VANCOUVER, April 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - QLT Inc. today reported that Novartis AG announced global sales of QLT’s Visudyne(R) (verteporfin) product of approximately US$106.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2006. This represents a decrease of 13.7% over sales in the first quarter of 2005.
QLT will release its first quarter financial results on Thursday, April 27, 2006, at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET).
QLT Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company specializing in developing treatments for eye diseases as well as dermatological and urological conditions. Together with our subsidiaries, we have combined our expertise in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative drug therapies with our two unique technology platforms, photodynamic therapy and Atrigel(R), to create products such as Visudyne(R) and Eligard(R). For more information, visit our web site at www.qltinc.com.
Conference Call Information
QLT Inc. will hold an investor conference call to discuss first quarter results on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 8:30 a.m. ET (5:30 a.m. PT). The call will be broadcast live via the Internet at www.qltinc.com. To participate in the call, please dial 1-800-525-6384 (North America) or 780-409-1668 (International) before 8:30 a.m. ET. A replay of the call will be available via the Internet and also via telephone at 1-800-695-2124 (North America) or 402-220-1754 (International), access code 9615303.
A full explanation of how QLT determines and recognizes revenue resulting from Visudyne sales is contained in the financial statements contained in our periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K, under the heading “Significant Accounting Policies - Revenue Recognition.” Visudyne sales are product sales by Novartis under its alliance with QLT.
QLT Inc.: --------- Vancouver, Canada Therese Hayes/Bal Bains Telephone: 604-707-7000 or 1-800-663-5486 Fax: 604-707-7001 Atrigel is a registered trademark of QLT USA, Inc. Visudyne is a registered trademark of Novartis AG. Eligard is a registered trademark of Sanofi-aventis.
QLT Inc. is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the trading symbol “QLTI” and on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “QLT.”
The Visudyne(R) sales figures in this press release are preliminary and unaudited and are not a complete disclosure of our quarterly financial results. Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking” statements and information of QLT within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. These statements and information are only predictions and actual events or results may differ materially. Factors that could cause such actual events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by such statements are described in detail in QLT’s Annual Information Form on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and QLT does not assume any obligation to update such information to reflect later events or developments, except as may be required by law.
QLT Inc.
CONTACT: QLT Inc.: Vancouver, Canada, Therese Hayes, Bal Bains, Telephone:(604) 707-7000 or 1-800-663-5486, Fax: (604) 707-7001; To request a freecopy of this organization’s annual report, please go tohttp://www.newswire.ca and click on Tools for Investors.
