UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
_________________
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 7, 2024
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ALIGOS THERAPEUTICS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware | 001-39617 | 82-4724808 |
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
One Corporate Dr., 2nd Floor
South San Francisco, California 94080
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(800) 466-6059
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share | ALGS | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq Capital Market) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
On May 7, 2024, the Registrant issued a press release, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
The information in this Item 2.02 and the attached Exhibit 99.1 are being furnished and shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall they be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing made by the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
99.1 | Press Release dated May 7, 2024 | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. | ||
Date: May 7, 2024 | By: | /s/ Lesley Ann Calhoun |
Lesley Ann Calhoun | ||
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | ||
EXHIBIT 99.1
Aligos Therapeutics Reports Recent Business Progress and First Quarter 2024 Financial Results
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGS, “Aligos”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics to address unmet medical needs in liver and viral diseases, today reported recent business progress and financial results for the first quarter 2024.
“We have executed on a number of key deliverables to position Aligos for success,” stated Lawrence Blatt, Ph.D., MBA, Chairman, President & CEO of Aligos Therapeutics. “Importantly, we began dosing in the Phase 2a HERALD study of our THR- drug candidate, ALG-055009, and we expect topline data in Q4 2024. In addition, we recently presented data from our three clinical programs at scientific conferences, showcasing our robust pipeline of potentially best-in-class small molecule drug candidates. In particular, we demonstrated positive safety, tolerability, and antiviral activity data after dosing for up to 64 weeks with our hepatitis B virus capsid assembly modulator, ALG-000184, and positive safety and PK data for our ritonavir-free, pan-coronavirus protease inhibitor, ALG-097558. We remain excited by the potential of these programs and look forward to continuing to deliver for our shareholders.”
Recent Business Progress
Aligos Portfolio of Drug Candidates
ALG-055009: Potential best-in-class small molecule THR-β agonist for MASH
ALG-000184: Potential first-/best-in-class small molecule CAM-E for CHB
ALG-097558: Potential best-in-class small molecule pan-coronavirus protease inhibitor
Financial Results for the First Quarter 2024
Cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $112.7 million as of March 31, 2024, compared with $135.7 million as of December 31, 2023. Additionally, in October 2023, we raised $92.1 million in gross proceeds in private placement financing, before deducting placement agent’s fees and other expenses. Including the proceeds from the private placement financing, we continue to believe our cash balance provides sufficient cash to fund planned operations through the end of 2025.
Net losses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were $34.9 million or basic and diluted net loss per common share of $(0.22), compared to net losses of $23.0 million or basic and diluted net loss per common share of $(0.53) for the three months ended March 31, 2023.
Research and development (R&D) expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were $16.4 million, compared with $18.1 million for the same period of 2023. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in employee related costs, partially offset by an increase in third party expenses. Total R&D stock-based compensation expense incurred for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $1.4 million, compared with $2.2 million for the same period of 2023.
General and administrative (G&A) expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were $6.7 million, compared with $8.5 million for the same period of 2023. The decrease in G&A expenses for this comparative period is primarily due to a decrease in third party expenses including legal expenses. Total G&A stock-based compensation expense incurred for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $1.2 million, compared with $1.5 million for the same period of 2023.
Interest and other income (expense), net, for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was an expense of $12.8 million compared with income of $1.0 million for the same period of 2023. The change in interest and other income (expense), net, is primarily due to an increase in the fair value of the Common Warrants liability, which resulted in a non-cash charge, associated with the Securities Purchase Agreement entered into in October 2023 following the private investment in public equity (PIPE) offering.
About Aligos
Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that was founded in 2018 with the mission to become a world leader in the treatment of liver and viral diseases. Aligos’ strategy is to harness the deep expertise and decades of drug development experience its team has in liver and viral diseases to discover and develop potentially best-in-class therapeutics for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and viruses with high unmet medical need such as hepatitis B and coronaviruses.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be considered “forward-looking statements,” including without limitation, statements with respect to Aligos being positioned for success; the potential of the company’s three clinical programs and the company looking forward to continuing to deliver for its shareholders; the expectation of topline Phase 2a HERALD data for ALG-055009 in Q4 2024; the continuation of dosing in the ongoing Phase 1a/1b study for ALG-000184 with subjects planning to dose for up to 96 weeks and the planned presentation of additional interim data readouts at this year’s EASL and AASLD; and the company’s continued belief its cash balance provides sufficient cash to fund planned operations through the end of 2025. Forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “would,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” and other similar terminology indicating future results. Such forward looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our development programs, future results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties inherent in the drug development process, including Aligos’ clinical-stage of development, the process of designing and conducting clinical trials, the regulatory approval processes, the timing of regulatory filings, the challenges associated with manufacturing drug products, Aligos’ ability to successfully establish, protect and defend its intellectual property, other matters that could affect the sufficiency of Aligos’ capital resources to fund operations, reliance on third parties for manufacturing and development efforts, changes in the competitive landscape and the impact of global events and other macroeconomic conditions on the Aligos’ business. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Aligos in general, see Aligos’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 7, 2024 and its future periodic reports to be filed or submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Aligos undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Aligos Therapeutics, Inc | ||||||
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations | ||||||
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts) | ||||||
Three Months Ended | ||||||
March 31, | ||||||
2024 | 2023 | |||||
(Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||||
Revenue from Collaborations | $ | 292 | $ | 2,583 | ||
Revenue from Customers | 694 | 140 | ||||
Operating Expenses: | ||||||
Research and development | 16,366 | 18,135 | ||||
General and administrative | 6,666 | 8,506 | ||||
Total operating expenses | 23,032 | 26,641 | ||||
Loss from operations | (22,046 | ) | (23,918 | ) | ||
Interest and other income (expense), net | (12,793 | ) | 1,002 | |||
Loss before income tax expense | (34,839 | ) | (22,916 | ) | ||
Income tax expense | (24 | ) | (39 | ) | ||
Net loss | (34,863 | ) | (22,955 | ) | ||
Basic and diluted net loss per common share | $ | (0.22 | ) | $ | (0.53 | ) |
Weighted-average number of shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per common share | 156,154,156 | 42,910,065 | ||||
Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (In thousands) | |||||
March 31, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | ||||
(Unaudited) | (audited) (1) | ||||
Assets | |||||
Current assets: | |||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 24,151 | $ | 135,704 | |
Short-term investments | 88,588 | - | |||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 5,325 | 5,380 | |||
Total current assets | 118,064 | 141,084 | |||
Other assets | 9,838 | 10,443 | |||
Total assets | $ | 127,902 | $ | 151,527 | |
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | |||||
Current liabilities | $ | 18,880 | $ | 23,906 | |
Other liabilities, noncurrent | 49,226 | 35,541 | |||
Total liabilities | 68,106 | 59,447 | |||
Total stockholders’ equity | 59,796 | 92,080 | |||
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | 127,902 | $ | 151,527 |
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(1) | The balance sheet as of December 31, 2023 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. | |
Investor Contact
Jordyn Tarazi
Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
+1 (650) 910-0427
jtarazi@aligos.com
Media Contact
Michael Fitzhugh
LifeSci Communications
mfitzhugh@lifescicomms.com