Aligos Therapeutics Inc (ALGS)

[DewDiligence]

ALGS 3Q23 results:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-reports-recent-business-200500015.html

No CC.

[DewDiligence]

ALGS -15% on warrant-laden $92M financing:

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/10/23/2764690/0/en/Aligos-Therapeutics-Announces-92-Million-Private-Placement-Financing.html

[DewDiligence]

ALGS receives $8.5M NIAID grant for clinical development of ALG-097558:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-announces-award-8-113000446.html

$8.5M won’t go very far, but I suppose that every little bit helps. ALGS is expected to report data from the phase-1 trial of ALG-097558 in 1H24.

[Monksdream]

ALGS new 52 week low

[Monksdream]

ALGS new 52 week low

[DewDiligence]

ALG-055009 phase-2a in NASH expected_to_start 1Q24:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-announces-ind-clearance-113000003.html

ALG-055009 is a thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist.

[Monksdream]

ALGS new 52 week low

[DewDiligence]

ALGS, JNJ reach agreement in principle to settle pending litigation:

https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001799448/000119312523200617/d538755d8k.htm

The terms will presumably be disclosed when the settlement in finalized.

[DewDiligence]

The relatively low cash burn in 2Q23 was due to ALGS’ slashing R&D expenses by more than half relative to 2Q22 ($17M in 2Q23 vs 2Q22 $35M).

[DewDiligence]

ALGS 2Q23 results—6/30/23 cash=$91M—(down $15M from 3/31/23):

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-reports-recent-business-200500975.html

Data from the phase-1 trial of ALG-097558, a SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor, are expected in 1H24. The trial, which is being conducted in the UK, is currently in the SAD phase.

No CC.

[DewDiligence]

ALGS HBV data at EASL:

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/06/21/2692513/0/en/Aligos-Therapeutics-Presents-Data-from-its-Liver-Disease-Programs-at-the-European-Association-for-the-Study-of-the-Liver-EASL-Congress-2023.html

[DewDiligence]

ALGS +51%/AH on collaboration with Chinese company:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-announces-research-collaboration-210500298.html

Under the terms of the agreement, Aligos and Amoytop* will collaborate on the research and development of oligonucleotide compounds for the treatment of liver diseases. Amoytop will receive an option to obtain an exclusive license to develop and commercialize the resultant products in the Greater China territory while Aligos will retain rest-of-world rights. Aligos will also receive an upfront payment and research collaboration funding and be eligible to receive up to a total of $109 million in development and sales milestone payments for licensed products as well as tiered royalties on net sales.

Before the AH pop, ALGS’ enterprise value was deeply negative; after the AH pop, the EV is still negative but less so.

The up-front cash amount is presumably tiny since it wasn’t disclosed.

*Xiamen Amoytop Biotech Company Ltd.

[DewDiligence]

ALGS 1Q23 results—3/31/22 cash=$104M, down from $126M at 12/31/22:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-reports-recent-business-200500905.html

ALGS expects to start a phase-1 trial of ALG-097558, a SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor, in the UK in mid 2023.

No CC.

[DewDiligence]

ALGS 4Q22 results—12/31/22 cash=$126M—4Q22 cash_burn=$16M:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-reports-recent-business-210500130.html

ALGS’ COVID protease inhibitor, ALG-097558, is expected to start phase-1 in 2Q23.

No CC.

[DewDiligence]

ALGS “de-prioritizes” HBV program—reduces workforce 10%:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-announces-strategic-reprioritization-210500405.html

Aligos Therapeutics…today announced a portfolio reprioritization. Aligos’ highest priorities will be focused on rapid advancement of its clinical NASH (ALG-055009) and COVID-19 (ALG-097558) programs as well as maintaining its ongoing NASH oligonucleotide research collaborations with Merck…

Additionally, the Company plans to complete the <=48-week (ALG-000184) and single ascending dose (ALG-125755) cohorts for its two chronic hepatitis B programs and continue to invest in selected research programs and collaborations with external research organizations.

This portfolio reprioritization is being accompanied by a reduction of the Company’s current workforce of approximately 10%...

…As a result of the portfolio reprioritization, realignment of its workforce, and other cost-saving measures, the Company expects to maintain a strong balance sheet and extend its projected cash runway to the end of 2024.

In other words, the HBV program is getting the axe. After completing the early-stage HBV trials in progress, ALGS will offload these assets (if anyone wants them) or simply shut down the program.

