On May 5, 2025 Castle Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSTL), a company improving health through innovative tests that guide patient care, reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025 (Press release, Castle Biosciences, MAY 5, 2025, View Source [SID1234652503]).
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"We are pleased with the exceptional start to the year, marked by continued growth in test report volume and revenue in the first quarter," said Derek Maetzold, president and chief executive officer of Castle Biosciences. "We believe our ongoing success reflects both the high clinical value that our clinicians receive from our tests coupled with consistent execution and teamwork across our therapeutic areas.
"We saw strong overall growth in our core revenue drivers. And in this month of May, Skin Cancer Awareness Month, I’m especially pleased DecisionDx-Melanoma recently achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 200,000 test orders since the launch of the test. This milestone is certainly expected, given the highly compelling data demonstrating DecisionDx-Melanoma is shown to be associated with improved patient survival, and I am extremely proud of the entire Castle team. We are grateful to the clinicians and patients who achieved this milestone with us.
"We believe our first-quarter results demonstrate our leadership across our proprietary, first-to-market test portfolio and unwavering commitment to impacting patient outcomes. Looking ahead, as we continue to drive forward our growth initiatives, we are raising our 2025 total revenue guidance to $287-297 million, compared to the previous guidance of $280-295 million."
First Quarter Ended March 31, 2025, Financial and Operational Highlights
•Revenues were $88.0 million, a 21% increase compared to $73.0 million in the first quarter of 2024.
•Adjusted Revenues, which exclude the effects of revenue adjustments related to tests delivered in prior periods, were $87.2 million, a 22% increase compared to $71.3 million for the same period in 2024.
•Delivered 24,402 total test reports in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 17% compared to 20,888 in the same period of 2024:
◦DecisionDx-Melanoma test reports delivered in the quarter were 8,621, compared to 8,384 in the first quarter of 2024.
◦DecisionDx-SCC test reports delivered in the quarter were 4,375, compared to 3,577 in the first quarter of 2024.
◦MyPath Melanoma test reports delivered in the quarter were 926, compared to 998 in the first quarter of 2024.
◦TissueCypher Barrett’s Esophagus test reports delivered in the quarter were 7,432, compared to 3,429 in the first quarter of 2024.
◦IDgenetix test reports delivered in the quarter were 2,578, compared to 4,078 in the first quarter of 2024.
◦DecisionDx-UM test reports delivered in the quarter were 470, compared to 422 in the first quarter of 2024.
•Gross margin was 49%, and Adjusted Gross Margin was 81%, compared to 78% and 81%, respectively, for the same periods in 2024. Gross margin for the first quarter 2025 was impacted in large part due to the one-time adjustment of an acceleration of amortization expense of approximately $20.1 million during the three months ended March 31, 2025. During the first quarter of 2025, we made the decision to discontinue the IDgenetix test offering, effective May 2025. This change resulted in a change in estimated remaining useful life of IDgenetix.
•Net cash used in operations was $6.0 million, compared to net cash used in operations of $6.8 million for the same period in 2024.
•Net loss, which includes non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $11.2 million, was $25.8 million, compared to a net loss of $2.5 million for the same period in 2024.
•Net loss per share, basic and diluted, was $(0.90) and Adjusted Net Loss per Share, Basic and Diluted, was $(0.20) compared, in each case, to $(0.09), for the same periods in 2024.
•Adjusted EBITDA was $13.0 million, compared to $10.5 million for the same period in 2024.
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Investment Securities
As of March 31, 2025, the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities totaled $275.2 million.
2025 Outlook
Castle Biosciences is raising its guidance for anticipated total revenue in 2025. The Company now anticipates generating between $287-297 million in total revenue in 2025, compared to the previously provided guidance of between $280-295 million.
First Quarter and Recent Accomplishments and Highlights
Dermatology
•DecisionDx-Melanoma: The Company announced its achievement of surpassing a significant milestone of 200,000 DecisionDx-Melanoma test orders. See the Company’s news release from April 28, 2025, for more information.
