Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Olema” or “Olema Oncology”, Nasdaq:
OLMA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the
discovery, development, and commercialization of targeted therapies
for breast cancer and beyond, today announced a new clinical trial
collaboration and supply agreement with Novartis in frontline
metastatic breast cancer. Olema has also entered into a securities
purchase agreement for the private placement of approximately
$250.0 million of common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase
common stock with new and existing institutional and accredited
investors (the “Private Placement”).
"We are now fully enabled to initiate our planned pivotal Phase
3 clinical trial, OPERA-02, for palazestrant in combination with
ribociclib in frontline ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer. Our new
agreement with Novartis, which includes sufficient ribociclib drug
supply for the planned approximately 1,000 patient trial, is a
major milestone. When combined with our Private Placement of $250.0
million of common stock and pre-funded warrants with high-quality,
long-term investors, Olema now expects to have the necessary
resources to execute OPERA-02, the Phase 1/2 study of OP-3136, and
the ongoing Phase 3 OPERA-01 monotherapy trial,” said Sean P.
Bohen, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Olema
Oncology. “We remain on track to share topline data from OPERA-01
in 2026 and we are excited to present our latest data from the
ongoing Phase 1b/2 study of palazestrant in combination with
ribociclib at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) next
week.”
New Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement
Enables Phase 3 OPERA-02 TrialUnder the terms of the
agreement, Novartis will provide Olema with ribociclib drug supply
for the planned, Olema-sponsored, Phase 3 OPERA-02 trial of
palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in ER+/HER2- frontline
advanced or metastatic breast cancer. All clinical data and
inventions from the trial will be jointly owned while Olema
maintains global commercial and marketing rights to
palazestrant.
Private Placement Funds Expanded Clinical Development
ActivitiesThe Private Placement is expected to close on or
about December 4, 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary
closing conditions. The financing included participation by new and
existing investors Adage Capital Partners LP, Bain Capital Life
Sciences, BVF Partners L.P., Driehaus Capital Management, Janus
Henderson Investors, Paradigm BioCapital Advisors, Wellington
Management, Woodline Partners LP, and a large investment manager.
Pursuant to the terms of the securities purchase agreement, Olema
will issue 19,928,875 shares of common stock at a purchase price of
$9.08 per share and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an
aggregate of 7,604,163 shares of common stock at a purchase price
of $9.0799 per pre-funded warrant, for gross proceeds of
approximately $250.0 million, before deducting placement agent fees
and other offering expenses. The pre-funded warrants will have an
exercise price of $0.0001 per share of common stock, be immediately
exercisable and remain exercisable until exercised in full. The
Private Placement is being conducted in accordance with applicable
Nasdaq rules and was priced using the average Nasdaq official
closing price of Olema’s common stock for the five trading days
ended November 27, 2024.
Jefferies is acting as lead placement agent with J.P. Morgan,
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Citigroup, LifeSci Capital,
Oppenheimer & Co., and H.C. Wainwright & Co. acting as
placement agents in the Private Placement.
Olema intends to use the net proceeds from the Private
Placement, together with its current cash, cash equivalents and
marketable securities, to fund the OPERA-02 trial, the Phase 1/2
study of OP-3136, and its ongoing Phase 3 OPERA-01 monotherapy
trial of palazestrant, and for working capital and general
corporate purposes.
The securities described above have not been registered under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or
any state’s securities laws, and are being issued and sold pursuant
to an exemption from registration provided for under the Securities
Act. Accordingly, these securities may not be offered or sold in
the United States, except pursuant to an effective registration
statement or an applicable exemption from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act. Olema has agreed to file a
registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “SEC”) registering the resale of the shares of
common stock issued and sold in the Private Placement. Any offering
of the securities under the resale registration statement will only
be made by means of a prospectus.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of
these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or
qualification under the securities laws of any such
jurisdiction.
About Palazestrant (OP-1250)Palazestrant
(OP-1250) is a novel, orally available small molecule with dual
activity as both a complete estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist
(CERAN) and selective ER degrader (SERD). It is currently being
investigated in patients with recurrent, locally advanced or
metastatic ER-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor
receptor 2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer. In preclinical studies,
palazestrant completely blocks ER-driven transcriptional activity
in both ESR1 wild-type and mutant forms of breast cancer. In
Olema’s ongoing clinical trials for advanced or metastatic
ER+/HER2- breast cancer, palazestrant has demonstrated anti-tumor
activity along with attractive pharmacokinetics and exposure,
favorable tolerability, and combinability with CDK4/6 inhibitors.
Palazestrant has been granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) Fast Track designation for the treatment of ER+/HER2-
metastatic breast cancer that has progressed following one or more
lines of endocrine therapy with at least one line given in
combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor. It is being evaluated both as
a single agent in an ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial, OPERA-01, and
in Phase 1/2 combination studies with CDK4/6 inhibitors
(palbociclib and ribociclib), a PI3Ka inhibitor (alpelisib), and an
mTOR inhibitor (everolimus).
About Olema OncologyOlema Oncology is a
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming
the standard of care and improving outcomes for women living with
cancer. Olema is advancing a pipeline of novel therapies by
leveraging our deep understanding of endocrine-driven cancers,
nuclear receptors, and mechanisms of acquired resistance. Olema’s
lead product candidate, palazestrant (OP-1250), is a proprietary,
orally available complete estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist (CERAN)
and a selective ER degrader (SERD), currently in a Phase 3 clinical
trial called OPERA-01. In addition, Olema is developing a potent
KAT6 inhibitor (OP-3136). Olema is headquartered in San Francisco
and has operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Forward-Looking StatementsStatements contained
in this press release regarding matters that are not historical
facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Words such as “anticipate,”
“expect,” “will,” “may,” “goal,” “potential” and similar
expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing
future events, conditions or circumstances) are intended to
identify forward-looking statements. These statements include those
related to the completion of the Private Placement, the use of
proceeds therefrom, the anticipated filing of a registration
statement to cover resales of the securities issued in the Private
Placement, Olema's expectation that the proceeds from the Private
Placement, together with current cash, cash equivalents and
marketable securities, is expected to be sufficient to fund Olema’s
planned OPERA-02 trial, the Phase 1/2 study of OP-3136, and the
ongoing Phase 3 OPERA-01 trial. Because such statements deal with
future events and are based on Olema’s current expectations, they
are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results,
performance or achievements of Olema could differ materially from
those described in or implied by the statements in this press
release. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties, including, without limitation, those discussed in
the section titled “Risk Factors” in Olema’s Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and future
filings and reports that Olema makes from time to time with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law,
Olema assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking
statements, including in the event that actual results differ
materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking
statements.
Media and Investor Relations ContactCourtney
O’KonekVice President, Corporate CommunicationsOlema
Oncologymedia@olema.com
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