The stock is flattish in the AH session.

[Laster]

Might hit $3 today.
Easily moving to $5.
Discussed this on HEPA board at under $1 in December.
Wow.
Yippee.

[Laster]

Beautiful. Will pass $2 today.
Best NASH play out there.
Good luck.

[Laster]

It’s running.
Amazing NASH stock.
$1.20.
$3 in February.

[DewDiligence]

ALGS provides 2023 roadmap:

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/01/05/2583624/0/en/Aligos-Therapeutics-on-Track-to-Complete-Phase-2-Enabling-Activities-in-2023-for-its-Clinically-Validated-THR-%C3%9F-Drug-Candidate-for-NASH-ALG-055009.html

[DewDiligence]

ALGS 3Q22 results—9/30/22 cash=$142M—3Q22 cash_burn=$17M:

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/11/02/2547039/0/en/Aligos-Therapeutics-Reports-Recent-Business-Progress-and-Third-Quarter-2022-Financial-Results.html

ALGS’ COVID protease inhibitor, ALG-097558 is expected to start phase-1 in 2Q23.

No CC.

[DewDiligence]

ALGS 2Q22 results—6/30/22 cash=$159.3M—(down from $183M @3/31/22):

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/08/04/2492772/0/en/Aligos-Therapeutics-Reports-Recent-Business-Progress-and-Second-Quarter-2022-Financial-Results.html

Phase-1 for the SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor, ALG-097558 has been delayed and is now expected to start in 2023, following a CTA filing in 1Q23. (The prior guidance was for an IND filing in 2H22.)

[DewDiligence]

ALGS—Cash @3/31/22=$183M—$23B burn in 1Q22:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-reports-recent-business-200500766.html

Other than the financials, there is no new news. ALGS still plans to start phase-1 for its COVID protease inhibitor in late 2022 or early 2023 (i.e. IND filing in 2H22).

No CC.

[DewDiligence]

ALGS selects lead SARS-CoV-2 PI—phase-1 expected to start in early 2023 (or very late 2022):

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-selects-drug-candidate-120000412.html

The timing of this program was known from the Leerink webcast two months ago (#msg-167924816), so the only new news is that a lead compound has been selected.

[DewDiligence]

ALGS discontinues another HBV candidate:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-discontinues-development-antisense-oligonucleotide-120000830.html

Aligos Therapeutics…today announced that it has discontinued development of its drug candidate, ALG-020572, which was being studied in subjects with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Dosing in the first CHB cohort of Study ALG-020572-401 (NCT05001022) was stopped after one subject experienced a serious adverse event (SAE) with significant increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) following multiple dosing of 210 mg ALG-020572 that resulted in a brief hospitalization. This is one of four CHB subjects in this first cohort who experienced potentially drug-related ALT flares…

[DewDiligence]

ALGS 4Q21 financials—12/31/21_cash=$205.8M:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-reports-fourth-quarter-210500703.html

No CC.

[DewDiligence]

Disclosure: I'm long ENTA.

[DewDiligence]

Two takeaways from today's Leerink webcast on ALGS-9711 (oral coronavirus protease inhibitor): 1) ALGS-097111 phase-1 won’t start until 2023 (insofar as the IND is expected to be filed in late 2022); 2) CEO Blatt talked up combination therapy to treat COVID even while insisting compound is “best in class,” which I find curious.

[DewDiligence]

Preclinical data on ALGS-097111 protease inhibitor from 2021 CROI:

https://www.aligos.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CROI21_Science-Spotlight_ID2675_Vandyck_handout_1.pdf

[DewDiligence]

Link to Leerink webcast:

https://wsw.com/webcast/svbleerink67/enta/2640400

[oxnous]

ALGS--Bungee Jumping

[DewDiligence]

ALGS -40%/PM on_discontinuation_of_lead HBV candidate for_lack_of_efficacy:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-halting-further-development-stops-130000126.html

[DewDiligence]

ALGS—(-16%)—sells 5.06M* shares @$19.00—a 20% discount to Monday’s close:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-announces-pricing-83-020800387.html

*Assuming exercise of underwriter’s option.

[DewDiligence]

ALGS—(-11%)—presents EASL HBV lineup:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aligos-therapeutics-announces-pipeline-upcoming-120000870.html

Nothing in this PR is especially newsworthy, so I’m not sure why the stock is selling off today. Maybe some investors were expecting some kind of big announcement.