On April 26, 2018 Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS) reported financial results for the first quarter of 2018 (Press release, Alkermes, APR 26, 2018, View Source [SID1234525711]).
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"Our first quarter results were in line with our expectations and reflect the solid growth of our proprietary commercial products and the continued strength of our royalty and manufacturing business," commented James Frates, Chief Financial Officer of Alkermes. "Today, we are updating our financial expectations for 2018, driven primarily by the timing of investments we will make in our commercial organization in preparation for the potential launch of ALKS 5461 in 2019. We remain well positioned to execute on our strategy to drive long-term value through important investments in our development pipeline and the growth of VIVITROL and ARISTADA."
Quarter Ended Mar. 31, 2018 Financial
Total revenues for the quarter were $225.2 million. This compared to $191.8 million for the same period in the prior year, representing an increase of 17%.
·Net loss according to generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (GAAP) was $62.5 million for the quarter, or a basic and diluted GAAP net loss per share of $0.40. This compared to GAAP net loss of $68.9 million, or a basic and diluted GAAP net loss per share of $0.45 for the same period in the prior year.
Non-GAAP net loss was $14.2 million for the quarter, or a non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per share of $0.09. This compared to non-GAAP net loss of $27.9 million, or a non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per share of $0.18 for the same period in the prior year.
"VIVITROL and ARISTADA continue to demonstrate solid growth year-over-year and we have made significant progress in making these important medicines available to patients. We continue to focus on initiatives to promote broad and seamless access for patients," stated Jim Robinson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Alkermes. "The upcoming potential approval and launch of Aripiprazole Lauroxil NanoCrystal Dispersion (ALNCD), a novel, investigational product designed for initiation onto ARISTADA, is an opportunity to address unmet patient need and expand the ARISTADA product family. Similarly, against the backdrop of new data, funding and policy being implemented to address the opioid epidemic, we have an opportunity to further expand patient access to VIVITROL, increase utilization and drive growth."
Quarter Ended Mar. 31, 2018 Financial Results
Revenues
Net sales of VIVITROL were $62.7 million, compared to $58.5 million for the same period in the prior year, representing an increase of approximately 7%.
Net sales of ARISTADA were $29.2 million, compared to $18.0 million for the same period in the prior year, representing an increase of approximately 62%.
Manufacturing and royalty revenues from RISPERDAL CONSTA, INVEGA SUSTENNA/XEPLION and INVEGA TRINZA/TREVICTA were $68.8 million, compared to $60.0 million for the same period in the prior year.
Manufacturing and royalty revenues from AMPYRA/FAMPYRA(1) were $28.3 million, compared to $29.2 million for the same period in the prior year.
Research and development revenues from the collaboration with Biogen for BIIB098 (formerly ALKS 8700) were $17.5 million.
Costs and Expenses
·Operating expenses were $287.0 million, compared to $262.6 million for the same period in the prior year, primarily reflecting increased investment in the commercialization of VIVITROL and ARISTADA.
Net interest expense during the quarter was $4.0 million and included a $2.3 million charge related to the refinancing of the company’s term loan. The company refinanced its term loan to extend the maturity to 2023 and reduce the interest rate by 0.5%.
"Alkermes is entering the final stages of development for three of our pipeline candidates. The regulatory review of ALKS 5461 is back on track and we continue to prepare for potential approval and launch in 2019. For ALKS 3831, we recently completed enrollment of the ENLIGHTEN-2 pivotal study, with topline data expected in the fourth quarter of 2018. For BIIB098, preparation of the regulatory submission has begun and we are on track to submit the NDA toward year-end," said Richard Pops, Chief Executive Officer of Alkermes. "We are on the threshold of our next phase of growth. Our dedication and determination to bring these important new medicines to patients are steadfast and we look forward to sharing our progress throughout the year."
Recent Events:
· ALKS 5461: New Drug Application (NDA) accepted for filing by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients with inadequate response to standard antidepressant therapy. A target action date of Jan. 31, 2019 was assigned under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA).
