BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Aug. 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Insmed Incorporated (Nasdaq:INSM), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the unmet needs of patients with rare diseases, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 and provided a business update.

“We are approaching a key inflection point for the business as we prepare for the potential approval and launch of our first commercial product, ALIS, which we studied in adult patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease caused by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC),” commented Will Lewis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Insmed. “We look forward to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee meeting next week to discuss our New Drug Application for ALIS and the significant unmet need in this orphan disease, for which there are currently no approved inhaled therapies in the U.S. Our commercial team is executing our strategy in an effort to support a potential U.S. launch early in the fourth quarter of this year, and we continue to lay the groundwork for long-term growth, with efforts ongoing to support regulatory submissions in Japan and Europe and plans for additional studies to support life cycle management for ALIS.”

Recent Corporate Developments

New Drug Application (NDA) Accepted for Priority Review with PDUFA Action Date of September 28, 2018; FDA Advisory Committee Set for August 7, 2018

In May, Insmed reported that the FDA granted Insmed's request for Priority Review of its NDA for ALIS for adult patients with NTM lung disease caused by MAC and set a PDUFA action date of September 28, 2018. The Division of Antimicrobial Products of the FDA has scheduled an advisory committee meeting to review data supporting the NDA on August 7, 2018. The FDA previously designated ALIS an orphan drug, a breakthrough therapy, and a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) under the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Act.

ALIS Data Presented at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2018 International Conference

In late May, Insmed presented detailed data from its ongoing Phase 3 CONVERT study of ALIS in adult patients with treatment refractory NTM lung disease caused by MAC at the ATS 2018 International Conference. The global CONVERT study met its primary endpoint of culture conversion by Month 6 with statistical significance (p <0.0001). In the study, the addition of ALIS to guideline-based therapy (GBT) eliminated evidence of NTM lung disease caused by MAC in sputum by Month 6 in 29% of patients, compared to 9% of patients on GBT alone.

Strengthening Expertise in Japan

In mid-May, Insmed also appointed Leo Lee to its Board of Directors. Mr. Lee has deep global commercial leadership experience, with more than 21 years of his career in the pharmaceutical industry spent in Japan, most recently at Merck KGaA, a global pharmaceutical company, where he served as President, Japan. Prior to his role at Merck KGaA, Mr. Lee served as President, Japan of Allergan plc, a global pharmaceutical company, from 2011 to 2015.

During the second quarter, Insmed hired Yuji Orihara to the position of General Manager, Insmed Asia Pacific, to advance our efforts toward potential commercialization of ALIS in Japan. Mr. Orihara joins Insmed from Gilead Sciences, Inc., where he was most recently the President of Gilead Sciences, Japan.

Second Quarter Financial Results

For the second quarter of 2018, Insmed reported a net loss of $76.4 million, or $1.00 per share, compared with a net loss of $44.7 million, or $0.72 per share, for the second quarter of 2017.

Research and development expenses were $35.7 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared with $26.9 million for the second quarter of 2017. The increase as compared to the second quarter of 2017 was primarily due to an increase in external manufacturing expenses for ALIS production-related activities and higher compensation and related expenses due to an increase in headcount.

General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2018 were $37.2 million, compared with $16.6 million for the second quarter of 2017. The increase was primarily due to higher compensation and related expenses due to an increase in headcount, including the hiring of our field force, and higher consulting expenses related to our pre-commercial planning activities for ALIS.

Balance Sheet and Cash Guidance

As of June 30, 2018, Insmed had cash and cash equivalents of $634.3 million. The Company's operating expenses for the second quarter of 2018 were $72.9 million. The cash-based operating expenses for the second quarter of 2018 were $65.3 million.

The Company is investing in the following key activities in 2018: (i) the build-out of the commercial organization to support global expansion activities for ALIS; (ii) manufacturing of commercial inventory and build-out of an additional third-party manufacturing facility; and (iii) clinical activities for ALIS and the Phase 2 development program for INS1007, along with advancement of other pipeline programs. As a result of these activities, Insmed expects cash-based operating expenses and capital and other cash investments to be in the range of $150 million to $170 million for the second half of 2018.

