CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CMPI), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing its proprietary technology to harness the power of the immune system to combat cancer, today announced third quarter 2020 financial results and provided an update on recent progress.

“We are enthusiastic as we advance CMP-001 toward registration in melanoma and expand toward potential proof of concept in additional indications,” said Barry Labinger, Chief Executive Officer. “We remain on track to initiate key new clinical trials by late 2020/early 2021 as planned.”

Recent Progress

• During SITC’s 35^th Anniversary Annual Meeting, three new data presentations were given evaluating CMP-001, Checkmate’s advanced generation Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist. These data continue to demonstrate the clinical activity of CMP-001 in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies in patients with melanoma.
• Checkmate is actively engaging with potential clinical sites and remains on track to initiate three Phase 2 trials combining CMP-001 with PD-1 blockade by late 2020/early 2021 for the treatment of:
  • First-line head and neck cancer
  • Anti-PD-1 refractory melanoma
  • First-line metastatic or unresectable melanoma

Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results

• Cash and cash equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents were $137.3 million as of September 30, 2020.
• Research and development expenses (R&D): R&D expenses were $6.7 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared to $5.1 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to increased headcount and clinical trial expenses in connection with increased patient enrollment in the ongoing clinical trials of CMP-001 and preparations for the initiation of planned additional clinical trials of CMP-001. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in contract manufacturing costs.
• General and administration expenses (G&A): G&A expenses were $3.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared to $1.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to increases in personnel and other operating expenses incurred in connection with Checkmate beginning to operate as a publicly-traded company.
• Net loss and comprehensive loss: Net loss and comprehensive loss was $9.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared to $6.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019.

About Checkmate Pharmaceuticals

Checkmate Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing its proprietary technology to harness the power of the immune system to combat cancer. Checkmate’s product candidate, CMP-001, is an advanced generation TLR9 agonist delivered as a biologic virus-like particle designed to trigger the body’s innate immune system to attack tumors in combination with other therapies. Information regarding Checkmate is available at www.checkmatepharma.com.

Availability of Other Information About Checkmate

Investors and others should note that we communicate with our investors and the public using our website (www.checkmatepharma.com), our investor relations website (ir.checkmatepharma.com), and on social media (Twitter and LinkedIn), including but not limited to: investor presentations and investor fact sheets, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. The information that Checkmate posts on these channels and websites could be deemed to be material information. As a result, we encourage investors, the media, and others interested in us to review the information that is posted on these channels, including the investor relations website, on a regular basis. This list of channels may be updated from time to time on our investor relations website and may include additional social media channels. The contents of our website or these channels, or any other website that may be accessed from our website or these channels, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.