluconazole compared to fluconazole alone. However, we continue to believe that MGCD290 may be useful for the treatment of certain fungal indications and we will explore partnering opportunities for the program.
Management has determined that based on an analysis of revenue and expenses that the functional currency for the company will be the U.S. dollar effective January 1, 2013. Furthermore the Company has used the U.S. dollar as its presentation currency.
First Quarter 2013 Financial Results Reported in United States Dollars
To view the complete first quarter financial statements click here.
The Company’s financial statements for the period ended March 31, 2013 have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34, Interim Financial Reporting, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).
Net research and development expenditures for the first quarter of 2013 were $5.5 million, $3.3 million higher than the first quarter of 2012. This increase was primarily due to costs relating to the departure of the company’s Chief Scientific Officer, costs relating to the manufacture of and formulation work relating to MGCD265 and costs associated with the recently completed Phase 2 clinical trial for MGCD290.
General and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2013 were $2.5 million, $1.3 million higher than in the first quarter of 2012 due primarily to costs related to the management changes discussed above as well as the costs incurred in connection with the Arrangement and NASDAQ listing.
Financial income of $74,000, relating primarily to interest income, in the first quarter of 2013 was $6,000 higher compared to the first quarter of 2012 due to higher average cash balances. We recorded a foreign exchange loss of $644,000 in the first quarter of 2013 versus no exchange difference in the first quarter of 2012. The loss in 2013 relates primarily to the transition to the U.S. dollar as our functional currency effective January 1, 2013.
The net loss and comprehensive loss for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013 was $8.6 million, or ($0.02) per share, compared to a net loss and comprehensive loss of $3.4 million, or ($0.01) per share, for the same period last year. The increased loss per share relates to the higher net loss and comprehensive loss for the quarter relating to the higher operating costs and was partially offset by the higher number of outstanding shares at the end of the first quarter 2013 versus the same period last year.
Cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and restricted cash totaled $29.9 million as at March 31, 2013 compared to $37.4 million on December 31, 2012. The Company believes it has sufficient financial resources to carry forward its current clinical development and operating plans into the second quarter of 2014.
About MethylGene
MethylGene is a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Our compounds result from internal chemistry efforts targeting the active sites of enzymes that are key drivers of tumor growth. Our clinical development programs are focussed on treating selected tumor types that express high levels of these targets in order to most effectively address unmet patient needs. Our lead program in clinical development is MGCD265, a multi-targeted small molecule kinase inhibitor for treatment of oncology patients with solid tumors. We are also evaluating development opportunities in oncology for pipeline programs mocetinostat, a spectrum-selective HDAC inhibitor and MGCD516, a kinase inhibitor with a distinct target profile.
Investor Relations Contact:
MethylGene, Inc.
Mark J. Gergen
Executive Vice President & COO
Phone: 858-546-2902
Tracey Rowlands, Ph.D.
Manager Business and Corporate Development
Phone: 514-337-3333 ext. 512
ir@methylgene.com
www.methylgene.com
Michael Wood
Managing Director
LifeSci Advisors
Phone: 646-597-6983
mwood@lifesciadvisors.com
www.lifesciadvisors.com
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