On May 9, 2022 MaxCyte, Inc., (NASDAQ: MXCT; LSE: MXCT), a leading commercial cell-engineering company focused on providing enabling platform technologies to advance innovative cell-based research as well as next-generation cell therapeutic discovery, development and commercialization, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 and increased full year 2022 revenue guidance (Press release, MaxCyte, MAY 9, 2022, View Source [SID1234613928]).
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First Quarter Highlights
Total revenue of $11.6 million in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 78% over the first quarter of 2021 driven by strong growth in the core business; core business revenues grew 48% consisting of revenue from cell therapy customers increasing by 57% and drug discovery customers by 23%.
Generated a total of $2.0 million in Strategic Platform License (SPL) Program-related revenue in the first quarter of 2022, compared to immaterial SPL Program-related revenue in the first quarter of 2021.
2022 revenue guidance includes expectations for core business revenue growth to be at least 25% and expected SPL Program-related revenue of approximately $4 million.
With the addition of Intima Bioscience in February 2022, the total number of SPLs now stands at 16.
"We are pleased with this positive start to 2022 at MaxCyte, with very strong first quarter results, including 48% year-over-year core business revenue growth driven by ongoing significant growth in sales to cell therapy customers. We are encouraged by the continued expansion of our portfolio of SPLs with the addition of Intima Bioscience, our sixteenth SPL, as well as the exciting clinical progress of our existing SPL partners. The milestone revenue recorded over the period reflects the progress being made by our partners in early and mid-stage clinical development programs," said Doug Doerfler, President and CEO of MaxCyte.
"I am proud of our continued support for the clinical progress of our partners and the success of our growing global commercial team.
"In addition to the progress made by SPL programs that have entered the clinic, our SPL partners are using MaxCyte’s technology to work on a broad range of new cell types, approaches and indications including solid tumors and autoimmune disease, which also demonstrates the depth and breadth of our ExPERT platform. Ongoing investments in our field and lab science teams and the progress of our in-house manufacturing initiative leaves us well-positioned to support growing adoption of the ExPERT platform technology for cellular-based research and next-generation therapeutic development."
The following table provides details regarding the sources of our revenue for the periods presented.
Total revenue for the first quarter of 2022 was $11.6 million, compared to $6.5 million in the first quarter of 2021, representing growth of 78%.
Core business revenue was $9.6 million, including revenue growth from cell therapy customers of 57% and from drug discovery customers of 23%, compared to core business revenue of $6.5 million in the same period last year.
Our SPL Program-related revenue was $2.0 million, compared to immaterial SPL Program-related revenue in the first quarter of 2021.
Gross profit for the first quarter of 2022 was $10.5 million (91% gross margin), compared to $5.8 million (89% gross margin) in the same period of the prior year. The increase in gross margin was driven by the higher SPL Program-related revenues; excluding SPL Program-related revenues, gross margin was relatively unchanged.
Operating expenses for the first quarter of 2022 were $14.7 million, compared to operating expenses of $12.2 million in the first quarter of 2021. The prior year operating expenses included $3.9 million of CARMA-related expenses that did not recur in 2022, as we have ceased developing the CARMA platform. The overall increase in operating expenses was primarily driven by increased headcount to support growth in field sales and science, manufacturing and lab teams. Growth in public company-related and stock-based compensation expense also contributed to the higher level of expenses compared with the same period a year ago.
First quarter 2022 net loss was $4.1 million compared to net loss of $7.1 million for the same period in 2021; EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, was a loss of $3.7 million for the first quarter of 2022, compared to a loss of $6.4 million for the first quarter of the prior year; stock-based compensation expense was $2.5 million versus $1.3 million for the same period in the prior year.
Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $246.3 million as of March 31, 2022.
2022 Revenue Guidance
Management is increasing 2022 revenue guidance based on our expectations for the core business.
We expect core business revenue (instruments and disposables to cell therapy and drug discovery customers and excluding program-related revenue) to grow at least 25% compared to 2021 core business revenue. We also continue to expect SPL Program-related revenue to be approximately $4 million in 2022.
Webcast and Conference Call Details
MaxCyte will host a conference call today, May 9, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Interested parties may access the live teleconference by dialing (844) 679-0933 for domestic callers, (918) 922-6914 for international callers, for 0203 1070 289 U.K domestic callers, or for 0800 0288 438 U.K. international callers followed by Conference ID: 1953037. A live and archived webcast of the event will be available on the "Events" section of the MaxCyte website at View Source
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release contains EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP measure defined as earnings, before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization. MaxCyte believes that EBITDA provides useful information to management and investors relating to its results of operations. The company’s management uses this non-GAAP measure to compare the company’s performance to that of prior periods for trend analyses, and for budgeting and planning purposes. The company believes that the use of EBITDA provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing the company’s financial measures with other companies, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures to investors, and that it allows for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision-making.
Management does not consider EBITDA in isolation or as an alternative to financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. The principal limitation of EBITDA is that it excludes significant expenses that are required by GAAP to be recorded in the company’s financial statements. In order to compensate for these limitations, management presents EBITDA together with GAAP results. Non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results. A reconciliation table of net loss, the most comparable GAAP financial measure, to EBITDA is included at the end of this release. MaxCyte urges investors to review the reconciliation and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate the company’s business.