Scholar Rock Holding Corporation

08/06/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/06/2025 05:17

Quarterly Report for Quarter Ending JUNE 30, 2025 (Form 10-Q)

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, and the audited financial information and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Our actual results and timing of certain events may differ materially from the results discussed, projected, anticipated, or indicated in any forward-looking statements. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report, they may not be predictive of results or developments in future periods.

The following information and any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of factors discussed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, including those risks identified under Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors.

We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation, except as specifically required by law and the rules of the SEC, to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Overview

We are a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing apitegromab for patients with SMA and other severe and debilitating neuromuscular diseases. As a global leader in the biology of TGFβ superfamily, our novel understanding of the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation enabled us to develop a proprietary platform for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target the precursor, or latent, forms of growth factors. By targeting the signaling proteins at the cellular level and acting in the disease microenvironment, we believe we may avoid the historical dose-limiting safety challenges associated with inhibiting growth factors for therapeutic effect. We believe our focus on biologically validated growth factors may facilitate a more efficient development path.

Based on this proprietary and scalable technology platform, we are building a growing portfolio of novel product candidates to deliver life-changing therapies for people with serious diseases that have high unmet need, including neuromuscular disorders, cardiometabolic disorders, cancer, and other conditions where growth factor-targeted therapies can play a transformational role. We have discovered and progressed the development of:

Apitegromab, an investigational, fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits myostatin activation by selectively binding the pro- and latent forms of myostatin in skeletal muscle and is being developed for the treatment of SMA. We also believe apitegromab could have potential in the treatment of other neuromuscular disorders where the inhibition of myostatin may be beneficial.
SRK-439, a novel, preclinical, investigational myostatin inhibitor that has high in vitro affinity for pro- and latent myostatin and maintains myostatin specificity and is being developed for the treatment of neuromuscular diseases.
SRK-181, an investigational inhibitor of the activation of latent TGFβ1, that is being developed for the treatment of cancers that are resistant to anti-PD-(L)1 antibody therapies.
SRK-373, a novel, preclinical, investigational TGFβ inhibitor that selectively inhibits the activation of latent TGFβ1 isoform in the context of fibrotic extracellular matrix and that avoids perturbing TGFβ1 presented by cells of the immune system and is being developed for the treatment of fibrotic diseases.
SRK-256, a novel, preclinical, investigational inhibitor that selectively inhibits RGMc or hemojuvelin, the co-receptor of bone morphogenic protein 6 ("BMP6"), and hence inhibits BMP6 signaling. BMP6 signaling is critical for iron homeostasis and SRK-256 has wide potential applicability in states of iron-restricted anemias.
Additional discovery and early preclinical programs related to the selective modulation of growth factor signaling.

Our first product candidate, apitegromab, is a highly selective, fully human, monoclonal antibody, with a unique mechanism of action that results in inhibition of the activation of the growth factor, myostatin, in skeletal muscle. Apitegromab is being developed as a potential first muscle-targeted treatment for SMA. In October 2024, we announced positive top-line results in SAPPHIRE, a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of apitegromab in patients with non-ambulatory Type 2 and Type 3 SMA (which is estimated to represent the majority of the current prevalent SMA patient population in the U.S. and Europe). The study achieved its primary endpoint. At the March 2025 Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinical & Scientific Conference, we presented additional data related to secondary endpoint analyses in which apitegromab demonstrated a clinically meaningful and consistent benefit in motor function across pre-specified patient subgroups. We submitted a U.S. Biologics License Application to the FDA in January 2025, which is now under priority review with a PDUFA target action date of September 22, 2025. Priority review designation conveys that the FDA has determined that if apitegromab is approved, it could offer significant improvement in the safety or effectiveness of treatment of the serious condition of SMA. In March 2025 we submitted to the European Medicines Agency ("EMA") and received validation of our marketing authorisation application ("MAA") for apitegromab for the treatment of SMA. Validation confirms that the application includes the essential regulatory elements required for scientific assessment of the MAA and the scientific evaluation process by the EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use can begin. If apitegromab is approved on or around its PDUFA action date, we expect to initiate a commercial product launch in the fourth quarter of 2025 in the United States, with a commercial launch of apitegromab in Europe anticipated to follow in 2026.

