SAN CARLOS, Calif., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nektar Therapeutics today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2008.
“2008 was a transformational year for Nektar,” said Howard W. Robin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nektar. “Using our unique polymer conjugation chemistry platform, we advanced numerous proprietary drug candidates into clinical and preclinical development. Further, we significantly strengthened our financial position with the sale of pulmonary delivery assets and the buy-back of $100 million of convertible debt at a substantial discount. Nektar is exceptionally well-positioned as we enter 2009.”
Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2008 Financial Results
Nektar completed two significant transactions during the fourth quarter of 2008:
- - The company repurchased $100.0 million of its 3.25% convertible subordinated notes for $47.8 million. As a result, the company recognized a gain of $50.1 million in the fourth quarter, net of transaction costs of $1.0 million and accelerated amortization of our deferred financing costs of $1.1 million.
- - Nektar completed the divestiture of certain of its pulmonary delivery assets to Novartis for $115.0 million on December 31, 2008. As a result of the completion of this transaction, the company recognized a gain of $69.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments at December 31, 2008 were $379.0 million.
Revenue for the three month period ended December 31, 2008 was $28.4 million compared to revenue of $65.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. For the twelve months of 2008, revenue was $90.2 million as compared to $273.0 million in the same period of 2007. This decrease in revenue is primarily the result of lower product manufacturing revenues due to the termination of the company’s inhaled insulin collaboration with Pfizer in late 2007.
Research and development expense was $154.4 million in 2008 as compared to $153.6 million for 2007. Included in the $154.4 million of overall research and development spending is approximately $82.0 million of new investments in Nektar preclinical and clinical development programs.
Nektar has also continued to make improvements to its operating efficiencies as compared to a year ago. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2008, the company’s general and administrative expense was $51.5 million as compared to $57.3 million for the same period a year ago.
Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 was $76.8 million or $0.83 per share, compared to net income of $39.0 million or $0.42 per share in the fourth quarter of 2007. For the year 2008, the company reported a net loss of $34.3 million or $0.37 per share, compared to a net loss of $32.8 million or $0.36 per share for 2007.
Conference Call to Discuss Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2008 Financial Results
The company also announced that due to scheduling considerations, the conference call to review results will now be held on March 2, 2009 at 2 PM Pacific Time. Details are below:
Howard Robin, president and chief executive officer, and John Nicholson, chief financial officer, will host a conference call beginning at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)/2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) on Monday, March 2, 2009.
A live audio-only Webcast of the conference call can be accessed through a link that is posted on the home page and Investor Relations section of the Nektar website: http://www.nektar.com.
An audio replay will also be available shortly after the call and will remain so through March 16, 2009.
About Nektar
Nektar Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics based on its PEGylation and advanced polymer conjugate technology platforms. Nektar’s technology and drug development expertise have enabled nine approved products for partners, which include leading biopharmaceutical companies. Nektar is also developing a robust pipeline of its own high-value therapeutics that addresses unmet medical needs by leveraging and expanding its technology platforms to improve and enable molecules. For more information on Nektar Therapeutics, please visit http://www.nektar.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the company’s current views regarding the potential of the company’s pipeline of proprietary drug candidates, the value and potential of the company’s technology, and the company’s financial position. These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: (i) the company’s proprietary product candidates and those of its collaboration partners are in various stages of clinical development and the risk of failure is high and can unexpectedly occur at any stage of development prior to regulatory approval for numerous reasons including safety and efficacy findings; (ii) the timing or success of the commencement or end of clinical trials and commercial launch of partnered products may be delayed or unsuccessful due to slower than anticipated patient enrollment, drug manufacturing challenges, changing standards of care, clinical trial design, clinical outcomes, or delay or failure in obtaining regulatory approval in one or more important markets; (iii) the company’s patent applications for its proprietary or partner product candidates may not issue, patents that have issued may not be enforceable, or intellectual property licenses from third parties may be required in the future; and (iv) the outcome of any future intellectual property or other litigation related to the company’s proprietary product candidates or complex commercial agreements. Other important risks and uncertainties are detailed in the company’s reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K. Actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. The company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CONTACT: Jennifer Ruddock of Nektar Therapeutics, +1-650-631-4954; or
Susan Noonan of SAN Group, +1-212-966-3650, for Nektar Therapeutics
Web site: http://www.nektar.com/
