LEIDEN, NETHERLANDS--(Marketwire - December 09, 2011) - Biotech company Pharming Group NV
("Pharming" or "the Company") (NYSE Euronext: PHARM) today announced that, as
a
result of International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") requirements,
the
Company has a relatively small negative equity position. The development of a
negative equity position does not have any cash implications. As previously
guided, Pharming is funded into the second quarter of 2012.
On November 17, 2011 the Company reported its (unaudited) financial results
for
the third quarter of 2011 as prepared in compliance with IFRS. On September
30, 2011 the equity position as reported amounted to EUR2.2 million, which
stems
from historical losses incurred and which are common within the biotech
industry
for companies in similar stages of development. Primarily due to sustaining
net
losses as attributed to equity after the end of the third quarter 2011, equity
has become negative as per the date of this press release.
This negative equity does not affect Pharming's cash position which was EUR9.8
million on September 30, 2011 and approximately EUR6.8 million as per the date
of
this press release. This excludes approximately EUR 1.1 million to be received
from SOBI for upcoming Q4 2011 - Q2 2012 supplies.
The Company has, as of the end of the third quarter 2011, EUR17.9 million of
deferred license fee income. This deferred license fee income represents the
remainder of the EUR20 million licensing payments that Pharming received in
the
course of 2010 from its partners Santarus Inc (SNTS) and Swedish Orphan
Biovitrum (SOBI). These fees are, in compliance with IFRS, released to the
statement of income over the lifetime of the respective agreements, instead of
being recognized in full when the license fees were irrevocably paid to
Pharming
in 2010. Adjusted for these items, the equity position at the end of the third
quarter 2011 would have amounted to EUR20.1 million. However, as a result of
the
requirements of IFRS such a classification is not permitted.
Pharming is continuously reviewing its financial and liquidity position and
has
various options to improve its equity standing under IFRS. Most notably, the
Company highlights that, as previously guided, it expects to receive two
development milestones in 2012 associated with the successful readout of Study
1310 (USD 10 million) and acceptance of the BLA filing (USD 5 million) by the
FDA. Under IFRS, Pharming expects to be able to recognize these milestones
immediately and thus augment the equity position.
In conjunction with the above, Pharming is also considering to increase the
number of authorized shares to augment the equity position and in such a case,
will request its shareholders for approval of such an increase at the Annual
General Meeting of Shareholders ("AGM") which is currently scheduled for April
25, 2012. Alternatively, Pharming may decide to hold an Extraordinary General
Meeting of Shareholders ("EGM") at an earlier date. The current number of
outstanding shares is approximately 490 million shares with an additional
number
of approximately 20 million shares reserved for existing commitments and
another
40 million shares available for issue (subject to legal requirements such as
the
approval of a prospectus).
Management of the Company has been in contact with NYSE Euronext and is
committed to comply with Euronext Amsterdam Notice 2011-001 paragraph 3. In
accordance with Euronext Amsterdam Notice 2011-001 NYSE Euronext will not
impose
listing measures concerning the Company's negative equity position as long as
the Company complies with the requirements set out in paragraph 3 of Euronext
Amsterdam Notice 2011-011. The full text of Euronext Amsterdam Notice 2011-001
in both Dutch and English can be found through the following link:
http://europeanequities.nyx.com/sites/europeanequities.nyx.com/files/euronext_amsterdam_-_notice_2011-001.pdf.
About Pharming Group NV
Pharming Group NV is developing innovative products for the treatment of unmet
medical needs. RUCONEST® (RHUCIN® in non-European territories) is a
recombinant human C1 inhibitor approved for the treatment of angioedema
attacks
in patients with HAE in all 27 EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and
Liechtenstein, and is distributed in the EU by Swedish Orphan Biovitrum.
Rhucin® is partnered with Santarus Inc (NASDAQ: SNTS) in North America
where
the drug is undergoing Phase III clinical development. The product is also
being
evaluated for follow-on indications in the areas of transplantation and
reperfusion injury. The advanced technologies of the Company include
innovative
platforms for the production of protein therapeutics, technology and processes
for the purification and formulation of these products. Additional information
is available on the Pharming website, www.pharming.com.
This press release contains forward looking statements that involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different
from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these
forward looking statements.
# # #
Press release (PDF):
http://hugin.info/132866/R/1570226/488234.pdf
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originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Pharming Group N.V. via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1570226]