Apitegromab was evaluated in our Phase 2 TOPAZ proof-of-concept clinical trial for the treatment of patients with Type 2 and Type 3 SMA. Positive 12-month top-line results were initially announced in April 2021. We have subsequently presented data from the TOPAZ trial over 24-months (2022), 36-months (2023) and 48-months (2024). At 48-months over 90% of TOPAZ patients with non-ambulatory Type 2 and 3 SMA receiving a survival motor neuron ("SMN") targeted treatment remained on apitegromab and showed sustained clinical benefit, with a continued generally favorable safety profile and no new safety findings. Additionally, we are conducting a long-term extension study, ONYX, for patients from both the TOPAZ and SAPPHIRE studies, who are receiving apitegromab in conjunction with an approved SMN-targeted treatment. The FDA granted Fast Track designation, Rare Pediatric Disease designation and Orphan Drug designation to apitegromab for the treatment of SMA in May 2021, August 2020 and March 2018, respectively. The EMA granted Priority Medicines ("PRIME") designation in March 2021 and the EC granted orphan medicinal product designation in December 2018 to apitegromab for the treatment of SMA.

We believe that apitegromab has the potential to be the first muscle-targeted treatment that is aimed at improving motor function in patients with SMA who are receiving an SMN-targeted therapy. We also have identified multiple other diseases for which the selective inhibition of the activation of myostatin may offer therapeutic benefit, including additional patient populations in SMA (such as patients with SMA under two years of age) and indications for other neuromuscular disorders beyond SMA. We plan to initiate the Phase 2 OPAL trial in SMA patients under two years of age in the third quarter of 2025.

In October 2023, we announced an expansion of our anti-myostatin program with SRK-439, a novel, fully human anti-myostatin monoclonal antibody. We are developing SRK-439 towards a potential investigational new drug application ("IND") submission in the second half of 2025. In 2024, we presented preclinical data at scientific conferences which support the potential of SRK-439 to increase lean mass and contribute to a favorable body composition in conjunction with GLP-1 receptor agonist ("GLP-1 RA") treatment. In June 2025, the Company announced positive top-line results from the Phase 2 EMBRAZE proof-of-concept trial, designed to assess the safety and efficacy of apitegromab to preserve lean mass in individuals living with obesity and on background therapy of a GLP-1 RA (tirzepatide). The trial demonstrated that patients receiving apitegromab with tirzepatide over 24 weeks showed a 54.9% preservation of lean mass (+4.2 lbs of lean mass) versus tirzepatide alone (p=0.001).

Our product candidate, SRK-181,a highly selective inhibitor of the activation of latent TGFβ1,is being developed for the treatment of cancers that are resistant to checkpoint inhibitor therapies, such as anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibody therapies (referred to together as anti-PD-(L)1 antibody therapies). SRK-181 has been evaluated in our Phase 1 DRAGON proof-of-concept clinical trial in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors that exhibit resistance to anti-PD-(L)1 antibody therapies. We completed the DRAGON trial in June 2025. This two-part clinical trial consisted of a dose escalation portion (Part A) and a dose expansion portion evaluating SRK-181 in combination with an approved anti-PD-(L)1 antibody therapy (Part B). Part B included the following cohorts: urothelial carcinoma, cutaneous melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma ("ccRCC"), and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The data showed encouraging responses in heavily pretreated and anti-PD-(L)1 resistant patients across multiple tumor types. We believe that the DRAGON trial achieved its study objectives by showing objective, durable clinical responses in patients with ccRCC resistant to PD-1 therapy above what is expected from continuing PD-1 alone.

