BridgeBio Initiates Long Term Debt Management Strategy and Announces Proposed Offering of Convertible Senior Notes to Refinance Senior Secured Debt

On February 24, 2025 BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO) (the "Company," "we" or "BridgeBio") reported that it intends to offer, subject to market conditions and other factors, $500 million aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2031 (the "notes") in a private offering (the "offering") to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") (Press release, BridgeBio, FEB 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234650485]). In connection with the offering, the Company expects to grant the initial purchasers an option to purchase up to an additional $75 million aggregate principal amount of notes.

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The Company intends to use a portion of the net proceeds from the offering to repay all outstanding borrowings under and terminate its Financing Agreement, dated as of January 17, 2024, with the lenders party thereto and Blue Owl Corporation, as administrative agent, as amended (the "Financing Agreement"), and pay any fees related thereto. The termination of the Financing Agreement, which accounted for approximately $51.5 million of cash paid for interest in 2024 and contains various restrictive covenants, will provide the Company with reduced pro forma interest expense and greater operational flexibility. The Company intends to use up to $50 million of any remaining net proceeds from the offering to repurchase shares of its common stock from certain purchasers of the notes in privately negotiated transactions effected through one or more of the initial purchasers or an affiliate thereof concurrently with the pricing of the notes (such transactions, the "share repurchases"), together, if necessary, with cash on hand. The Company expects to use any remaining net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes.

The Company expects the purchase price per share of its common stock in the share repurchases to equal the last reported sale price per share of its common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market as of the date of the pricing of the notes. The share repurchases could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of the Company’s common stock prior to, concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes, and could result in a higher effective conversion price for the notes. The Company cannot predict the magnitude of such market activity or the overall effect it will have on the market price of the notes and/or the market price of the Company’s common stock.

The final terms of the notes, including the initial conversion rate, interest rate and certain other terms, will be determined at the time of pricing. The notes will bear interest semi-annually and will mature on March 1, 2031, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased. Prior to December 2, 2030, the notes will be convertible only upon satisfaction of certain conditions and during certain periods. Thereafter, the notes will be convertible at any time until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date. The notes will be convertible at the option of the holders, subject to certain conditions and during certain periods, into cash, shares of the Company’s common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company’s common stock, with the form of consideration determined at the Company’s election.

The Company may not redeem the notes prior to March 6, 2028. On or after March 6, 2028 and on or before the 41st scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date of the notes, the Company may redeem for cash all or any portion of the notes, at its option at any time, and from time to time, if the last reported sale price per share of the Company’s common stock exceeds 130% of the conversion price for a specified period of time and certain other conditions are satisfied. The redemption price will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. Holders of the notes will have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or a portion of their notes at 100% of their principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest, upon the occurrence of certain events.

When issued, the notes will be the Company’s senior unsecured obligations and will rank senior in right of payment to any of the Company’s unsecured indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the notes; equal in right of payment to any of the Company’s unsecured indebtedness that is not so subordinated; effectively junior in right of payment to any of the Company’s secured indebtedness and obligations, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness; and structurally junior to all indebtedness and other liabilities (including trade payables) of the Company’s subsidiaries.

The notes and the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes, if any, are not being registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction. The notes and the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes, if any, may not be offered or sold in the United States except in transactions exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

argenx to Present at TD Cowen 45th Annual Healthcare Conference

On February 24, 2025 argenx (Euronext & Nasdaq: ARGX), a global immunology company committed to improving the lives of people suffering from severe autoimmune diseases, reported that Tim Van Hauwermeiren, Chief Executive Officer, will present at the TD Cowen 45th Annual Healthcare Conference on Monday, March 3, 2025 at 11:50 a.m. ET (Press release, argenx, FEB 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234650484]).

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A live webcast of the presentation may be accessed on the Investors section of the argenx website at argenx.com/investors. A replay of the webcast will be available on the argenx website for approximately 30 days following the presentation.

Veracyte Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results

On February 24, 2025 Veracyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCYT) reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024 (Press release, Veracyte, FEB 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234650483]).

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"I’m incredibly proud of what our team accomplished in 2024," said Marc Stapley, Veracyte’s chief executive officer. "We ended the year with exceptional performance, delivering record revenue in Q4 and achieving our 10th consecutive quarter of 20% or greater testing revenue growth. Looking ahead to 2025, we see significant opportunities for Decipher and Afirma to impact more patients and drive growth for Veracyte. We are focused on moving forward with our exciting portfolio of strategic growth drivers while maintaining the financial discipline that has been core to our success."

