SER-155 Phase 1b clinical study activities: SER-155 is an investigational oral, rationally-designed, cultivated microbiome therapeutic designed to prevent or reduce mortality due to gastrointestinal infections, bacteremia, and graft versus host disease (GvHD) in immunocompromised patients, including patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. SER-155 is a consortium of bacterial species selected using microbiome biomarker data from human clinical data, human cell-based assays, and in vivo disease models. The composition aims to decrease infection and translocation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and modulate host immune responses to decrease GvHD.
The SER-155 program is supported by a CARB-X grant that provides financial and operational support through Phase 1b clinical development. Seres continues to advance SER-155 toward a Phase 1b clinical study in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
SER-401 Phase 1b study in metastatic melanoma: SER-401 is an orally-administered, live microbiome therapeutic candidate comprising bacteria that reflect the bacterial signature in the gastrointestinal microbiome associated with patient response to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. SER-401 Phase 1b study enrollment has been impacted by COVID-19-related operation disruptions and enrollment has been slower than anticipated. Further development plans for SER-401 are being assessed by Seres and its study collaborators, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Financial Results
Seres reported a net loss of $89.1 million for the full year of 2020, as compared to a net loss of $70.3 million for the prior year. Seres reported a net loss of $18.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, as compared to a net loss of $18.8 million for the same period in 2019.
Research and development expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were $24.9 million, as compared to $21.0 million for the same period in 2019. The research and development expenses were primarily related to Seres’ microbiome therapeutics platform, the clinical development of SER-109 and SER-287, as well as the Company’s immuno-oncology efforts.
General and administrative expenses for the fourth quarter were $10.6 million, as compared to $5.8 million for the same period in the prior year. General and administrative expenses were primarily due to headcount, including costs related to infrastructure supporting commercialization, professional fees and facility costs.
Seres ended the 2020 year with approximately $303.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and short and long-term investments.
Conference Call Information
Seres’ management team will host a conference call today, March 2, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. ET. To access the conference call, please dial 844-277-9450 (domestic) or 336-525-7139 (international) and reference the conference ID number 7338026. To join the live webcast, please visit the “Investors and News” section of the Seres website at www.serestherapeutics.com.