Using our innovativeapproach and proprietary platform, we are creating a pipeline of novel product candidates that selectively modulate the activation of growth factors implicated in a variety of serious diseases with high unmet need, including neuromuscular disorders, cardiometabolic disorders, cancer, and other serious diseases where growth factor-targeted therapies can play a transformational role. Our proprietary platform is designed to generate highly selective antibodies that target the growth factor's latent precursor form prior to its activation within the disease microenvironment, or tissue where it is localized. Our structural insights and unique antibody discovery capabilities can also be applied to other protein classes beyond growth factors, with an aim of generating differentiated candidates targeting cell surface receptors such as immune cell receptors or G-protein coupled receptors, where selectivity remains challenging.

We have incurred significant operating losses since inception. Our net losses were $184.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025. As of June 30, 2025, we had an accumulated deficit of $1,107.5 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future in performing our ongoing activities, as we:

develop our commercialization capabilities to support product sales, marketing and distribution activities;
continue development activities for apitegromab, including the close out of our Phase 3 SAPPHIRE pivotal clinical trial in SMA, the conduct of ONYX, the initiation of our Phase 2 OPAL study for SMA patients under two years of age and the associated drug supply;
continue research and development activities for our anti-myostatin program, including advancing SRK-439 towards a potential IND submission in the second half of 2025;
continue to discover, validate and develop additional product candidates through the use of our proprietary platform;
maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;
hire additional research, development, commercial and other business personnel; and
continue to build the infrastructure to support our operations as a public company.

To date, we have not generated any revenue from product sales. If we successfully obtain regulatory approval for apitegromab we may generate revenue in the future from product sales. In addition, if we obtain regulatory approval for apitegromab we have and expect to incur significant expenses related to developing our commercialization capabilities to support product sales, marketing and distribution activities.

Recent Developments

Management Transition

Effective April 27, 2025, our board of directors appointed David Hallal as our Chief Executive Officer of the Company following Jay T. Backstrom's transition from his role as our Chief Executive Officer and President to Senior Advisor. Dr. Backstrom is expected to serve as Senior Advisor to us through October 31, 2025 as part of the planned transition. Our board of directors also appointed Akshay Vaishnaw, a current member of our board of directors, as our President of Research & Development, R. Keith Woods as our Chief Operating Officer and Vikas Sinha as our Chief Financial Officer, in each case effective April 27, 2025.

Phase 2 EMBRAZE Trial Top-line Data

On June 18, 2025, we announced positive top-line data from our Phase 2 EMBRAZE clinical trial evaluating apitegromab, an investigational muscle-targeted treatment, with tirzepatide to preserve lean mass during tirzepatide-induced weight loss.

The EMBRAZE trial was designed to assess the ability to preserve lean body mass associated with tirzepatide-induced weight loss in patients with obesity (BMI of ≥30.0 kg/m2) or overweight (BMI≥27.0 kg/m2 with one or more weight-related co-morbidities). Treatment was administered over a 24-week period, and patients were randomized into two treatment arms: apitegromab with tirzepatide and placebo with tirzepatide.

Topline results successfully demonstrated proof-of-concept for a highly selective, anti-myostatin antibody to preserve lean mass, with the potential to improve the quality of weight loss with tirzepatide therapy. The 24-week data demonstrated the following:

24 Weeks

apitegromab 10 mg/kg + tirzepatide

(n=43)

placebo + tirzepatide

(n=44)

Difference apitegromab vs. placebo

Change in Lean Mass (SE)

-1.6 (0.57) kg

-3.4 (1.25) lbs

-3.5 (0.52) kg

-7.6 (1.14) lbs

1.9 (0.58) kg

4.2 (1.27) lbs

(p=0.001)

54.9% preservation

Total Mass Loss due to Lean Mass Loss (SE) in %

14.6 (3.19) %

30.2 (2.89) %

-15.6 (3.23) %

Change in Fat Mass (SE)

-8.5 (0.85) kg

-18.8 (1.87) lbs

-8.0 (0.77) kg

-17.7 (1.70) lbs

-0.5 (0.86) kg

-1.1 (1.90) lbs

Total Mass Loss due to Fat Mass Loss (SE) in %

85.3 (3.22) %

69.5 (2.93) %

15.8 (3.27) %

Change in body weight (SE)

