On August 2, 2018 Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOR) reported its financial and pipeline update for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 (Press release, Acorda Therapeutics, AUG 2, 2018, View Source [SID1234528357]).

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"Our outstanding quarter reflected the continued excellence of our specialty neurology sales force and commercial, patient advocacy and affiliated teams. Our primary focus now is on the approval and launch of INBRIJA, which will benefit from these same capabilities," said Ron Cohen, M.D., Acorda’s President and CEO. "We expect INBRIJA, if approved, to help address the large unmet medical need for the approximately 350,000 people in the U.S. who are challenged by OFF periods related to Parkinson’s disease. Based on our continued market research, we believe the market opportunity for INBRIJA in the U.S. is greater than $800 million."

"The company’s strong execution year to date is fueling our ability to launch INBRIJA, to invest in the ARCUS pipeline and remain well capitalized throughout the INBRIJA launch," Dr. Cohen continued.

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg – For the quarter ended June 30, 2018, the Company reported AMPYRA net revenue of $150.3 million compared to $131.6 million for the same quarter in 2017.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $25.9 million, including $1.5 million of share-based compensation compared to $51.2 million, including $3.0 million of share-based compensation for the same quarter in 2017.

Sales, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 were $44.3 million, including $3.7 million of share-based compensation compared to $49.3 million, including $7.8 million of share-based compensation for the same quarter in 2017.

Provision for income taxes for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 was $8.4 million compared to a provision for income taxes of $5.5 million for the same quarter in 2017.

The Company reported GAAP net income of $46.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, or $0.98 per diluted share. GAAP net loss in the same quarter of 2017 was $8.2 million, or $0.18 per diluted share.

Non-GAAP net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 was $65.9 million, or $1.40 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income in the same quarter of 2017 was $13.3 million, or $0.29 per diluted share. This quarterly non-GAAP net income measure, more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures," excludes share-based compensation charges, non-cash interest charges on our debt, changes in the fair value of acquired contingent consideration, and restructuring costs. A reconciliation of the GAAP financial results to non-GAAP financial results is included with the attached financial statements.

At June 30, 2018, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $391.7 million.

Guidance for 2018

The Company reiterates AMPYRA 2018 net revenue guidance of $330-$350 million.
R&D expenses for the full year 2018 are expected to be $100-$110 million and include manufacturing expenses associated with INBRIJA. This guidance is a non-GAAP projection that excludes share-based compensation, as more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
SG&A expenses for the full year 2018 are expected to be $170-$180 million. This guidance is a non-GAAP projection that excludes share-based compensation, as more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
The Company expects to end 2018 with a year-end cash balance in excess of $300 million.
This guidance may be revised with a positive outcome of the pending appeal.
Second Quarter 2018 Updates

INBRIJA (levodopa inhalation powder)
The Company’s Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for INBRIJA was validated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the application currently is under review. After the adoption of an opinion on the application by the Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), a final decision regarding the MAA will be issued by the European Commission.
In June, the Company presented four INBRIJA abstracts at the 2nd Pan American Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Congress in Miami. These data were previously presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in April 2018.
AMPYRA Patent Appeal
In June, the oral argument in the AMPYRA patent litigation took place at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Company is awaiting the Court’s decision.
On July 24, the Federal Circuit denied the Company’s motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent generic at risk launch pending the Court’s decision.
Webcast and Conference Call

Acorda will host a conference call and webcast to review its 2Q18 update and financial results on Thursday, August 2 at 8:30 a.m. ET. To participate in the conference call, dial (866) 393-4306 (domestic) or (734) 385-2616 (international) and reference the access code 4898766. The presentation will be available on the Investors section of www.acorda.com.

A replay of the call will be available from 11:30 a.m. ET on August 2, 2018 until 11:59 p.m. ET on September 1, 2018. To access the replay, dial (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (international); reference code 4898766. The archived webcast will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Acorda website at www.acorda.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes financial results prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP), and also certain historical and forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures. In particular, Acorda has provided non-GAAP net income, adjusted to exclude the items below, and has provided 2018 guidance for R&D and SG&A expenses on a non-GAAP basis. Non-GAAP financial measures are not an alternative for financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. However, the Company believes the presentation of non-GAAP net income, when viewed in conjunction with our GAAP results, provides investors with a more meaningful understanding of our ongoing and projected operating performance because this measure excludes (i) non-cash compensation charges and benefits that are substantially dependent on changes in the market price of our common stock, (ii) non-cash interest charges related to the accounting for our outstanding convertible debt which are in excess of the actual interest expense owing on such convertible debt as well as non-cash interest charges related to the Fampyra royalty monetization, the asset based loan which was terminated in 2017 and acquired Biotie debt, (iii) changes in the fair value of acquired contingent consideration which do not correlate to our actual cash payment obligations in the relevant periods, (iv) acquisition related expenses and related foreign currency gains that pertain to a non-recurring event, and (v) expenses that pertain to non-routine restructuring events. The Company believes its non-GAAP net income measure helps indicate underlying trends in the Company’s business and is important in comparing current results with prior period results and understanding projected operating performance. Also, management uses this non-GAAP financial measure to establish budgets and operational goals, and to manage the Company’s business and to evaluate its performance.

In addition to non-GAAP net income, we have provided 2018 guidance for R&D and SG&A expenses on a non-GAAP basis. Due to the forward looking nature of this information, the amount of compensation charges and benefits needed to reconcile these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future changes in the market price of our common stock and is not available at this time. The Company believes that these non-GAAP measures, when viewed in conjunction with our GAAP results, provide investors with a more meaningful understanding of our ongoing and projected R&D and SG&A expenses. Also, management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to establish budgets and operational goals, and to manage the Company’s business and to evaluate its performance.