On February 15, 2018 Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:ACOR) reported a financial and pipeline update for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2017 (Press release, Acorda Therapeutics, FEB 15, 2018, View Source [SID1234523984]).

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"We continue to prepare for the potential approval and launch of INBRIJA, our investigational inhaled levodopa treatment for symptoms of OFF periods in people with Parkinson’s disease. We look forward to working with the FDA during the NDA review process, and to bringing this new treatment option to the Parkinson’s community to help address an important unmet need," said Ron Cohen, M.D., Acorda’s President and CEO. "Based on our continued market research, as well as the strength of our Phase 3 data, we believe INBRIJA’s US market opportunity to be greater than $800 million."

Fourth Quarter 2017 Financial Results

AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg – For the quarter ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported AMPYRA net revenue of $167.2 million compared to $132.3 million for the same quarter in 2016.

Royalty Revenue – For the quarter ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported royalty revenue of $16.1 million as compared to $4.4 million for the same quarter in 2016. The Company reported FAMPYRA royalties from sales outside of the U.S. of $3.1 million compared to $2.7 million for the same quarter in 2016. Additionally, the Company completed a transaction that provides a fully paid-up, royalty-free license for Selincro in exchange for $13.0 million which was recorded as royalty revenue in the quarter ended December 31, 2017. During the quarter ended December 31, 2017, the Company completed a royalty purchase transaction for its Fampyra royalty revenue in exchange for an upfront payment of $40 million. The transaction was recorded as a liability in accordance with US GAAP which will be reduced over time as royalty revenue is recognized.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 2017 were $35.1 million, including $2.2 million of share-based compensation compared to $53.8 million, including $3.0 million of share-based compensation for the same quarter in 2016.

Sales, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 2017 were $39.5 million, including $5.4 million of share-based compensation compared to $59.0 million, including $6.0 million of share-based compensation for the same quarter in 2016.

The Company recorded non-cash asset impairment charges of $233.5 million for tozadenant as a result of the termination of this program, and $23.8 million for SYN120 as a result of the trial not meeting key primary and secondary endpoints. The Company assessed the valuation assumptions for both programs and determined the assets were fully impaired. Both of these charges were recorded in the quarter ended December 31, 2017.

Benefit from income taxes for the quarter ended December 31, 2017 was $51.9 million, including $2.7 million of cash taxes, compared to a provision for income taxes of $1.0 million, including $0.7 million of cash taxes for the same quarter in 2016.

The Company reported a GAAP net loss attributable to Acorda of $(171.1) million for the quarter ended December 31, 2017, or $(3.70) per diluted share. GAAP net loss in the same quarter of 2016 was $(3.1) million, or $(0.07) per diluted share.

Non-GAAP net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2017 was $28.5 million, or $0.61 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income in the same quarter of 2016 was $2.5 million, or $0.05 per diluted share. This quarterly non-GAAP net income measure, more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures," excludes share-based compensation charges, non-cash interest charges on our debt, restructuring expenses, changes in the fair value of acquired contingent consideration, asset impairment charges, gain on sale of assets and acquisition-related expenses. A reconciliation of the GAAP financial results to non-GAAP financial results is included with the attached financial statements.

Financial Results – Full Year Ended December 31, 2017

AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg – For the full year ended December 31, 2017 net revenue was $543.3 million compared to $492.8 million for full year 2016. Full year 2017 net revenue increased 10.2% over 2016.

Royalty Revenue – For the full year ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported royalty revenue of $29.5 million compared to $17.2 million for the full year 2016. The Company reported FAMPYRA royalties from sales outside of the U.S. of $11.6 million compared to $10.6 million for the full year 2016. Royalty revenue related to the authorized generic version of Zanaflex was $2.6 million compared to $3.9 million for the full year 2016. Additionally, the Company reported $15.3 million in royalties for Selincro for the full year 2017, which includes $13.0 million of royalty revenue related to the Selincro royalty transaction.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the full year ended December 31, 2017 were $166.1 million, including $9.7 million of share-based compensation, compared to $203.4 million, including $10.6 million of share-based compensation for the full year 2016

Sales, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the full year ended December 31, 2017 were $181.6 million, including $23.1 million of share-based compensation, compared to $235.4 million, including $25.8 million of share-based compensation for the full year 2016.

Asset impairment charges for the full year ended December 31, 2017 include $233.5 million for tozadenant, $23.8 million for SYN120, and $39.4 million for Selincro.

Benefit from income taxes for the full year ended December 31, 2017 was $28.5 million, including $14.1 million of cash taxes compared to a benefit from income taxes of $6.7 million, including $4.3 million of cash taxes for the full year 2016.

For the full year ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported a GAAP net loss of $(223.4) million, or $(4.86) per diluted share. GAAP net loss for the full year 2016 was $(34.6) million, or $(0.76) per diluted share.