· ALKS 3831: Enrollment completed for ENLIGHTEN-2, a six-month weight study compared to olanzapine in patients with stable schizophrenia. Topline results are expected in the fourth quarter of 2018.
· BIIB098: MRI and relapse results from the phase 3 EVOLVE-MS-1 study in patients with relapsing and remitting multiple sclerosis were presented at the 70th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).
· James (Jim) Robinson appointed to the role of President and Chief Operating Officer of Alkermes. Mr. Robinson’s responsibilities include leading Alkermes’ global Commercial, Operations, Business Development and Human Resources functions.
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Financial Expectations for 2018
Alkermes is updating its financial expectations for 2018 to reflect the expected timing of potential approval and launch of ALKS 5461 in 2019. The following outlines Alkermes’ updated financial expectations for 2018.
Revenues: The company continues to expect total revenues to range from $975 million to $1.025 billion, driven by continuing growth of VIVITROL and ARISTADA. Included in this total revenue expectation, Alkermes continues to expect VIVITROL net sales to range from $300 million to $330 million, and ARISTADA net sales to range from $140 million to $160 million.
Cost of Goods Manufactured and Sold: The company continues to expect cost of goods manufactured and sold to range from $180 million to $190 million.
Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: The company continues to expect R&D expenses to range from $415 million to $445 million.
Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Expenses: The company now expects SG&A expenses to range from $515 million to $545 million, reduced from a previous expectation of $555 million to $585 million. This reduction is driven by the shift into 2019 of certain launch-related expenditures including the hiring of the ALKS 5461 sales force, and share-based compensation expense related to certain company-wide performance-based restricted stock unit awards, which vest upon FDA approval of ALKS 5461.
Amortization of Intangible Assets: The company continues to expect amortization of intangibles to be approximately $65 million.
Net Interest Expense: The company continues to expect net interest expense to be approximately $10 million.
Income Tax Expense: The company continues to expect income tax expense of up to $10 million.
GAAP Net Loss: The company now expects GAAP net loss to range from $210 million to $240 million, or a basic and diluted loss per share of $1.35 to $1.55, based on a weighted average basic and diluted share count of approximately 155 million shares outstanding. This compares to previous expectations of GAAP net loss in the range of $250 million to $280 million, or a basic and diluted loss per share of $1.61 to $1.81,
based on a weighted average basic and diluted share count of approximately 155 million shares outstanding.
Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss): The company now expects non-GAAP results to range from a non-GAAP net loss of $10 million to a non-GAAP net income of $20 million, or a non-GAAP basic and diluted loss per share of $0.06 to a non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.12, based on a weighted average basic share count of approximately 155 million shares outstanding and a weighted average diluted share count of approximately 161 million shares outstanding. This compares to previous expectations of non-GAAP net loss in the range of $5 million to $35 million, or a basic and diluted non-GAAP net loss per share of $0.03 to $0.23, based on a weighted average basic and diluted share count of approximately 155 million shares outstanding
Share-Based Compensation: The company now expects share-based compensation of approximately $120 million, reduced from approximately $140 million. This reflects the anticipated timing of vesting of certain company-wide performance-based restricted stock unit awards, which vest upon FDA approval of ALKS 5
Capital Expenditures: The company continues to expect capital expenditures to range from $80 million to $90 million.
Conference Call
Alkermes will host a conference call and webcast presentation with accompanying slides at 8:30 a.m. ET (1:30 p.m. BST) on Thursday, Apr. 26, 2018, to discuss these financial results and provide an update on the company. The webcast may be accessed on the Investors section of Alkermes’ website at www.alkermes.com. The conference call may be accessed by dialing +1 888 424 8151 for U.S. callers and +1 847 585 4422 for international callers. The conference call ID number is 6037988. In addition, a replay of the conference call will be available from 11:00 a.m. ET (4:00 p.m. BST) on Thursday, Apr. 26, 2018, through 5:00 p.m. ET (10:00 p.m. BST) on Thursday, May 3, 2018, and may be accessed by visiting Alkermes’ website or by dialing +1 888 843 7419 for U.S. callers and +1 630 652 3042 for international callers. The replay access code is 6037988.