(% change in body weight)

-11.2 (1.21) kg

-24.6 (2.65) lbs

(-12.3%)

-12.5 (1.09) kg

-27.5 (2.41) lbs

(-13.4%)

1.3 (1.22) kg

2.9 (2.69) lbs

SE = standard error

Lean mass and fat mass were calculated via dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and body weight was measured with a scale. Analysis based on participants who completed treatment and had a Week 24 DEXA scan. Means based on a linear regression model controlling for baseline lean body mass, baseline weight, age, and sex.

Consistent with prior apitegromab studies, the EMBRAZE trial demonstrated a well tolerated and encouraging safety profile. The incidence of adverse events was generally similar between apitegromab and placebo, with adverse events observed consistent with the known safety profile of tirzepatide. No subjects experienced serious adverse events or discontinuations considered to be related to apitegromab treatment, and there were no deaths.

Participants in both arms completed treatment at 24 weeks and the follow-up period is ongoing. Additional data from the trial will be presented at upcoming medical congresses.

Financial Operations Overview

Operating Expenses

Research and Development

Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred for our research and development activities, including our product candidate discovery efforts, preclinical studies, manufacturing, and clinical trials under our research programs, which include:

employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and equity-based compensation expense for our research and development personnel;
expenses incurred under agreements with third parties that conduct research and development and preclinical activities on our behalf;
expenses incurred under agreements related to our clinical trials, including the costs for investigative sites and contract research organizations ("CROs"), that conduct our clinical trials;
manufacturing process-development, manufacturing of clinical supplies and technology-transfer expenses;
consulting and professional fees related to research and development activities;
costs of purchasing laboratory supplies and non-capital equipment used in our internal research and development activities;
costs related to compliance with clinical regulatory requirements; and
facility costs and other allocated expenses, which include expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities, insurance, depreciation and other supplies.

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Costs for certain activities are recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks. Nonrefundable advance payments for research and development goods and services to be received in the future from third parties are deferred and capitalized. The capitalized amounts are expensed as the related services are performed.

A significant portion of our research and development costs have been external costs, which we track on a program-by-program basis after a clinical product candidate has been identified. However, we do not allocate our internal research and development expenses, consisting primarily of employee-related costs, depreciation and other indirect costs, on a program-by-program basis as they are deployed across multiple projects.

Research and development activities are central to our business model. Product candidates in later stages of clinical development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the increased size and duration of later-stage clinical trials, as well as the associated clinical trial material requirements. We expect research and development costs for our product candidates to continue to be substantial for the foreseeable future as the development programs progress. However, we do not believe that it is possible at this time to accurately project total program-specific expenses through commercialization. There are numerous factors associated with the successful commercialization of any of our product candidates, including future trial design and various regulatory requirements, many of which cannot be determined with accuracy at this time based on our stage of development. Additionally, future commercial and regulatory factors beyond our control will impact our clinical development programs and plans.

The successful development of apitegromab, SRK-181, SRK-439, SRK-373, SRK-256 and any future product candidates is uncertain. Accordingly, at this time, we cannot reasonably estimate or know the nature, timing and estimated costs of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the remainder of the development of apitegromab, SRK-181, SRK-439, SRK-373, SRK-256 and any future product candidates. We are also unable to predict when, if ever,

material net cash inflows will commence from the sale of our product candidates, if approved. This is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing product candidates, including the uncertainty of:

the scope, progress, outcome and costs of our preclinical development activities, clinical trials and other research and development activities;
establishing an appropriate safety profile;
successful enrollment in and completion of clinical trials;
whether our product candidates show safety and efficacy in our clinical trials;
receipt of marketing approvals from applicable regulatory authorities, if any;
establishing commercial manufacturing capabilities or making arrangements with third-party manufacturers;
obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity for our product candidates;
significant and changing government regulation;
commercializing the product candidates, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others; and
continued acceptable safety profile of the products following any regulatory approval.

