The FINANCIAL — Biogen Inc. on April 21 reported first quarter 2016 financial results, including:
Total revenues of $2.7 billion, a 7% increase versus the same period in the prior year. Growth was driven by a 15% increase in worldwide TECFIDERA revenues as well as increased revenues from ELOCTATE and ALPROLIX. Revenues were partially offset by a decrease in worldwide interferon sales.
Foreign exchange, including a $26 million reduction in hedging gains, negatively impacted total revenues by approximately $50 million compared to the first quarter of 2015.
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $4.79, a 25% increase versus the same period in the prior year. Growth was driven by a combination of increased revenues, lower SG&A and R&D expense, and a lower share count.
Non-GAAP net income attributable to Biogen Inc. increased 17% to $1.0 billion.
GAAP diluted EPS of $4.43, a 27% increase versus the same period in the prior year.
GAAP net income attributable to Biogen Inc. increased 18% to $971 million.
“Our leading multiple sclerosis portfolio, a growing hemophilia business, and our ongoing focus on managing expenses led to robust earnings growth in the first quarter,” said Chief Executive Officer George A. Scangos, Ph.D. “We are pleased with the recent European approval of BENEPALI and positive CHMP opinion for FLIXABI, both anti-TNF biosimilars. We are also encouraged by the recent positive CHMP opinion of ALPROLIX for hemophilia B in Europe.”
“The remainder of 2016 will be an exciting period as we look to advance a number of potential breakthrough therapies in the clinic,” Dr. Scangos continued. “We are executing Phase 3 clinical trials for aducanumab in early Alzheimer’s disease and, along with our collaboration partner Ionis, we are progressing nusinersen in spinal muscular atrophy. In the coming months, we expect opicinumab (anti-LINGO) Phase 2 data to provide us with a better understanding of its potential as a reparative therapy for multiple sclerosis.”
Expense Highlights
R&D expense was $437 million compared to $542 million in the fourth quarter of 2015 and $461 million in the first quarter of 2015.
R&D expense decreased 19% versus the fourth quarter of 2015, reflecting a $60 million payment made to Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation in the fourth quarter of 2015 along with the timing of clinical manufacturing runs and other R&D activities.
SG&A expense was $497 million compared to $583 million in the fourth quarter of 2015 and $560 million in the first quarter of 2015. The company remains focused on achieving additional savings in non-labor expenses, with the objective of reducing lower priority fees and services expenses.
Other Financial Highlights
For the first quarter of 2016, the Company’s weighted average diluted shares were 219 million.
At the end of the first quarter of 2016, Biogen had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaling approximately $6.8 billion, and $6.5 billion in notes payable and other financing arrangements.
Recent Events
This week, Biogen is presenting new data supporting the Company’s marketed and pipeline MS therapies at the 68th American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting. Presentations include efficacy data for TECFIDERA in newly diagnosed patients; data highlighting efficacy on key cognitive outcomes and the reversibility of the targeted mechanism of action of ZINBRYTATM; 10 year real-world evidence of the proven long-term efficacy of TYSABRI in patients with high disease activity; and analyses showing that PLEGRIDY reduces conversion of MRI lesions to T1 black holes.
At this week’s AAN Meeting, Biogen’s collaboration partner Ionis Pharmaceuticals also presented an update from its ongoing open-label Phase 2 study of nusinersen in infants with spinal muscular atrophy.
In April 2016, Samsung Bioepis, the joint venture between Biogen and Samsung BioLogics, received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommending that marketing authorisation be granted for FLIXABI, an infliximab biosimilar candidate referencing Remicade. If approved, FLIXABI will be the second anti-TNF biosimilar manufactured and commercialized by Biogen in the European Union (EU).
In March 2016, Biogen announced the appointment of Michel Vounatsos as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer effective April 18, 2016. Mr. Vounatsos joins Biogen following a distinguished 20 year career at Merck.
In February 2016, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (publ) (Sobi) and Biogen received a positive opinion from the CHMP recommending that marketing authorisation be granted for ALPROLIX, a recombinant factor IX Fc fusion protein therapy for the treatment of hemophilia B.
In February 2016, the Roche Group announced that the US Food and Drug Administration approved Gazyva plus bendamustine chemotherapy followed by Gazyva alone as a new treatment for people with follicular lymphoma who did not respond to a Rituxan-containing regimen, or had their follicular lymphoma return after such treatment. Follicular lymphoma is the most common type of indolent (slow-growing) non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and accounts for approximately one in five cases of NHL. In the U.S., Biogen shares operating profits and losses relating to GAZYVA with Genentech, a Roche Group company.
In February 2016, Biogen announced that it joined the Centre for Therapeutic Target Validation (CTTV), the pioneering public-private collaboration to improve the success rate for discovering new medicines. The CTTV fosters deep, ongoing interactions between academic and industry members for the purpose of developing open, transformative approaches to selecting and validating novel targets in drug development.
In January 2016, following approval from the European Commission, Biogen launched BENEPALI, the first etanercept biosimilar referencing Enbrel® to be approved in the EU. BENEPALI is now available in the UK, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
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