Research and development expense was $5.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, compared to $2.0 million in the same period of 2017. The increase was primarily due to spending related to the Phase III trial of DCCR in PWS.
General and administrative expense was $5.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, compared to $4.9 million in the same period of 2017. The increase was primarily due to amortization of the intangible asset acquired in the Essentialis merger.
The loss from continuing operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, was $12.2 million, or ($0.60) per share.
The loss from discontinued operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, was $1.4 million, or ($0.07) per share.
The net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, was $13.6 million, or ($0.67) per share, compared to a net loss of $10.6 million, or ($1.31) per share, for the same nine month period of 2017.
As of September 30, 2018, Soleno had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $10.2 million, compared to $17.1 million at December 31, 2017.
About PWS
The Prader-Willi Syndrome Association USA estimates that one in 12,000 to 15,000 people in the US have PWS. The hallmark symptom of this disorder is hyperphagia, a chronic feeling of insatiable hunger that severely diminishes the quality of life for PWS patients and their families. Additional characteristics of PWS include behavioral problems, cognitive disabilities, low muscle tone, short stature (when not treated with growth hormone), the accumulation of excess body fat, developmental delays, and incomplete sexual development. Hyperphagia can lead to significant morbidities (e.g., stomach rupture, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and mortality (e.g., choking, accidental death due to food seeking behavior). In a global survey conducted by the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research, 96.5% of respondents (parent and caregivers) rated hyperphagia as the most important or a very important symptom to be relieved by a new medicine. There are currently no approved therapies to treat the hyperphagia/appetite, metabolic, cognitive function, or behavioral aspects of the disorder. Diazoxide choline has received Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of PWS in the U.S. and E.U.
About Diazoxide Choline Controlled-Release Tablet
Diazoxide choline controlled-release tablet is a novel, proprietary extended-release, crystalline salt formulation of diazoxide, which is administered once-daily. The parent molecule, diazoxide, has been used for decades in thousands of patients in a few rare diseases in neonates, infants, children and adults, but has not been approved for use in PWS. Soleno conceived of and established extensive patent protection on the therapeutic use of diazoxide and DCCR in patients with PWS. The DCCR development program is supported by positive data from five completed Phase I clinical studies in various metabolic indications or in healthy volunteers and three completed Phase II clinical studies, one of which was in PWS patients. In the PWS Phase II study, DCCR showed promise in addressing hyperphagia, the hallmark symptom of PWS, as well as several other symptoms such as aggressive/destructive behaviors, fat mass and abnormal lipid profiles.
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