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LEAP THERAPEUTICS, INC. (LPTX)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q1 2025 EPS modestly beat a very light consensus: Diluted loss per share of $0.37 vs Wall Street consensus of -$0.38, a $0.01 beat; revenue remained non-existent for this pre-revenue biotech (consensus $0) . EPS consensus values from S&P Global.*
- Operating discipline mixed: total operating expenses rose year over year, driven by higher R&D for the expanded DeFianCe Part B trial; G&A declined vs prior year. Cash fell to $32.7M, reflecting ~$14.5M operating cash outflow in the quarter .
- Strategic pivot: management announced a ~50% workforce reduction to prioritize sirexatamab (DKN-01) in second-line CRC and advance FL-501 preclinically, and engaged a financial advisor to explore business development options—key potential catalysts alongside upcoming clinical data updates this quarter .
- Clinical narrative strengthening: DeFianCe Part B continued to show statistically significant ORR and PFS benefits in DKK1-high and VEGF-naïve subgroups, supporting a registrational Phase 3 path; 42 patients remained on study (25 sirexatamab vs 17 control), suggesting further PFS maturation potential .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- Clinically meaningful efficacy signals in targeted subgroups: “statistically significant higher ORR and longer PFS” in DKK1-high and VEGF-naïve second-line CRC patients; management expects additional data updates in the quarter .
- Focused capital allocation: restructuring reduces workforce ~50% to concentrate resources on CRC and FL-501, potentially extending runway and sharpening execution .
- Positive preclinical progress for FL-501: extended half-life, reduced clearance, and strong anti-cachexia activity vs clinical-stage benchmarks in preclinical models, reinforcing best-in-class aspirations .
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What Went Wrong
- Cash burn remains material: operating cash outflow of $14.5M drove cash down to $32.7M, highlighting financing/partnering needs for Phase 3 ambitions .
- Higher R&D expense year over year: R&D rose to $12.9M (+$1.6M YoY) on trial expansion and activity, pressuring losses (net loss $15.4M vs $13.8M YoY) .
- Limited near-term revenue visibility and market risks: company remains pre-revenue and cites risks including financing, Nasdaq compliance, and need for partnerships—potential overhangs until strategic actions or pivotal trial plans crystallize .
Financial Results
Income statement and balance sheet highlights (USD Millions, except per-share). Periods shown oldest → newest.
Revenue and margins
- Revenue: none reported (pre-revenue biotech) .
- Margins (EBITDA, EBIT, Net Income): not meaningful due to no revenue .
Cash flow (USD Millions)
Select clinical KPIs referenced in Q1 update
Estimate comparison (Q1 2025)
*Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Note: No Q1 2025 earnings call transcript was available in our corpus; we searched LPTX for “earnings-call-transcript” in the quarter and found none. We relied on the Q1 press release and related disclosures.
Management Commentary
- “In this difficult market environment, we focused our resources to position Leap to advance sirexatamab in CRC and FL-501 preclinically… I would like to personally thank all of our colleagues who have been impacted by this decision…” — Douglas E. Onsi, President & CEO .
- “With 42 patients currently remaining on study drug… we continue to be optimistic about the maturing dataset in the full population and look forward to upcoming data updates this quarter.” — Douglas E. Onsi .
- On DeFianCe Part B: updated data “demonstrates significantly higher ORR and longer PFS” in DKK1-high and VEGF-naïve subgroups, supporting a registrational Phase 3 trial .
Q&A Highlights
- No Q1 2025 earnings call transcript available in our document set; we searched for “earnings-call-transcript” for the quarter and found none. Management did host a KOL event focused on sirexatamab in second-line MSS CRC on April 23, 2025, indicating investor engagement on subgroup strategy and clinical positioning .
Estimates Context
- EPS: Reported $(0.37) vs consensus $(0.38)—a $0.01 beat on minimal analyst coverage (1 estimate). Revenue: consensus $0; company reported no revenue, consistent with pre-revenue status . EPS and revenue consensus values from S&P Global.*
- Coverage breadth remains limited (1 estimate), so estimate dispersion is minimal; near-term estimate revisions will likely hinge on upcoming DeFianCe data updates and clarity on Phase 3/BD pathways .
*Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Slight EPS beat on lean coverage; financials remain dominated by R&D investment and cash burn (~$14.5M operating outflow) .
- Cash of $32.7M underscores the importance of partnering or financing ahead of Phase 3; restructuring (-50% workforce) helps conserve capital while focusing on highest-ROI programs .
- Clinical de-risking continues in targeted CRC subgroups (DKK1-high, VEGF-naïve), a credible path to registrational development and potential accelerated approval strategies .
- Near-term stock catalysts: additional DeFianCe data updates this quarter, BD developments, and any regulatory feedback on Phase 3 design .
- Risk factors remain: pre-revenue status, dependence on external capital/partners, and listing/compliance considerations cited in forward-looking statements .
- Trading setup: momentum sensitive to clinical update cadence and strategic alternative outcomes; downside buffered by cash, upside levered to subgroup efficacy durability and BD execution .