Full Press Release Details
Synthetic Biologics Reports Third Quarter
2012 Financial Results
Accelerating Development of Product Candidates to Address Serious Infectious Diseases --
Rockville, Md., November 14, 2012 -
Synthetic Biologics, Inc. (NYSE MKT: SYN), a developer of synthetic biologics and innovative medicines for serious infections and
diseases, today reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and summarized operational highlights.
Operational Highlights
Completed Successful Capital Raise
Ramping Up Infectious Disease Programs
Strengthened Management Team
"We are making considerable strides
in our infectious disease programs, with our progress to develop mAbs for infectious diseases and through our efforts to acquire
a C. diff program. Utilizing Intrexon's proprietary mAb technologies, we have successfully initiated development for
the first mAb candidate, Acinetobacter, a debilitating multi-drug resistant disease with a multi-billion dollar market opportunity.
We expect to hit milestones in the mAb discovery phase for this disease during 2013. In order to quickly advance our infectious
disease platform, we've strengthened our R&D management team and Scientific Advisory board, which has enhanced our position
in the biotech space," said Jeffrey Riley, Chief Executive Officer of Synthetic Biologics.
"Our recent private placement has
increased our cash position, allowing us to further advance our clinical programs, as well as develop our preclinical and discovery
projects. We look forward to announcing our additional infectious disease targets, as well as the progress of our C. diff
program," concluded Mr. Riley.
Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012
As part of management's plan to streamline
our focus, we sold the clinical reference lab on March 8, 2012. Laboratory revenues for the three and nine months ended September
30, 2012 and September 30, 2011 were charged to discontinued operations, resulting in no revenues for these periods. In addition,
the gain on the sale of the clinical reference lab of $677,000 was included in discontinued operations for the nine months ended
General and administrative expenses were
$1.1 million and $3.7 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, compared to $582,000 and $2.3
million for the same periods in 2011. These increases of 84% and 59%, respectively, are primarily the result of additional employee
costs, the expansion of our investor relation activities and legal fees. Charges related to stock-based compensation were $279,000
and $1.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, compared to $51,000 and $861,000 for the
same periods in 2011.
Research and development expenses were
$763,000 and $1.7 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, compared to $289,000 and $801,000
for the same periods in 2011. These increases of 164% and 112%, respectively, are primarily the result of additional employee costs
and increased program costs associated with our expanded pipeline, including the initiation of development efforts for a monoclonal
antibody (mAb) therapy for the treatment of Acinetobacter infections and of our preclinical program for the development of a DNA-based
therapy for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Charges related to stock-based compensation were $116,000 and
$238,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, compared to $6,000 and $20,000 for the same periods
Other income was $10,000 for the three
months ended September 30, 2012, compared to other expense of $159,000 for the same period in 2011. Other income was $22,000 for
the nine months ended September 30, 2012, compared to other expense of $1.7 million for the same period in 2011. Other expense
for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 related to the estimated fair value of the warrants associated with the January 2011
and April 2011 financings, adjusted for the change in their fair value at September 30, 2012.
Cash at September 30, 2012 was $4.6 million
compared to $6.7 million at December 31, 2011. As of October 31, 2012, we had approximately $14.2 million in cash.
About Synthetic Biologics, Inc.
Synthetic Biologics is a biotechnology
company focused on the development of product candidates for serious infections and diseases. Synthetic Biologics is developing
a biologic for the prevention of C. diff infection, and a series of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the treatment of serious
infectious diseases, including Acinetobacter. The Company is also developing a synthetic DNA-based therapy for the treatment
of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In addition, the Company is developing a drug candidate for the treatment of relapsing-remitting
multiple sclerosis (MS) and cognitive dysfunction in MS, and designing a clinical development pathway for the treatment of amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS). For more information, please visit Synthetic Biologics' website at www.syntheticbiologics.com.
mAbLogix and LEAP are registered
trademarks of Intrexon Corporation.
