ESSA Pharmaceuticals(NASDAQ: EPIX; TSX: EPI)
J.P. Morgan 36th Annual Healthcare Conference
Forward Looking Statement
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This presentation may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements and information are subject tovarious known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of ESSA to control or predict,and which may cause ESSA’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from thoseexpressed or implied thereby. Such statements reflect ESSA’s current views with respect to future events, are subject torisks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while consideredreasonable by ESSA as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant medical, scientific, business,economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. In making forward-looking statements, ESSAmay make various material assumptions, including but not limited to the market and demand for the securities of ESSA,general business, market and economic conditions, obtaining positive results of clinical trials, and obtaining regulatoryapprovals.
Forward-looking information is developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set outherein and in ESSA’s prospectus dated January 5, 2018 under the heading “Risk Factors”, a copy of which is available onESSA’s profile at the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com, and as otherwise disclosed from time to time on ESSA’sSEDAR profile. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on thedate that statements are made and ESSA undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs,estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as may be required by applicable Canadiansecurities laws. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.
Corporate Overview
• Founded with technology licensed from the labs of Dr. Andersen (UBC) & Dr. Sadar (BCCA)
• Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada with CA & TX sites
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Focused on the development of novel therapies for the treatment of metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer
Company
• First-in-class N-terminal domain (NTD) transcription inhibitors of the androgen receptor (AR)
• First generation EPI-506 established clinical proof-of-concept• Promising next-generation compounds advancing to IND
Technology & Products
Financial Details
• Listed on TSXV & NASDAQ• $4.0M as of Sept 2017
Investment Highlights
• Through first-generation compound EPI-506, the clinical safety and proof-of-mechanism established for NTD inhibition of the androgen receptor in mCRPC
• Promising next-generation Aniten compounds have increased potency and improved pharmaceutical properties compared to EPI-506
• mCRPC represents a significant market opportunity – 160,000 new cases of prostate cancer annually
• Highly experienced management team with significant oncology experience
• IND filing of next-generation Aniten compound anticipated by 1Q2019
Experienced Management Team
David R. Parkinson, MD• President & Chief Executive Officer, Director• Nodality, Novartis, Amgen, Biogen Idec, National
Cancer Institute
Peter Virsik, MS, MBA• Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer• XenoPort, Gilead Sciences, J.P. Morgan, Genentech
Frank Perabo, MD, PhD, FEBU• Chief Medical Officer & Executive Vice President of
Clinical Development• Astellas Global, Oncology World GmbH, P & S Partner
Consulting, Bonn University
David S. Wood, MBA, CPA, CMA• Chief Financial Officer• Celator Pharmaceuticals, Cubist Pharmaceuticals,
TerraGen Discovery
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Management
2017-09-25, 3:51 PM
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Prostate Cancer: Unmet Medical Need
• Prostate cancer is 2nd most common cause of death in men 1
o Yearly, there are ~160,000 new prostate cancer cases and ~26,000 US deaths due to the disease
• In 2015, Zytiga® (abiraterone, approved 2011) and Xtandi® (enzalutamide,approved 2012) generated global sales of over $4B
• Disease progression strongly driven by androgen receptor (AR) signaling 2,3,4
o An estimated ~60% of mCRPC tumors post-Xandi or Zytiga failure may still be AR-driven 5
• Despite new therapies, development of resistance limits treatment options andsurvival 6,7
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1. Surveillance Research, American Cancer Society, 20162. Robinson D, et al. Cell, 20153. Katsogiannou M, et al. Cancer Treat Rev, 2015
4. Azad AA, et al. Clin Cancer Res, 20155. Wyatt, JAMA, 2016 6. Watson PA, et al. Nat Rev Cancer, 20157. Attard, G, et al. ASCO Annual Meeting, 2017