•DecisionDx-Melanoma: The Company announced the publication of a new study in Cancer Diagnosis & Prognosis demonstrating that DecisionDx-Melanoma outperforms both American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging and the clinicopathologic and gene expression (CP-GEP) test in identifying patients at low risk of sentinel lymph node (SLN) positivity who may consider forgoing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) surgery. The new study provides an analysis of the accuracy of CP-GEP and DecisionDx-Melanoma in identifying patients with less than a 5% risk of SLN positivity, in T1-T2 tumors specifically, across five CP-GEP and four DecisionDx-Melanoma validation studies. Using a weighted average across all studies, patients classified as low risk by CP-GEP had an SLN positivity rate of 6.2%, exceeding the 5% NCCN threshold for ruling out SLNB. In contrast, patients identified as low risk by DecisionDx-Melanoma had a 2.8% SLN positivity rate, a significant improvement over AJCC staging. Overall, CP-GEP did not perform as well as staging alone, while DecisionDx-Melanoma outperformed staging, further demonstrating its ability to improve clinical decision-making and, ultimately, outcomes. See our press release from April 30, 2025, for more information.
•DecisionDx-Melanoma: The Company announced the recent publication of two papers in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology and Cancer Medicine sharing reports from the prospective, multicenter DECIDE study demonstrating the significant impact of the Company’s DecisionDx-Melanoma test on SLNB decision-making for patients with melanoma. Consistent with prior studies, published results from Castle’s DECIDE study support that DecisionDx-Melanoma can accurately identify patients with less than 5% risk of sentinel lymph node (SLN) positivity, who can safely consider forgoing the SLNB surgical procedure, and who are also unlikely to experience disease progression. See the Company’s news release from April 3, 2025, for more information.
•DecisionDx-Melanoma: The Company presented new data supporting the clinical value of the DecisionDx-Melanoma test in guiding risk-aligned management of patients with melanoma at the 11th World Congress of Melanoma and 21st European Association of Dermato-Oncology (EADO) Congress, which was held April 3-5, 2025, in Athens, Greece. The new study data demonstrated the significant risk stratification provided by DecisionDx-Melanoma in a real-world cohort of patients with stage IIB-IIC cutaneous melanoma (CM) to help guide adjuvant therapy, and the role of the test in prompting use of imaging surveillance in early-stage patients at high risk of metastasis to the central nervous system (CNS). See the Company’s news release from April 1, 2025, for more information.
•DecisionDx-Melanoma: The Company also presented new data on its DecisionDx-Melanoma test at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 2025 Annual Conference, which was held March 28-30 in Orlando, Florida. Specifically, as part of Castle’s ongoing collaboration with the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program Registries, new data presented new validation of the DecisionDx-Melanoma test’s risk-stratification performance in patients with thin/early-stage CM tumors (stage I-IIA). In a large, unselected real-world cohort of 6,892 patients classified as low risk by the American Joint Committee on Cancer Eighth Edition (AJCC8) staging system, the test identified individuals at higher risk of death. In multivariable analysis that included key AJCC8 staging criteria such as tumor thickness and ulceration as well as age and mitotic rate, the data demonstrated that the DecisionDx-Melanoma test is a significant predictor of both melanoma-specific and overall mortality. These findings highlight the test’s significant, independent risk-stratification capabilities, designed to help identify patients at greater predicted risk than indicated by AJCC8 staging alone who may benefit from enhanced surveillance and management to potentially improve outcomes. See the Company’s news release from March 28, 2025, for more information.
