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Cosmo announces full year results 2007
-- Strong revenue
growth, profitability, growing pipeline --
Lainate, Italy– March 4, 2008 – Cosmo
Pharmaceuticals SpA (SWX: COPN) today published its preliminary
results for the year ended 31 December 2007.
Financial
highlights
· Revenue increased by 44.5%
to € 21.9 million
o Revenues from
MMX™ based products increased
210% to € 7.3 million of which only € 3.5 million is non
recurring
o Contract drug
manufacturing increased by 13.9% to € 14.6 million
· Operating costs increased
by 21.1% to € 22.7 million (including costs of goods sold)
reflecting increased R&D activities:
o All clinical trial and
research costs were expensed
o Personnel increased by 6%
to 125 persons
o One-off personnel expenses
allocated to all personnel, amounted to € 1.0
million
· EBITDA generated amounted
to € 1.2 million
· Net profit of € 0.1
million, up from a post tax loss of € 0.3 million in
2006
Operational
highlights
· Lialda™, the first product with Cosmo’s
proprietary MMX™ technology, launched in the US in March 2007
by Shire Plc; attained US 5 ASA market share of 8%
· Progress achieved in all
research projects and clinical trials:
o Budesonide
MMX™ began phase III trials in
the USA and EU
o Rifamycin SV
MMX™ completed phase IIb trials
and reached the targeted primary end point of non inferiority vs
Normix®
o Last patient was treated
in the phase IIb LMWHeparin MMX™ trial in November
o Indication for Rifamycin
SV MMX™ was extended to CDaD
o Anti Androgen project
began preparation for phase I trial
o Anti
TNFα project, anti opioid induced constipation
project and the colo-rectal cancer prevention project all
progressed.
· In October a licensing
agreement was signed with Ferring SA for Budesonide
MMX™ for the EU, Latin America
and Asia excluding Japan
Mauro
Ajani, CEO
of Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, commented: “I am pleased to announce strong
progress in our first full year as a publicly listed company. The
successful market introduction of Lialda™ in the US was based on the unique
characteristics of our MMX™ technology and I consequently believe that it
is an excellent proxy for the success of our future
MMX™ products. The agreement
with Ferring validates this and we have continued to quickly
develop our innovative drug pipeline. As an entrepreneur I am
further most happy that we were able to achieve strong growth and
at the same time reach profitability. We are well positioned to
build further on this in 2008.“
Key Financial
Parameters:
In € million (with
the exception of the Share data in €) |
2007
(consolidated) |
2006
(consolidated) |
Revenues |
21.9 |
15.2 |
Cost of Goods sold |
(6.6) |
(5.4) |
Personnel expenses |
(6.6) |
(4.9) |
Other operative costs |
(8.3) |
(6.8) |
Profit (Loss) before taxes |
0.2 |
0.5 |
Net Profit (Net loss) |
0.1 |
(0.3) |
Profit (loss) per
share |
0.01 |
|
|
31.12.2007
(consolidated) |
31.12.2006
(consolidated) |
Cash position |
25.5 |
0.5 |
Total Assets |
47.2 |
25.3 |
Inflows due to IPO (net) |
30.0 |
|
For more detailed
information and explanations please visit
www.cosmopharmaceuticals.com.
Outlook: In 2008, we
expect continued strong growth in revenues from
Lialda™sales, the signing of a licensing agreement
for Rifamycin SV MMX™in Europe and a positive financial result.
Finalising our distribution strategy with focus on the US market is
also a priority for 2008.
Management is confident that sales of
Lialda™ in the USA and of Mezavant™ in EU will continue growing quickly and that
revenues from royalties and manufacturing will strongly expand. The
Company further expects that its contract drug manufacturing
business will also continue to grow steadily.
Cosmo expects to sign the licensing agreement
for Rifamycin SV MMX™ for the EU in the first half of
2008.
Cosmo expects phase IIb results of its
clinical program for LMW Heparin MMXTM in the first
quarter of 2008. Cosmo is also planning to bring four projects into
phase I and to identify two new preclinical projects.
Although the external cost of new clinical
trials will continue to rise to around € 13 million,
management anticipates a small profit for 2008.
Media and Analyst
Conference
Cosmo Pharmaceuticals will host a media and
analyst conference in English on March 4, 2008, at 9hrs CET at Haus
zum Rüden in Zurich.
About Cosmo Pharmaceuticals
Cosmo is a speciality pharmaceutical company
that aims to become a global leader in optimised therapies for
certain gastrointestinal diseases. The company’s
proprietary clinical development pipeline specifically addresses
innovative treatments for IBD, such as ulcerative colitis and
Crohn’s disease, and colon infections. Cosmo’s first
MMX™ product that has reached the market is LIALDA™ / MEZAVANT™, a treatment for
IBD that is licensed globally to Giuliani and Shire
Pharmaceuticals. Cosmo’s proprietary MMX™ technology is
at the core of the company’s product pipeline and was
developed from its expertise in formulating and manufacturing
gastrointestinal drugs for international clients at its GMP (Good
Manufacturing Practice) facilities in Lainate, Italy. For further
information on Cosmo, please visit the Company’s website: www.cosmopharmaceuticals.com
Next
events
Annual General
Meeting April 23, 2008,
Zurich
Investor and Analyst
Day
April 23, 2008, Zurich
Investor and Analyst
Day
April 24, 2008, London
Half-year results
2008
July 30, 2008, Milan
Contact:
Dr. Chris Tanner, CFO and
Head of Investor Relations
Cosmo Pharmaceuticals
SpA
Tel: +39 02 9333 7614
Some of the information
contained in this press release contains forward-looking
statements. Readers are cautioned that any such
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance
and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a
result of various factors. Cosmo undertakes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statements.
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