On February 28, 2017 Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) reported that it outperformed its financial guidance by ending 2016 with pro forma operating income of $25.8 million and $665.2 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments (Press release, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, FEB 28, 2017, View Source [SID1234517863]). The Company also reported a GAAP loss from operations of $46.3 million.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"2016 was a year of significant accomplishments for Ionis, culminating in the U.S. approval of SPINRAZA, in record time and with a very broad label. The approval of SPINRAZA is a testament to the efficacy, safety and tolerability that SPINRAZA demonstrated in multiple clinical studies in multiple SMA patient populations. We are pleased with Biogen’s early launch efforts in the U.S. and their actions directed to making SPINRAZA available to patients around the world as soon as possible," said B. Lynne Parshall, chief operating officer of Ionis Pharmaceuticals.

"In 2016, we reported positive clinical data from 11 studies with six drugs. We also continued to advance over 36 drugs in development, including our Phase 3 drugs, volanesorsen and IONIS-TTRRx, which will complete pivotal trials shortly. We also added five new drugs to our pipeline, including our first Generation 2.5 LICA drug and our first oral locally acting drug for gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases.

"In the first week of 2017, we and our subsidiary, Akcea, initiated a collaboration with Novartis to develop and co-commercialize AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx and AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx for patients with cardiovascular disease. Our partner for our Factor XI program, Bayer, is advancing IONIS-FXIRx and is expanding the program by initiating development of the LICA follow-on, IONIS-FXI-LRx. In addition, our broad strategic collaborations with Biogen and AstraZeneca continue to be productive. We believe our constellation of partnerships demonstrate the potential of our antisense drugs to address a wide variety of diseases with both large and small patient populations.

"In 2017, we expect to be breakeven or profitable at the operating line on a pro forma basis, driven in part by revenue from SPINRAZA. Biogen anticipates EU approval mid-year and has filed for regulatory authorization in Japan, Canada and Australia, and is planning to file additional applications in other countries this year. Approval in additional markets could broaden access to SPINRAZA and further bolster our revenues. We and Akcea expect to report Phase 3 data in March from the APPROACH study of volanesorsen in patients with familial chylomicronemia syndrome. Together with Akcea, we are preparing the regulatory submissions and plan to file for marketing authorization in the U.S., EU and Canada this year, provided the Phase 3 data are positive. Akcea has also made progress in preparing to launch volanesorsen. In the second quarter, we plan to report Phase 3 data from the NEURO-TTR study with IONIS-TTRRx in patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy. We and our partner, GSK, are preparing to file an NDA before year end if the Phase 3 data are positive. While progress in these late-stage programs represents key visible catalysts for the year, we also plan to provide updates from our large and diverse pipeline throughout the year.

"We believe we have the key elements in place to achieve sustained, long-term financial growth. We have multiple drivers of revenue; a partnership strategy that leverages partner resources; a mature, broad and rapidly advancing clinical pipeline; and an innovative, more efficient drug discovery platform that enables us to continue developing new drugs with the potential for significant commercial opportunity in both rare and more prevalent diseases. We are now closer to achieving our goal of becoming a profitable, multi-product company delivering innovative medicines to patients with serious diseases," concluded Ms. Parshall.

Ionis’ 2017 goals and a list of corporate and drug development highlights can be found at the end of this press release prior to the financial tables.

Financial Results

"2016 was marked by continued progress, highlighted by the approval of SPINRAZA. We earned substantial license fees and milestone payments from our many achievements, which led us to significantly improve upon our revenue, pro forma net operating loss and cash guidance for 2016. In 2016, we generated $347 million of revenue, an increase of 45 percent compared to our guidance of $240 million. Importantly, we were able to achieve all of our 2016 accomplishments with only a nominal increase in our expenses over 2015. We ended 2016 with a GAAP loss from operations of $46 million, which included $72 million in non-cash compensation expense related to equity awards resulting in pro forma operating income of $26 million. In addition, we reported GAAP and pro forma net income for the third and fourth quarters. During the year, we received more than $190 million from our partners and ended the year with $665 million in cash, exceeding our year-end cash guidance by $65 million. This cash balance does not include more than $100 million that we earned in 2016 and received payment for in 2017," said Elizabeth L. Hougen, chief financial officer of Ionis Pharmaceuticals.