Key Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

For the three-month period ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the same period in 2023:

Increased total revenue by 21% to $118.6 million and testing revenue by 24% to $112.2 million.
Increased total volume by 22% to 41,271 tests and testing volume by 25% to 39,107 tests.
Grew Decipher revenue by 44% and Afirma revenue by 4%.
Grew Decipher volume by 45% to more than 22,400 tests and Afirma volume by 8% to more than 16,300 tests.
Increased net income to $5.1 million, or 4.3% of revenue, and delivered adjusted EBITDA of $26.1 million, or 22.0% of revenue.
Generated $24.5 million of cash from operations.
Key Full Year 2024 Financial Highlights

For the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the same period in 2023:

Increased total revenue by 23% to $445.8 million and testing revenue by 28% to $419.0 million.
Increased total volume by 20% to 152,750 tests and testing volume by 23% to 142,925 tests.
Grew Decipher revenue by 43% and Afirma revenue by 14%.
Grew Decipher volume by 36% to more than 80,000 tests and Afirma volume by 12% to more than 60,000 tests.
Increased net income to $24.1 million, or 5.4% of revenue, and delivered adjusted EBITDA of $91.9 million, or 20.6% of revenue.
Generated $75.1 million of cash from operations to end the year with $289.4 million of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.
Key Business Highlights

Through Level I evidence for the 22-Gene Genomic Classifier (GC) (Decipher), secured its position as the only gene expression test included in V1.2025 of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Prostate Cancer published in December 2024.1
Received approval from Molecular Diagnostic Services Program (MolDx) for the technical assessment submission for Decipher for use in the metastatic population.
Announced 17 Decipher-focused abstracts to be presented at the 2025 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) GU Symposium demonstrating the power of the Veracyte diagnostics platform and Veracyte’s commitment to continued leadership in supporting clinical research around urologic cancers.
Published our 2024 Environmental, Social and Governance Report.
1

NCCN = National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Referenced with permission from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Prostate Cancer v.1.2025. © National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. 2024. All rights reserved. Accessed February 12, 2025. To view the most recent and complete version of the guideline, go online to NCCN.org. NCCN makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever regarding their content, use or application and disclaims any responsibility for their application or use in any way.

Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $118.6 million, an increase of 21% compared to $98.2 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2023. Testing revenue was $112.2 million, an increase of 24% compared to $90.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, driven by the strong performance of our Decipher and Afirma tests. Product revenue was $3.0 million, a decrease of 18% compared to $3.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Biopharmaceutical and other revenue was $3.5 million, a decrease of 17% compared to $4.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Total gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 66.4%, compared to 66.0% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP gross margin was 69.3%, compared to 70.6% in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Operating expenses were $74.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP operating expenses were $57.9 million, flat compared to $57.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Net income for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $5.1 million, an improvement of 118% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, representing 4.3% of revenue compared to (28.8%) in the same period in 2023. Diluted net earnings per common share was $0.06, an improvement of $0.45 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP diluted net earnings per common share was $0.36, an improvement of $0.15 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Net cash provided by operating activities in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $24.5 million, an improvement of $9.0 million compared to the same period in 2023.

Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $26.1 million, an improvement of 76% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, representing 22.0% of revenue compared to 15.1% of revenue in the same period of 2023.

Full Year 2024 Financial Results

Total revenue for 2024 was $445.8 million, an increase of 23% compared to $361.1 million in 2023. Testing revenue was $419.0 million, an increase of 28% compared to $326.5 million in 2023, driven by the strong performance of our Decipher and Afirma tests. Product revenue was $13.7 million, a decrease of 12% compared to $15.6 million in 2023. Biopharmaceutical and other revenue was $13.2 million, a decrease of 30% compared to $18.9 million in 2023.

Total gross margin for the full year 2024 was 66.9%, compared to 63.6% in 2023. Non-GAAP gross margin was 70.0%, compared to 69.3% in 2023.

Operating expenses were $282.0 million for the full year 2024. Non-GAAP operating expenses grew 7% to $227.6 million compared to $212.5 million in 2023.

