Company to participate in investor conferences in July and AugustVANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zymeworks Inc. (Nasdaq: ZYME), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a diverse pipeline of novel, multifunctional biotherapeutics to improve the standard of care for difficult-to-treat diseases, including cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune disease, today announced that management will report its second quarter 2025 financial results after market close on August 7, 202 ...

Core Insights - Jazz Pharmaceuticals is currently trading at approximately $110, down 11% year-to-date, despite receiving conditional European Commission Marketing Authorization for Ziihera, the first HER2-targeted therapy for advanced HER2-Positive Biliary Tract Cancer, with expected peak annual sales exceeding $2 billion [2] - The stock's decline is attributed to a downward revision of the 2025 earnings forecast from $22.50-$24 to $4-$5.60, impacted by $1.1 billion in one-time IPR&D charges related to the $935 million Chimerix acquisition and litigation costs [2] - Despite these challenges, Jazz Pharmaceuticals is considered undervalued, presenting an attractive buying opportunity for investors with a 3-5 year outlook [2] Revenue and Financial Performance - Over the past three years, Jazz Pharmaceuticals' revenue has grown at a rate of 7.3%, outperforming the S&P 500's growth rate of 5.5% [4] - The company has a high operating cash flow (OCF) margin of 38.3%, totaling $1.6 billion over the past twelve months, significantly higher than the S&P 500's 14.9% [4] - The reported net income margin stands at 11.9% ($482 million), but an adjusted net margin of 32.6% reflects a stronger underlying performance [4] Valuation Metrics - At a stock price of $110, Jazz Pharmaceuticals trades at a trailing adjusted P/E of 5.5 times its earnings of $20.19 per share, well below its four-year average P/E ratio of 8.1x [4] - Analysts have a typical price forecast of $188 for the stock, indicating a substantial upside potential of 70% [4] Debt and Market Sensitivity - The company has a significant debt level of $5.4 billion against a market capitalization of $6.7 billion, resulting in a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 81.6%, which is considerably higher than the S&P 500 average of 19.4% [4] - Historically, Jazz Pharmaceuticals has underperformed the S&P 500 during market downturns, with notable declines of 38.7% in 2022 and 42.6% in 2020 compared to the S&P 500's declines of 25.4% and 33.9%, respectively [5] Future Outlook - Future earnings are expected to rebound in 2026 to $21.56, despite the anticipated impact of one-off costs in 2025 [4] - The Chimerix acquisition introduces dordaviprone to the oncology portfolio, with a peak annual sales potential exceeding $500 million [4] - Overall, despite recent earnings revisions and debt concerns, Jazz Pharmaceuticals presents a compelling value proposition with strong fundamentals and significant future sales potential from Ziihera and dordaviprone [6]

Investment Ratings - Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY): Neutral [6] - Eli Lilly (LLY): Buy [10] - Novartis (NOVN): Neutral [16] - Sanofi (SNY): Neutral [17] - Biogen (BIIB): Buy [20] - Insmed Therapeutics (INSM): Buy [25] - Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ): Buy [29] - MoonLake Immunotherapeutics (MLTX): Buy [36] Core Insights - The report emphasizes the importance of idiosyncratic catalysts in the biopharma sector, particularly in the context of macroeconomic volatility and healthcare policy uncertainty [1] - Key catalysts to watch in 3Q25 include pivotal studies from various companies, with a focus on Alzheimer's disease, obesity, Sjogren's syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma [1][5] - The report highlights the potential for significant market opportunities based on upcoming trial results and regulatory approvals, particularly for drugs like Cobenfy, orforglipron, ianalumab, tolebrutinib, and zanidatamab [1][5][10][18][30] Summary by Company Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) - Monitoring Phase 3 data from the Cobenfy ADEPT-2 trial in Alzheimer's disease psychosis, with a primary completion date in July [8] - The trial's success could have implications for a large patient population, with approximately 6 million Alzheimer's patients in the U.S. [8][9] Eli Lilly (LLY) - Focus on the ATTAIN-1 trial for orforglipron in obesity without diabetes, with results expected in July [10] - Anticipated weight loss efficacy in the 12-15% range, with safety and tolerability being key metrics [13] Novartis (NOVN) - Key focus on ianalumab's readouts in Sjogren's syndrome and immune thrombocytopenia, with a potential peak sales opportunity of approximately $2 billion [18] Sanofi (SNY) - Expected data from the Phase 3 PERSEUS trial of tolebrutinib in primary progressive multiple sclerosis, with a primary completion date in July [19] Biogen (BIIB) - Monitoring Leqembi's commercial trajectory in early-onset Alzheimer's disease, with a potential peak sales of approximately $800 million [21] Insmed Therapeutics (INSM) - Regulatory review of brensocatib for bronchiectasis, with a PDUFA date of August 12 [25] - Potential for significant upside if approved with a broad label [27] Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) - Anticipating topline data from the HERIZON-GEA-01 trial for zanidatamab in gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, with a potential peak sales opportunity exceeding $2 billion [30] MoonLake Immunotherapeutics (MLTX) - Reporting topline results from the Ph. 3 VELA trials for sonelokimab in hidradenitis suppurativa, with expectations for best-in-class efficacy [36]

