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    Mani ForooharLeerink Partners

    Mani Foroohar's questions to BridgeBio Pharma Inc (BBIO) leadership

    Mani Foroohar's questions to BridgeBio Pharma Inc (BBIO) leadership • Q2 2025

    Question

    Mani Foroohar of Leerink Partners asked about the biomarker and functional thresholds for a potential accelerated approval of BBP-418 in LGMD2I, and also inquired about the competitive dynamics with Alnylam and Pfizer regarding pricing, contracting, and patient acquisition.

    Answer

    Christine Siu, CEO of ML Bio Solutions, outlined the criteria for LGMD2I success: a robust effect on biomarkers, a significant reduction in CK, and a positive trend on functional outcomes. CEO Neil Kumar addressed the competitive landscape, stating that pressure from Alnylam is more pronounced in patient switches, while Pfizer is a more direct competitor for naive patients. He affirmed that BridgeBio is not engaging in aggressive price-based contracting.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to BridgeBio Pharma Inc (BBIO) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Mani Foroohar of Leerink Partners questioned the velocity of new patient scripts for Attruby and asked about the company's confidence in filing for approval for its Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD2I) drug based on a biomarker endpoint.

    Answer

    CCO Matt Outten noted strong month-over-month growth in treatment-naive patients, which is the company's focus. On the pipeline question, CEO Neil Kumar expressed high confidence in the LGMD2I filing strategy, citing consistent positive guidance from the FDA on using the glycosylation of ADG biomarker for an accelerated approval pathway, supported by a nested confirmatory trial design.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Regenxbio Inc (RGNX) leadership

    Mani Foroohar's questions to Regenxbio Inc (RGNX) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Mani Foroohar of Leerink Partners inquired about the specific timing for the FDA's acceptance of the RGX-121 BLA for Hunter syndrome and the potential for an approvability bar shift for RGX-202 in DMD, given competitor issues and changes at CBER.

    Answer

    President and CEO Curran Simpson stated that the RGX-121 BLA acceptance is "imminent" and FDA interactions have been "business normal." For RGX-202, he expressed increased conviction in their accelerated approval strategy, emphasizing their plan to provide strong functional data and a superior benefit-risk profile, which he believes aligns with the FDA's supportive stance on rare disease development.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Regenxbio Inc (RGNX) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Mani Foroohar of Leerink Partners asked if data from the initial RGX-202 patients will be included in the pivotal data set and requested clarification on the financial recognition of the upcoming RGX-314 milestone payment from AbbVie.

    Answer

    CEO Curran Simpson confirmed that data from Phase I/II patients at dose level 2 will be used in the pivotal submission, highlighting the advantage of a consistent manufacturing process. Dr. Steve Pakola, CMO, added this is logical since the primary endpoint for accelerated approval is microdystrophin. Regarding the milestone, CFO Mitchell Chan stated it would be recognized as a one-time, non-recurring payment upon receipt and would be reflected on the balance sheet and P&L in the same quarter.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Schrodinger Inc (SDGR) leadership

    Mani Foroohar's questions to Schrodinger Inc (SDGR) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Mani Foroohar asked about customer dynamics, contrasting Schrödinger's strong results with competitors' reports of delays from large pharma and budget constraints at smaller biotechs. He also asked about the threat from other native AI companies and the metrics used to defend against them.

    Answer

    CFO Geoffrey Porges stated that growth is driven by large accounts while the emerging biotech segment is holding steady, with no pushback on renewals. CEO Ramy Farid addressed the AI threat, emphasizing that their deep domain expertise, physics-based methods, and the fundamental importance of high-quality training data provide a strong competitive moat.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Intellia Therapeutics Inc (NTLA) leadership

    Mani Foroohar's questions to Intellia Therapeutics Inc (NTLA) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Mani Foroohar asked for an update on the expected pace of operating expense decline in 2025 following the restructuring and the OpEx trajectory over the next several years, given the costs of large, ongoing pivotal studies.