A change in the outcome of any of these variables with respect to the development of apitegromab, SRK-181, SRK-439, SRK-373, SRK-256 or any of our future product candidates could significantly change the costs and timing associated with the development of that product candidate.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and equity-based compensation expenses for personnel in executive, finance, business development, investor relations, legal, information technology, human resources and commercial functions. Other significant general and administrative expenses include facility costs not otherwise included in research and development expenses, legal fees relating to patent and corporate matters and fees for accounting, consulting services, professional services and corporate expenses. We expect general and administrative expense to continue to be substantial as we continue to invest in building the infrastructure to support the commercialization of apitegromab.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income (expense), net consists primarily of interest income earned on our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, partially offset by interest expense incurred on our debt facility, including amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs.

Results of Operations

Comparison of the Three Months Ended June 30, 2025 and 2024

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands, except percentages):

Three Months Ended June 30,

Change

2025

2024

$

%

Operating expenses:

Research and development

$

62,401

$

42,373

$

20,028

47.3

%

General and administrative

49,708

17,125

32,583

190.3

%

Total operating expenses

112,109

59,498

52,611

88.4

%

Loss from operations

(112,109)

(59,498)

(52,611)

88.4

%

Other income (expense), net

2,078

990

1,088

109.9

%

Net loss

$

(110,031)

$

(58,508)

$

(51,523)

88.1

%

Operating Expenses

Research and Development

Research and development expense was $62.4 million and $42.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, an increase of $20.0 million or 47.3%. The following table summarizes our research and development expense for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands, except percentages):

Three Months Ended June 30,

Change

2025

2024

$

%

External costs by program

Apitegromab

$

27,956

$

17,082

$

10,874

63.7

%

SRK-181

792

3,258

(2,466)

(75.7)

%

SRK-439

2,575

1,550

1,025

66.1

%

Other early programs and unallocated costs

2,227

667

1,560

233.9

%

Total external costs

33,550

22,557

10,993

48.7

%

Internal costs:

Employee compensation and benefits

23,601

15,498

8,103

52.3

%

Facility and other

5,250

4,318

932

21.6

%

Total internal costs

28,851

19,816

9,035

45.6

%

Total research and development expense

$

62,401

$

42,373

$

20,028

47.3

%

The increase in research and development expense was primarily attributable to the following:

An increase in our external research and development costs of $11.0 million, which primarily consisted of:
o $10.9 million increase in costs associated with apitegromab primarily due to an increase in drug supply manufacturing, partially offset by a decrease in clinical trial costs as our Phase 2 TOPAZ trial extension period and Phase 3 SAPPHIRE clinical trial are completed;
o $2.5 million decrease in costs associated with SRK-181;
o $1.0 million increase in preclinical costs and manufacturing development for SRK-439; and
o $1.6 million increase in other early development candidates and unallocated costs.

$9.0 million increase in internal research and development costs, which was primarily driven by an increase of $3.6 million in employee related costs, including salaries, bonus, benefits and payroll taxes related to increased headcount, an increase of $2.7 million in one-time severance and other costs associated with our leadership change and an increase of $1.8 million in non-cash equity-based compensation expense related to increased headcount, including one-time charges of $0.4 million related to the modification of certain equity awards.

Total research and development expenses are expected to continue to be substantial, driven by employee compensation costs and development costs associated with our manufacture of drug supply, as well as development of our clinical stage programs as we continue development activities for apitegromab in SMA, the conduct of ONYX, our initiation of our Phase 2 OPAL trial in SMA patients under the age of two, as well as costs associated with supporting our anti-myostatin program, including our preclinical program, SRK-439. Additionally, we will continue to invest in our pipeline. We expect costs of our SRK-181 program to decrease, as we completed the Phase 1 DRAGON clinical trial in June 2025.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expense was $49.7 million and $17.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, an increase of $32.6 million or 190.3%. The total increase was primarily associated with an approximately $5.6 million increase in employee-related costs including salaries, bonus, benefits and payroll taxes related to increased headcount, an increase of $4.4 million in one-time severance and other costs associated with our leadership change, an increase of $4.7 million in non-cash equity-based compensation expense related to increased headcount, an increase in one-time charges in non-cash equity-based compensation expense of $8.6 million related to the modification of certain equity awards and an increase of approximately $8.8 million in professional service fees. We expect general and administrative expenses, excluding the $13.0 million in one-time charges associated with our leadership change, to continue to be substantial as we continue to invest in building the infrastructure to support the commercialization of apitegromab.