Core Insights - Jazz Pharmaceuticals announced long-term data from a Phase 2 trial of Ziihera (zanidatamab-hrii), showing a median overall survival (OS) of 36.5 months after four years of follow-up in patients with HER2-positive gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma [1][4][10] Group 1: Trial Results - The Phase 2 trial included 46 patients with HER2-expressing mGEA, with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 12.5 months and a median OS of 36.5 months [3][8] - Among 41 patients with centrally confirmed HER2-positive tumors, the median PFS was 15.2 months, indicating durable clinical benefit [2][6] - The confirmed objective response rate (cORR) was 83.8%, with a median duration of response (DOR) of 20.4 months [7][6] Group 2: Safety Profile - The safety profile of Ziihera combined with chemotherapy showed low discontinuation rates and no new safety signals, with common Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events including diarrhea (39%) and hypokalemia (22%) [9][4] - The incidence of Grade 3 diarrhea decreased from 52% to 24% after implementing antidiarrheal prophylaxis [9] Group 3: Future Developments - A Phase 3 trial (HERIZON-GEA-01) is currently underway, evaluating Ziihera in combination with standard chemotherapy, with top-line results expected in the second half of 2025 [10][4] - The ongoing development of Ziihera aims to address the high unmet need for effective first-line treatment options for patients with HER2-positive gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma [4][11]

Core Insights - Zymeworks Inc. announced the conditional approval of zanidatamab by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China for treating previously treated, unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive biliary tract cancer (BTC), marking it as the first dual HER2-targeted bispecific antibody approved for this indication in China [1][10] - The approval is a significant advancement for patients with HER2-positive BTC, a group with high unmet medical needs and poor prognoses, and reflects the clinical potential of zanidatamab [2][4] - Zymeworks has received $61 million in upfront and milestone payments from its collaboration partner BeOne Medicines, with an additional $20 million milestone payment linked to the NMPA approval and potential for up to $144 million in further milestones [2][6] Company Overview - Zymeworks is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing multifunctional biotherapeutics for difficult-to-treat diseases, including cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases [1][6] - The company utilizes its proprietary Azymetric™ technology to engineer and develop zanidatamab, which targets HER2 and induces various mechanisms leading to tumor growth inhibition [5][7] - Zymeworks has strategic partnerships with BeOne Medicines and Jazz Pharmaceuticals, granting exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of zanidatamab in different territories [7] Industry Context - Biliary tract cancers account for approximately 3% of all digestive system tumors, with a rising incidence rate globally, particularly in Asia [4] - Approximately 11%-25.2% of patients with BTC are HER2-positive, making HER2 a validated target for antitumor therapy [4] - Zanidatamab has also received FDA approval in the U.S. and is under regulatory review in the EU, indicating its potential as a best-in-class treatment for HER2-expressing cancers [3][7]

Core Insights - Zymeworks Inc. is advancing its oncology programs with multiple presentations scheduled at major medical conferences, including ASCO and ESMO, highlighting its commitment to developing novel biotherapeutics for difficult-to-treat diseases [1][3][10] Oncology Programs - The company is particularly focused on zanidatamab, which is being presented at ASCO, showcasing long-term outcomes and survival data in HER2-positive gastroesophageal cancer [2][4][6] - Zymeworks' proprietary Azymetric™ platform is emphasized for its ability to develop clinically validated therapeutic antibodies, with zanidatamab being a key example [6][14] Upcoming Presentations - Zymeworks and its partners will present multiple abstracts at the ASCO Annual Meeting from May 31 to June 4, 2025, in Chicago, IL [3] - The ESMO Gynaecological Cancers Congress will also feature a trial-in-progress poster for ZW191, scheduled for June 19-21, 2025, in Vienna, Austria [10] Product Details - Ziihera (zanidatamab-hrii) is a bispecific HER2-directed antibody that has received accelerated approval from the FDA for treating advanced HER2-positive biliary tract cancer [18][34] - ZW171 is a bispecific antibody targeting mesothelin and CD3, designed to enhance T cell-mediated tumor cell killing, with promising preclinical data supporting its efficacy [15][34] - ZW191 is an antibody-drug conjugate targeting folate receptor-α, showing strong activity across various cancer models, including those with low levels of the target [16][17] Clinical Development - The company is actively recruiting for Phase 1 studies of ZW171 and ZW191, with plans for an investigational new drug application for ZW251 in mid-2025 [34] - Zymeworks has established partnerships with BeiGene and Jazz Pharmaceuticals for the development and commercialization of zanidatamab in different territories [33][34]

