On May 6, 2020 OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPK) reported business highlights and financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Press release, Opko Health, MAY 6, 2020, View Source [SID1234557138]).

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Business Highlights

BioReference Laboratories launched COVID-19 testing nationwide: On March 13, 2020, BioReference Laboratories launched a Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction assay with an approximate 24-72 hour turnaround time to promote earlier diagnosis of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to aid in limiting the spread of infection. In addition to its nationwide COVID-19 test offering, BioReference announced testing partnerships with the New York State Department of Health, New York City Health and Hospital Corporation, the State of New Jersey, the State of Florida and the cities of Detroit and Miami, among others. Additionally, Rite Aid Corporation selected BioReference to provide COVID-19 laboratory testing to its drive-up locations with the goal of flattening the curve through widely accessible diagnostic testing. To date, BioReference has run approximately 700,000 COVID-19 tests and currently has a COVID-19 testing capacity of 35,000 tests per day. As of April 27, 2020, BioReference Laboratories started offering COVID-19 antibody testing, a semi-quantitative immunoassay that measures SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibody levels, correlating with the patient’s immune response after COVID-19 infection. Within the next two weeks, BioReference expects to expand its capacity to be able to process up to 400,000 tests per day.

Somatrogon abstract to be presented at Endocrine Society’s ENDO Online 2020: On April 22, 2020, OPKO announced the data from its two abstracts regarding the global Phase 3 pediatric trial evaluating somatrogon dosed once weekly in pre-pubertal children with growth hormone deficiency will be combined into a single presentation at ENDO Online 2020, a virtual event being held June 8 through 22 featuring on-demand and live programming. The results of the pivotal Phase 3 study will be delivered on June 8, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time by Dr. Cheri Deal, the Principal Investigator of the pediatric study. The two abstracts entitled "Somatrogon Growth Hormone in the Treatment of Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency: Results of the Pivotal Phase 3" and "Interpretation of Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) Levels Following Administration of Somatrogon (a long-acting Growth Hormone-hGH-CTP)" will be published online in the April-May supplemental issue of the Journal of Endocrine Society.

Somatrogon global regulatory submissions: Somatrogon regulatory submission in the U.S. is anticipated to occur in the second half of 2020. In Europe, regulatory submission will follow completion of the open-label study demonstrating benefit and compliance with reduced treatment burden, which is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2020. The registration study in Japan for pediatric growth hormone deficiency patients was completed in early March and topline data is expected in mid-2020.

RAYALDEE total prescriptions reported by IQVIA increased 78% in the first quarter of 2020 compared with the first quarter in 2019: Total prescriptions for the three months ended March 31, 2020 increased to approximately 18,327, compared with approximately 10,307 during the comparable period of 2019.

Interim results from two ongoing RAYALDEE studies reported: On March 25, 2020, OPKO announced positive preliminary data from the ongoing Phase 4 comparative trial, which suggest that RAYALDEE may be more effective in raising serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D to the level required to effectively suppress elevated plasma intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) in stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney patients. Final results are expected in the second half of 2020. In addition, OPKO announced positive proof-of-concept data from the ongoing Phase 2 trial in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease demonstrating RAYALDEE may be useful in treating secondary hyperparathyroidism in dialysis patients. The Phase 2 trial in hemodialysis patients is on track to complete enrollment in the third quarter of 2020 with full topline data expected in the first quarter of 2021.

Nearly 16,000 4Kscore tests performed during the first quarter of 2020: Novitas Solutions issued its final Local Coverage Determination for Medicare payments for the 4Kscore test with defined coverage criteria, effective December 30, 2019. With Medicare reimbursement in place, the Company began its salesforce expansion for the 4Kscore during the first quarter of 2020; however, COVID-19 impacted utilization during the month of March.

Financial Results

Consolidated revenues for the first quarter of 2020 were $211.5 million compared with $222.5 million for the comparable period of 2019. The net loss for the first quarter of 2020 was $59.1 million, or $0.09 per share, compared with a net loss of $80.8 million, or $0.14 per share, for the comparable period of 2019.

Diagnostics: Revenue from services in the first quarter of 2020 was $170.8 million compared with $178.9 million for the comparable period in 2019. Although revenue from services was positively affected by increased reimbursement amounts and improved operational procedures, in the last two weeks of March 2020, the Company experienced a decline in testing volumes net of COVID-19 testing services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Total costs and expenses were $189.0 million in the first quarter of 2020 compared with $212.5 million for the comparable period in 2019 with the reduction primarily attributable to lower selling, general and administrative expenses due to cost-reduction initiatives. In addition, the 2019 period included a $10.6 million legal accrual. As a result, operating loss was $18.1 million in the first quarter of 2020 compared with $33.6 million in the first quarter of 2019.

Pharmaceuticals: Revenue from products in the first quarter of 2020 was $31.1 million compared with $25.3 million in the first quarter of 2019 with the increase primarily attributable to higher sales of RAYALDEE of $9.9 million in the first quarter of 2020 compared with $5.8 million in the prior year period. Revenue from licensing and intellectual property was $9.6 million in the first quarter of 2020 compared to $18.3 million in the first quarter of 2019 with the reduction primarily due to a decrease in the amortization of payments received from Pfizer, OPKO’s commercial partner for its long-acting human growth hormone product, Somatrogon. Total cost and expenses were $54.8 million in the first quarter of 2020 compared with $73.0 million for the prior year period, with the decline primarily attributable to lower research and development expenses due to the completion of the pediatric Phase 3 study for somatrogon. The operating loss was $14.1 million in the first quarter of 2020 compared to $29.5 million in the first quarter of 2019.

Cash and equivalents: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $34.5 million as of March 31, 2020. In addition, the Company has an unutilized $100 million credit facility which provides the company with access to incremental capital on a non-dilutive basis. In April 2020, the Company also accessed additional capital available under the CARES Act which provided the company with approximately $30 million of short-term liquidity through various provisions under the Act.

CONFERENCE CALL & WEBCAST INFORMATION

OPKO’s senior management will provide a business update and discuss results in greater detail in a conference call and live audio webcast at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time today, May 6, 2020. The conference call dial-in and webcast information is as follows:
DOMESTIC DIAL-IN:

(877) 783-8475
INTERNATIONAL DIAL-IN:

(614) 999-1827
PASSCODE:

9095275
WEBCAST:

OPKO 1Q20 Results Conference Call
For those unable to participate in the live conference call or webcast, a replay will be available beginning approximately two hours after the close of the conference call. To access the replay, dial 855-859-2056 or 404-537-3406. The replay passcode is 9095275. The replay can be accessed for a period of time on OPKO’s website at OPKO 1Q20 Results Conference Call.