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    Dae Gon Ha

    Director and Equity Research Analyst at Stifel

    Dae Gon Ha, Ph.D., is a Director and Equity Research Analyst at Stifel specializing in biotechnology, with detailed coverage of companies such as Editas Medicine and a focus on disruptive therapies for rare genetic and neuromuscular diseases. Formerly Vice President at BTIG and SVB Leerink, he is recognized for his rigorous analytical approach and actionable sector insights, including a recent Buy rating and target analysis on Editas Medicine. Since joining Stifel in January 2021, Dr. Ha has drawn on over 21 years of industry and research experience, including an academic track at Harvard Medical School. He holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Dartmouth and maintains broad professional credentials in life sciences research and biotech equity analysis.

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to ABEONA THERAPEUTICS (ABEO) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to ABEONA THERAPEUTICS (ABEO) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha of Stifel inquired about the primary remaining concerns regarding the CMC-related Complete Response Letter (CRL) for pz-cel and the company's commercial rollout strategy in light of existing treatments like Vyjuvek and Filsuvez.

    Answer

    CEO Vishwas Seshadri and CTO Brian Kevany addressed the CMC question, stating they aligned with the FDA in a Type A meeting and are confident in the resubmission package, with identity and Stargardt testing being the main new data points for FDA review. CCO Madhav Vasanthavada explained the commercial strategy, noting that market research shows high patient and physician interest in pz-cel due to its durable wound healing profile, and payers have not raised concerns about its use relative to other available therapies.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to ABEONA THERAPEUTICS (ABEO) leadership • Q2 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha of Stifel sought more detail on the BLA resubmission timeline, asking if the Type A meeting resulted in requests for additional data. He also questioned the 3-month post-approval launch timeline for pz-cel and inquired about payer discussions regarding potential combination use with existing therapies like VYJUVEK.

    Answer

    CEO Vishwas Seshadri stated that no additional work was requested by the FDA, only input on the statistical approach for validation protocols. Chief Commercial Officer Madhav Vasanthavada explained the 3-month post-approval period is necessary for site-specific activities like P&T committee reviews and charge master updates, which require the final product label. Vasanthavada also reported that payer discussions have been positive, with payers recognizing pz-cel's distinct profile for large wounds and not raising major objections to its use alongside other treatments.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Fulcrum Therapeutics (FULC) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Fulcrum Therapeutics (FULC) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha from Stifel asked for clarification on the new healthy volunteer study for pociredir, specifically the FDA feedback that prompted it, and also inquired about the FDA's stance on accepting clinical data from African trial sites.

    Answer

    Executive Alexander Sapir and Chief Scientific Officer Iain Fraser clarified that the healthy volunteer studies were always part of the routine development plan to assess formulations and drug interactions, and their timing was coincidental to the Oxbryta withdrawal. Regarding African sites, an executive (likely retiring CMO Pat Horn) stated the FDA has a long history of accepting ex-U.S. data that meets GCP standards, expressing confidence in the selected sites, many of which have prior regulatory audit experience.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Fulcrum Therapeutics (FULC) leadership • Q2 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha asked two questions about the statistical powering for the losmapimod REACH trial: whether the 96% power calculation included FSHD type 2 patients, and if sensitivity analyses were performed using evolving RESOLVE natural history data.

    Answer

    Executive Iain Fraser clarified that the powering for REACH was based specifically on the FSHD type 1 patient population from the ReDUX4 study. He explained that the over-enrollment of type 1 patients (from 210 to 242) is what increased the study's power from 93% to 96%. He noted that FSHD type 2 patients were stratified but not included in this primary power calculation.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Mirum Pharmaceuticals (MIRM) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Mirum Pharmaceuticals (MIRM) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha inquired about the primary driver for the increased revenue guidance, seeking details on the enrollment cadence for the EXPAND study, and asked about Mirum's broader strategy in neurology beyond the initial Fragile X program.