"We are pleased to add commercial revenue from SPINRAZA to our already significant revenue from partnerships. Over the past five years, we have consistently increased our revenue, reflecting the successes of our partnered programs and drugs. This R&D revenue provides a base of revenue that funds most of our pro forma operating expenses. While in any year the specific sources of our R&D revenue change, the consistent growth in revenue we have achieved over the last five years supports the sustainability of this component of our operating model. In 2017, we expect to continue to have a strong R&D revenue base that funds most of our pro forma operating expenses. To that revenue base, we are adding commercial revenue from SPINRAZA royalties. This revenue is nearly all profit to us, in other words we have only a nominal amount of corresponding expense associated with it. For 2017, we expect our operating expenses to be essentially flat compared to 2016; however, the composition of our expenses will change to reflect the evolution of our business. We plan to continue to increase our commercial spending for volanesorsen as our subsidiary, Akcea, prepares to launch volanesorsen globally in 2018. These increases will be offset by a decrease in our R&D expenses, reflecting the fact that our current Phase 3 programs are coming to a close. Because of the efficiency of our technology, we can advance our earlier stage drugs and add new drugs to our pipeline while still decreasing our research and development expenses. The combination of a solid base of R&D revenue, SPINRAZA commercial revenue and prudent spending, support our projection that we will be breakeven or profitable at the operating line on a pro forma basis for 2017. As we have more visibility on SPINRAZA sales, we will provide more detailed guidance. Already in 2017, we have generated more than $250 million in cash from our partnered programs. As such, we are projecting a year-end cash balance of over $825 million," concluded Ms. Hougen.

All pro forma amounts referred to in this press release exclude non-cash compensation expense related to equity awards. Please refer to the reconciliation of GAAP to pro forma measures, which is provided later in this release.

Revenue

Ionis’ revenue for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2016 was $160.3 million and $346.6 million, compared to $51.6 million and $283.7 million for the same periods in 2015. Ionis’ revenue in 2016 consisted of the following:

$170 million from Biogen for FDA approval, licensing and advancing the Phase 3 program for SPINRAZA;
$53 million from AstraZeneca for advancing and licensing IONIS-KRAS-2.5Rx and selecting IONIS-AZ4-2.5-LRx to move into development;
$15 million from Janssen for licensing IONIS-JBI1-2.5Rx and validating an undisclosed target to treat patients with a gastrointestinal autoimmune disease;
$15 million from Kastle Therapeutics for acquiring Kynamro;
$8 million from Biogen for advancing IONIS-SOD1Rx, IONIS-BIIB4Rx and IONIS-BIIB6Rx;
$61 million from the amortization of upfront fees; and
$25 million primarily from its partners for the manufacturing services Ionis performed.
In comparison, Ionis’ revenue in 2015 included $115.7 million in milestone payments from partnered programs, $91.2 million in connection with Bayer’s exclusive license of IONIS-FXIRx, $56.2 million from the amortization of upfront fees and $20.6 million primarily from the manufacturing services Ionis performed for its partners.

Ionis’ revenue fluctuates based on the nature and timing of payments under agreements with its partners and consists primarily of revenue from the amortization of upfront fees, milestone payments and license fees.

Operating Expenses
Ionis’ operating expenses for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2016 on a GAAP basis were $119.2 million and $392.9 million, respectively, and on a pro forma basis were $104.0 million and $320.8 million, respectively. This is compared to GAAP operating expenses of $114.5 million and $359.5 million and pro forma operating expenses of $97.1 million and $300.2 million for the same periods in 2015. The increase in operating expenses was primarily due to Phase 3 programs for SPINRAZA, IONIS-TTRRx and volanesorsen that Ionis conducted in 2016. The Company completed target enrollment in four of the Phase 3 studies at the end of 2015, and as a result, these studies were in their most expensive stage during 2016. In addition, Akcea continued to build a global organization and prepare for the launch of volanesorsen. In addition, Ionis’ operating expenses for 2016 on a GAAP basis increased due to an increase in non-cash compensation expense related to equity awards that resulted from an increase in the exercise price of the stock options the Company has granted over the past several years.