Other Income (Expense), Net

The change in other income (expense), net was primarily attributable to an increase in interest income earned due to higher balances in our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.

Comparison of the Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 and 2024

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands, except percentages):

Six Months Ended June 30,

Change

2025

2024

$

%

Operating expenses:

Research and development

$

111,079

$

85,466

$

25,613

30.0

%

General and administrative

78,120

32,451

45,669

140.7

%

Total operating expenses

189,199

117,917

71,282

60.5

%

Loss from operations

(189,199)

(117,917)

(71,282)

60.5

%

Other income (expense), net

4,445

2,556

1,889

73.9

%

Net loss

$

(184,754)

$

(115,361)

$

(69,393)

60.2

%

Operating Expenses

Research and Development

Research and development expense was $111.1 million and $85.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, an increase of $25.6 million or 30.0%. The following table summarizes our research and development expense for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands, except percentages):

Six Months Ended June 30,

Change

2025

2024

$

%

External costs by program:

Apitegromab

$

47,257

$

35,330

$

11,927

33.8

%

SRK-181

1,902

6,005

(4,103)

(68.3)

%

SRK-439

6,854

3,534

3,320

93.9

%

Other early programs and unallocated costs

3,682

1,409

2,273

161.3

%

Total external costs

59,695

46,278

13,417

29.0

%

Internal costs:

Employee compensation and benefits

41,711

30,426

11,285

37.1

%

Facility and other

9,673

8,762

911

10.4

%

Total internal costs

51,384

39,188

12,196

31.1

%

Total research and development expense

$

111,079

$

85,466

$

25,613

30.0

%

The increase in research and development expense was primarily attributable to the following:

An increase in our external research and development costs of $13.4 million, which primarily consisted of:
o $11.9 million increase in costs associated with apitegromab primarily due to an increase in drug supply manufacturing, partially offset by a decrease in clinical trial costs as our Phase 2 TOPAZ trial extension period and Phase 3 SAPPHIRE clinical trial are being completed;
o $4.1 million decrease in costs associated with SRK-181;
o $3.3 million increase in preclinical costs and manufacturing development for SRK-439; and
o $2.3 million increase in other early development candidates and unallocated costs.

$12.2 million increase in internal research and development costs, which was primarily driven by an increase of $6.1 million in employee related costs, including salaries, bonus, benefits, payroll taxes related to increased headcount, an increase of $2.8 million in one-time severance and other costs associated with our leadership change and an increase of $2.3 million in non-cash equity-based compensation expense related to increased headcount, including one-time charges of $0.4 million related to the modification of certain equity awards.

Total research and development expenses are expected to continue to be substantial, driven by employee compensation costs and development costs associated with manufacture of drug supply, as well as our clinical stage programs as we continue development activities for apitegromab in SMA, the conduct of ONYX, our initiation of our Phase 2 OPAL trial in SMA patients under the age of two, as well as costs associated with supporting our anti-myostatin program, including our preclinical program, SRK-439. Additionally, we will continue to invest in our pipeline. We expect costs of our SRK-181 program to decrease, as we completed the Phase 1 DRAGON clinical trial in June 2025.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expense was $78.1 million and $32.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, an increase of $45.6 million or 140.7%. The total increase was primarily associated with an approximately $9.6 million increase in employee-related costs including salaries, bonus, benefits and payroll taxes related to increased headcount, an increase of $4.6 million in one-time severance and other costs associated with our leadership change, an increase of $5.5 million in non-cash equity-based compensation expense related to increased

headcount, an increase in one-time charges in non-cash equity-based compensation expense of $12.6 million related to the modification of certain equity awards and an increase of approximately $12.8 million in professional service fees. We expect general and administrative expense, excluding the $17.2 million in one-time charges associated with the leadership change, to continue to be substantial as we continue to invest in building the infrastructure to support the commercialization of apitegromab.

