Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Headquarters) Reports Third Quarter 2010 Results

ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOR) today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2010. Net sales totaled $31.3 million and net income was $11.5 million or $0.18 per diluted common share for the quarter ended September 30, 2010. The Company’s financial performance was driven primarily by an increase in net sales for Acthar in the treatment of acute exacerbations of multiple sclerosis (MS). Acthar net sales for the treatment of infantile spasms (IS) continued to be within its historic range.

In the third quarter of 2009, the Company reported net income of $1.2 million or $0.02 per diluted common share on net sales of $13.9 million. Questcor’s financial results in the third quarter of 2009 were negatively affected by the combination of a lower number of prescriptions for the treatment of IS, unusually high amounts of Medicaid rebates related to Acthar usage in previous quarters, and rebate reserves related to usage by the Tricare pharmacy network.

In the second quarter of 2010, the Company reported net income of $9.3 million or $0.14 per diluted common share on net sales of $28.3 million.

“The third quarter of 2010 results reflect the continued execution of our straightforward growth strategy for Acthar,” said Don M. Bailey, President and CEO of Questcor. “We continue to have success in educating neurologists about the benefits of Acthar for patients afflicted with acute exacerbations of MS who have medical issues with steroids, the first-line treatment for this condition.

“With the recent approval from the FDA to market Acthar for the treatment of infantile spasms, we have initiated our commercial efforts in this therapeutic area,” continued Mr. Bailey. “Importantly, the approval of Acthar as a treatment for IS also resulted in an updated and modernized label that allows for Acthar to be used in the treatment of 19 diseases and disorders. In addition to the treatment of IS and MS, the label includes two indications for nephrotic syndrome (NS). We believe that the NS market represents a significant opportunity for Questcor.”

Net sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 totaled $85.8 million, compared to $62.4 million for the same period of 2009. Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 was $28.7 million, or $0.45 per diluted common share, compared to $18.2 million, or $0.27 per diluted common share, for the first nine months of 2009.

Acthar Sales for MS, IS and NS

During the third quarter of 2010, Questcor shipped 1,890 vials of Acthar compared to 1,354 vials in the third quarter of 2009. Because Acthar prescriptions are filled at specialty pharmacies, the Company does not receive complete information regarding either the number of prescriptions or the number of vials by therapeutic area for all of the patients being treated with Acthar. However, Questcor is able to monitor trends in payer mix and areas of therapeutic use for new Acthar prescriptions based on data it receives from its reimbursement support center. Questcor estimates that over 90% of new Acthar prescriptions are processed by this support center, but believes that very few refill prescriptions are processed there.

In order to help investors better understand historical trends in sales of Acthar for each of its three key therapeutic uses, acute exacerbations of multiple sclerosis (MS), infantile spasms (IS), and nephrotic syndrome (NS), Questcor has grouped new prescriptions processed by its reimbursement center into two groups -- “Paid” and “Fully Rebated.” “Paid” prescriptions include those prescriptions for which Questcor retains the full selling price for Acthar, as well as a relatively small number of Tricare prescriptions that receive a 24% rebate. “Fully Rebated” prescriptions are those for which Questcor can identify that it has recorded a rebate liability approximately equal to or greater than the price charged to its distributor. From time to time during the past two years, the rebate liability for some government insurance programs has shifted between these two categories. Therefore, the prescriptions that fall into the “Paid” and “Fully Rebated” categories have also shifted over time as follows:

“Paid” prescriptions (Rxs) include all prescriptions in the following payer categories:

• Commercial--For all time periods.
• Tricare--For 2008 and 2010 (but not 2009).
• Medicaid Managed Care--For all time periods through March 22, 2010 (see Note 1 below the tables).

“Fully Rebated” prescriptions (Rxs) include:

• Those reimbursed by fee-for-service Medicaid insurance and other state programs eligible for full rebates as Medicaid Waivers Programs for all time periods.
• Tricare--For 2009.
• Medicaid Managed Care--For all time periods beginning March 23, 2010 (see Note 1 below the tables).

The following tables show, for each of the three key Acthar therapeutic uses, the number of new prescriptions shipped grouped into “Paid” and “Fully Rebated":