On August 4, 2022 Cerus Corporation (Nasdaq: CERS) reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022 (Press release, Cerus, AUG 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234617524]).

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Recent developments and highlights include:

Second quarter 2022 total revenue of $47.6 million, reflecting a 26% increase over the prior year period. Total revenue was composed of (in thousands, except %):

As of the date of this release, the Company is reiterating its 2022 annual product revenue guidance range of $160 million to $165 million, representing a 22% to 26% increase over full-year 2021 reported product revenue.
Second quarter 2022 net loss attributable to Cerus Corporation of $8.4 million, or $0.05 per basic and diluted share, reflecting an improvement of $7.0 million over the prior year period of $15.4 million, or $0.09 per basic and diluted share, as a result of strong product revenue growth and expense management.
Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2022 was negative $2.4 million, compared to negative $8.2 million during the prior year period. For additional information, please see definitions and the reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure to net loss attributable to Cerus Corporation accompanying this release.
Cerus achieved cumulative sales for the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma that have surpassed 12 million treatable doses globally since the products were first commercially launched.
The Company announced the appointment of Hua Shan, MD, PhD, Professor of Pathology and Medical Director, Transfusion Medicine Service at Stanford Medical Center to its Board of Directors.
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $107.0 million at June 30, 2022.
"Our second quarter 2022 results continued our multi-year trend of strong top-line growth, once again led by sales of INTERCEPT Platelets in the United States," said William ‘Obi’ Greenman, Cerus’ president and chief executive officer. "Despite the significant macroeconomic issues challenging various aspects of the global economy, our business has remained resilient as we support blood centers around the world in providing pathogen reduced blood components to patients."

"We are confident that the growth opportunities we have visibility into will be enough to offset the expected persistence of foreign exchange headwinds and therefore we are pleased today to reiterate our product revenue guidance of $160-165 million for the full year, driven by strong underlying demand for our products," Greenman continued. "Additionally, in light of our continued financial discipline, we believe the Company is well positioned and securely capitalized as we continue to make progress towards our goal of achieving cashflow breakeven."

Revenue

Product revenue during the second quarter of 2022 was $41.0 million, compared to $31.5 million during the prior year period. The year-over-year growth in product revenue during the quarter of 30% comes despite average EUR:USD rates coming down by more than 10% year-to-date. The reported revenue growth was led by continued strong demand for our platelet products in North America.

Second quarter 2022 government contract revenue was $6.6 million, compared to $6.3 million during the prior year period. Reported government contract revenue is comprised of funding associated with research and development (R&D) activities related to the INTERCEPT Blood System for Red Blood Cells and sponsored efforts related to the development of next-generation pathogen reduction technology for whole blood.

Product Gross Profit & Margin

Product gross profit for the second quarter of 2022 was $21.3 million, increasing by $5.1 million over the prior year period. Product gross margin for the second quarter of 2022 was 51.9% compared to 51.3% for the second quarter of 2021, and is roughly flat compared to the first quarter of 2022.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2022 were $34.7 million compared to $36.8 million for the same period of the prior year. With a core focus on disciplined financial management to improve the overall financial profile of the business, the Company continued to demonstrate operating leverage in support of its goal of achieving cashflow breakeven in the near-term.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the second quarter of 2022 totaled $19.5 million, compared to $19.8 million for the second quarter of 2021, demonstrating continued leverage of the Company’s expense structure as product sales continue to ramp.

R&D expenses for the second quarter of 2022 were $15.2 million, compared to $17.1 million for the second quarter of 2021. In the second quarter, the Company’s R&D expenses declined $1.9 million on a year-over-year basis related to the timing of new product development activities.

Net Loss Attributable to Cerus Corporation

Net loss attributable to Cerus Corporation for the second quarter of 2022 was $8.4 million, or $0.05 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss attributable to Cerus Corporation of $15.4 million, or $0.09 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2021.

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2022 was negative $2.4 million, compared to non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA of negative $8.2 million, for the second quarter of 2021. For additional information, please see definitions and the reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure to net loss attributable to Cerus Corporation accompanying this release.

Balance Sheet & Cash Use

At June 30, 2022, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $107.0 million, compared to $108.6 million at March 31, 2022.

As of June 30, 2022, the Company carried $55.0 million of notes due and a balance on its revolving line of credit of $14.9 million. The Company continues to have access to $5 million under its revolving line of credit.

For the second quarter, net cash used in operating activities totaled $0.3 million as compared to $8.7 million during the prior year period. For the first six months of 2022, net cash used in operating activities totaled $21.8 million as compared to $26.1 million during the prior year period. In both instances, increased product sales and their gross profit contribution, coupled with strong working capital management drove the improvements versus the prior year period.

Reiterating 2022 Product Revenue Guidance

The Company expects full-year 2022 product revenue will be in the range of $160-165 million, representing strong growth of approximately 22%-26% compared to full-year 2021 product revenue of $130.9 million.

Quarterly Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call at 4:30 P.M. EDT this afternoon, during which management will discuss the Company’s financial results and provide a general business overview and outlook. To listen to the live webcast, please visit the Investor Relations page of the Cerus website at View Source

A replay will be available on Cerus’ website approximately three hours after the call through August 19, 2022.