Argenx Reports First Quarter 2024 Financial Results And Provides Business Update
| Three months ended | |||||||||
| March 31, | |||||||||
| (in thousands of $ except for shares and EPS) | 2024 | 2023 | Variance | ||||||
| Product net sales | $ | 398,283 | $ | 218,022 | $ | 180,261 | |||
| Collaboration revenue | 2,718 | 1,118 | (1,600) | ||||||
| Other operating income | 11,512 | 10,740 | 772 | ||||||
| Total operating income | 412,513 | 229,880 | 182,633 | ||||||
| Cost of sales | (43,178) | (18,335) | (24,843) | ||||||
| Research and development expenses | (224,969) | (165,855) | (59,114) | ||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (235,995) | (149,172) | (86,823) | ||||||
| Loss from investment in joint venture | (1,792) | (261) | (1,531) | ||||||
| Total operating expenses | (505,934) | (333,623) | (172,311) | ||||||
| Operating loss | $ | (93,421) | $ | (103,743) | $ | 10,322 | |||
| Financial income | 38,895 | 16,588 | 22,307 | ||||||
| Financial expense | (512) | (188) | (324) | ||||||
| Exchange gains/(losses) | (19,312) | 11,165 | (30,477) | ||||||
| Loss for the period before taxes | $ | (74,350) | $ | (76,178) | $ | 1,828 | |||
| Income tax benefit/(expense) | $ | 12,753 | $ | 47,307 | $ | (34,554) | |||
| Loss for the period | $ | (61,597) | $ | (28,871) | $ | (32,726) | |||
| Loss for the period attributable to: | |||||||||
| Owners of the parent | $ | (61,597) | $ | (28,871) | $ | (32,726) | |||
| Weighted average number of shares outstanding | 59,309,996 | 55,555,186 | 3,754,810 | ||||||
| Basic and diluted (loss) per share (in $) | (1.04) | (0.52) | (0.52) | ||||||
| Net increase/(decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets compared to year-end 2023 and 2022 | (75,378) | (185,035) | 109,657 | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents and current financial assets at the end of the period | 3,104,466 | 2,007,513 |
DETAILS OF THE FINANCIAL RESULTS
Total operating income for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $413 million compared to $230 million for the same period in 2023, and consists of:
- Product net sales of VYVGART and VYVGART SC for the three months ended March 31, 2024, were $398 million compared to $218 million for the same period in 2023. Collaboration revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $3 million compared to $1 million for the same period in 2023. Collaboration revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024, includes $2 million in royalty revenue from VYVGART sales in China. Other operating income for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $12 million compared to $11 million for the same period in 2023. The other operating income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, primarily relates to research and development tax incentives.
Total operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024, were $506 million compared to $334 million for the same period in 2023, and mainly consists of:
- Cost of sales for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $43 million compared to $18 million for the same period in 2023. The cost of sales was recognized with respect to the sale of VYVGART and VYVGART SC. Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024, were $225 million compared to $166 million for the same period in 2023. The research and development expenses mainly relate to external research and development expenses and personnel expenses incurred in the clinical development of efgartigimod in various indications and the expansion of other clinical and preclinical pipeline candidates. Selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024, were $236 million compared to $149 million for the same period in 2023. The selling, general and administrative expenses mainly relate to professional and marketing fees linked to the commercialization of VYVGART and VYVGART SC, and personnel expenses.
Financial income for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $39 million compared to $17 million for the same period in 2023. The increase in financial income is mainly due to an increase in interest income coming from an increase of cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets as a result of the July 2023 financing round.
Exchange losses for the three months ended March 31, 2024, were $19 million compared to $11 million of exchange gains for the same period in 2023. Exchange gains/losses are mainly attributable to unrealized exchange rate gains or losses on the cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets denominated in Euro.
Income tax for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $13 million of income tax benefit compared to $47 million of income tax benefit for the same period in 2023. Income tax benefit for the three months ended March 31, 2024, consists of $6 million of current income tax expense and $19 million of deferred tax benefit, compared to $11 million of current income tax expense and $58 million of deferred tax benefit for the comparable prior period.
Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $62 million compared to $29 million for the same period in 2023. On a per weighted average share basis, the net loss was $1.04 and $0.52 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets totalled $3.1 billion as of March 31, 2024, compared to $3.2 billion as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents and current financial assets result from net cash flows used in operating activities.
FINANCIAL GUIDANCE
Based on its current operating plans, argenx expects its combined Research and development and Selling, general and administrative expenses in 2024 to be less than $2 billion. argenx expects to utilize up to $500 million of net cash in 2024 on these anticipated operating expenses as well as working capital and capital expenditures.
EXPECTED 2024 FINANCIAL CALENDAR
- July 25, 2024: Q2 2024 financial results and business update October 31, 2024: Q3 2024 financial results and business update
CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS
The first quarter 2024 financial results and business update will be discussed during a conference call and webcast presentation today at 2:30 PM CET/8:30 AM ET. A webcast of the live call may be accessed on the Investors section of the argenx website at argenx/investors. A replay of the webcast will be available on the argenx website.
Dial-in numbers:
Please dial in 15 minutes prior to the live call.
Belgium 32 800 50 201
France 33 800 943355
Netherlands 31 20 795 1090
United Kingdom 44 800 358 0970
United States 1 800 715 9871
Japan 81 3 4578 9081
Switzerland 41 43 210 11 32
About argenx
argenx is a global immunology company committed to improving the lives of people suffering from severe autoimmune diseases. Partnering with leading academic researchers through its Immunology Innovation Program (IIP), argenx aims to translate immunology breakthroughs into a world-class portfolio of novel antibody-based medicines. argenx developed and is commercializing the first approved neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) blocker, globally in the U.S., Japan, Israel, the EU, the UK, China and Canada. The Company is evaluating efgartigimod in multiple serious autoimmune diseases and advancing several earlier stage experimental medicines within its therapeutic franchises. For more information, visit and follow us on LinkedIn , X/Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , and YouTube .
For further information, please contact:
Media:
Ben Petok
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Investors:
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Forward-looking Statements
The contents of this announcement include statements that are, or may be deemed to be,“forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms“aim,”“anticipates,”“believes,”“continue,”“expects,”“will,”“plan,”“prepare,” or“should” and include statements argenx makes regarding its commitment to provide patients with the broadest generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) product offerings; the ability to scale the organization and prepare for CIDP; the preparation for registrational trials across multiple programs including empasiprubart in MMN and efgartigimod in Sjogren's disease; the pending regulatory decisions for gMG in Switzerland, Australia, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, and VYVGART SC in China through Zai Lab; regulatory submissions in Europe and Canada; its plans to expand label for VYVGART in seronegative gMG patients into broader MG populations; the planned FDA submission for VYVGART SC prefilled syringe for gMG and CIDP in second quarter of 2024; its aim to solidify its Fc receptor (FcRn) leadership and expectation that efgartigimod will be approved or under evaluation in at least 15 autoimmune diseases by 2025; its advancement of earlier stage pipeline programs; its evaluation of ARGX-119; its expected updates on BALLAD study development plan by end of 2024; data readouts and regulatory milestones and plans, including the timing of planned clinical trials and expected data readouts; its investigational new drug applications for four new pipeline candidates through the Immunology Innovation Program expected to be filed by the end of 2025; and its 2024 research and development and selling, general and administrative expenses and operating expenses. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. argenx's actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the results of argenx's clinical trials; expectations regarding the inherent uncertainties associated with the development of novel drug therapies; preclinical and clinical trial and product development activities and regulatory approval requirements in products and product candidates; the acceptance of argenx's products and product candidates by patients as safe, effective and cost-effective; the impact of governmental laws and regulations on our business; disruptions caused on our reliance of third parties suppliers, service provides and manufacturing; inflation and deflation and the corresponding fluctuations in interest rates; the results of the PDUFA review; and regional instability and conflicts. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in argenx's U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and reports, including in argenx's most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC as well as subsequent filings and reports filed by argenx with the SEC. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of publication of this document. argenx undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise the information in this press release, including any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.
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