Core Viewpoint - Zymeworks Inc. is advancing its clinical-stage pipeline with the presentation of new preclinical data for ZW1528, a bispecific molecule targeting IL-4Rα and IL-33, aimed at treating respiratory inflammation, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [1][2]. Group 1: Product Development - ZW1528 demonstrates high affinity binding to IL-4Rα and IL-33, effectively blocking IL-4, IL-13, and IL-33 signaling pathways, which are critical in respiratory inflammation [5][6]. - The bispecific design of ZW1528 shows promising manufacturability and stability, supporting high dosing concentrations and subcutaneous administration [5][7]. - Zymeworks is also developing ZW1572, another bispecific inhibitor targeting IL-4Rα and IL-31 for atopic dermatitis, as part of its expanding IL-4Rα program portfolio [3][5]. Group 2: Preclinical Data and Findings - Preclinical data presented at the ATS conference indicate that ZW1528 can suppress both Type 2 and non-Type 2 immune responses in primary human immune cells from COPD patients [6][7]. - In vivo studies in murine models of lung inflammation show efficacy for ZW1528, with extended pharmacokinetics observed in rodent and non-human primate models [6][7]. - The bispecific antibody's blockade of cytokine-driven activation in human epithelial cells is superior to that achieved with monoclonal antibodies targeting either IL-4Rα or IL-33 [7]. Group 3: Company Overview - Zymeworks is a global biotechnology company focused on developing multifunctional biotherapeutics for difficult-to-treat conditions, including cancer and autoimmune diseases [8]. - The company has a robust pipeline of product candidates and has entered into strategic partnerships to enhance its therapeutic platforms [8].

Core Insights - Zymeworks Inc. reported financial results for Q1 2025, highlighting a significant increase in revenue and ongoing advancements in its clinical pipeline [1][15][20] Recent Developments - The appointment of Dr. Sabeen Mekan as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development is expected to enhance Zymeworks' oncology portfolio and regulatory strategy [3] - Six posters were presented at the AACR annual meeting, showcasing progress in the company's T cell engager and antibody-drug conjugate platforms [4][5] Financial Performance - Revenue for Q1 2025 was $27.1 million, a substantial increase from $10.0 million in Q1 2024, driven by milestone revenues from GSK and Daiichi Sankyo [15] - Research and development expenses rose to $35.7 million in Q1 2025 from $32.0 million in Q1 2024, primarily due to increased activities related to ZW251 and ZW209 [16] - The net loss for Q1 2025 was $22.6 million, down from $31.7 million in the same period last year, attributed to higher revenues [20] Cash Position - As of March 31, 2025, Zymeworks had $321.6 million in cash resources, expected to fund operations into the second half of 2027 [21] Pipeline and Collaborations - Zymeworks is advancing multiple clinical candidates, including ZW171 and ZW191, with an investigational new drug application for ZW251 planned by mid-2025 [22] - The company has strategic partnerships with BeiGene and Jazz Pharmaceuticals for the development and commercialization of zanidatamab [22][8]

May 6, 2025 2025 First Quarter Financial Results Innovating to Transform the Lives of Patients and Their Families This presentation contains forward-looking statements and financial targets, including, but not limited to, statements related to: the Company's growth prospects and future financial and operating results, including the Company's 2025 financial guidance and the Company's expectations related thereto, including with respect to tariffs, and anticipated catalysts; the Company's expectations for tot ...

Core Insights - Zymeworks Inc. has received FDA approval for Ziihera (zanidatamab-hrii) targeting HER2-positive biliary tract cancer, marking a significant milestone in its biotechnology journey [1] Company Overview - Zymeworks Inc. has been active in the biotechnology sector for over a decade, facing both successes and challenges in drug development [1] - The company focuses on high-growth opportunities within sectors that are expected to experience exponential expansion [1] Investment Perspective - The analysis emphasizes the importance of innovation and disruptive technologies in generating substantial returns, aligning with the company's strategic direction [1]