On April 29, 2021 BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) (BioMarin or the Company) reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 (Press release, BioMarin, APR 29, 2021, View Source [SID1234578779]).

"We mark the start of 2021 with strong financial results, and a number of exciting regulatory decisions ahead this year." said Jean-Jacques Bienaimé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BioMarin. "The potential approval in Europe this summer of vosoritide, the first potential therapeutic option for children with achondroplasia, will set the stage for our next significant phase of growth, especially considering the EMEA region is 3 times larger than the U.S. market. To date, the interactions with the review team at the European Medicines Agency have been very positive. Next, we plan to re-submit the application for valoctocogene roxaparvovec gene therapy, to treat hemophilia A, to the EMA in the second quarter, to be followed by potential approval of vosoritide in the United States later this year."

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Mr. Bienaimé continued, "We are well positioned to deliver strong results for the full-year 2021, and reaffirm our financial guidance provided early this year. This takes into consideration the uneven ordering patterns in our dynamic and global commercial business, as well as continued uncertainty outside of the United States from COVID-19, and further underscores the essential nature of our products to the people who rely on them. Taken together, our financial strength, including positive cash flows from operations of $113.5 million in the first quarter, combined with near-term opportunities from potential new products and a robust early-stage pipeline, we believe that 2021 will be pivotal to BioMarin’s evolution."

Financial Highlights:
•Net Product Revenues for the first quarter of 2021 decreased to $467.8 million, compared to $489.0 million for the same period in 2020. The decrease in Net Product Revenues was primarily attributed to the following:
•Lower Kuvan product revenues primarily due to known generic competition in the U.S.; partially offset by
•Higher Vimizim product revenues primarily due to timing of orders from Europe, Middle East and North Africa; and
•Higher Palynziq product revenues primarily driven by a combination of revenue from more U.S. patients achieving maintenance dosing and new patients initiating therapy.

•GAAP Net Income decreased $64.0 million to $17.4 million for the first quarter of 2021 compared to $81.4 million for the same period in 2020. The decrease was primarily due to the absence of the gain on sale the Firdapse commercial assets totaling $59.5 million in the first quarter of 2020 and a decrease in gross profits due to the lower Kuvan product revenues due to generic competition in the U.S. This decrease was partially offset by lower selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses primarily due to a decrease in foreign currency exchange losses in the first quarter of 2021.