Non-GAAP net income for the full year ended December 31, 2017 was $80.7 million, or $1.75 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income for the full year ended December 31, 2016 was $11.5 million, or $0.25 per diluted share. This full year non-GAAP net income measure, more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures," excludes share-based compensation charges, non-cash interest charges on our debt, restructuring expenses, changes in the fair value of acquired contingent consideration, asset impairment charges, gain on sale of assets, realized foreign currency loss (gain) and acquisition related expenses. A reconciliation of the GAAP financial results to non-GAAP financial results is included with the attached financial statements.

At December 31, 2017, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $307.1 million.

2018 Financial Guidance

AMPYRA net revenue is expected to be $330-$350 million. The Company expects to maintain exclusivity of AMPYRA at least through July 30, 2018; this guidance is subject to change based on the appellate court’s decision.
R&D expenses for the full year 2018 are expected to be $100-$110 million and include manufacturing expenses associated with INBRIJA. This guidance is a non-GAAP projection that excludes share-based compensation as more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
SG&A expenses for the full year 2018 are expected to be $170-$180 million. This guidance is a non-GAAP projection that excludes share-based compensation as more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
Year-end cash balance for 2018 is projected to be over $300 million
Fourth Quarter 2017 Pipeline and Corporate Updates

INBRIJA (levodopa inhalation powder) Next Steps
The Company resubmitted the NDA for INBRIJA in December 2017. The FDA is expected to inform the Company if the submission has been deemed complete and permits a full review in February 2018.
The Company expects to file a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Q1 2018.
AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Patent Appeal
In November, 2017, the Company and the defendants filed reply briefs for the appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit of the District Court’s decision in the AMPYRA patent litigation. The date for oral argument is expected in the first half of 2018.
Both BIO and PhRMA filed amicus briefs in support of the Company’s appeal, raising important issues in conjunction with biopharmaceutical innovation.
Royalty Monetization Transactions/ZANAFLEX (tizanidine hydrochloride) Franchise Sale
In November, 2017, the Company announced royalty monetization transactions of $53 million for FAMPYRA and SELINCRO.
The Company also announced the sale of ZANAFLEX and ZANAFLEX CAPSULES for $4 million.
SYN120 Phase 2 Data in Parkinson’s disease
Data from the Phase 2 proof-of-concept study for SYN120 showed that several of the outcome measures trended in favor of drug versus placebo; neither the primary nor key secondary endpoints achieved statistical significance.
The Company continues to review the data, which will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.
Tozadenant Program Discontinued
In November, 2017, the Company discontinued its clinical development program for tozadenant, an investigational treatment for Parkinson’s disease. The Company made this decision based on the emergence of serious adverse events in its Phase 3 program.
Webcast and Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call today at 8:30 a.m. ET. To participate, dial (866) 393-4306 (domestic) or (734) 385-2616 (international); access code 8789908. The presentation will be available on the Investors section of www.acorda.com.

A replay of the call will be available from 11:30 a.m. ET on February 15, 2018 until 11:59 p.m. ET on March 15, 2018. To access the replay, dial (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (international); reference code 8789908. The archived webcast will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Acorda website.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes financial results prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP), and also certain historical and forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures. In particular, Acorda has provided non-GAAP net income, adjusted to exclude the items below, and has provided 2018 guidance for R&D and SG&A expenses on a non-GAAP basis. Non-GAAP financial measures are not an alternative for financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. However, the Company believes the presentation of non-GAAP net income, when viewed in conjunction with our GAAP results, provides investors with a more meaningful understanding of our ongoing and projected operating performance because this measure excludes (i) non-cash compensation charges and benefits that are substantially dependent on changes in the market price of our common stock, (ii) non-cash interest charges related to the accounting for our outstanding convertible debt which are in excess of the actual interest expense owing on such convertible debt as well as non-cash interest related to the Fampyra monetization, non-cash interest charges related to our asset based loan which was terminated in 2017 and acquired Biotie debt, (iii) changes in the fair value of acquired contingent consideration which do not correlate to our actual cash payment obligations in the relevant periods, (iv) acquisition related expenses and related foreign currency losses and gains that pertain to a non-recurring event, (v) corporate restructuring expenses that pertain to a non-recurring event, (vi) asset impairments which are non-cash charges that relate to program terminations that are not routine to the operation of the business, and (vii) gain on sale of assets that pertains to a non-recurring event. The Company believes its non-GAAP net income measure helps indicate underlying trends in the Company’s business and is important in comparing current results with prior period results and understanding projected operating performance. Also, management uses this non-GAAP financial measure to establish budgets and operational goals, and to manage the Company’s business and to evaluate its performance.

In addition to non-GAAP net income, we have provided 2018 guidance for R&D and SG&A expenses on a non-GAAP basis. Due to the forward looking nature of this information, the amount of compensation charges and benefits needed to reconcile these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future changes in the market price of our common stock and is not available at this time. The Company believes that these non-GAAP measures, when viewed in conjunction with our GAAP results, provide investors with a more meaningful understanding of our ongoing and projected R&D and SG&A expenses. Also, management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to establish budgets and operational goals, and to manage the Company’s business and to evaluate its performance..