8-K
false 0001463361 00014633612024-08-062024-08-06

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 6, 2024

 

 

UNITY BIOTECHNOLOGY, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Delaware

001-38470

26-4726035

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification Number)

285 East Grand Ave.

South San Francisco, CA 94080

(Address of principal executive offices, including Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (650) 416-1192

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share

UBX

The Nasdaq Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

 

 


Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

On August 6, 2024, Unity Biotechnology, Inc. (the “Company”) announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024. The full text of the press release issued in connection with the announcement is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

The information in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including the attached Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing made by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

Reference is made to the Exhibit Index attached hereto.

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.

Description

 

 

 

99.1

Press release dated August 6, 2024.

 

 

 

104

 

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

UNITY BIOTECHNOLOGY, INC.

 

 

 

Date: August 6, 2024

By:

/s/ Anirvan Ghosh

 

 

Anirvan Ghosh, Ph.D.

 

 

Chief Executive Officer

 


EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

UNITY Biotechnology, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

and Business Updates

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., August 6, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UNITY Biotechnology, Inc. (UNITY) [NASDAQ:UBX], a biotechnology company developing therapeutics to slow, halt, or reverse diseases of aging, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

 

“Having expanded and extended our ASPIRE study to 50 patients and 36 weeks, respectively, to better assess the efficacy and durability of UBX1325 compared to aflibercept, we have been laser-focused on enrollment and execution this quarter,” said Anirvan Ghosh, Ph.D., chief executive officer of UNITY. “I’m pleased to report that due to the excellent performance of our clinical operations team and the enthusiasm and engagement of our investigators, we have not just met, but have exceeded our enrollment goal in this study."

 

UBX1325 (foselutoclax) is designed as a novel and durable therapeutic option in diabetic macular edema (DME) that acts via a senolytic mechanism of action upstream of VEGF inhibitors, with the potential to address shortcomings of the current standard of care, such as high treatment burden and sub-optimal response to treatment.

UNITY expects topline 24-week primary endpoint data in the first quarter of 2025 and 36-week data in the second quarter of 2025. The Phase 2b ASPIRE study in DME is a multi-center, randomized, double-masked, active-controlled study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of UBX1325 in a head-to-head comparison to aflibercept. More information about ASPIRE (NCT06011798) can be found here.

Second Quarter Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $34.0 million as of June 30, 2024 compared with $43.2 million as of December 31, 2023. UNITY believes that current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities are sufficient to fund operations into the third quarter of 2025.

Net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2024 was $5.3 million compared to $15.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023. Cash used in operations during the first and second quarters of 2024 was $9.8 million compared to $22.4 million during the first and second quarters of 2023.

Research and development expenses decreased by $3.0 million, to $3.5 million for three months ended June 30, 2024 from $6.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to decreases of $2.0 million in personnel costs due to our reduced headcount related to our reduction in force, $0.7 million in direct research and development expenses mainly due to the completion of the Phase 2 BEHOLD study of UBX1325 in patients with DME and the Phase 2 ENVISION study of UBX1325 in patients with AMD, and $0.3 million in operating costs due to reduced fixed assets depreciation and reduced office space.

General and administrative expenses decreased by $1.9 million, to $3.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024 from $5.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to decreases of $1.2 million in personnel-related expenses due to reduced headcount and the higher bonus and severance amounts paid in 2023, $0.4 million in professional fees and accounting service fees, and $0.3 million in operating costs mainly from the continuation of sublease income generated from the East Grand property.


About UNITY

UNITY is developing a new class of therapeutics to slow, halt, or reverse diseases of aging. UNITY’s current focus is on creating medicines to selectively eliminate or modulate senescent cells and thereby provide transformative benefit in age-related ophthalmologic and neurologic diseases. More information is available at www.unitybiotechnology.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements including statements related to UNITY’s understanding of cellular senescence and the role it plays in diseases of aging, the potential for UNITY to develop therapeutics to slow, halt, or reverse diseases of aging, including for ophthalmologic and neurologic diseases, the potential for UNITY to successfully commence and complete clinical studies of UBX1325 for DME, AMD, and other ophthalmologic diseases, the expected timing of enrollment and results of the clinical trials in UBX1325, and UNITY’s expectations regarding the sufficiency of its cash runway. These statements involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including risks related to delay or disruption in the enrollment of patients in clinical trials, risks relating to the uncertainties inherent in the drug development process, and risks relating to UNITY’s understanding of senescence biology. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent our views as of the date of this release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this release. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of the Company in general, see UNITY’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 6, 2024, as well as other documents that may be filed by UNITY from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


Unity Biotechnology, Inc.

Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and development

 

$

3,463

 

 

$

6,435

 

 

$

7,184

 

 

$

12,195

 

General and administrative

 

 

3,516

 

 

 

5,413

 

 

 

7,394

 

 

 

10,212

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

6,979

 

 

 

11,848

 

 

 

14,578

 

 

 

22,407

 

Loss from operations

 

 

(6,979

)

 

 

(11,848

)

 

 

(14,578

)

 

 

(22,407

)

Interest income

 

 

515

 

 

 

805

 

 

 

1,028

 

 

 

1,660

 

Interest expense

 

 

 

 

 

(883

)

 

 

 

 

 

(1,885

)

Gain (loss) on warrant liability

 

 

1,246

 

 

 

(3,461

)

 

 

2,622

 

 

 

2,030

 

Other income (expense), net

 

 

(61

)

 

 

(69

)

 

 

(141

)

 

 

(133

)

Net loss

 

 

(5,279

)

 

 

(15,456

)

 

 

(11,069

)

 

 

(20,735

)

Other comprehensive gain (loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable debt securities

 

 

3

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

(11

)

 

 

115

 

Comprehensive loss

 

$

(5,276

)

 

$

(15,442

)

 

$

(11,080

)

 

$

(20,620

)

Net loss per share, basic and diluted

 

$

(0.31

)

 

$

(1.07

)

 

$

(0.66

)

 

$

(1.44

)

Weighted-average number of shares used in
   computing net loss per share, basic and
   diluted

 

 

16,815,387

 

 

 

14,425,775

 

 

 

16,800,238

 

 

 

14,369,643

 

 


Unity Biotechnology, Inc.

Condensed Balance Sheets

(In thousands)

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

7,584

 

 

$

19,803

 

Short-term marketable securities

 

 

26,400

 

 

 

23,398

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

1,862

 

 

 

3,404

 

Total current assets

 

 

35,846

 

 

 

46,605

 

Property and equipment, net

 

 

4,630

 

 

 

5,082

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

 

11,900

 

 

 

12,981

 

Long-term restricted cash

 

 

896

 

 

 

896

 

Other long-term assets

 

 

250

 

 

 

126

 

Total assets

 

$

53,522

 

 

$

65,690

 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

1,456

 

 

$

1,380

 

Accrued compensation

 

 

1,385

 

 

 

1,841

 

Accrued and other current liabilities

 

 

5,977

 

 

 

4,619

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

8,818

 

 

 

7,840

 

Operating lease liability, net of current portion

 

 

21,659

 

 

 

23,539

 

Warrant liability

 

 

3,291

 

 

 

5,913

 

Total liabilities

 

 

33,768

 

 

 

37,292

 

Commitments and contingencies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock

 

 

2

 

 

 

2

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

515,209

 

 

 

512,773

 

Accumulated other comprehensive gain

 

 

(35

)

 

 

(24

)

Accumulated deficit

 

 

(495,422

)

 

 

(484,353

)

Total stockholders’ equity

 

 

19,754

 

 

 

28,398

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

 

$

53,522

 

 

$

65,690

 

 


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