Summary of Terns Pharmaceuticals Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Terns Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGS:TERN) - **Event**: 2025 Conference on November 17, 2025 Key Industry Insights - **Industry**: Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, specifically focusing on treatments for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Core Points and Arguments 1. **Efficacy of TERN-701**: Terns reported a major molecular response rate of 64% in highly refractory CML patients during their phase one study, which is unprecedented compared to the previous best of 32% in similar studies [2][4][5] 2. **Safety Profile**: The safety profile of TERN-701 is favorable, with only one discontinuation due to an adverse event noted in the trial [2][4] 3. **Food Effect**: TERN-701 does not exhibit a food effect, allowing for dosing without regard to food intake, which is a significant advantage over competitors like asciminib [2][8] 4. **Collaboration with Hansoh**: Terns has a partnership with Hansoh in China, which has provided additional data that supports TERN-701's development, although Terns primarily relies on its own data for future trials [4][12] 5. **Comparative Analysis with Asciminib**: Terns believes that TERN-701's distinct chemical properties and binding characteristics lead to enhanced efficacy compared to asciminib, which has shown a lower response rate and higher discontinuation rates [5][8][9] 6. **Clinical Development Strategy**: Terns plans to initiate pivotal trials for TERN-701, focusing first on second-line treatments before moving to first-line studies, with the aim of running both studies in parallel [20][18] 7. **Market Opportunity**: The management team believes that the long-term market opportunity for TERN-701 extends beyond asciminib-refractory patients, emphasizing the importance of understanding patient history and disease burden [13][14] 8. **Regulatory Pathway**: Terns aims to follow a similar regulatory pathway to asciminib, targeting both second-generation treatments and imatinib in first-line studies [18][20] 9. **Financial Considerations**: The estimated direct costs for pivotal trials are under $100 million for second-line studies and under $150 million for first-line studies, indicating a more manageable financial requirement than initially anticipated [29] 10. **Future Data Expectations**: The upcoming ASH presentation is expected to provide more detailed data, including a shift table that will illustrate patient responses across different categories, which is crucial for understanding the drug's efficacy [31][32] Additional Important Insights - **Cure Potential**: The concept of treatment-free remission in CML is discussed, with TERN-701 potentially leading to faster and deeper responses that could facilitate this outcome [25][27] - **Enrollment Trends**: There has been a notable increase in enrollment rates for clinical trials, attributed to the positive reception of TERN-701's data among clinicians [33][34] - **Cash Position**: Terns has sufficient cash reserves to fund operations into 2028, allowing for strategic planning without immediate pressure to raise additional funds [40] This summary encapsulates the critical insights and strategic direction of Terns Pharmaceuticals as discussed in the conference call, highlighting the potential of TERN-701 in the competitive landscape of CML treatments.