    Answer

    President and COO Peter Radovich stated the guidance increase is driven by continued strong Alagille syndrome growth and the robust PFIC launch in the U.S. Chief Medical Officer Joanne M. Quan confirmed the EXPAND study is on track with its previously guided 18-month enrollment timeline. CEO Christopher Peetz noted that while other indications for PDE4D may exist, the current focus is on achieving proof-of-concept in Fragile X.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha asked if the Phase I trial for the AATD program (NTLA-3001) has the flexibility to include patients with liver disease to observe potential benefits.

    Answer

    CMO David Lebwohl stated the trial will not include patients with major liver disease, as they are best treated by also reducing the mutant protein, which NTLA-3001 does not do. CEO John Leonard added that Intellia is developing a separate gene writing program to address both the lung and liver aspects of the disease.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to AMICUS THERAPEUTICS (FOLD) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to AMICUS THERAPEUTICS (FOLD) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha asked about the strategy for late-stage business development, particularly whether the company is waiting to achieve GAAP profitability before acting. He also sought clarification on whether the internal genetic medicine pipeline uses constructs from the former Caritas venture.

    Answer

    President and CEO Bradley Campbell clarified that the strategy is to first leverage their self-sustaining infrastructure to add de-risked products for top-line growth, with increased pipeline investment to follow as cash flow strengthens. Chief Development Officer Dr. Jeff Castelli confirmed the internal programs use refined and improved versions of the constructs from the Caritas work, with a primary focus on Fabry disease.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to AMICUS THERAPEUTICS (FOLD) leadership • Q2 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha noted that while physicians are enthusiastic to switch to Pombiliti and Opfolda, the trigger is often disease progression, yet patient assessment frequency hasn't increased. He asked if Amicus's strategy involves encouraging more frequent assessments.

    Answer

    President and CEO Bradley Campbell and Chief Development Officer Dr. Jeff Castelli confirmed this is a key focus. Their strategy is to shift physician expectations from disease stability to the possibility of improvement. Dr. Castelli added that Amicus reminds physicians that their clinical data showed patients improved after switching from prior ERTs, suggesting that 'stable' may not be the best possible outcome and that regaining function is a potential benefit of Pombiliti and Opfolda.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (RARE) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (RARE) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha inquired about the manufacturing scale and regulatory history for setrusumab and asked about the company's sales force readiness for a potential launch, especially following the Crysvita transition in the U.S.

    Answer

    CEO Emil Kakkis stated setrusumab is manufactured at a 3,000-liter scale at an approved and licensed contract manufacturer in Germany that they already use for Mepsevii. CCO Erik Harris and Kakkis confirmed that despite the Crysvita royalty transition, they have retained key commercial leadership and a field team of 16, providing a strong foundation to scale up for a successful launch.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to RHYTHM PHARMACEUTICALS (RYTM) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to RHYTHM PHARMACEUTICALS (RYTM) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha asked if Rhythm intends to share Phase I data for RM-718 before the Part C readout, questioned the degree of site overlap between the bivamelagon and Phase III HO trials, and inquired about the strategic priority between achieving profitability with HO versus pursuing expansion opportunities like DAYBREAK.

    Answer

    Chairman, CEO and President David Meeker said there are no current plans to share the RM-718 Phase I data but would consider it, and he was unsure about the extent of clinical trial site overlap. Chief Financial Officer Hunter Smith addressed the strategic question, stating it's too early to speculate on the trade-off but emphasized the company is dilution-sensitive while aiming to maximize long-term value.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Beam Therapeutics (BEAM) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Beam Therapeutics (BEAM) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha of Stifel asked for an update on the progress of patients 3 and 4 in the BEACON trial, particularly regarding their fetal hemoglobin induction and whether the total hemoglobin levels observed around month 2 indicated a plateau.

