Basilea Pharmaceutica AG / Basilea reports significantly improved financial results in 2017 . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. -- 54% increase in total revenue, amounting to CHF 101.5 million -- Operating loss reduced by 68% to CHF 14.1 million -- Cash position as of year-end 2017 increased to CHF 310.7 million -- License and distribution agreements in 2017 for Cresemba(R) and Zevtera(R) cover more than 100 countries with CHF 80 million in upfront payments and up to USD 1.1 billion potential milestone payments Basel, Switzerland, February 27, 2018 - Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (SIX: BSLN) announced today its financial results for the financial year 2017 with total revenue increased to CHF 101.5 million (2016: CHF 66.0 million; +54% year-on-year), including product sales from Cresemba(R) (isavuconazole) and Zevtera(R) (ceftobiprole) of CHF 16.3 million (2016: CHF 7.1 million; +130%) and royalties on U.S. and European Cresemba sales by Basilea's license partners of CHF 15.0 million (2016: CHF 7.3 million; +105%). Basilea reported CHF 310.7 million (year-end 2016: CHF 289.0 million; +7.5%) in cash and investments as of December 31, 2017 and a significantly reduced operating loss of CHF 14.1 million (2016: CHF 43.9 million; -68%). Chief Executive Officer Ronald Scott said: "2017 marked a successful year in the implementation of our strategy to maximize the value of our commercial-stage drugs Cresemba and Zevtera through partnerships. At the same time our revenue from sales, royalties and revenue recognition increased to over CHF 100 million while our operating loss reduced by 68% to approximately CHF 14 million bringing Basilea closer to profitability. We received approximately CHF 80 million in upfront payments from our new partners in 2017. Our license and distribution agreements now cover more than 100 countries worldwide. In addition, potential regulatory and sales milestone payments under our licensing agreements amount up to USD 1.1 billion." Anti-infectives: New partnerships create the basis for accelerated commercial success During 2017, Basilea entered into major partnerships for its two marketed anti-infective drugs, the antifungal Cresemba (isavuconazole) and the antibiotic Zevtera (ceftobiprole). In June, Basilea announced a license agreement with Pfizer for Cresemba for more than 40 countries in Europe (excluding the Nordics) plus Russia, Turkey and Israel. The transaction completed in July, providing Basilea an upfront payment of CHF 70 million. This agreement was then extended to cover China and sixteen countries in the Asia Pacific region. Basilea receives mid-teen royalties on sales by Pfizer in these territories and is eligible for up to USD 650 million in regulatory and sales milestone payments. Following the partnering of Cresemba with Pfizer, Basilea entered into a distribution agreement with Cardiome Pharma Corp. for Zevtera for Europe (excluding the Nordics) and Israel. Basilea also entered into a distribution agreement with Avir Pharma Inc. for isavuconazole and ceftobiprole for Canada in June and a license agreement with Shenzhen China Resources Gosun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for ceftobiprole for China in September. Further distribution partnerships for both Cresemba and Zevtera are in place for Latin America with Grupo Biotoscana S.L., the Nordics with Unimedic Pharma AB and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with Hikma Pharmaceuticals LLC. Cresemba sales by our partner Astellas Pharma Inc. showed continued strong growth in the second full year on the U.S. market. Astellas reported sales of USD 77 million for the calendar year 2017, which is a 67% increase year-on-year. The strong sales performance in the U.S. triggered a first sales milestone payment to Basilea of CHF 5 million in 2017. In 2017, Pfizer launched Cresemba in Spain, and Unimedic launched Cresemba and Zevtera in the Nordics. Overall, Basilea expects product sales to grow significantly over the coming years based on both the growing demand in existing markets and contributions from new markets as the drugs gain regulatory approvals and are launched in additional countries. In Japan, license partner Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation is conducting an abbreviated clinical development program for isavuconazole to support a potential registration. Asahi Kasei Pharma successfully completed a phase 1 study in healthy volunteers and intends to start a phase 3 clinical study in the first half of 2018. Working towards accessing the U.S. antibiotics market with increased BARDA funding for the development of ceftobiprole The U.S. market is an estimated 70% of the global market for branded hospital antibiotics