Corporate | 12 November 2019 07:01
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DGAP-News: Evotec SE
/ Key word(s): 9 Month figures
Hamburg, Germany, 12 November 2019:
VERY STRONG FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE – DRIVING DRUG DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT FAST FORWARD
INCREASE IN EBITDA GUIDANCE FOR FULL-YEAR 2019
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
The gross margin in the first nine months of 2019 amounted to 30.7% (9M 2018: 30.1%). This increase in margin compared to 2018 is based on very good capacity utilisation and favourable FX. In the first nine months of 2019, Evotec focused its unpartnered R&D expenses of EUR 25.7 m primarily on initiatives in the fields of metabolic diseases, oncology, and platform projects. Its partnered R&D expenses of EUR 15.6 m on its infectious disease portfolio were shown under R&D while the expenses fully reimbursed by its partner Sanofi were recognised under other operating income. This split into unpartnered and partnered R&D expenses had not been applied in the first nine months of 2018, where total R&D expenses of EUR 16.0 m were recorded compared to total EUR 41.3 m in the reporting period. The Group’s selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased by 13% to EUR 46.2 m (9M 2018: EUR 40.8 m) in the first nine months of 2019. This increase is mainly due to overall company growth including staff increases, upgrading of systems, consultancy fees, plus expenses from acquired companies, equity and financing transactions. Impairments of intangible assets and goodwill of EUR 11.9 m were recorded (9M 2018: impairment of intangible assets of EUR 4.2 m). This one-off impairment was mainly due to the termination of the SGM-1019 agreement by our partner Second Genome, the programme was fully impaired (EUR 10.3 m). This impairment of intangible assets in addition triggered a goodwill impairment of EUR 1.6 m of the cash-generating unit Evotec (US) Innovate. All rights of the underlying asset were returned to Evotec. The strong increase in the adjusted Group EBITDA to EUR 93.2 m (9M 2018: EUR 68.7 m), resulted mainly from the very strong performance in the base business, solid milestones and licence contributions, a positive EBITDA contribution by Just – Evotec Biologics and effects from the first-time application of the new accounting standard IFRS 16 (+EUR 10.1 m). In the first nine months of 2019, Evotec’s operating result was EUR 46.4 m (9M 2018: EUR 59.5 m). A year on year comparison is not meaningful, as 2018 was significantly positively affected by a one-off impact from the bargain purchase ID Lyon in 2018 (EUR 15.4 m). The Company’s net result for the first nine months of 2019 amounted to EUR 29.7 m (9M 2018: EUR 52.3 m) and also cannot be compared like for like as it was affected by the one-off effect of the impairments on intangible assets and goodwill. Evotec ended the third quarter of 2019 with a strong liquidity position of EUR 282.6 m (31 December 2018: EUR 149.5 m), which was composed of cash and cash equivalents (EUR 249.6 m) and investments (EUR 33.0 m). In the first nine months of 2019, liquidity was primarily affected by the completion of the repayment of the remainder of the EUR 140 m debt bridge facility drawn down in context of the acquisition of Aptuit in August 2017 as well as the repayment of flexible bank loan agreements, the successful issue of a promissory note (Schuldschein) worth EUR 250 m, gross, at very attractive interest rates of below 1.5%, as well as the draw-down of another tranche of the European Investment Bank R&D loan and the acquisition of Just – Evotec Biologics.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
The Just – Evotec Biologics integration into the Evotec Group is fully on track. In the first three months since the acquisition, Just – Evotec Biologics signed new agreements e.g. with Teva and Biocon Biologics. EVT Innovate continued to deliver strong progress within its collaborations, signed important new contracts and extensions plus achieved major advances in Evotec’s co-owned pipeline. Bayer achieved positive Phase II POC results with its P2X3 antagonist in chronic cough showing good efficacy and safety. Evotec’s academic BRIDGE portfolio has been expanded through LAB555 (after period-end), the first BRIDGE built in Israel. The partnership aims to expedite drug discovery and development by providing efficient translation of early stage Hebrew University research. Evotec continues to invest in promising companies with operational synergies. Evotec was participating in Aeovian’s series A financing after successfully delivering Aeovian’s first candidate drug, and formed its second spin-off Breakpoint Therapeutics, a virtual company focusing on the development of Evotec’s DNA damage response portfolio. Furthermore, Evotec invested in the NewCo Immunitas Therapeutics, a Boston-based monoclonal antibody company. Furthermore, Evotec expanded its position, being at the forefront of women’s health and anti-infective drug discovery. Evotec entered an alliance with Celmatix, a partnership to develop pre-clinical programmes in prevalent but underserved conditions affecting women’s reproductive health, including polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, and infertility. In the field of anti-infectives, Evotec closed additional collaborations, e.g. kicking off “GNA Now”, a new initiative for the development of novel antibacterial agents. The increasing recognition of antibiotic resistance as growing threat to public healthcare systems enabled Evotec to receive grants for projects to further accelerate drug discovery efforts in this area of high medical need. After period-end, Evotec and Vifor Pharma launched a joint venture focused on the discovery and development of novel nephrology therapeutics. Both companies will hold a 50% share, with Vifor Pharma benefiting from access to an external R&D capability for the development of a Nephrology pipeline, while Evotec will gain access to a commercial partner for assets developed through the Joint Venture. The initial funding of EUR 25 m for pre-clinical development will be covered by Vifor Pharma, while Evotec contributes its PanHunter bioinformatics platform and high-quality data sets from thousands of human kidney disease patients to the Joint Venture.
INCREASE IN EBITDA GUIDANCE FOR FULL-YEAR 2019
1)
Based on current/updated FX rates
Conference call details
A simultaneous slide presentation for participants dialling in via phone is available at https://webcasts.eqs.com/evotec20191112/no-audio.
Webcast details
A replay of the conference call will be available for 24 hours and can be accessed from Germany by dialling +49 69 201744221, from UK by dialling +44 20 3364 5150 and from USA by dialling +1 (844) 307-9362. The access code is 315534326#. The on-demand version of the webcast will be available on our website: https://www.evotec.com/financial-reports .
Note
The accounting policies used to prepare this interim information are the same as those used to prepare the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2018, except for the adoption of IFRS 16 which is applied at Evotec as of 01 January 2019.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Key figures of consolidated interim income statement
In TEUR except share data and per share data
1)
Including reclasses of recharges according to IFRS 15
1)
Before contingent considerations, income from bargain purchase and excluding impairments on goodwill, other intangible and tangible assets as
well as the total non-operating result
1)
Including reclasses of recharges according to IFRS 15
Contact Evotec SE: Gabriele Hansen, SVP Corporate Communications, Marketing & Investor Relations, Phone: +49.(0)40.56081-255, gabriele.hansen@evotec.com
12.11.2019 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP – a service of EQS Group AG.
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| Language: | English |
| Company: | Evotec SE |
| Manfred Eigen Campus / Essener Bogen 7 | |
| 22419 Hamburg | |
| Germany | |
| Phone: | +49 (0)40 560 81-0 |
| Fax: | +49 (0)40 560 81-222 |
| E-mail: | info@evotec.com |
| Internet: | www.evotec.com |
| ISIN: | DE0005664809 |
| WKN: | 566480 |
| Indices: | MDAX, TecDAX |
| Listed: | Regulated Market in Berlin, Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange |
| EQS News ID: | 909991 |
| End of News | DGAP News Service |