    Answer

    CEO John Evans noted that there is expected patient variability and that it is too early to draw firm conclusions. He pointed out a subtle variable for patients 3 and 4: their last blood transfusion was closer to the month-one time point, which can temporarily dilute the measurement of endogenously produced hemoglobin. He stated that longer follow-up is required to fully assess their trajectory.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Beam Therapeutics (BEAM) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha of Stifel inquired about the progress of patients 3 and 4 in the BEACON trial, specifically their fetal hemoglobin induction, and asked for commentary on whether total hemoglobin levels appear to be plateauing around the two-month mark.

    Answer

    CEO John Evans noted that while there will be some patient variability, all patients showed robust early induction of HbF. He explained that for patients 3 and 4, the timing of their last blood transfusion relative to the one-month time point could affect early measurements, and suggested waiting for longer-term follow-up for a clearer comparison.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Beam Therapeutics (BEAM) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha of Stifel inquired about the progress of patients 3 and 4 in the BEACON trial, specifically regarding their fetal hemoglobin induction and whether the total hemoglobin levels observed around month 2 indicated a plateau.

    Answer

    CEO John Evans noted that some patient variability is expected and that for patients 3 and 4, their last blood transfusion was closer to the month 1 time point, which can temporarily dilute the measurement of endogenously produced hemoglobin. He advised that longer follow-up is needed to fully assess the trajectory and stabilization of hemoglobin levels.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Krystal Biotech (KRYS) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Krystal Biotech (KRYS) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha sought more detail on the VYJUVEK launch, asking for the distribution of the 460 reimbursed patients between Centers of Excellence and community physicians. He also asked for clarification on the AATD trial, specifically whether the year-end update would cover Cohorts 1 and 2, leading to a go-forward decision.

    Answer

    Christine Wilson, SVP and Head of U.S. Sales and Marketing, stated that success is built on balanced growth across both COEs and the community, noting that 70% of Q3 prescribers were new. President of R&D Suma Krishnan confirmed the year-end AATD update will include data from Cohorts 1 and 2. She added that if expression is sufficient in Cohort 2, they will stop there, but they have the option to proceed to Cohort 3 as no dose-limiting toxicities have been observed.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Editas Medicine (EDIT) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Editas Medicine (EDIT) leadership • Q2 2024

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha asked if the in vivo indication selection is driven by LNP delivery limitations or market size, and what data from competitor BEAM-101 would reinforce their confidence in reni-cel being best-in-class.

    Answer

    Chief Scientific Officer Linda Burkly and CEO Gilmore O'Neill explained that indication selection is a pragmatic mix of targeting tissues with validated LNP delivery (like liver) and ensuring clinical translatability and commercial differentiation. Regarding competitors, O'Neill stated he is confident in reni-cel's differentiated profile, including its clinical data, manufacturing, and robust off-target editing profile from using AsCas12a.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Editas Medicine (EDIT) leadership • Q4 2023

    Question

    Asked for clarification on the number of patients dosed with Reni-cel, questioning a potential discrepancy from prior guidance and asking about dropouts. Also inquired if the FDA has been engaged on the company's specific differentiation angles like total hemoglobin.

    Answer

    The company confirmed 18 patients have been dosed and stated there have been no dropouts, attributing any variation in dosing pace to normal scheduling fluctuations. They are on track for a mid-year data update. They have highlighted their potential differentiation to the FDA, but it is too early to comment on the agency's perception.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Editas Medicine (EDIT) leadership • Q3 2023

    Question

    Asked if the AsCas12a enzyme requires more characterization than Cas9, whether patient blood samples are tested pre- and post-treatment for off-target effects, and if non-genotoxic conditioning is part of the company's future strategy.

    Answer

    The company believes their robust off-target analysis, which includes testing the drug product from many patients, is sufficient and shows no off-target editing. They see non-genotoxic conditioning as an important part of the field's evolution and are actively working in that area.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Surrozen, Inc./DE (SRZN) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Surrozen, Inc./DE (SRZN) leadership • Q4 2022

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company inquired about the SZN-043 study plan, specifically the change from 'early cirrhotic' to 'chronic liver disease' patients, and the strategy to mitigate potential liver transaminase issues in this population. He also asked about the number of dose cohorts for the SZN-1326 MABEL study and whether the higher-than-expected human exposure seen with SZN-1326 was also observed for SZN-043.

