Full Press Release Details
| Contact: | ||||
| Sam Fisch | 800-972-0538 |
Veru Reports Higher Net Revenues and Gross Profit for
its Fiscal 2019 Third Quarter
Promising Clinical Observations for Both Advancing VERU-111 and Zuclomiphene Prostate
Cancer Clinical Trials
Added VERU-100, Novel First GnRH Antagonist 3 Month Depot Formulation
Had Successful PreNDA meeting with FDA for TADFIN for BPH and NDA Submission
Expected in Summer 2020
Company to Host Investor Conference Call on Thursday, August 8, 2019, 8 a.m. ET
MIAMI August 8, 2019 Veru Inc. (NASDAQ: VERU), an oncology and urology biopharmaceutical company developing novel
medicines for prostate cancer treatment and prostate cancer supportive care, today announced its financial results for its fiscal 2019 third quarter ended June 30, 2019.
Business and Operational Highlights
We are delivering on our strategy of providing multiple prostate cancer and prostate cancer supportive care medicines for the continuum of prostate
cancer care, said Mitchell Steiner, M.D., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Veru. We are pleased with the clinical progress we are making in advancing our product development program and in adding a high value, late
stage drug candidate that complements our existing portfolio.
Highlights Third-Quarter Financial Results: Fiscal 2019 vs Fiscal 2018
Highlights Year-to-Date Financial Results: Fiscal
For the fiscal 2019 third quarter, we had impressive increases to net revenues and to gross profit which combined to
substantially improve our bottom line, said Dr. Steiner. Key contributors to the quarter s performance included the continued significant ramp up of prescription sales of FC2 and the increased consumer demand for our PREBOOST /Roman Swipes. As our revenue base has grown to include increased FC2 prescription sales, our gross profit has risen substantially. The robust growth of the US FC2 prescription business remains
noteworthy as it allows us to be less reliant on traditional intermittent ordering patterns typically seen in our FC2 public sector business. All of these factors combined to significantly narrow our operating loss for the quarter compared with the
prior year period, which allows us to continue to invest in our multiple prostate cancer drug candidate clinical development efforts.
The Company reiterated its fiscal 2019 full year guidance of net revenues between $29 and 32 million, which represents a 95% increase over full year
fiscal 2018, and gross margin of approximately 66%.
The Company does not expect to update the guidance for the full year fiscal 2019 provided above
before the release announcing results for its fiscal 2019 year end. The Company notes that the statements of future performance made in this release, including the guidance for the full year fiscal 2019, are based upon current expectations and are
subject to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested here, including those factors set forth in the Safe Harbor Statement below.
Conference Call Event Details
Veru Inc. will host a
conference call today at 8 a.m. ET to review the Company s performance. Interested investors may access the call by dialing 800-341-1602 from the U.S. or 412-902-6706 from outside the U.S. and asking to be joined into the Veru Inc. call. In addition, investors may access a replay of the conference call the same day beginning at
approximately noon Eastern Time by dialing 877-344-7529 for U.S. callers, or 412-317-0088
from outside the U.S., passcode 10133960. The replay will be available for one week, after which, the recording will be available via the Company s website at https://verupharma.com/investors.
Veru Inc. is an oncology and urology
biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines for prostate cancer treatment and prostate cancer supportive care as well as urology specialty pharmaceuticals. The Veru prostate cancer pipeline includes
VERU-111, zuclomiphene citrate and VERU-100. VERU-111 is an oral, next-generation, first-in-class selective small molecule that targets and disrupts alpha and beta tubulin subunits of microtubules in cells to treat metastatic prostate cancer patients whose disease is resistant to both
castration and novel androgen blocking agents (abiraterone or enzalutamide). VERU-111 is being evaluated in men with metastatic castration and androgen-blocking agent resistant prostate cancer in an open label
Phase 1b/2 clinical trial. Zuclomiphene citrate is an oral estrogen receptor agonist being evaluated in a Phase 2 trial to treat hot flashes, a common side effect caused by hormone treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer. VERU-100 is a novel, proprietary peptide formulation for androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with multiple beneficial clinical attributes addressing the shortfalls of current FDA approved ADT formulations for
advanced prostate cancer. VERU-100 is a long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist designed to be administered as a small volume subcutaneous 3-month
depot injection without a loading dose. VERU-100 will immediately suppress testosterone with no testosterone surge upon initial or repeated administration a problem which occurs with currently approved
LHRH agonists. Currently, there are no GnRH antagonists commercially approved beyond 1 month. VERU-100 is anticipated to enter Phase 2 dose finding study in early 2020.
