Salut tout le monde,
sur KBC ce matin :
€ 55.00
RATING UNCHANGED
Source: Thomson Reuters Datastream
News:
Galapagos reported 1H15 financials which largely confirmed the anticipated trend of lower top-line and higher R&D costs. The cash position is very strong. The outlook for the full year remains unchanged.
Our View:
Galapagos reported a 1H15 top-line drop of 18% in line with our expectation € 37m (CSS € 34m). The drop relates to lower milestone payments from partners (€ 1.4m vs € 10m in 1H14) and revenues now largely exist of non-cash AbbVie upfront payment recognitions. Other income was stable at € 10m. R&D expenses strongly increased to € 63m (more than expected, KBCSs of € 58m, vs € 53m in 1H14). G&A and S&M increased to € 9m versus € 7.4m in 1H15. This resulted in an expected higher operating loss of -€ 36m (vs -€ 16m in 1H14). Adding a € 1.5m tax (recognition of deferred asset) the net loss widened to -€ 34m (vs -€ 15m in 1H14).
The strong cash position of € 404m is well in-line with expectations, following the successful capital increase linked to the NASDAQ listing and € 10m from exercised warrants. As expected, GLPG’s operational cash burn substantially increased in 1H15, reaching € 62m vs € 42m in 1H14. For the full year, the company reiterates it operational cash burn of € 110-130m. Regarding future cash on the balance sheet, Galapagos indicates to be eligible for € 36m of French tax receivables, payable in 4.5 yearly tranches, and € 22m in Belgian R&D tax incentives, payable as of 2016.
In its outlook for the remainder of the year, the company largely reiterates previously communicated timelines:
- filgotinib Darwin2 24 week data in rheumatoid arthritis are still expected this month (the Darwin1 24 week data confirmed last week the 12week data, and we expect Darwin2 24 week data to confirm as well), and AbbVie is to make licensing decision thereafter.
- A second cystic fibrosis (CF) corrector pre-clinical molecule will be nominated this quarter and top-line of the phase 1 study (in healthy subjects) with the potentiator is expected in 4Q15. The start of the CF potentiator phase 2 and the phase 1 of the first corrector are still expected before YE15.
- Phase 2 data of filgotinib in crohn's: in a separate press-release, Galapagos announced the phase 2 study (FITZROY) has recruited all patients (175 pts, 20 weeks treatment). The interim result at 10 weeks will be reported before YE15 while the final 20 week data will be reported in 1Q16. The first part has induction at 200mg versus placebo, the second part has induction at 100mg versus placebo and maintenance at 200 and 100 mg.
- Progress is expected in earlier stage R&D programs
Conclusion:
The 1H15 financial report conformed the expectation: the top-line came down due to lower alliance income, increasing R&D cost due to the maturing pipeline and one of the strongest cash positions in the European midcap biotech space. The outlook yields no surprises, nor in the financials, nor in the timelines of near-term news flows. We believe the next stock trigger is AbbVie's decision regarding filgotinib, whereby the market attributes a high probability that it will be inlicensed. Conference call at 2PM.
Je me taperais bien la tête au mur d'avoir largué à 19,55 €.
Bien à vous,
demat