Other Income (Expense), Net

The change in other income (expense), net was primarily attributable to an increase in interest income earned due to higher balances in our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Sources of Liquidity

Since our inception, we have not generated any product revenue and have incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from our operations. We have funded our operations to date primarily with proceeds from the sale of our convertible preferred stock and units in private placements before our initial public offering ("IPO"), and issuance of our common stock through our IPO in 2018, to Gilead in an exempt private placement, through multiple secondary public offerings and through at-the-market ("ATM") sales, as well as payments from our research collaborations and the Loan and Security Agreement entered into in October 2020 and subsequently amended (see Note 11).

The following table provides information regarding our total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 (in thousands):

June 30,

December 31,

2025

2024

Cash and cash equivalents

$

152,925

$

177,878

Marketable securities

142,088

259,400

Total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities

$

295,013

$

437,278

During the six months ended June 30, 2025, our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities balance decreased by $142.3 million. The change was primarily due to cash used to operate our business, including payments related to, among other things, research and development and general and administrative expenses as we continued to invest in our product candidates and supported our internal research and development efforts and made interest payments on our debt, partially offset by proceeds from the exercises of stock options.

Our current ATM program, established in November 2022, allows for the sale of shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $100 million. As of June 30, 2025, the Company has sold 619,290 shares of our common stock, generating net proceeds of $5.2 million, under the ATM program. No sales were made under the ATM program during the six months ended June 30, 2025.

On February 10, 2025, we entered into the Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement with Oxford for up to $200 million of which $25.0 million from Tranche 1 was received in October 2020 and $25.0 million from Tranche 2 was received in December 2021 (see Note 11). The Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement consolidates the existing outstanding loan tranches solely with Oxford.

For additional information on certain prior liquidity sources see Note 7.

During the six months ended June 30, 2025, none of the Company's pre-funded warrants were exercised. As of June 30, 2025, the Company had 17,362,147 pre-funded warrants outstanding.

During the six months ended June 30, 2025, 458,044 of the Company's common warrants were exercised, generating proceeds of $3.4 million. As of June 30, 2025, the Company had 8,220,620 common warrants outstanding.

Cash Flows

The following table provides information regarding our cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands):

Six Months Ended June 30,

2025

2024

Net cash used in operating activities

$

(155,616)

$

(98,981)

Net cash provided by investing activities

120,020

84,006

Net cash provided by financing activities

10,643

6,492

Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

$

(24,953)

$

(8,483)

Net Cash Used in Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities was $155.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and consisted of our net loss of $184.8 million and changes in our assets and liabilities of $9.2 million, partially offset by non-cash adjustments of $38.4 million. The non-cash adjustments are primarily from equity-based compensation.

Net cash used in operating activities was $99.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, and consisted of our net loss of $115.4 million and changes in our assets and liabilities of $2.0 million, partially offset by non-cash adjustments of $18.4 million. The non-cash adjustments are primarily from equity-based compensation.

Net Cash Provided by Investing Activities

Net cash provided by investing activities was $120.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 compared to net cash provided by investing activities of $84.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024. Net cash provided by investing activities for both periods was primarily associated with transactions involving our marketable securities.

Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $10.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 compared to $6.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024. Net cash provided by financing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2025 was primarily attributable to proceeds from the exercise of common warrants and stock options, partially offset by the net impact of our debt refinancing. Net cash provided by financing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2024 was primarily attributable to proceeds from the exercise of warrants.