Veru is also advancing new drug formulations in its specialty pharmaceutical pipeline addressing unmet medical needs in urology such as the Tadalafil and
Finasteride Combination (TADFIN ) for the administration of tadalafil 5mg and finasteride 5mg combination formulation dosed daily for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Tadalafil (CIALIS ) is currently approved for treatment of BPH and erectile dysfunction and finasteride is currently approved for treatment BPH (finasteride 5mg
PROSCAR ) and male pattern hair loss (finasteride 1mg PROPECIA ). The co-administration of
tadalafil and finasteride has been shown to be more effective for the treatment of BPH than by finasteride alone. The Company had a successful preNDA meeting with FDA and the expected submission of the NDA for TADFIN is summer of 2020. Veru is also
developing Tamsulosin DRS granules and Tamsulosin XR capsules which are formulations of tamsulosin, the active ingredient in FLOMAX , which Veru has designed to avoid the food
effect inherent in currently marketed formulations of the drug, allowing for potentially safer administration and improved patient compliance.
The Company s commercial products include the FC2 Female Condom / FC2 Internal Condom ( FC2 ), an FDA-approved product for the dual protection of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and the PREBOOST 4% benzocaine medicated individual wipe for the prevention of premature ejaculation (also marketed as Roman Swipes). The Company s Female Health Company Division markets and sells FC2
commercially and in the public health sector both in the U.S. and globally. FC2 is available by prescription and OTC in the U.S. at www.fc2.us.com. In the global public health sector, the Company markets FC2 to entities, including ministries
of health, government health agencies, U.N. agencies, nonprofit organizations and commercial partners, that work to support and improve the lives, health and well-being of women around the world. For our premature ejaculation product, marketed as
Roman Swipes , the Company has entered into a U.S. distributor agreement with Roman Health Ventures Inc., a premier and fast-growing men s health and telemedicine company that discreetly sells men s health products via the
internet website www.getroman.com. To learn more about Veru products please visit www.verupharma.com.
statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
The statements in this release that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements under Financial Outlook regarding expected net revenues
and gross margin for the full fiscal year 2019 and the regulatory pathway to secure FDA approval of the Company s drug candidates, the anticipated timeframe for clinical studies, clinical study results including potential benefits, and FDA
submissions, the market potential for the Company s drug candidates, and whether clinical trial results will support the effectiveness and safety profile shown by initial clinical data. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based
upon the Company s current plans and strategies and reflect the Company s current assessment of the risks and uncertainties related to its business and are made as of the date of this release. The Company assumes no obligation to update
any forward-looking statements contained in this release because of new information or future events, developments or circumstances. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including,
with respect to the financial guidance, assumptions regarding the timing of orders and shipments and the impact on gross margins of the mix of sales in the public sector channel as compared to the U.S. prescription channel. If any such risks or
uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated
by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: risks related to the development of the Company s product portfolio, including clinical trials, regulatory approvals and time and cost to bring to market;
potential delays in the timing of and results from clinical trials and studies and the risk that such results will not support marketing approval and commercialization; potential delays in the timing of any submission to the FDA and regulatory
approval of products under development; risks relating to the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing on acceptable terms when needed to fund development and operations; product demand and market acceptance; competition in the
Company s markets and therapeutic areas and the risk of new or existing competitors with greater resources and capabilities and new competitive product approvals and/or introductions; price erosion, both from competing products and increased
government pricing pressures; manufacturing and quality control problems; compliance and regulatory matters, including costs and delays resulting from extensive governmental regulation, and effects of healthcare insurance and regulation, including
reductions in reimbursement and coverage or reclassification of products; some of the Company s products are in development and the Company may fail to successfully commercialize such products; risks related to intellectual property, including
the uncertainty of obtaining patents, the effectiveness of the patents or other intellectual property protections and ability to enforce them against third parties, the uncertainty regarding patent coverages, the possibility of infringing a third
party s patents or other intellectual
property rights, and licensing risks; government contracting risks, including the appropriations process and funding priorities, potential bureaucratic delays in awarding contracts, process
errors, politics or other pressures, and the risk that government tenders and contracts may be subject to cancellation, delay, restructuring or substantial delayed payments; the risk that delays in orders or shipments under government tenders could
cause significant quarter-to-quarter variations in the Company s operating results and adversely affect its net revenues and gross profit; a governmental tender
award indicates acceptance of the bidder s price rather than an order or guarantee of the purchase of any minimum number of units, and as a result government ministries or other public sector customers may order and purchase fewer units than
the full maximum tender amount or award; penalties and/or debarment for failure to satisfy tender awards; the Company s reliance on its international partners and on the level of spending by country governments, global donors and other public
health organizations in the global public sector; risks related to concentration of accounts receivable with our largest customers and the collection of those receivables; the economic and business environment and the impact of government pressures;
risks involved in doing business on an international level, including currency risks, regulatory requirements, political risks, export restrictions and other trade barriers; the Company s production capacity, efficiency and supply constraints
and interruptions, including potential disruption of production at the Company s manufacturing facilities and/or of the Company s ability to timely supply product due to labor unrest or strikes, labor shortages, raw material shortages,
physical damage to the Company s facilities, product testing, transportation delays or regulatory actions; risks related to the costs and other effects of litigation, including product liability claims; the Company s ability to identify,
successfully negotiate and complete suitable acquisitions or other strategic initiatives; the Company s ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses, technologies or products; and other risks detailed in the Company s press
releases, shareholder communications and Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the Company s Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2018. These documents are available on the
SEC Filings section of our website at www.verupharma.com/investors.
