Equillium reports Q4 EPS (7c) vs. 8c last year

Reports Q4 revenue $9.2M vs. $15.7M last year. “The past year we have been focused on clinical execution that has set up the potential milestones we have in front of us in 2024,” said Bruce Steel, CEO. “The Phase 1b EQUALISE study of itolizumab in patients with lupus nephritis is now complete. We presented positive data from this study at the annual meetings of both ASN and ACR in the fourth quarter last year and we expect to deliver the topline data to our partner Ono in the coming weeks. We expect to announce the results of the interim review by the data monitoring committee of our Phase 3 EQUATOR study of itolizumab in patients with acute graft-versus-host disease in the third quarter, which would represent the final data deliverable to trigger Ono’s option exercise period, which will expire three months following such deliverables. If Ono exercises their option to acquire our rights to itolizumab we would receive an exercise payment of approximately $331 million, which would significantly extend our cash runway beyond the second half of 2025 – our current guidance – and we would remain eligible to receive approximately $101 million in additional milestone payments. Our lead multi-cytokine inhibitor, EQ101, a first in class, tri-specific inhibitor targeting IL-2, IL-9 and IL-15, has completed enrollment in a Phase 2 study for the treatment of moderate to severe alopecia areata. There remains a large unmet medical need for safer alternatives to JAK inhibitors, which carry black-box warnings and are today the only approved class of drugs to treat alopecia areata patients. This is the first study in which EQ101 has been tested in alopecia areata patients, where we are looking for signs of clinical activity above historically low observed placebo responses. We’re pleased to have completed enrollment of this study and look forward to announcing topline data in the second quarter this year.”