About NTM Lung Disease

NTM lung disease is a rare and serious disorder associated with increased rates of morbidity and mortality. There is an increasing prevalence of lung disease caused by NTM, and Insmed believes it is an emerging public health concern worldwide. Patients with NTM lung disease may experience a multitude of symptoms such as fever, weight loss, cough, lack of appetite, night sweats, blood in the sputum, and fatigue. Patients with NTM lung disease frequently require lengthy hospital stays to manage their condition. Insmed is not aware of any approved inhaled therapies specifically indicated for refractory NTM lung disease caused by MAC in North America, Japan or Europe. Current guideline-based approaches involve use of multi-drug regimens not approved for the treatment of NTM lung disease, and treatment can be as long as two years or more.

The prevalence of human disease attributable to NTM has increased over the past two decades. In a decade long study (1997 to 2007), researchers found that the prevalence of NTM lung disease in the U.S. was increasing at approximately 8% per year and that NTM patients on Medicare over the age of 65 were 40% more likely to die over the period of the study than those who did not have the disease. In the U.S., Insmed estimates there will be between 75,000 and 105,000 patients with diagnosed NTM lung disease in 2018, of which the Company expects 40,000 to 50,000 will be treated for NTM lung disease caused by MAC. Insmed expects that between 10,000 and 15,000 of these patients will be refractory to treatment. In Japan, Insmed estimates there will be between 125,000 and 145,000 patients with diagnosed NTM lung disease in 2018, with approximately 60,000 to 70,000 of those patients being treated for NTM lung disease caused by MAC and 15,000 to 18,000 of these treated patients being refractory to treatment. Insmed also estimates there will be approximately 14,000 patients with diagnosed NTM lung disease in the EU5 (comprised of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) in 2018, of which the Company estimates approximately 4,400 will be treated for NTM lung disease caused by MAC and approximately 1,400 of these treated patients will be refractory to treatment.

About ALIS

ALIS is a novel, inhaled, once-daily formulation of amikacin that is in late-stage clinical development for adult patients with treatment-refractory NTM lung disease caused by MAC. Amikacin solution for parenteral administration is an established drug that has activity against a variety of NTM; however, its use is limited by the need to administer it intravenously and by toxicity to hearing, balance, and kidney function. Insmed's advanced pulmonary liposome technology uses charge neutral liposomes to deliver amikacin directly to the lung where it is taken up by the lung macrophages where the NTM infection resides. This prolongs the release of amikacin in the lungs while minimizing systemic exposure thereby offering the potential for decreased systemic toxicities. ALIS’s ability to deliver high levels of amikacin directly to the lung distinguishes it from intravenous amikacin. ALIS is administered once daily using an optimized, investigational eFlow^® Nebulizer System manufactured by PARI Pharma GmbH (PARI), a portable aerosol delivery system.

About CONVERT (INS-212) and INS-312

CONVERT is a randomized, open-label, global Phase 3 trial designed to confirm the culture conversion results seen in Insmed’s Phase 2 clinical trial of ALIS in patients with refractory NTM lung disease caused by MAC. CONVERT is being conducted in 18 countries at more than 125 sites. The primary efficacy endpoint is the proportion of patients who achieved culture conversion at Month 6 in the ALIS plus GBT arm compared to the GBT-only arm. Patients who achieved culture conversion by Month 6 are continuing in the CONVERT study for an additional 12 months of treatment following the first monthly negative sputum culture. Patients who did not culture convert may have been eligible to enroll in our INS-312 study. INS-312 is a single-arm open-label extension study for patients who completed six months of treatment in the INS-212 study, but did not demonstrate culture conversion by Month 6. Under the study protocol, non-converting patients in the ALIS plus GBT arm of the INS-212 study will receive an additional 12 months of ALIS plus GBT. Patients who crossed over from the GBT-only arm of the INS-212 study will receive 12 months of treatment of ALIS plus GBT.

About Insmed

Insmed Incorporated is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the unmet needs of patients with rare diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate is ALIS, which is in late-state development for adult patients with treatment refractory NTM lung disease caused by MAC, which is a rare and often chronic infection that is capable of causing irreversible lung damage and can be fatal. Insmed's earlier-stage clinical pipeline includes INS1007, a novel oral reversible inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase 1 with therapeutic potential in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis and other inflammatory diseases, and INS1009, an inhaled nanoparticle formulation of a treprostinil prodrug that may offer a differentiated product profile for rare pulmonary disorders, including pulmonary arterial hypertension. For more information, visit www.insmed.com.