    Answer

    CFO Edward Dulac, prompted by CEO John Leonard, explained that while Q1 2025 will have some wind-down costs, the benefits of the restructuring will accrue throughout the year. He noted that ongoing costs for three Phase III studies will be offset by these savings. Dulac stated that he believes peak operating expenses are behind the company and that OpEx through early 2027 is unlikely to reach the levels seen in 2024.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Intellia Therapeutics Inc (NTLA) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    A representative for Mani Foroohar asked about the rationale for the 2:1 randomization in the Phase III HAELO study compared to the 1:1 randomization in the MAGNITUDE study, and if it was intended to speed up enrollment.

    Answer

    CMO David Lebwohl explained that the 2:1 randomization is attractive to patients, as it gives them a higher chance of receiving the active drug, and all patients can cross over later. This design is expected to drive rapid enrollment and provide more data on the active arm for the BLA submission.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc (ALNY) leadership

    Mani Foroohar's questions to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc (ALNY) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Mani Foroohar asked for clarification on the driver of the noted tax benefit and whether this benefit is expected to be a recurring event.

    Answer

    Chief Financial Officer Jeff Poulton explained the benefit was due to a release of a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets in their Swiss entity, which has demonstrated sustained profitability. He stated it is difficult to predict further releases and noted that valuation allowances in the U.S. have not yet been released.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc (ARWR) leadership

    Mani Foroohar's questions to Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc (ARWR) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Mani Foroohar asked for clarification on whether the pro forma cash balance guidance included debt principal repayment or just interest service. He also questioned the gating factors and capital requirements for initiating a plozasiran cardiovascular outcomes trial (CVOT).

    Answer

    CFO Ken Myszkowski clarified that the cash forecast includes contractually required debt payments tied to milestones, not voluntary principal paydown. CEO Dr. Christopher Anzalone stated that despite the current cash position, a substantial additional influx of capital from new partnerships would be required before the company would feel comfortable starting the expensive CVOT, given other value-driving investments in obesity and CNS.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc (ARWR) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    An analyst on behalf of Mani Foroohar requested details on the Sixth Street credit facility, specifically asking what proportion of future partnership proceeds must be used to repay the loan and whether the repayment structure is front- or back-loaded.

    Answer

    Executive Vincent Anzalone explained that the repayment structure is highly customized, with different payback economics for different 'buckets' of assets, and some transactions require zero repayment. He stated that the company is not providing more specific guidance on the structure at this time but that a redacted version of the contract will be filed.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc (IONS) leadership

    Mani Foroohar's questions to Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc (IONS) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Mani Foroohar asked about the source of WAINUA's growth in TTR polyneuropathy, specifically the split between new patients and those switching from other therapies. He also questioned if Ionis was facing any reimbursement headwinds for WAINUA as a Part D drug compared to in-office Part B competitors.

    Answer

    CEO Brett Monia emphasized that growth is primarily driven by identifying new, previously untreated patients, though he acknowledged switching occurs due to the convenience of self-administration. He stated there are no significant reimbursement headwinds, citing the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act and robust patient support programs that result in very good access and low out-of-pocket costs for most patients.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Beam Therapeutics Inc (BEAM) leadership

    Mani Foroohar's questions to Beam Therapeutics Inc (BEAM) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Mani Foroohar of Leerink Partners questioned the clinical and regulatory strategy for BEAM-302 in the heterogeneous AATD population, particularly regarding the different paths for liver versus lung disease.

    Answer

    CEO John Evans explained that BEAM-302 is designed to address both lung and liver manifestations of the disease with a single therapy. He stated that the immediate goal is to generate a compelling Phase 1 dataset. This data will then inform discussions with regulators about the optimal approval pathway, which could involve universal biomarkers like protein levels or separate endpoints for liver and lung benefit.

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    Mani Foroohar's questions to Beam Therapeutics Inc (BEAM) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Mani Foroohar of Leerink Partners asked about the clinical, commercial, and regulatory path for BEAM-302 in AATD, given the heterogeneous patient population with differing lung and liver phenotypes.

    Answer

    CEO John Evans explained that BEAM-302's mechanism addresses both disease manifestations, allowing for a unified approach. He stated the initial regulatory step is to generate a compelling Phase 1 data set. This data will then inform discussions with regulators about the path forward, which could involve distinct endpoints for liver or lung, or potentially a universal biomarker-based endpoint reflecting the correction of the underlying protein deficiency.

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