    Answer

    CEO Craig Parker clarified that the SZN-043 study will enroll patients with chronic liver disease and fibrosis, who may not yet be considered cirrhotic. He stated there is no specific mechanistic mitigation strategy for transaminase elevations but noted that damaged tissue might be more sensitive, suggesting a dose-response approach. Parker added that while they won't disclose the exact number of SZN-1326 cohorts, the pharmacokinetic profile for SZN-043 was generally in line with animal projections, unlike SZN-1326.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Surrozen, Inc./DE (SRZN) leadership • Q4 2022

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company inquired about the SZN-043 study plan, specifically the change from 'early cirrhotic' to 'chronic liver disease' patients, and the strategy to mitigate potential liver transaminase elevations in this population. He also asked about the number of dose cohorts planned for the SZN-1326 MABEL study and whether the higher-than-expected human exposure seen with SZN-1326 was also observed for SZN-043.

    Answer

    CEO Craig Parker clarified that the SZN-043 trial will enroll patients with chronic liver disease and fibrosis, who may not yet be considered frankly cirrhotic. He explained that there is no specific mechanistic mitigation strategy for transaminase elevations, but noted that preclinical data suggests damaged tissue may be more sensitive to the drug's regenerative effects, which could affect the dose-response. Parker confirmed that SZN-043's pharmacokinetics were in line with animal projections, unlike SZN-1326. He did not disclose the exact number of SZN-1326 dose cohorts but described it as a typical dose escalation strategy.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to ROCKET PHARMACEUTICALS (RCKT) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to ROCKET PHARMACEUTICALS (RCKT) leadership • Q2 2021

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha inquired about the reclassification of the thrombotic microangiopathy SAE in the Danon trial, its impact on the mitigation strategy, and whether the proposal submitted to the FDA had changed since the May update.

    Answer

    CEO Gaurav Shah explained that the SAE reclassification was based on recent FDA guidance and is reflected in protocol changes. He affirmed that the strategy remains consistent with the May update, focusing on refined monitoring, SAE handling, safety guardrails, and eligibility criteria for earlier-stage patients.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings (CRBP) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings (CRBP) leadership • Q2 2020

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha from BTIG asked about the expected level of detail in the upcoming top-line data releases for the RESOLVE-1 and CF studies, the strategies implemented to minimize variability in the mRSS score, and the potential for read-through from the SSc data to the dermatomyositis study.

    Answer

    CMO Dr. Barbara White detailed that the top-line data will include safety, disposition, and primary and secondary endpoints for SSc, and the primary endpoint for CF. She explained that mRSS variability was minimized through rigorous investigator selection, training, and monitoring. Dr. White also affirmed a likely read-through from SSc to DM, as both use similar holistic composite scores with comparable components like physician/patient globals and key organ assessments.

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    Dae Gon Ha's questions to InflaRx (IFRX) leadership

    Dae Gon Ha's questions to InflaRx (IFRX) leadership • Q3 2019

    Question

    Dae Gon Ha from SVB Leerink inquired about the higher IFX-1 consumption rate in HS compared to other diseases, asked for a reconciliation of C5a levels with disease severity, and questioned the potential regulatory hurdles for using IHS-4 as a primary endpoint. He also asked about strategies to mitigate high placebo response rates in future studies.

    Answer

    Executive Niels Riedemann explained that IFX-1 consumption in HS is about four times higher than in other undisclosed life-threatening diseases, likely due to a high C5a turnover rate, which aligns with KOL advice that high doses are needed in HS. He stated that proposing the IHS-4 score to regulators is supported by KOLs who believe it better captures all lesions, unlike HiSCR. To control future placebo response, he suggested using larger patient cohorts (80-100+ per group), avoiding 4:1 randomization, and potentially reducing trial touchpoints.

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