Funding Requirements

We expect our expenses to be substantial as we continue the research and development of apitegromab in SMA. In addition, we are seeking marketing approval for apitegromab, and we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. We expect to continue to incur apitegromab development costs as we invest in trials to support other SMA patient populations, such as our Phase 2 OPAL clinical trial. We expect to incur costs to support our anti-myostatin program, including the close out activities for our Phase 2 EMBRAZE proof-of-concept trial of apitegromab and our preclinical program, SRK-439. Additionally, we will support the development of our pipeline and any other preclinical programs. Furthermore, we expect to continue to incur costs associated with operating as a public company.

Based on our current operating model, which includes planned revenues, we expect that our existing cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and cash available to us will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into 2027. However, we will require additional capital in order to complete clinical development and commercialization for each of our current programs. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we may use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

the costs and timing of developing our product candidates and future product candidates, including costs associated with apitegromab in ONYX, our long-term extension study in SMA for patients from both the
TOPAZ and SAPPHIRE studies, our Phase 2 OPAL trial in SMA patients under the age of two and the costs and timing of conducting future preclinical studies and clinical trials for SRK-439, SRK-373, SRK-256 or any other product candidates;
the costs of future manufacturing of apitegromab, SRK-181, SRK-439, SRK-373, SRK-256 and any other future product candidates;
the scope, progress, results and costs of discovery, preclinical development, laboratory testing and clinical trials for other potential product candidates we may develop, if any;
the costs of identifying and developing, or in-licensing or acquiring, additional product candidates and technologies;
the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our product candidates;
our ability to establish and maintain collaborations on favorable terms, if at all;
the achievement of milestones or occurrence of other developments that trigger payments under any collaboration agreements, license agreements, or other agreements we might have at such time;
the costs of seeking marketing approvals for apitegromab;
the costs and timing of future commercialization activities, including product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution for apitegromab, if approved;
the amount of revenue, if any, received from commercial sales of apitegromab, if approved;
the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, obtaining, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending intellectual property-related claims;
our headcount growth and associated costs as we expand our business operations and research and development activities;
the costs of supporting our infrastructure and facilities, including equipment and physical infrastructure to support our research and development;
the costs of operating as a public company; and
the impact of adverse global economic conditions on our business, including increased costs associated with global tariff policies, which may exacerbate the magnitude of the factors discussed above.

Identifying potential product candidates and conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials is a time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes years to complete, and we may never generate the necessary data or results required to obtain marketing approval and achieve product sales. In addition, our product candidates, if approved, may not achieve commercial success. Accordingly, we will need to continue to rely on additional financing to achieve our business objectives. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.

Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenues, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, common stockholder ownership interests may be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that could adversely affect the rights of a common stockholder. Additional debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends, that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business.

If we raise funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. Market volatility or other factors could also adversely impact our ability to access capital as and when needed. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.

Critical Accounting Estimates

This management's discussion and analysis is based on our condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements requires us to make judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our condensed consolidated financial statements. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgements about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our judgments and estimates in light of changes in circumstances, facts and experience. The effects of material revisions in estimates, if any, will be reflected in the condensed consolidated financial statements prospectively from the date of change in estimates. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

There have been no material changes to our critical accounting estimates from those described in Part II, Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined under applicable SEC rules.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

We have reviewed all recently issued standards and have determined that, other than as disclosed in Note 2 to our condensed consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, they will not have a material impact on our financial statements or do not otherwise apply to our operations.

Smaller Reporting Company and Non-Accelerated Filer Status

Based on the market value of our common stock held by our non-affiliates as of June 30, 2024, we were considered a "non-accelerated filer" and a "smaller reporting company," each effective as of December 31, 2024. Based on the market value of our common stock held by our non-affiliates as of June 30, 2025, we will no longer be a smaller reporting company and will be considered a "large accelerated filer" effective as of December 31, 2025, and thus will be subject to additional disclosure and compliance requirements, accelerated filing deadlines, as well as the requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Scholar Rock Holding Corporation published this content on August 06, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via SEC EDGAR on August 06, 2025 at 11:17 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]