based on value(1) and therefore plays an important role in Basilea's strategy for ceftobiprole. In 2017 Basilea agreed on Special Protocol Assessments (SPAs) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two cross-supportive clinical phase 3 studies to support a potential regulatory filing in the U.S.: one in acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) and a second in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). In 2017, ceftobiprole also received Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation from the FDA for the treatment of SAB, adding to its QIDP designation for ABSSSI and community-acquired pneumonia. QIDP status extends the market exclusivity in the U.S. to ten years after approval. Following the agreement of the SPAs with the FDA, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) allocated a second tranche of USD 58 million in June 2017 to support Basilea's clinical phase 3 program under BARDA's existing contract with Basilea.(2) BARDA allocated a first tranche of approximately USD 20 million in 2016. The total value of the BARDA contract could reach approximately USD 108 million if pre-defined milestones are met. In 2017, Basilea received reimbursements from BARDA of CHF 10.5 million. The ABSSSI study has started and Basilea anticipates commencing patient enrollment in the SAB study by mid-2018. Expanding clinical testing of tumor checkpoint controller BAL101553 into brain cancer Significant progress has also been achieved in the clinical-stage oncology projects. Basilea entered into a clinical study collaboration with the Adult Brain Tumor Consortium (ABTC), which is funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute. A phase 1 study with tumor checkpoint controller BAL101553 in combination with radiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma who have a reduced sensitivity to standard chemotherapy was started at the end of 2017. In addition, Basilea is also exploring BAL101553 as once-daily oral administration in patients with recurrent or progressive glioblastoma in a separate arm of the ongoing phase 1/2a study. Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of primary malignant brain tumor and is an area of high medical need where very few treatment options are currently available. In 2017, Basilea completed the phase 1 dose-escalation and established the clinical dose ranges for BAL101553 in two clinical phase 1/2a studies in patients with advanced solid tumors with daily oral administration and weekly 48-hour intravenous (i.v.) infusion, respectively. Basilea plans to initiate a phase 2a expansion with weekly 48-hour i.v. infusion in patients with recurrent glioblastoma and ovarian cancer. BAL3833: potential first-in-class cancer therapy in phase 1 clinical testing The oral dosage form of BAL3833 is currently being investigated by Basilea's partner and licensor of the drug candidate, the Institute of Cancer Research, in a clinical phase 1 dose-escalation study in patients with solid tumors including metastatic melanoma. The study is being sponsored by The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. BAL3833 blocks BRAF and CRAF and also inhibits the SRC kinase family, which play an important role in the transmission of cell growth and proliferation signals. If deregulated, they are associated with tumor growth and the development of resistance to current therapies. BAL3833 is to Basilea's knowledge the only panRAF/SRC kinase inhibitor in clinical testing. Focus on growing revenue and expanding pipeline CEO Ronald Scott stated: "We are focused on further growing revenue from our marketed drugs Cresemba and Zevtera. We expect our partners to launch in additional countries in Europe and other parts of the world in 2018, driving sustainable top-line growth. We are expanding our clinical programs in oncology and we have initiated patient recruitment in our ceftobiprole phase 3 program with the goal to enter the U.S. market upon regulatory approval. We are actively exploring opportunities to further strengthen our pipeline in our focus areas of anti-infectives and oncology through internal and external innovation." Key figures (In CHF million, except per share data) 2017 2016 Product revenue 16.3 7.1 Contract revenue 74.0 57.7 Revenue from R&D services 0.3 0.2 Other revenue 10.8 0.9 Total revenue 101.5 66.0 Costs of products sold (9.0) (5.3) Research & development expenses, net (53.5) (48.4) Selling, general & administration expenses (53.1) (56.1) Total cost and operating expenses (115.7) (109.9) Operating loss (14.1) (43.9) Net loss (19.4) (51.3) Net cash provided by/ (used for) operating activities 19.0 (75.0)
(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires
February 27, 2018 01:15 ET (06:15 GMT)