On April 26, 2023 PharmaMar Group (MSE: PHM) reported total revenues of €34.0 million in 1Q2023, compared with €53.2 million in 1Q2022. Recurring revenues, the sum of net sales plus royalties from sales made by our partners, totaled €27.4 million compared with €45.9 million in the first quarter of 2022 (Press release, PharmaMar, APR 26, 2023, View Source [SID1234630541]). This difference is mainly due to the entry onto the European market of a generic trabectedin (Yondelis) product in the last quarter of 2022. Yondelis reported net sales of €8.1 million in the first quarter of this year, compared with €17.5 million in the same period of the previous year. The entry of the generic drug has put significant pressure on the price of Yondelis, although the change in sales measured in grams was 9% year-on-year.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
Zepzelca revenues in Europe from the early access program, mainly in France, were €5.6 million, in line with the last quarters of last year, although in the first quarter of 2022 they were €8.7 million. While the number of units sold was similar to the same period last year; there is a difference between periods due to the calculation of the adjustments resulting from the regulations governing the prices of drugs marketed through the L’autorisation d’ Access Compasionel system in France, under which Zepzelca is distributed in that territory, entailing the application of significant discounts for these drugs.
Continuing with recurring revenues, sales of raw materials to our partners, both of Yondelis and Zepzelca, amounted to €1.5 million in the first quarter of the year, compared with €7.4 million in the first quarter of 2022. This difference is temporary as our partners stocked up in previous quarters and there is a lag in purchase orders, so that this item is expected to rebound in the coming months.
Royalty income totaled €11.1 million, in line with the €11.0 million recorded during the first quarter of the same period last year. These revenues include royalties received from our partner Jazz Pharmaceuticals for Zepzelca sales in the US, which amounted to €10.2 million to March 31st (March 2022: €10.2 million). The royalties recorded for the first quarter are an estimate, as was the figure recorded in the first quarter of last year, since information on sales made by Jazz is not available at the date of publication of this report. Any discrepancies between our estimates and the final figure will be corrected in the following quarter. The real growth in royalties between the two periods was 7%, which is not reflected due to an excess in the forecast made in the royalties for the first quarter of 2022.
To the Royalties received from Jazz Pharmaceuticals must be added to the royalties on Yondelis sales received from our partners in the United States and Japan, amounting to €0.9 million in the first quarter of 2023 (€0.8 million in the same period of 2022).
Finally, non-recurring revenues, mainly consisting of those from licensing agreements, amounted to €6.5 million at March 31st, 2023, compared with €7.2 million at March 31st, 2022. In the first quarter of 2023, as well as in 2022, the revenues recorded for this item came entirely from licensing agreements related to Zepzelca.
During the first quarter of the year, R&D expenditure increased by 11% to €21.1 million, mainly as a result of the various Phase III trials, which the Company is conducting as well as the development of new molecules at earlier stages of the pipeline.
The Group recorded a net profit in this first quarter 2023 of €1.4 million, compared to €21.9m in first quarter 2022, mainly due to the drop in sales and the increase in R&D investment.
The PharmaMar Group ended the first quarter of 2023 with cash of €231.1 million and total debt of €39.8 million, which represents net cash of €191.4 million, in line with the cash position at the end of 2022.
PharmaMar’s earnings conference call for analysts and investors
PharmaMar will hold a conference call with analysts and investors on Thursday, April 27th, 2023, at 12:30 (CET).
To access this teleconference, please follow this link to register and receive conference call details:
A recording of the teleconference can be accessed on PharmaMar’s website by visiting the Events Calendar section at www.pharmamar.com.