Loss on Retirement of Debt
In December 2016, Ionis refinanced a majority of its 2¾% convertible senior notes due 2019 (2¾% Notes). In the refinancing, Ionis reduced the interest rate to 1% by issuing an additional $185.5 million of its 1% convertible senior notes due 2021 (1% Notes). Ionis also significantly reduced the potential dilution from its convertible notes and extended the maturity to November 2021. As a result of the early repurchase of the 2¾% Notes, Ionis recognized a $4.0 million non-cash loss.

Income Tax Expense
Ionis recognized income tax expense of $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to $0.4 million in 2015. Ionis’ tax expense increased in 2016 compared to 2015 primarily due to an increase in taxable income resulting from Ionis’ strong financial performance in 2016.

Net Income (Loss)
Ionis reported net income of $25.9 million and a net loss of $86.6 million for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2016 on a GAAP basis, respectively, compared to a net loss of $71.4 million and $88.3 million for the same periods in 2015. Ionis recorded pro forma net income of $41.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2016 compared to a pro forma net loss of $54.0 million for the same period in 2015. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, the Company had a pro forma net loss of $14.4 million compared to a pro forma net loss of $29.0 million in 2015. Basic and diluted net income per share for the three months ended December 31, 2016 on a GAAP basis was $0.21. Basic and diluted net loss per share for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 was $0.72. This is compared to a basic and diluted net loss of $0.59 and $0.74 per share for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2015, respectively.

Balance Sheet
As of December 31, 2016, Ionis had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $665.2 million compared to $779.2 million at December 31, 2015. Ionis’ cash balance decreased in 2016 primarily due to spending to support the Company’s ongoing Phase 3 programs. Ionis’ cash balance at the end of 2016 did not include $107 million the Company earned in the fourth quarter of 2016 and received in 2017. Since the end of 2016, Ionis has generated more than $250 million primarily from its Novartis and Bayer partnerships. Ionis’ working capital was $664.1 million at December 31, 2016 compared to $688.1 million at December 31, 2015.

On February 28, 2017 Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) reported that it outperformed its financial guidance by ending 2016 with pro forma operating income of $25.8 million and $665.2 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments (Press release, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, FEB 28, 2017, View Source [SID1234517888]). The Company also reported a GAAP loss from operations of $46.3 million.

“2016 was a year of significant accomplishments for Ionis, culminating in the U.S. approval of SPINRAZA, in record time and with a very broad label. The approval of SPINRAZA is a testament to the efficacy, safety and tolerability that SPINRAZA demonstrated in multiple clinical studies in multiple SMA patient populations. We are pleased with Biogen’s early launch efforts in the U.S. and their actions directed to making SPINRAZA available to patients around the world as soon as possible,” said B. Lynne Parshall, chief operating officer of Ionis Pharmaceuticals.

“In 2016, we reported positive clinical data from 11 studies with six drugs. We also continued to advance over 36 drugs in development, including our Phase 3 drugs, volanesorsen and IONIS-TTRRx, which will complete pivotal trials shortly. We also added five new drugs to our pipeline, including our first Generation 2.5 LICA drug and our first oral locally acting drug for gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases.

“In the first week of 2017, we and our subsidiary, Akcea, initiated a collaboration with Novartis to develop and co-commercialize AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx and AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx for patients with cardiovascular disease. Our partner for our Factor XI program, Bayer, is advancing IONIS-FXIRx and is expanding the program by initiating development of the LICA follow-on, IONIS-FXI-LRx. In addition, our broad strategic collaborations with Biogen and AstraZeneca continue to be productive. We believe our constellation of partnerships demonstrate the potential of our antisense drugs to address a wide variety of diseases with both large and small patient populations.