This release includes forward-looking
statements on Synthetic Biologics' current expectations and projections about future events. In some cases forward-looking
statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue,"
"expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates,"
and similar expressions. These statements are based upon current beliefs, expectations and assumptions and are subject to a number
of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and include statements regarding our continued focus of our
efforts in the field of synthetic biology and advancing our clinical programs and the expected size of the future market for sales
of therapies for CDI and Acinetobacter. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in Synthetic Biologics' forward-looking statements include,
among others, a failure to receive the necessary regulatory approvals for commercialization of our therapeutics, a failure of our
clinical trials to be commenced or completed on time or to achieve desired results, a failure of our clinical trials to receive
anticipated funding, a failure of gene therapy to receive market acceptance, a failure of our monoclonal antibodies for the treatment
of infectious diseases to be successfully developed or commercialized, our inability to maintain our licensing agreements, including
our agreement with Intrexon, our inability to successfully integrate new management, or a failure by us or our strategic partners
to successfully commercialize products and other factors described in Synthetic Biologics' report on Form 10-K/A for the
year ended December 31, 2011 and any other filings with the SEC. The information in this release is provided only as of the date
of this release, and Synthetic Biologics undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release
on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
- Financial Tables to Follow -
| Synthetic Biologics, Inc. and Subsidiaries | ||||||||
| (in thousands, except share data) | ||||||||
| Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets | ||||||||
| September 30, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2012 | 2011 | |||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Audited) | |||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Cash | $ | 4,577 | $ | 6,678 | ||||
| Accounts receivable, net | 122 | 405 | ||||||
| Other | 151 | 16 | ||||||
| Assets of discontinued operations | - | 23 | ||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 249 | 323 | ||||||
| Long-term note receivable | 700 | - | ||||||
| Deposits and other assets | 27 | 31 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 5,826 | $ | 7,476 | ||||
| Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | ||||||||
| Current liabilities | $ | 417 | $ | 417 | ||||
| Stockholders' equity | 5,409 | 7,059 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders' equity | $ | 5,826 | $ | 7,476 |
| Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||
| For the three months ended September 30, | For the nine months ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2012 | 2011 | 2012 | 2011 | |||||||||||||
| Operating Costs and Expenses | ||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | $ | 1,073 | $ | 582 | $ | 3,717 | $ | 2,339 | ||||||||
| Research and development | 763 | 289 | 1,696 | 801 | ||||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,836 | 871 | 5,413 | 3,140 | ||||||||||||
| Loss from Continuing Operations | (1,836 | ) | (871 | ) | (5,413 | ) | (3,140 | ) | ||||||||
| Other Income (Expense) | ||||||||||||||||
| Warrant expense | - | - | - | (1,492 | ) | |||||||||||
| Change in fair value of warrant liability | - | (165 | ) | - | (242 | ) | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense) | 10 | 6 | 22 | 55 | ||||||||||||
| Total other income (expense), net | 10 | (159 | ) | 22 | (1,679 | ) | ||||||||||
| Loss from Continuing Operations | (1,826 | ) | (1,030 | ) | (5,391 | ) | (4,819 | ) | ||||||||
| Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations | (104 | ) | (68 | ) | 389 | (145 | ) | |||||||||
| Net Loss and Comprehensive Loss | $ | (1,930 | ) | $ | (1,098 | ) | $ | (5,002 | ) | $ | (4,964 | ) | ||||
| Net Income (Loss) Per Share - Basic and Dilutive | ||||||||||||||||
| Continuing Operations | $ | (0.05 | ) | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | (0.16 | ) | $ | (0.18 | ) | ||||
| Discontinued Operations | - | - | 0.01 | - | ||||||||||||
| Net Loss Per Share | $ | (0.05 | ) | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | (0.15 | ) | $ | (0.18 | ) | ||||
| Weighted average number of common shares outstanding - Basic and Dilutive | 33,383,226 | 28,089,492 | 32,801,415 | 27,075,730 |
For further information, please contact:
Vice President, Corporate Communication
(734) 332-7800, Ext. 22
1 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. January 25, 2012. Available at http://www.ahrq.gov/news/nn/nn012512.htm. Accessed
2 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Healthcare and Cost Utilization Project. Statistical Brief #124. Clostridium difficile Infections (CDI) in Hospital Stays,
2009. January 2012. Available at http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb124.pdf.