On May 9, 2019 Melinta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MLNT), a commercial-stage company, developing and commercializing novel antibiotics to treat serious bacterial infections, reported financial results and provided a business update for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 (Press release, Cempra, MAY 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234536131]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"During the first quarter of 2019, we continued to execute against a number of strategic initiatives to help streamline operations and strengthen Melinta’s balance sheet, while continuing to advance our commercial plans and sales efforts," said John H. Johnson, chief executive officer of Melinta. "We also recently filed a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Baxdela (delafloxacin) for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). We believe that the potential market opportunity for CABP is substantial and that, if approved, Baxdela may play a significant role in the treatment of this life-threatening illness. We remain confident in the strength of our long-term strategy to position Melinta for future success as the largest branded antibiotics-focused company and are committed to meeting the growing global threat of antibiotic resistance."

"We are pleased with our swift execution of cost-cutting initiatives during the first quarter of 2019, which significantly drove down our operating expenses both on a year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter basis," said Peter Milligan, chief financial officer of Melinta. "We believe that we have the ability to sustain this disciplined approach to stewardship of financial resources, which is critical for long-term shareholder value."

First Quarter 2019 Financial Results
Melinta reported revenue of $14.1 million for the first quarter of 2019. Revenue from product sales was $11.8 million, flat with the first quarter of 2018. Strong performance by Vabomere (meropenem and vaborbactam) and Minocin (minocycline) for Injection were offset by softer sales of Baxdela and Orbactiv (oritavancin).

Cost of goods sold ("COGS") was $7.4 million and $7.7 million, respectively, for the first quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2018, of which $4.1 million and $4.7 million was comprised of non-cash amortization of intangible assets.
Research and development ("R&D") expenses were $5.4 million for the first quarter of 2019, compared to $16.1 million for the same period in 2018. R&D expenses decreased primarily as a result of the completion of the Company’s Phase III study for Baxdela in CABP as well as winding down its early research and discovery programs, which was completed at the end of March 2019. Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses were $25.9 million for the first quarter of 2019, compared to $34.6 million for the same period in 2018. SG&A expenses decreased primarily as a result of the cost-cutting measures the Company initiated in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Net loss was $26.5 million, or $2.34 per share, for the first quarter of 2019, compared to a net loss of $29.4 million, or $4.76 per share, for the first quarter of 2018. Net loss per share year-over-year reflects changes in share count as a result of the one-for-five reverse stock split effective on February 22, 2019.

The Company ended the quarter with $116.9 million of cash and cash equivalents, which included the $75 million disbursement under the convertible loan facility with Vatera in February 2019.

2019 Guidance
In light of the first quarter results, and to provide the Company with additional time to evaluate the impact of its new strategic commercial initiatives, the Company will update 2019 financial guidance as part of its second quarter 2019 earnings communications. Previous revenue guidance should no longer be relied upon.

Portfolio Updates

sNDA submission to FDA for Baxdela for treatment of CABP in adult patients in April 2019; awaiting official acceptance and PDUFA date from the FDA

Clinical study for a new formulation of Orbactiv scheduled to commence in the second half of 2019, targeted to reduce infusion time from three hours to one hour

Presentation of portfolio data, including results from real-world registry studies of Vabomere, Orbactiv and Minocin for Injection at the Making a Difference in Infectious Diseases (MAD-ID) 2019 Annual Meeting held from May 8-11, 2019 in Orlando, Florida

Business Highlights

Recent execution of several new strategic commercial initiatives, including the engagement of a contract sales organization to sell Baxdela in the retail setting

Implementation of operating cost-reduction initiatives, delivering significant cost savings in 2019

Upcoming Potential Catalysts

European Commission approval decision for delafloxacin (to be marketed under the brand name Quofenix) for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI)

Country approvals for Baxdela in South America and Central America

Latin America commercialization agreement execution for Vabomere, Orbactiv and Minocin for Injection

FDA approval for Baxdela for the treatment of CABP in adults

Conference Call and Webcast
Melinta’s earnings conference call for the first quarter of 2019 will be broadcast at 4:30 p.m. ET on May 9, 2019. Investors wishing to participate in the call should dial: 877-377-7553 and international investors should dial: 253-237-1151, using the conference ID# 5233509. A live webcast of the call will be available online from the Investor Relations section of the company website at www.melinta.com and will be archived there for 30 days. A telephone replay of the call will be available by dialing 855-859-2056 for domestic callers or 404-537-3406 for international callers and entering the conference ID# 5233509.