“In 2017, we expect to be breakeven or profitable at the operating line on a pro forma basis, driven in part by revenue from SPINRAZA. Biogen anticipates EU approval mid-year and has filed for regulatory authorization in Japan, Canada and Australia, and is planning to file additional applications in other countries this year. Approval in additional markets could broaden access to SPINRAZA and further bolster our revenues. We and Akcea expect to report Phase 3 data in March from the APPROACH study of volanesorsen in patients with familial chylomicronemia syndrome. Together with Akcea, we are preparing the regulatory submissions and plan to file for marketing authorization in the U.S., EU and Canada this year, provided the Phase 3 data are positive. Akcea has also made progress in preparing to launch volanesorsen. In the second quarter, we plan to report Phase 3 data from the NEURO-TTR study with IONIS-TTRRx in patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy. We and our partner, GSK, are preparing to file an NDA before year end if the Phase 3 data are positive. While progress in these late-stage programs represents key visible catalysts for the year, we also plan to provide updates from our large and diverse pipeline throughout the year.

“We believe we have the key elements in place to achieve sustained, long-term financial growth. We have multiple drivers of revenue; a partnership strategy that leverages partner resources; a mature, broad and rapidly advancing clinical pipeline; and an innovative, more efficient drug discovery platform that enables us to continue developing new drugs with the potential for significant commercial opportunity in both rare and more prevalent diseases. We are now closer to achieving our goal of becoming a profitable, multi-product company delivering innovative medicines to patients with serious diseases,” concluded Ms. Parshall.

Ionis’ 2017 goals and a list of corporate and drug development highlights can be found at the end of this press release prior to the financial tables.

Financial Results

“2016 was marked by continued progress, highlighted by the approval of SPINRAZA. We earned substantial license fees and milestone payments from our many achievements, which led us to significantly improve upon our revenue, pro forma net operating loss and cash guidance for 2016. In 2016, we generated $347 million of revenue, an increase of 45 percent compared to our guidance of $240 million. Importantly, we were able to achieve all of our 2016 accomplishments with only a nominal increase in our expenses over 2015. We ended 2016 with a GAAP loss from operations of $46 million, which included $72 million in non-cash compensation expense related to equity awards resulting in pro forma operating income of $26 million. In addition, we reported GAAP and pro forma net income for the third and fourth quarters. During the year, we received more than $190 million from our partners and ended the year with $665 million in cash, exceeding our year-end cash guidance by $65 million. This cash balance does not include more than $100 million that we earned in 2016 and received payment for in 2017,” said Elizabeth L. Hougen, chief financial officer of Ionis Pharmaceuticals.

“We are pleased to add commercial revenue from SPINRAZA to our already significant revenue from partnerships. Over the past five years, we have consistently increased our revenue, reflecting the successes of our partnered programs and drugs. This R&D revenue provides a base of revenue that funds most of our pro forma operating expenses. While in any year the specific sources of our R&D revenue change, the consistent growth in revenue we have achieved over the last five years supports the sustainability of this component of our operating model. In 2017, we expect to continue to have a strong R&D revenue base that funds most of our pro forma operating expenses. To that revenue base, we are adding commercial revenue from SPINRAZA royalties. This revenue is nearly all profit to us, in other words we have only a nominal amount of corresponding expense associated with it. For 2017, we expect our operating expenses to be essentially flat compared to 2016; however, the composition of our expenses will change to reflect the evolution of our business. We plan to continue to increase our commercial spending for volanesorsen as our subsidiary, Akcea, prepares to launch volanesorsen globally in 2018. These increases will be offset by a decrease in our R&D expenses, reflecting the fact that our current Phase 3 programs are coming to a close. Because of the efficiency of our technology, we can advance our earlier stage drugs and add new drugs to our pipeline while still decreasing our research and development expenses. The combination of a solid base of R&D revenue, SPINRAZA commercial revenue and prudent spending, support our projection that we will be breakeven or profitable at the operating line on a pro forma basis for 2017. As we have more visibility on SPINRAZA sales, we will provide more detailed guidance. Already in 2017, we have generated more than $250 million in cash from our partnered programs. As such, we are projecting a year-end cash balance of over $825 million,” concluded Ms. Hougen.

All pro forma amounts referred to in this press release exclude non-cash compensation expense related to equity awards. Please refer to the reconciliation of GAAP to pro forma measures, which is provided later in this release.