Current Therapies Target the AR Ligand Binding Domain
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• AR is comprised of 3 distinct,independently acting domains
• Current therapies target theligand-binding domain (LBD)of the AR
Zytiga® (abiraterone acetate)Eligardä, Lupron® (leuprolide)Zoladex® (goserelin)Firmagon® (degarelix)
AndrogenInhibit synthesis
Block ligand binding
N-terminal domain DNA-binding domain Ligand-binding domain
Xtandi®(enzalutamide)Casodex® (bicalutamide)Eulexin® (flutamide)Nilandron® (nilutamide)
Mechanisms of AR Resistance Occur in the Ligand Binding Domain
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N-terminal domain(NTD)
DNA-binding domain Ligand-binding domain(LBD)
AR Amplification 1
Splice variants 3,4,5
Promiscuous activation (i.e., glucocorticoids, progesterone) 6,7
6. Chen EJ, et al. Clin Cancer Res, 20157. Culig Z, et al. Cancer Res, 1994
4. Mostaghel EA, et. Al. Clin Cancer Res, 20115. Sun S, et al. J Clin Invest, 2010
Androgen Receptor
1. Azad AA, et al. Clin Cancer Res, 20152. Joseph JD, et al. Cancer Discov, 20133. Antonarakis ES, et al. NEJM, 2014
Gain-of-function mutations 1,2
Targeting the AR NTD: Novel Transcription Factor Inhibition of Androgen-driven Prostate Cancer Biology
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• Proposed binding of EPI compounds to Tau-5 region of AF11
• EPI compounds inhibit wild-type, LBD mutant, and splice-variant AR activity 2,3,4
Tau-5
EPI362
C404
438
1. De Mol E, et al. ACS Chem Biol, 20162. Andersen RJ, et al. Cancer Cell, 20103. De Mol E, et al. ACS Chem Biol, 2016
N-terminal domain DNA-binding domain Ligand-binding domain
4. Yang YC, et al. Clin Cancer Res, 20165. Myung JK, et al. J Clin Invest, 20136. Andersen RJ, et al. Cancer Cell, 2010
• EPI compounds inhibit AR transcriptional activity by blocking interaction with key transcriptional proteins (RAP74 & CBP)5,6
Granted unique USAN drug stem of “Aniten” as an N-terminal inhibitor of AR
EPI-506 Summary
First-Generation EPI-506 Phase 1 study in Patients w/ mCRPC
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Parameter Details
Design An adaptive Phase 1 first-in-man dose escalation/dose expansion study
Dose EPI-506 (EPI-002 active) oral once-daily or twice-daily dosed as a soft-gel capsule
Population mCRPC patients who have experienced disease progression after abiraterone, enzalutamide,or both; allowed to have also failed one regimen of docetaxel chemotherapy
Study Size Phase 1: 26 patients
Endpoints Phase 1: safety, PK, maximum tolerated dose, recommended Phase 2 dose, biomarkers(CTCs)
Study Status Phase 1 study completed at 5 sites in US and Canada
First-Generation EPI-506 Phase 1 Pharmacokinetic Data
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EPI-002Pharmacokinetics(Mean± S.D.)onDay8
PKParameter
Cohort 62,400 mg
QD(n=3)
Cohort 71,800 mg
BID(n=2)
Cohort 83,600 mg
QD(n=2)
Cmax (ng/mL) 2,372 ± 813
3,057 ± 159
8,397 ± 1396
**tmax (hr)4.00
(2.00 - 4.00)2.00
(2.00 - 2.00)2.50
(1.00 - 4.00)
Clast (ng/mL) 70 ± 25 208 ± 85 195 ± 185
AUC0-24h(ng*h/mL)
13,829 ±6,758
23,524 ±5,380
42,988 ±24,841
**tmax reportedasmedian(min– max)
Mean Steady-State EPI-002 Plasma Concentration-vs-Time Profiles
Mean Steady-State EPI-002 PlasmaPharmacokinetics
First-Generation EPI-506 Phase 1 Interim Exposure and Treatment Duration Data (N=28)
130 100 200 300 400 500
04-001404-001105-000405-000104-0012
01-0001 03-0004 05-000504-0013
03-0003 02-0002 03-0011
03-0001 04-0007
04-0002 02-000303-0008
04-0001 04-000904-000605-0003
03-0005 02-0005
02-0001 03-000904-0004
03-0006 04-0005
Exposure (in days)
Patie
nt #
160, 320, 640, 1280, 2400640, 1280640, 1280
80, 1602400
2400320640, 12806402400
32012801280
80128080
1601800 (BID)
160
1800 (BID)3600
Doses Received (mg)
320
3600
535416
219219
187172
128125
10589888787878381
7970
6058
5544
21
3130
129
640
6401800 (BID)3600
8 1800 (BID)
Continuing on study drug
Discontinued
Time of best PSA decline
Median # exposure days = 87
Data as of Aug 28, 2017
-30.00
-20.00
-10.00
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
First-Generation EPI-506 Interim PSA Response - Maximal PSA Change at Any Time from Start of Multi-dose Period (N=25*)
160
mg
320
mg
320
mg
640
mg
1280
mg
80 m
g
80 m
g
160
mg
640
mg
320
mg
640
mg
160
mg
2400
mg
640
mg
2400
mg
1280
mg
3600
mg
1280
mg
%PS
A C
hang
e
Pts receiving ≥ 1280 mg
Pts receiving < 1280 mg
3600
mg
1800
mg
(BID
)
2400
mg
1280
mg
1800
mg
(BID
)
1280
mg
640
mg
*Of 28 enrolled pts: 25 were evaluable (had at least a WK4 PSA reading), 1 has not reached WK4, 2 discontinued before reaching WK4
Data as of Aug 28, 2017
Example of Patient PSA Response: Patient 04-0013 (3600 mg)
