Copenhagen, 2013-08-14 08:30 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
ALK (OMX: ALK B) (unaudited)
Performance for the period
(Comparative figures for 2012 are shown in brackets / sales growth is measured in local currencies)
Revenue and operating profit (EBITDA) in Q2 were as anticipated:
- Revenue grew to DKK 532 million (515) driven by a 6% increase in product sales.
- The adrenaline pen Jext® performed strongly and the European vaccine sales stabilised after a negative trend in the last three quarters.
- EBITDA in this low-season quarter improved from a loss of DKK 23 million last year to a loss of DKK 9 million.
- In H1, revenue and EBITDA hence amounted to DKK 1,142 million (1,122) and DKK 92 million (79), respectively.
Pipeline activities
ALK's development programmes for allergy immunotherapy (AIT) tablets made substantial progress and the strategic partnerships with Merck for North America and Torii for Japan are moving ahead as planned:
- ALK reported positive results from both pivotal Phase III trials with the HDM (house dust mite) AIT tablet for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma. The results allow for a regulatory filing in Europe in 2014.
- Torii’s two parallel Phase II/III trials with the HDM AIT tablet for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma are on track and are expected to be completed in 2014.
- The FDA has accepted the Biologics License Applications for grass AIT and ragweed AIT tablets for review and the regulatory processes are on-going. Regulatory reviews of the two products are also on-going in Canada.
Financial guidance
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Unchanged outlook for 2013. Revenue expected to exceed DKK 2.3 billion. EBITDA before special items expected at DKK 200-300 million. The guidance continues to be subject to the timing of a significant milestone payment.
Hørsholm, 14 August 2013
ALK-Abelló A/S
Contact:
Jens Bager, President and CEO, tel. +45 4574 7576
Investor Relations: Per Plotnikof, tel. +45 4574 7527, mobile +45 2261 2525
Press: Martin Barlebo, tel. +45 4574 7901, mobile +45 2064 1143
Today, ALK hosts a conference call for analysts and investors at 2.00 p.m. (CET) at which Jens Bager, President and CEO, Flemming Pedersen, CFO and Henrik Jacobi, EVP R&D, will review the financial results, the outlook and the key results from the recently completed pivotal MERIT and MITRA trials with ALK’s new allergy immunotherapy (AIT) tablet for the treatment of house dust mite-induced respiratory diseases. The conference call will be audio cast on www.alk-abello.com/investor. Participants in the audio cast are kindly requested to call in before 1.55 p.m. (CET). Danish participants should call in on tel. +45 7026 5040 or +45 7027 9009 and international participants should call in on tel. +44 20 8817 9301. The audio cast is available live on our website, where the related presentation will be available shortly before the call begins.
