On August 3, 2020 Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBIX) reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020 and provided revised full-year 2020 financial expense guidance (Press release, Neurocrine Biosciences, AUG 3, 2020, View Source [SID1234562698]).
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"I want to thank healthcare providers and our employees for the perseverance they showed during the second quarter to ensure patients had uninterrupted access to INGREZZA under the challenging circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we move into the second half of 2020, we remain focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment rates for people with tardive dyskinesia, preparing to make ONGENTYS available to people living with Parkinson’s disease, and advancing our programs in clinical development," said Kevin Gorman, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Neurocrine Biosciences. "With four U.S. FDA approved treatments that address four unique patient populations and a diverse and expanding pipeline, Neurocrine Biosciences is well positioned to be a leading neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company."
Second Quarter Net Product Sales Highlights:
•INGREZZA net product sales for the second quarter of 2020 were $268 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 48%.
•Continued strength in refill and persistency rates for existing INGREZZA patients.
•End of second quarter 2020 days-on-hand channel inventory increased relative to end of first quarter 2020, resulting in an approximate $12 million benefit to net product sales.
Financial Highlights:
•Second quarter 2020 GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share were approximately $80 million and $0.81, respectively, compared with approximately $51 million and $0.54, respectively, in the second quarter of 2019, primarily driven by higher INGREZZA sales offset by higher in-process Research and Development (IPR&D) costs and operating expenses.
•Second quarter 2020 non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share were approximately $139 million and $1.42, respectively, compared with approximately $67 million and $0.71, respectively, in the second quarter of 2019 driven by higher INGREZZA sales.
•Research and Development (R&D) expense increased in the second quarter of 2020 versus the second quarter of 2019, primarily due to milestone payments to BIAL associated with the approval of ONGENTYS and increased headcount costs.
•Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expense increased in the second quarter of 2020 versus the second quarter of 2019, primarily due to increased headcount costs.
•At June 30, 2020, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and debt securities available-for-sale of $1.1 billion.
A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP quarterly financial results can be found in Table 3 at the end of this earnings release.
Recent Events
•In April 2020, the FDA approved ONGENTYS (opicapone), the first and only once-daily COMT inhibitor, as an adjunctive treatment to levodopa/carbidopa in patients with Parkinson’s disease experiencing "off" episodes – periods of time when motor symptoms such as tremor, slowed movement and difficulty walking occur. ONGENTYS also increases "on" time without troublesome dyskinesia, the time when the motor symptoms of a patient with Parkinson’s disease are better controlled. The FDA approval of ONGENTYS for Parkinson’s disease triggered a $20 million milestone payment to BIAL. The commercial launch of ONGENTYS is expected to occur later in 2020.
•In May 2020, AbbVie received approval from the FDA for ORIAHNNTM (elagolix, estradiol, and norethindrone acetate capsules; elagolix capsules) for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids in pre-menopausal women. FDA approval for ORIAHNN for uterine fibroids resulted in the achievement of a $30 million milestone. The Company will receive royalties at tiered percentage rates on net sales of ORIAHNN.
•In May 2020, the Company exercised its option with Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd. paying $45 million to license the global rights to NBI-827104 (ACT-709478), a potent, selective, orally active and brain penetrating T-type calcium channel blocker, in clinical development for the treatment of a rare pediatric epilepsy. The option also included a research collaboration to discover novel T-type calcium channel blockers.
•In June 2020, the Company reported positive Phase II data for crinecerfont in adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and highlighted the resumption of enrollment in the Phase IIa pediatric study in adolescents with classic CAH. In July 2020, the Company initiated the CAHtalyst Study (www.cahtalyststudy.com), a single, global registrational study of crinecerfont in adult patients with classic CAH.
•In June 2020, the Company entered an exclusive license with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, or Takeda, for the right to develop and commercialize certain compounds in Takeda’s early-to-mid-stage psychiatry pipeline. Specifically, Takeda granted the Company an exclusive license to seven pipeline programs, including three clinical-stage assets for negative effects of schizophrenia, treatment-resistant depression, and anhedonia. The agreement became effective in July 2020, upon expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, at which time the Company paid $120 million upfront (minus an earnest money deposit already paid by the Company to Takeda) to gain the exclusive license.
•Previously, the Company expected combined GAAP R&D and SG&A expenses in the range of $675 million to $725 million and combined non-GAAP R&D and SG&A expenses in the range of $550 million to $600 million.
•The $175 million increase in GAAP expense guidance range primarily reflects $45 million paid to Idorsia upon exercising the option to license the global rights to NBI-827104 (ACT-709478) and $120 million paid to Takeda for the exclusive license for the right to develop and commercialize certain compounds in Takeda’s early-to-mid-stage psychiatry pipeline.
•GAAP-only guidance includes approximately $105 million of share-based compensation. GAAP-only guidance does not include any other potential milestones or in-process research and development costs associated with current collaborations or potential future business development activities.
Conference Call and Webcast Today at 4:30 PM Eastern Time
Neurocrine Biosciences will hold a live conference call and webcast today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (1:30 p.m. Pacific Time). Participants can access the live conference call by dialing 877-876-9173 (US) or 785-424-1667 (International) using the conference ID: NBIX. The webcast can also be accessed on Neurocrine Biosciences’ website under Investors at www.neurocrine.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website approximately one hour after the conclusion of the event and will be archived for approximately one month.