•Non-GAAP Net Income for the first quarter of 2021 decreased to $104.4 million compared to Non-GAAP Income of $116.5 million for the same period in 2020. The decline in Non-GAAP Income for the quarter, compared to the same period in 2020, was primarily attributed to lower gross profits, partially offset by lower SG&A expenses primarily due to a decrease in foreign currency exchange losses in the first quarter of 2021.
Commercial Portfolio (Naglazyme, VIMIZIM, Brineura, Palynziq, Kuvan and Aldurazyme)
•Naglazyme, VIMIZIM and Brineura maintained robust patient compliance in the quarter and continue to grow based on strong underlying demand.
◦Patients on commercial Naglazyme and Vimizim therapy both increased approximately 10% year-over-year.
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◦Patients on commercial Brineura therapy increased by more than 30% year-over-year.
•Order timing for both Naglazyme and VIMIZIM are expected to be more concentrated in the first half of 2021 as compared to the second half of 2021.
•Palynziq top-line results in 2021 are expected to increase approximately 35% based on the mid-point of full-year 2021 guidance as compared to full-year 2020 results.
•Palynziq growth in European, Middle East and African regions (EMEA) has been impacted by ongoing challenges due to COVID-19 with Palynziq revenue from EMEA expected to increase when PKU clinics have more freedom to operate and start additional patients.
◦The number of U.S. Patients on commercial Palynziq therapy increased more than 20% year-over-year and is expected to continue to grow as U.S. PKU clinics re-open over the coming quarters.
•Loss of Kuvan U.S. market share, due to the introduction of generics following BioMarin’s loss of U.S. market exclusivity, is consistent with expectations.
•Aldurazyme contributions were driven by the timing of product released and transfer of control to Genzyme, who is responsible for marketing Aldurazyme worldwide.
Late-stage Regulatory Portfolio (Vosoritide and valoctocogene roxaparvovec)
•In Europe, with respect to vosoritide for the treatment of achondroplasia, BioMarin is in the final stages of the review procedure ahead of the anticipated June 2021 Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) opinion. Assuming a positive CHMP opinion, the European Commission could potentially grant marketing authorization for vosoritide in the third quarter of 2021.
•In Europe, with respect to valoctocogene roxaparvovec for the treatment of severe hemophilia A, based on positive pre-submission feedback in the current quarter, BioMarin reaffirms its plan to submit the Marketing Authorization Application with one-year results from the Phase 3 GENEr8-1 study to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in June 2021.
•In the U.S., BioMarin provided the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the two-year results from the Phase 3 extension study with vosoritide to supplement the New Drug Application (NDA) already under review. As anticipated, the FDA designated this submission as a major amendment to the application, thus extending the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date by three months to November 20, 2021 to provide time for a full review of the submission.
◦Also in the first quarter of 2021, the FDA pre-approval inspection of BioMarin’s Novato facility for the manufacture of vosoritide drug substance was completed, representing another important milestone as vosoritide advances through the review process.
•During the current quarter, the FDA reiterated their recommendation that BioMarin submit two-year follow-up safety and efficacy data on all study participants from the GENEr8-1 study to support their benefit/risk assessment of valoctocogene roxaparvovec. BioMarin is targeting a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission in the second quarter of 2022 assuming favorable results, followed by an expected 6-month review procedure by the FDA.
◦The FDA granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation to valoctocogene roxaparvovec. The RMAT designation is complementary to Breakthrough Therapy Designation, which BioMarin received in 2017.
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Earlier-stage Development Portfolio (BMN 307, BMN 255, BMN 331, DiNA-001, Allen Institute Collaboration)
◦BMN 307: Dose escalation in PHEarless, the Phase 1/2 study of BMN 307 continues based on encouraging Phe lowering and safety profile observed in study participants who were treated with the lowest dose.
◦BMN 255 for a subset of chronic renal disease: On January 11, 2021 BioMarin announced that it had filed an IND in 2020 for BMN 255, a small molecule for a subset of chronic renal disease. BMN 255 was driven by genetic discoveries for both mechanism and for identifying individuals for treatment.

◦BMN 331 gene therapy product candidate for Hereditary Angioedema (HAE): IND-enabling studies are ongoing with BMN 331 for the treatment of HAE, BioMarin’s third gene therapy candidate. BioMarin plans to leverage its broad expertise in developing gene therapies for severe hemophilia A and PKU to improve efficiencies in the development process of BMN 331. BioMarin is on track to file an IND for BMN 331 mid-year 2021.

◦BMN 351 for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD): IND-enabling studies are underway with BMN 351, an antisense oligonucleotide therapy that has demonstrated dystrophin expression levels of 30-50% of wild-type levels in the quadriceps in a DMD mouse model treated at 18.7 mg/kg/week for 13 weeks (measured 2 weeks following last administration). If results from the ongoing pre-clinical studies are supportive, BioMarin anticipates filing an IND for BMN 351 in the first half of 2022.

◦DiNA-001 for MYBPC3 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM): Pre-clinical studies are underway with DiNA-001 following a collaboration announced in 2020 with DiNAQOR, a gene therapy platform company, to develop novel gene therapies to treat rare genetic cardiomyopathies. DiNAQOR received an undisclosed upfront payment and is eligible to receive development, regulatory and commercial milestones on product sales in addition to tiered royalties on worldwide sales.

◦On April 28, 2021, BioMarin and the Allen Institute announced a collaboration to create new gene therapies aimed at rare genetic diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The goal is to combine the Allen Institute’s leadership in large-scale genomic science in the CNS therapeutic area with BioMarin’s expertise in developing transformational gene therapies.
2021 Full-Year Financial Guidance (in millions, except %)

Item

2021 Guidance * (reaffirmed)
Total Revenues

$1,750

to

$1,850
Vimizim Net Product Revenues

$570

to

$610
Kuvan Net Product Revenues

$250

to

$290
Naglazyme Net Product Revenues

$365

to

$395
Palynziq Net Product Revenues

$210

to

$250
Brineura Net Product Revenues

$120

to

$140

Cost of Sales (% of Total Revenues)

23
%

to

25%
Research and Development Expense

$645

to

$695
Selling, General and Administrative Expense

$725

to

$775

GAAP Net Loss

($130)

to

($80)
Non-GAAP Income (1)

$170

to

$220