XIANYANG, China, Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Biostar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ GM: BSPM) (“Biostar” or “the Company”), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of pharmaceutical and health supplement products for a variety of diseases and conditions, today announced its financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2011.
Third Quarter 2011 vs. 2010
- Net sales increased 22.8% to $24,779,420 from $20,178,917;
- Gross margin was 69.9% as compared to 72.9%;
- Income from operations increased 23.1% to $5,938,341, compared to $4,822,405; and,
- Net income increased 30.0% to $4,463,737, or $0.16 per diluted share, compared to $3,433,454, or $0.13 per diluted share.
Nine Months 2011 vs. 2010
- Net sales increased 27.0% to $65,980,481 from $51,937,483;
- Gross margin was 70.7% as compared to 74.4%;
- Income from operations increased slightly to $15,616,824, compared to $15,487,801; and,
- Net income slightly increased to $11,339,884, or $0.41 per diluted share, compared to $11,275,824 or $0.41 per diluted share.
Ronghua Wang, Biostar’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman commented, “Net sales for 2011 third quarter and nine months increased by approximately 23% and 27%, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2010, due to our ongoing efforts to gain market share in our current locations as well as to expand our operations into new provinces.”
Mr. Wang continued, “Of note, 2011 third quarter net sales decreased by 4.4% compared to the 2011 second quarter, primarily due to lower sales of our flagship product Xin Aoxing Capsule and the Tianqi Dysmenorrhea Capsule, and Taohuasan Pediatrics Medicine, due primarily to increased competition. To deal with increased competition facing our Xin Aoxing Capsule, at the end of the second quarter of 2011 we started a “Buy 3 Get 1 Free” promotion and as a result, third quarter sales volume increased, but net sales in dollar value slightly decreased as compared to the 2011 second quarter. Despite this anomaly, Xin Aoxing Capsule continues to be our main growth catalyst, as net sales for 2011 third quarter and nine months increased by 26% (to $16.3 million or 66% of total net sales) and 28% (to $44.5 million of 68% of total net sales), from the respective periods in 2010. Net sales from rural markets were approximately $4.8 million and $11.5 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, respectively, an increase of 34% and 32% compared to the same periods of 2010. Our goal is to enhance our marketing efforts in rural markets where there is less competition and more patients in need of our pharmaceutical and health products.”
Mr. Wang noted, “Our gross margin for both the third quarter and nine month periods decreased due to a significant increase in raw materials costs, especially those used in Taohuasan Pediatrics Medicine, Danshen Granule, and Tianqi Dysmenorrhea Capsule. The Xin Aoxing Capsule gross margin remained constant at more than 80%. We have taken steps to control the cost and quality of our raw materials by planting and growing 13 herbs at our 82 acre plantation in Qinling Mountains. Two of the herbs, salvia miltiorrhiza and honeysuckle, have been harvested and are being used as raw materials; other herbs should be ready for harvest in 2012.”
Mr. Wang added, “Due to higher advertising expenditures, total selling expenses in dollar value for both reporting periods increased; as a percentage of net sales, selling expenses for the third quarter decreased slightly to 42% as compared to 43% in the same period of last year, and for the nine month period increased less than two percentage points to 41%. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales decreased in the third quarter due to better efficiency achieved by economies of scale; general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales for the 2011 nine month period increased due to approximately $1.1 million of stock-based compensation awarded to employees during the second quarter of 2011.”
Biostar’s CFO, Zack Pan noted, “Our balance sheet remains strong. Total current assets at September 30, 2011 were $59.6 million vs. total current liabilities of $11.3 million for a 5.3:1 current ratio. We continue to fund our business from our free cash flow. As of September 30, 2011, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $24.0 million. Net cash provided by operating activities through September 30, 2011 was approximately $11.8 million; net cash used by investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was approximately $2.3 million. We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents are sufficient to fund our current operations.”
Mr. Wang added, “We continue to execute our strategy to grow our Company organically and through acquisitions. On the organic side, during the first nine months of 2011 we have expanded our geographic coverage by adding three new provinces into our network, for a total of 25 provinces, and have increased our rural presence in the province of Shaanxi to over 11,800 sales outlets. To further increase our market share, we have expanded our sales force to over 300 people and increased our advertising spending. Additionally, we continue to invest in the development of several innovative products. Our team of 30 scientists and researchers continues to develop new products and we currently have seven OTC products and prescription drugs in our pipeline. Clinical trials for all seven have been completed and await State Food and Drug Administration approval.”
Mr. Wang concluded, “In addition, we recently completed the acquisition of Shaanxi Weinan for an aggregate cash price of RMB 61 million (approximately $9.62 million). This acquisition increased our portfolio of drug approvals and permits by an additional 86 drugs (60 prescription drugs and 26 OTC drugs) and one health product. Currently, we are manufacturing seven products at Shaanxi Weinan’s facilities and we plan to start manufacturing four more in early 2012. As previously announced, we expect to generate at least $5 million in net sales in 2012 from the newly acquired product line.”
Reaffirming 2011 Guidance
Biostar reaffirmed its previously announced 2011 guidance for top-line growth of 20-25%. By year end, the Company expects to have 13,000 rural sales outlets, an increase of 3,000 from 2010 year-end.
Conference Call
Interested parties may participate in the call by dialing (480) 629-9857. Please call in 10 minutes before the conference is scheduled to begin and ask for the Biostar call or use pass code 4487920. After opening remarks, there will be a question and answer period. Questions may be asked during the live call, or alternatively, you may e-mail questions in advance to lcati@equityny.com.
The conference call will also be broadcast live over the Internet. To listen to the webcast, please go to http://viavid.net/dce.aspx?sid=00009006 or visit Biostar’s website http://www.biostarpharmaceuticals.com and then to Investors page where the conference call is posted. Please go to the website at least 15 minutes early to register, and download and install any necessary audio software. If you are unable to listen live, the conference call will be archived and can be accessed for approximately 90 days. We suggest listeners use Microsoft Internet Explorer as their web browser.
Replay will be available until 11:59 pm E.T. November 22, 2011. To listen, please call (858) 384-5517 and use pass code 4487920.
About Biostar Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Biostar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary and controlled affiliate in China, develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical and health supplement products for a variety of diseases and conditions. The Company’s most popular product is its Xin Aoxing Oleanolic Acid Capsule, an over-the-counter (“OTC”) medicine for chronic hepatitis B, a disease affecting approximately 10% of the Chinese population. For more information please visit: http://www.biostarpharmaceuticals.com.