FINANCIAL SCHEDULES FOLLOW
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
| June 30, 2019 | September 30, 2018 | |||||||
| Cash | $ | 8,039,116 | $ | 3,759,509 | ||||
| Accounts receivable, net | 4,766,962 | 3,972,632 | ||||||
| Inventory, net | 3,130,720 | 2,302,030 | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 1,206,003 | 1,148,345 | ||||||
| Total current assets | 17,142,801 | 11,182,516 | ||||||
| Plant and equipment, net | 314,690 | 404,552 | ||||||
| Deferred income taxes | 8,574,448 | 8,543,758 | ||||||
| Intangible assets, net | 20,245,803 | 20,477,729 | ||||||
| Goodwill | 6,878,932 | 6,878,932 | ||||||
| Other assets | 684,091 | 965,152 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 53,840,765 | $ | 48,452,639 | ||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 3,134,795 | $ | 3,226,036 | ||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | 3,867,918 | 3,447,014 | ||||||
| Credit agreement, short-term portion | 4,660,572 | 6,692,718 | ||||||
| Unearned revenue | 187,159 | |||||||
| Total current liabilities | 11,663,285 | 13,552,927 | ||||||
| Credit agreement, long-term portion | 4,489,540 | 2,701,570 | ||||||
| Residual royalty agreement | 1,824,745 | 1,753,805 | ||||||
| Deferred income taxes | 895,861 | 844,758 | ||||||
| Other liabilities | 231,167 | 118,161 | ||||||
| Total liabilities | 19,104,598 | 18,971,221 | ||||||
| Total stockholders equity | 34,736,167 | 29,481,418 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders equity | $ | 53,840,765 | $ | 48,452,639 |
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
| Three Months Ended June 30, | Nine Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | |||||||||||||
| Net revenues | $ | 9,727,060 | $ | 5,501,730 | $ | 23,074,984 | $ | 10,661,215 | ||||||||
| Cost of sales | 3,155,902 | 2,427,542 | 7,250,895 | 5,075,470 | ||||||||||||
| Gross profit | 6,571,158 | 3,074,188 | 15,824,089 | 5,585,745 | ||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | 8,413,160 | 8,038,916 | 20,802,408 | 22,683,605 | ||||||||||||
| Operating loss | (1,842,002 | ) | (4,964,728 | ) | (4,978,319 | ) | (17,097,860 | ) | ||||||||
| Non-operating expenses | (932,532 | ) | (1,759,649 | ) | (3,861,383 | ) | (2,263,357 | ) | ||||||||
| Loss before income taxes | (2,774,534 | ) | (6,724,377 | ) | (8,839,702 | ) | (19,361,217 | ) | ||||||||
| Income tax (benefit) expense | (458 | ) | 1,206,131 | 117,207 | (3,342,339 | ) | ||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (2,774,076 | ) | $ | (7,930,508 | ) | $ | (8,956,909 | ) | $ | (16,018,878 | ) | ||||
| Net loss per basic and diluted common share outstanding | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | (0.15 | ) | $ | (0.14 | ) | $ | (0.30 | ) | ||||
| Basic and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding | 62,917,362 | 53,789,409 | 62,745,355 | 53,432,404 |
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
| Nine Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||
| 2019 | 2018 | |||||||
| Net loss | $ | (8,956,909 | ) | $ | (16,018,878 | ) | ||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities | 5,895,238 | 4,132,551 | ||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities | (1,468,534 | ) | 3,155,109 | |||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | (4,530,205 | ) | (8,731,218 | ) | ||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (74,948 | ) | (47,696 | ) | ||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | 8,884,760 | 11,078,752 | ||||||
| Net increase in cash | 4,279,607 | 2,299,838 | ||||||
| Cash at beginning of period | 3,759,509 | 3,277,602 | ||||||
| Cash at end of period | $ | 8,039,116 | $ | 5,577,440 |