Net income for the full year 2024 was $24.1 million, an improvement of 132% compared to 2023, representing 5.4% of revenue compared to (20.6%) in 2023. Diluted net earnings per common share was $0.31, an improvement of $1.33 compared to 2023. Non-GAAP diluted net earnings per common share was $1.19, an improvement of $0.61 compared to 2023. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2024 was $75.1 million, an improvement of $30.9 million compared to 2023.

Adjusted EBITDA for the full year 2024 was $91.9 million, an improvement of 102% compared to 2023, representing 20.6% of revenue compared to 12.6% of revenue in 2023.

A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the tables included in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading "Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

Update on Marseille Operations

Veracyte is evaluating its ownership and operations of the company’s French subsidiary, Veracyte SAS, whose business is located in Marseille, France and includes Veracyte’s immune-oncology biopharma business, contract development and manufacturing, and support for Veracyte’s IVD development and manufacturing. Veracyte recently notified Veracyte SAS that, as sole shareholder of Veracyte SAS, it is considering no longer funding the French entity. Accordingly, Veracyte SAS will engage with its works council, as is required by French law, over the next few months.

Seeking external buyer(s) for a potential divestiture of all or part of the French entity’s activities is an option that is actively being explored. Without Veracyte Inc.’s continued funding or identification of a buyer for all or part of the Veracyte SAS assets, Veracyte SAS may be required to begin bankruptcy proceedings following its works council consultation period.

Management will provide further details on this process and its potential impact on Veracyte’s 2025 financial outlook during the conference call this afternoon.

2025 Financial Outlook

The company expects 2025 testing revenue to be in the range of $470 million to $480 million, or 12% to 15% year-over-year growth. Adjusting for the impact of the paused Envisia test, the guidance implies testing revenue growth of 14% to 16%. Given the number of variables impacting its Marseille, France operations, the company is not providing total company revenue guidance at this time and expects to provide its total revenue outlook for 2025 once there is more clarity on the timing and impact of the process underway.

The company also expects adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue in 2025 to be approximately 21.6% compared to 20.6% in 2024.

The company is unable to provide a quantitative reconciliation of expected adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue to the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP measure, without unreasonable effort, because of the inherent difficulty in accurately forecasting the occurrence and financial impact of the various adjusting items necessary for such reconciliations that have not yet occurred, that are dependent on various factors, are out of the company’s control, or that cannot be reasonably predicted. Such adjustments include, but are not limited to, acquisition related expenses, and other adjustments. Any associated estimate of these items and their impact on GAAP performance for the guidance period could vary materially. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please refer to the section titled "Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this press release.

Conference Call and Webcast Details

Veracyte will host a conference call and webcast today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the company’s financial results and provide a general business update. The conference call will be webcast live from the company’s website and will be available via the following link: View Source The webcast should be accessed 10 minutes prior to the conference call start time. A replay of the webcast will be available for one year following the conclusion of the live broadcast and will be accessible on the company’s website at View Source

UroGen Pharma to Present at TD Cowen 45th Annual Health Care Conference

On February 24, 2025 UroGen Pharma Ltd. (Nasdaq: URGN), a biotech company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative solutions that treat urothelial and specialty cancers, reported that it will participate in a fireside chat at the TD Cowen 45th Annual Health Care Conference to take place on March 3-5, 2025 (Press release, UroGen Pharma, FEB 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234650482]).

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TD Cowen 45th Annual Health Care Conference

Date / Time:

March 3, 2025 at 1:50 PM ET

Format:

Presentation and 1×1 investor meetings

Location:

Boston, MA

Webcast Link:

here

Webcasts from the conferences will also be available on UroGen’s Investor Relations website. A replay will be available on the site for approximately 90 days.

Ultragenyx to Participate at Investor Conferences in March

On February 24, 2025 Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapies for serious rare and ultrarare genetic diseases, reported participation in three upcoming investor conferences (Press release, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, FEB 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234650481]).

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45th Annual Cowen Healthcare Conference (Boston, MA)

Monday, March 3, 2025, Eric Crombez, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, will participate in a fireside chat and host 1×1 meetings.
Barclays 27th Annual Global Healthcare Conference (Miami, FL)

Tuesday, March 11, 2025, Eric Crombez will participate in a fireside chat and host 1×1 meetings.
Leerink Partners Global Biopharma Conference (Miami, FL)

Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Eric Crombez will participate in a fireside chat and host 1×1 meetings.
The live and archived webcast of the fireside chat will be accessible from the company’s website at View Source