•DecisionDx-Melanoma: Additionally, the Company presented new data on its DecisionDx-Melanoma test for patients with skin cancers at the 2025 AAD Annual Meeting, which took place from March 7-11 in Orlando, Florida. A poster from Castle’s ongoing collaboration with the National Cancer Institute’s SEER Program Registries provided an updated validation of the risk-stratification performance of the DecisionDx-Melanoma test. The study encompassed an additional year’s worth of data and approximately 4,800 more patients than the initial study by Bailey et al. In a large, unselected real-world cohort of nearly 10,000 patients who received the DecisionDx-Melanoma test as part of their clinical care, this study demonstrated the significant independent risk stratification provided by the test, beyond AJCC8 stage, and its association with improved survival relative to matched patients who did not receive testing. See the Company’s news release from March 7, 2025, for more information.
•DecisionDx-SCC: The Company also presented new data on its DecisionDx-SCC test at the NCCN 2025 Annual Conference in Orlando with an abstract that was selected as a Top Five Abstract at the meeting. Specifically, a study assessed how integrating the DecisionDx-SCC test with Brigham & Women’s Hospital (BWH) staging within NCCN guidelines can improve prognostic accuracy. An analysis of a new, combined multi-center cohort of 1,412 high-risk SCC patients, with one or more NCCN High-Risk or Very-High-Risk factors, showed that DecisionDx-SCC significantly enhanced metastatic risk stratification in NCCN High- and Very-High-Risk patient populations (p < 0.001). The test significantly improved BWH staging’s risk prediction accuracy (p < 0.001). Compared to the broader NCCN risk stratification, when DecisionDx-SCC was combined with BWH staging, Class 1 (low risk) test results showed a nearly two-fold decrease in metastatic risk and Class 2B (highest risk) results showed more than a five-fold increase in risk in lower-stage (BWH T1/T2a) NCCN High-Risk patients. These findings show that DecisionDx-SCC can significantly refine risk assessment when used with established staging methods, enabling more accurate, personalized treatment decisions based on a patient’s predicted metastatic risk. See the Company’s news release from March 28, 2025, for more information.
•DecisionDx-SCC: Additionally, the Company presented new data on its DecisionDx-SCC test for patients with skin cancer at the 2025 AAD Annual Meeting in Orlando. The study presented provided a validation of the ability of the DecisionDx-SCC test to predict metastatic risk in a novel, independent cohort of patients with high-risk SCC tumors (n=515). In the study, DecisionDx-SCC and BWH staging were both significant predictors of metastasis (p < 0.05). Overall, the study data provided further evidence that DecisionDx-SCC provides significant risk stratification (p < 0.001) of patients at higher risk of SCC metastasis to guide personalized, risk-aligned treatment decisions. See the Company’s news release from March 7, 2025, for more information.
Gastroenterology
•The Company announced it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Previse. Previse is a gastrointestinal health company with a primary focus on chronic acid reflux related diseases, including esophageal cancer. See the Company’s news release from May 5, 2025, for more information.
•The Company announced supporting key educational programs and initiatives throughout the month of April in recognition of Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month. Castle collaborated with the Esophageal Cancer Action Network (ECAN), the American Foregut Society (AFS) and The Gut Doctor Podcast LLC to promote esophageal cancer prevention, education and advocacy. See the Company’s news release from April 8, 2025, for more information.
Mental Health
•During the first quarter of 2025, the Company made the decision to discontinue its IDgenetix test offering, effective May 2025.
Corporate
•The Company earned a Top Workplace USA award for the fourth year in a row, underscoring Castle’s position as a leader in creating an exemplary workforce culture. See the Company’s news release from April 7, 2025, for more information.
Conference Call and Webcast Details
Castle Biosciences will hold a conference call on Monday, May 5, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time to discuss its first quarter 2025 results and provide a corporate update.
A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed here:View Source or via the webcast link on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website,
View Source Please access the webcast at least 10 minutes before the conference call start time. An archive of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website until May 26, 2025.
To access the live conference call via phone, please dial 833 470 1428 from the United States, or +1 404 975 4839 internationally, at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call, using the conference ID 040892.
There will be a brief Question & Answer session following management commentary.