Revenue

Ionis’ revenue for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2016 was $160.3 million and $346.6 million, compared to $51.6 million and $283.7 million for the same periods in 2015. Ionis’ revenue in 2016 consisted of the following:

·
$170 million from Biogen for FDA approval, licensing and advancing the Phase 3 program for SPINRAZA;
·
$53 million from AstraZeneca for advancing and licensing IONIS-KRAS-2.5Rx and selecting IONIS-AZ4-2.5-LRx to move into development;
·
$15 million from Janssen for licensing IONIS-JBI1-2.5Rx and validating an undisclosed target to treat patients with a gastrointestinal autoimmune disease;
·
$15 million from Kastle Therapeutics for acquiring Kynamro;
·
$8 million from Biogen for advancing IONIS-SOD1Rx, IONIS-BIIB4Rx and IONIS-BIIB6Rx;
·
$61 million from the amortization of upfront fees; and
·
$25 million primarily from its partners for the manufacturing services Ionis performed.

In comparison, Ionis’ revenue in 2015 included $115.7 million in milestone payments from partnered programs, $91.2 million in connection with Bayer’s exclusive license of IONIS-FXIRx, $56.2 million from the amortization of upfront fees and $20.6 million primarily from the manufacturing services Ionis performed for its partners.

Ionis’ revenue fluctuates based on the nature and timing of payments under agreements with its partners and consists primarily of revenue from the amortization of upfront fees, milestone payments and license fees.

Operating Expenses
Ionis’ operating expenses for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2016 on a GAAP basis were $119.2 million and $392.9 million, respectively, and on a pro forma basis were $104.0 million and $320.8 million, respectively. This is compared to GAAP operating expenses of $114.5 million and $359.5 million and pro forma operating expenses of $97.1 million and $300.2 million for the same periods in 2015. The increase in operating expenses was primarily due to Phase 3 programs for SPINRAZA, IONIS-TTRRx and volanesorsen that Ionis conducted in 2016. The Company completed target enrollment in four of the Phase 3 studies at the end of 2015, and as a result, these studies were in their most expensive stage during 2016. In addition, Akcea continued to build a global organization and prepare for the launch of volanesorsen. In addition, Ionis’ operating expenses for 2016 on a GAAP basis increased due to an increase in non-cash compensation expense related to equity awards that resulted from an increase in the exercise price of the stock options the Company has granted over the past several years.

Loss on Retirement of Debt
In December 2016, Ionis refinanced a majority of its 2¾% convertible senior notes due 2019 (2¾% Notes). In the refinancing, Ionis reduced the interest rate to 1% by issuing an additional $185.5 million of its 1% convertible senior notes due 2021 (1% Notes). Ionis also significantly reduced the potential dilution from its convertible notes and extended the maturity to November 2021. As a result of the early repurchase of the 2¾% Notes, Ionis recognized a $4.0 million non-cash loss.

Income Tax Expense
Ionis recognized income tax expense of $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to $0.4 million in 2015. Ionis’ tax expense increased in 2016 compared to 2015 primarily due to an increase in taxable income resulting from Ionis’ strong financial performance in 2016.

Net Income (Loss)
Ionis reported net income of $25.9 million and a net loss of $86.6 million for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2016 on a GAAP basis, respectively, compared to a net loss of $71.4 million and $88.3 million for the same periods in 2015. Ionis recorded pro forma net income of $41.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2016 compared to a pro forma net loss of $54.0 million for the same period in 2015. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, the Company had a pro forma net loss of $14.4 million compared to a pro forma net loss of $29.0 million in 2015. Basic and diluted net income per share for the three months ended December 31, 2016 on a GAAP basis was $0.21. Basic and diluted net loss per share for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 was $0.72. This is compared to a basic and diluted net loss of $0.59 and $0.74 per share for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2015, respectively.

Balance Sheet
As of December 31, 2016, Ionis had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $665.2 million compared to $779.2 million at December 31, 2015. Ionis’ cash balance decreased in 2016 primarily due to spending to support the Company’s ongoing Phase 3 programs. Ionis’ cash balance at the end of 2016 did not include $107 million the Company earned in the fourth quarter of 2016 and received in 2017. Since the end of 2016, Ionis has generated more than $250 million primarily from its Novartis and Bayer partnerships. Ionis’ working capital was $664.1 million at December 31, 2016 compared to $688.1 million at December 31, 2015.