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100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
Previous Therapies:Cabazitaxel Dec 2014 – Jun 2015Enzalutamide Sep 2015 – Nov 2016Radium-223 Nov 2016 – Mar 2017
PSA
(ng/
mL) Baseline
Pre 1
Pre 2WK4
WK1D1
Pt. is ongoing on study
WK8
22.2% decline
Safety / Tolerability Profile
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Most Commonly Reported Adverse Events > 10% All Grades, N (%)
Diarrhea, nausea FatigueDecreased appetite, pain in extremityVomitingBack painAbdominal distension, anemia, arthralgia, musculoskeletal pain, UTI
13 (46%) 7 (25%)6 (21%), each5 (18%)4 (14%)3 (11%), each
Adverse Events ≥ Grade 3 N (%) Relationship to study drugAnemia
AST elevated
Neutropenia
Abdominal pain, diarrhea
ALT elevated, amylase elevated, angina, hypertension, dizziness postural
Arthralgia, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, pain in extremity, syncope, thrombocytopenia, urinary retention
3 (11%)
2 (7%)
2 (7%)
1 (4%), each
1 (4%), each
1 (4%), each
Not related
Probably related, Possibly related
Not related
Possibly related
Probably related
Not related
Lesson from the Phase 1 Experience with EPI-506
• NTD inhibition in mCRPC can be done safely; EPI-506 was well-tolerated with evidence of POC
• Specifications of next-generation Aniten compounds:o Higher potencyo Less metabolismo Longer half-lifeo Commercial formulationo Ease of manufacturing / shelf-life stability
• Opportunity to take advantage of new patient biological characterization:o ctDNA to assess tumor AR status and verify continued reliance on AR pathwayo CTC mRNA gene expression
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EPI Next-Generation Aniten Compounds
ESSA Next-Generation Aniten Program Goals
• Build on the strengths of the EPI-506 (EPI-002) chemical scaffold
• Increase potency
• Clean drug interaction profile
• Block anticipated metabolism/resistance
• Short, efficient, and scalable synthesis
• Commercially-acceptable formulation
• Strong & long-lasting IP – novel composition of matter
CONFIDENTIAL
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Next-Generation Aniten Program Status
TPP Criteria Status SpecificsHigh-potency scaffold ✓ New high-potency chemical scaffold discovered
• Additional SAR Additional SAR being conducted on additional chemical modifications
Increased potency ✓ AR luciferase screening shows ~10X higher potency for compounds
• In vitro activity ✓ LNCaP and LNCaP95 (splice-variant AR-driven) in vitro proliferation corroborate higher potency than EPI-002
• Oral activity in vivo ✓ One compound tested in xenograft LNCaP model to date; orally active at lower doses than EPI-002
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Next-Generation Aniten Program Status
TPP Criteria Status SpecificsClean off-target profile ✓ CEREP screening indicates that the lead compounds have minimal
off-target binding at 10µM
Improved ADME profile ✓ Key criteria screened
• Block metabolism ✓ New chemical structures designed specifically to minimize potential metabolism of EPI-002
• In vitro ADMEscreening
✓ Solubility, protein binding, Caco-2, S9 and hepatocyte intrinsic clearance all look favorable
• Chemical stability ✓ Initial stability appears greatly improved over EPI-506
Improved Pharmaceutical Properties
✓ Initial compound showed potential to be crystalized; may open path to solid dosage formulations
• Simple synthesis ✓ Simple 5-step process developed
Strong IP ✓ Worldwide IP filings made
Financial History and Highlights
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2010/12 $3.7M seed financings
2014/15 $12M Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Grant awarded
$16.3M IPO included Deerfield, Omega, Special Sits
Commenced trading on NASDAQ (EPIX) and TSX-V (EPI)
2016 $20M financings including Clarus, Deerfield, Omega, Eventide
$10M SVB loan facility; $8M drawn
2018 $25M raise @ $0.20 per share including Clarus, BVF, Eventide, Omega
Cash reported Sept 30 2017: $4.0M
Shares outstanding post Jan 2018 financing: 155 M
Summary: ESSA Value Proposition and Near-term Milestones
• Initial clinical POC established for NTD inhibition
• New technologies enable patient selection and measurement of patient responses in a refractory mCPRC population
• Un-partnered Aniten franchise of high-potency compounds advancing to IND
• Sufficient cash resources to select IND candidate and conduct phase 1 study
• Near-term clinical and corporate milestones:
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Key Milestone Events Date• Designate a lead Aniten compound for IND-enabling studies 1H18• Advance discussions with strategic partners regarding a collaboration 2018• File and IND on the lead Aniten in mCRPC 1Q2019