SAN DIEGO, March 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- OncoSec Medical Incorporated ("OncoSec") (NASDAQ: ONCS), a company developing DNA-based intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, today announced key corporate objectives as well as financial results for the second quarter and year to date ended January 31, 2016.
CORPORATE OBJECTIVES
"As we enter the next quarter, we are confident in our team's mission to deliver safer and more effective intratumoral immunotherapies to provide long-term benefits for cancer patients. The fundamental goal of our technology, ImmunoPulse IL-12, is to promote a systemic, tumor-specific immune response. We believe this holds the greatest potential to provide meaningful clinical benefit to patients and investment value to OncoSec's shareholders," said Punit Dhillon, President and CEO of OncoSec. "Our objectives over the next year are focused on establishing clinical response data to support the combination rationale for ImmunoPulse IL-12 with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 as well as identifying a new lead candidate to expand our ImmunoPulse platform and deliver multiple immune molecules in a single treatment."
OncoSec's development milestones and value drivers over the next 12 months include:
- Complete patient enrollment in the Phase II combination trial of ImmunoPulse IL-12 with anti-PD-1 in patients with metastatic melanoma
- Present preliminary clinical and biomarker data from our Phase II melanoma clinical trials at upcoming scientific conferences; data to be used to finalize development strategy
- Identify novel "multi-gene" combination ImmunoPulse candidate
- Complete triple negative breast cancer pilot study as proof-of-concept and present interim data
- Present data from our preclinical programs, including studies with our existing industry collaborators
FINANCIAL RESULTS
For the second quarter of fiscal 2016 and the six months ended January 31, 2016, OncoSec reported a net loss of $7.0 million and $14.1 million, or $0.42 per share and $0.89 per share, respectively, compared to a net loss of $4.6 million and $8.7 million, or $0.38 per share and $0.71 per share, respectively, for the same periods last year. The increase in net loss for the year ended January 31, 2016, compared with the same period in 2015, resulted primarily from (i) an increase of $3.1 million in personnel costs, inclusive of non-cash stock-based compensation (ii) an increase of $1.3 million in clinical studies costs due to the progression of patient treatments in all of our clinical programs, (iii) an increase of $0.5 million related to outside services primarily associated with discovery research and next generation electroporation device development and (iv) an increase of $0.5 million in facility costs which consists primarily of rental expense due to the relocation of our Corporate headquarters, which includes onsite laboratory space. There were no revenues for the three and six months ended January 31, 2016 or January 31, 2015.
Research and development expenses were $4.1 million and $7.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 and the six months ended January 31, 2016, respectively, compared to $2.9 million and $5.4 million for the same periods in 2015. General and administrative expenses were $2.9 million and $6.3 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 and the six months ended January 31, 2016, compared to $1.7 million and $3.3 million for the same period in 2015.
At January 31, 2016, OncoSec had $28.8 million in cash and cash equivalents, as compared to $32.0 million of cash and cash equivalents at July 31, 2015. OncoSec expects these funds to be sufficient to allow it to continue to operate its business for at least the next 12 months.
About OncoSec Medical Incorporated
OncoSec is a biotechnology company developing DNA-based intratumoral immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. The Company's investigational technology, ImmunoPulse, is designed to enhance the local delivery and uptake of DNA-based immune-targeting agents, such as interleukin-12 (IL-12). In Phase I and II clinical trials, OncoSec's lead program, ImmunoPulse IL-12, demonstrated a favorable safety profile and evidence of anti-tumor activity in the treatment of various skin cancers as well as the potential to initiate a systemic immune response. ImmunoPulse IL-12 is currently in Phase II development for several indications, including metastatic melanoma and triple-negative breast cancer. In addition to ImmunoPulse IL-12, the Company is also seeking to identify and develop new immune-targeting agents for use with the ImmunoPulse platform. For more information, please visit www.oncosec.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "expect," "may," "will," "goal," "objective," "believe," and similar references to future periods.
Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based on management's current preliminary expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause our results to differ materially and adversely from the statements contained herein.
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