On May 10, 2017 Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), a leader in the engineering and industrialization of biology to improve the quality of life and health of the planet, reported its first quarter financial results for 2017 (Press release, Intrexon, MAY 10, 2017, View Source [SID1234519041]).

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Business Highlights and Recent Developments:

Intrexon’s proprietary methanotroph bioconversion platform has achieved yields necessary for site selection on two molecules, isbobutyraldehyde and 2,3 butanediol (2,3 BDO), each of which represent a multi-billion dollar revenue opportunity for the Company. Yields for 2,3 BDO, a precursor to butadiene, increased by greater than 30% during the first quarter of 2017. This yield level produces a positive "in the money" gross margin based on current natural gas and product prices. While additional yield improvements and scaling milestones must be met, the current yields and business implications have led the Company to retain Moelis & Company to advise it on strategic and financial options with respect to its bioconversion platform and specific products;
Announced formation of Precigen, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, to accelerate strategic evaluation of structural alternatives for consolidation of Intrexon’s health-related assets to enhance shareholder value and maximize the potential of the Company’s programs in health;
Provided update on development of next-generation chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy for cancer in strategic collaboration with ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZIOP) and biopharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announcing the approach for the previously chosen two targets will focus on use of the proprietary RheoSwitch Therapeutic System (RTS) platform to regulate expression of membrane-bound interleukin-15 (mbIL15) co-expressed with CARs and Sleeping Beauty non-viral gene integration;
Entered into a definitive agreement to acquire GenVec, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNVC) and announced plans to develop a next generation adenoviral (AdV) platform with significantly higher payload capacity compared to current systems by combining GenVec’s expertise in AdV vectors and cGMP drug product manufacturing with Intrexon’s proficiency in viral and non-viral gene transfer;
Signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in collaboration with ZIOPHARM for the development of adoptive cell transfer-based immunotherapies using autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes genetically modified using the Sleeping Beauty system to express T-cell receptors for the treatment of solid tumors in patients with advanced cancers;
Collaborator ZIOPHARM announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acceptance of investigator-initiated Investigational New Drug (IND) application for a Phase 1 trial infusing the Company’s CD33-specific CAR+ T therapy, which incorporates a kill switch, for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with the first patient to be enrolled in the study expected to begin treatment in the third quarter of 2017;
Collaborator ZIOPHARM reported successful end-of-phase 2 meeting with the FDA for Ad-RTS-hIL-12 + veledimex in recurrent glioblastoma and is assessing protocol design options for a pivotal Phase 3 trial in conjunction with its investigators and regulators;
Collaborator ZIOPHARM announced improved production times in its ongoing Phase I trial of 2nd generation Sleeping Beauty CD19+ CAR-T cells and progress toward its "Point-of-Care" approach. One patient with multiple-relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia achieved a complete response and a patient with triple-hit non-Hodgkin lymphoma was treated with T cells manufactured in 2 weeks;
Collaborator Fibrocell Science, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCSC) received fast track designation from the FDA for FCX-007 for treatment of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) and announced dosing of first patient in Phase I portion of Phase I/II clinical trial of FCX-007 gene therapy;
Exemplar Genetics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intrexon, was awarded a subcontract to create genetically engineered miniswine models of sickle cell disease as part of a national resource that could lead to new treatments for the disorder;
Oxitec, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intrexon, and the Municipality of Santiago de Cali, Colombia announced a memorandum of understanding to deploy Friendly Aedes in the Comuna 16 region, an area of over 104,000 residents, to control populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever;
In collaboration with Gangabishan Bhikulal Investment and Trading Limited, Oxitec initiated outdoor caged trials in India to demonstrate the efficacy of Oxitec’s Friendly mosquitoes;
Oxitec reported its Friendly Aedes achieved greater than 80% suppression of wild Aedes aegypti in CECAP/Eldorado in Piracicaba, Brazil, in the second year of the project, as well as 78% reduction in the São Judas neighborhood of Piracicaba only six months after initial releases;
AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQB; AIM: ABTU), majority-owned subsidiary of Intrexon, completed the listing of its common shares on the NASDAQ Stock Market and finalized an equity subscription from Intrexon. In conjunction with the listing, Intrexon distributed a special stock dividend of shares of AquaBounty common stock it owned to its shareholders while maintaining majority ownership of AquaBounty’s outstanding common stock;
Announced appointment of Andy Bass as Senior Vice President, Consumer Sector, which will henceforth do business as BioPop, to lead the design and commercialization of new biologically-based products and applications across the consumer market; and
Appointed leading pharma executive Vinita Gupta to Intrexon’s Board of Directors.
First Quarter Financial Highlights:

Total revenues of $53.7 million, an increase of 24% over the first quarter of 2016;
Net loss of $31.4 million attributable to Intrexon, or $(0.26) per basic share, including non-cash charges of $24.7 million;
Adjusted EBITDA of $(7.1) million, or $(0.06) per basic share;
The net change in deferred revenue related to upfront and milestone payments, which represents the cash and stock received from collaborators less the amount of revenue recognized during the period, was a decrease of $10.2 million compared to a net increase of $13.5 million in the first quarter of 2016;
Cash consideration received for reimbursement of research and development services covered 54% of cash operating expenses (exclusive of operating expenses of consolidated subsidiaries);
Total consideration received for technology access fees, reimbursement of research and development services and products and services revenues covered 64% of consolidated cash operating expenses; and
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $205.2 million, the value of investments in preferred stock totaled $134.7 million, and the value of equity securities totaled $21.5 million at March 31, 2017.
"Considering the company’s progress in the first quarter and year to date," commented Randal J. Kirk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Intrexon, "I am gratified by the vision that underlies this company, by the business plan that has made it possible to do so much relative to such a modest expenditure of our shareholder’s cash, by the confidence of our shareholders, our board and our team in that plan’s ultimate feasibility and by the patience of all while our brilliant team would mature the company’s technical assets and human capital into realizations that will make a great difference in the world."

Mr. Kirk concluded, "We believe that we quite clearly have before us a number of significant realizations – in health, in energy, in food, in environment and in consumer industries – and we are fully engaged upon them."

First Quarter 2017 Financial Results Compared to Prior Year Period

Total revenues increased $10.3 million, or 24%, over the quarter ended March 31, 2016. Collaboration and licensing revenues increased $9.0 million from the quarter ended March 31, 2016 due to (i) the recognition of deferred revenue for upfront payments received from collaborations signed by the Company between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017 and the recognition of the payment received in June 2016 from ZIOPHARM to amend the collaborations between us; and (ii) increased research and development services for these collaborations and for the progression of programs or the addition of new programs with previously existing collaborators. Product revenues decreased $0.4 million, or 5% primarily due to a decrease in the quantities of pregnant cows sold due to lower customer demand for these products. Gross margin on products was consistent period over period. Service revenues increased $1.4 million, or 13%, due to an increase in the number of bovine in vitro fertilization cycles performed due to higher customer demand. Gross margin on services decreased slightly in the current period primarily due to an increase in royalties and commissions due to vendors.

Research and development expenses increased $8.3 million, or 32%, due primarily to increases in (i) salaries, benefits and other personnel costs for research and development employees, (ii) lab supplies and consulting expenses, and (iii) depreciation and amortization. Salaries, benefits and other personnel costs increased $2.6 million due to an increase in research and development headcount to support new and expanded collaborations. Lab supplies and consulting expenses increased $3.4 million as a result of (i) the progression of certain programs into the preclinical and clinical phases with certain of Intrexon’s collaborators, and (ii) the increased level of research and development services provided to Intrexon’s collaborators. Depreciation and amortization increased $1.3 million primarily as a result of amortization of developed technology acquired from Oxitec Limited which began in November 2016 upon the completion of certain operational and regulatory events. Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses decreased $7.7 million, or 18%. Salaries, benefits and other personnel costs decreased $4.9 million primarily due to the reversal of previously recognized stock-based compensation expense for stock options granted to a former employee. In 2016, the Company recorded $4.2 million in litigation expenses arising from the entrance of a court order in the Company’s trial with XY, LLC. These SG&A decreases were offset by an increase of $2.1 million of legal and professional fees due to (i) expenses incurred to support domestic and international government affairs for regulatory and other approvals necessary to commercialize the Company’s products and services; and (ii) increased legal fees to defend ongoing litigation.

Total other income (expense), net, increased $24.8 million, or 116%, from the quarter ended March 31, 2016. This increase was primarily attributable to (i) a decline in unrealized depreciation in the Company’s equity securities portfolio of $20.3 million, and (ii) dividend income of $3.9 million from the Company’s investments in preferred stock.