Bavarian Nordic A/S - Interim Report for the Period 1 January to 30 September 2009
11 Novembre 2009 - 2:45PM
PR Newswire (US)
KVISTGARD, Denmark, November 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today
Bavarian Nordic published the company's third quarterly report
2009. The full report including the financial statements is
available on the company's website:
http://www.bavarian-nordic.com/. In the first nine months of 2009
Bavarian Nordic generated revenue of DKK 53 million and recorded a
loss before tax of DKK 261 million. As of 30 September 2009 the
Group's net free liquidity was DKK 304 million The company
maintains its expectations for the financial result for the full
year 2009 with revenues in the range of DKK 100-300 million and a
pre-tax loss of between DKK 275-325 million. A prerequisite for
maintaining the high end of the guidance is that the company will
receive delivery allowance from the US authorities no later than
beginning of December, leading to the possible initiation of
deliveries of IMVAMUNE(R) to the US Government before the end of
2009. The net free liquidity at year-end is expected to be
approximately DKK 175 million as a potential delivery to the US
Government by late 2009 will not have a cash effect in 2009.
Following the FDA inspection of the IMVAMUNE(R) manufacturing
facilities in May, Bavarian Nordic has made progress in the
implementation of the corrective actions as required due to
observations made by the FDA. The company expects to finalise its
responses to the FDA no later than in the beginning of December and
subsequently will await the FDA review and acceptance hereof.
Consequently, the company maintains its expectations to initiate
delivery of IMVAMUNE(R) to the US government before the end of
second quarter of 2010. During the first nine months of 2009,
Bavarian Nordic reported further confirmatory data on PROSTVAC(TM),
the company's late-stage prostate cancer vaccine candidate. Oral
presentations were held at several cancer congresses, including
ASCO and ECCO annual meetings. Bavarian Nordic expects that an end
of phase II meeting with the FDA will take place during January
2010. While partnership negotiations are ongoing, the company is in
preparations for Phase III and these are proceeding as planned.
Lately, the prostate cancer field has witnessed positive clinical
results followed by attractive partnership deals. It has proven
worthwhile for a number of companies to independently advance their
projects into Phase III, thus maximising their value before they
would eventually sign a licensing deal. Similarly, Bavarian Nordic
is seeking to maximise and retain the value of its cancer
portfolio. Consequently, Bavarian Nordic seeks the ability to
advance PROSTVAC(TM) into Phase III of its own. In order for
Bavarian Nordic to gain the independence to execute its short and
long term activities within biodefence and cancer, the company is
exploring available options for securing an optimum financial
position. Highlights from the period Bavarian Nordic has signed
contract with an EU country for the delivery of IMVAMUNE(R) In
September, Bavarian Nordic signed a contract with the military of
an undisclosed EU country for the delivery of a small order for
IMVAMUNE(R). The size and value of the contract is undisclosed.
This marks the first time, Bavarian Nordic enters a contract with
an EU country for the delivery of IMVAMUNE(R), and it demonstrates
that there exists a real demand inside of EU for new and safer
smallpox vaccines for preparedness stockpiles. The vaccines have
been delivered. Negotiations with the US authorities for the
further development of IMVAMUNE(R) Bavarian Nordic is currently in
late-stage negotiations with the US authorities for a new contract
to develop a freeze-dried version of the IMVAMUNE(R) smallpox
vaccine. This potential new project will have no influence on the
ongoing RFP-3 contract for the procurement of 20 million doses of
IMVAMUNE(R) and the licensure of the current liquid-frozen
formulation, but represents an additional business opportunity of
major strategic importance. The company expects that the
prospective contract will constitute the gateway towards securing
additional contracts with the US Government and outside the US as
well. Further detailed PROSTVAC(TM) data presented at the ECCO 15 -
34th ESMO Congress Further data from the Phase II study with
PROSTVAC(TM) were presented at the European CanCer Organisation
(ECCO), ECCO 15 - 34th ESMO Congress in Berlin in September. The
data indicate the potential for a broader therapeutic use of
PROSTVAC(TM) in metastatic prostate cancer Important events after
the period Delivery of IMVAMUNE(R) to Canada completed As planned,
Bavarian Nordic has delivered 20,000 doses of IMVAMUNE(R) to the
Canadian government. A pre-New Drug Submission (NDS) meeting with
Health Canada (National Regulatory Authority) was held in October
2009 to discuss the potential to file an NDS in 2010 for
IMVAMUNE(R) as a safer smallpox vaccine under a Notice of
Compliance with Conditions (NOC/C). Conclusions from the meeting
have not yet been finalised. Encouraging data for MVA-BN(R) HIV
multiantigen warrant further studies Bavarian Nordic has completed
the analysis of the Phase I/II studies with MVA-BN(R) HIV
multiantigen. The final safety and immunogenicity data demonstrate
that the vaccine induces a broad T cell response in HIV infected
subjects. The high number of responders to the vaccine is
encouraging and warrant further studies. Thus, in line with its
strategy, Bavarian Nordic is now looking for a partner in order to
secure the continued development of MVA-BN(R) HIV multiantigen in a
full Phase II. Bavarian Nordic acquires remaining shares in its
subsidiary BN ImmunoTherapeutics Inc. and subsequently own 100% of
the subsidiary Bavarian Nordic has entered into a conditional
agreement for the purchase of 400,521 shares in the US subsidiary,
BN ImmunoTherapeutics Inc., from the CEO and President Reiner Laus
and two former employees in the subsidiary with the purpose of
obtaining full ownership of the subsidiary. Further, stock options
issued to employees in the subsidiary are repurchased. This
transaction forms part of Bavarian Nordic's strategy to strengthen
the cancer business area and will give the company full control
over the group's activities in this field. The agreement will have
no consequences for the future strategy, organisation and operation
of BN ImmunoTherapeutics Inc. The consideration to Reiner Laus and
the two former employees will be paid in part with 136,177 new
shares of DKK 10 each in Bavarian Nordic A/S and in part with a
number of future milestone payments that are triggered upon the
successful completion of a number of pre-defined development
milestones. Forward-looking statements This announcement includes
"forward-looking statements" that involve risks, uncertainties and
other factors, many of which are outside of our control that could
cause actual results to differ materially from the results
discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives,
goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is
not historical information. We undertake no obligation to publicly
update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent
events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by
law. About Bavarian Nordic Bavarian Nordic A/S is a leading
industrial biotechnology company developing and producing novel
vaccines for the treatment and prevention of life-threatening
diseases with a large unmet medical need. The company's pipeline is
focused in the three areas; biodefence, cancer and infectious
diseases, and includes seven development programmes. Two programmes
are ready for Phase III: IMVAMUNE(R), a third-generation smallpox
vaccine is being developed under a contract with the US government,
and PROSTVAC(TM), a therapeutic vaccine for advanced prostate
cancer is being developed under a collaboration agreement with the
National Cancer Institute. Bavarian Nordic is listed on NASDAQ OMX
Copenhagen under the symbol BAVA. For more information please visit
http://www.bavarian-nordic.com/ DATASOURCE: Bavarian Nordic A/S
CONTACT: Contact: Anders Hedegaard, President & CEO, Bavarian
Nordic, +45-23-20-30-64
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