Derma Sciences Reports Fourth Quarter Financial Results, Provides Commercial Update Including Sales Force Expansion and Progress in Launching New Placental-Derived Tissue Products

Conference call begins at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time today

PRINCETON, N.J.--()--Derma Sciences, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq:DSCI), a tissue regeneration and burn care company focused on advanced wound care, today reported financial and operating results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2013. Highlights of the fourth quarter of 2013 and recent weeks include:

  • Expanded the Advanced Wound Care (AWC) product line and entered the $500 million skin substitute market by licensing the AMNIO family of placental-derived tissue products
  • Decision made to increase sales and marketing resources in the first quarter of 2014 to support AWC sales growth
  • Received net proceeds of $80.7 million from an underwritten equity offering
  • Met with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to discuss next steps for the grant program providing funding towards the development of DSC127 as a treatment for ionizing radiation exposure
  • All sites in South Africa have been selected for the Phase 3 clinical trial with DSC127 for diabetic foot ulcer healing, with initial patient screening to begin in the first quarter of 2014
  • AWC product sales were up 22.5% over the fourth quarter of 2012
  • AWC products represented 45.6% of net sales, up from 38.3% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2012
  • Traditional Wound Care (TWC) product sales were $11.3 million, compared with $12.4 million in the prior-year fourth quarter
  • Net sales were $20.7 million, up 3% over the prior-year fourth quarter
  • Gross margin was 38.6%, up 3 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2012
  • Net loss was $5.4 million, or $0.31 per share, compared with a net loss of $3.7 million, or $0.27 per share, in the prior-year fourth quarter
  • Record net sales for the year were $79.7 million, up 9.7% over 2012

Management Commentary

“I am very proud of our many achievements during 2013 in pursuit of our goal of becoming a leading advanced wound care company in the U.S., with a particular focus on the treatment of chronic wounds,” said Edward J. Quilty, chairman and chief executive officer of Derma Sciences. “We have meaningfully added to our proprietary, high-margin product portfolio while expanding our sales and marketing infrastructure and increasing our customer base. We have a proven ability to grow sales of these products, and I note that in the fourth quarter sales of MEDIHONEY® products were up more than 29% over the prior year fourth quarter, while sales of TCC-EZ® products, which we acquired in April of 2012, increased nearly 36%. Our expanding sales and marketing organization is energized and excited to begin selling our expanded line of products.

“We accelerated the commercialization process for our two new placental-derived products AMNIOMATRIX® and AMNIOEXCEL®, and have begun to introduce them to customers. We recently hired a director of reimbursement and have begun the process of securing Medicare coverage through the nation’s eight Medicare Administrative Contractors, or MACs. Our products will be covered by Novitas Solutions, which is responsible for 11 states and the District of Columbia. Additionally, Palmetto GBA does not have a separate coverage policy for skin substitutes, so we will also introduce the products into the four states managed by this contractor. Relative to the geographic distribution of our TCC-EZ business, these 15 states and Washington, D.C. account for around 40%. This is key, as we see great synergy between these parts of our business. We believe this will allow us to have a rapid start in capturing a share of the $500 million skin substitute market. The AMNIO products have higher gross margins, and we expect a positive return on our investment next year,” Mr. Quilty added.

Barry Wolfenson, the Company’s group president, advanced wound care and pharmaceutical development commented, “We continue to enroll patients and qualify sites in our Phase 3 clinical trials with DSC127 for diabetic foot ulcers. We have initiated all sites in South Africa and most of the sites will begin screening patients next week. In addition, we have begun a direct-to-consumer media campaign to support enrollment here in the U.S. We expect trial enrollment to be completed in mid-2015 with top-line data readout early in 2016. We are continuing preclinical work with DSC127 on scar reduction, while working with BARDA to begin further studies with DSC127 to prevent/treat dermal burns resulting from exposure to radiation in the event of a nuclear attack. Pending further analysis of the work done thus far, we will also consider a program directly focused on the prevention/treatment of radiation dermatitis. DSC127 represents a platform technology with a potential market of well over $1 billion, with the U.S. diabetic foot ulcer market alone exceeding $300 million,” Mr. Wolfenson concluded.

Mr. Quilty continued, “While TWC sales were down in the fourth quarter in line with expectations, the segment continues to provide positive cash flow. The sales decline was attributable to the previously mentioned lost business in Canada and lower U.S. sales due principally to timing and new customer delivery delays,” Mr. Quilty added.

Financial Guidance

Derma Sciences affirms guidance for 2014 revenues to be approximately $92 million and organic sales growth of AWC products to be in excess of 30%. TWC revenues are expected to grow between 2% and 5%. The Company also affirms expectations for the total cost of the DSC127 Phase 3 program up to the filing of a New Drug Application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be approximately $55 million to $60 million.

“We are expecting first quarter revenues to be largely consistent with fourth quarter revenues due primarily to two factors,” commented Mr. Quilty. “First, the inclement weather in much of the country negatively impacted sales as patient visits to wound care clinics were down. In addition, realigning sales territories as we continue to add sales representatives is temporarily impacting growth. We welcomed 14 new U.S. salespeople since the end of the fourth quarter, and we are in the process of adding more as we take advantage of the current disruption in the skin substitute market. We now have 84 people in our sales organization domestically and 10 in our international organization, including Canada. We also plan to add more specialists to support our AMNIO products as we roll them out. Importantly, our current cash and equivalents and investments are approximately $100 million, which is more than adequate to fund our planned development and growth initiatives,” Mr. Quilty concluded.

Financial Results

Net sales for the fourth quarter of 2013 were $20.7 million, up 3% from $20.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2012. This included AWC product sales of $9.4 million, up 22.5% from $7.7 million in the prior-year quarter, and TWC product sales of $11.3 million, down 9.3% from $12.4 million in the prior year. TWC results were negatively impacted by lower sales in the U.S. due to timing and a delay in delivery to new private label customers and Canada due to lost sales.

Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2013 was $8.0 million, or 38.6% of net sales, compared with gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2012 of $7.2 million, or 35.6% of net sales. Gross margin expansion reflects increased sales of higher-margin AWC products, which accounted for 45.6% of net sales in the 2013 quarter compared with 38.3% of net sales in the 2012 quarter.

Selling, general and administrative expense for the fourth quarter of 2013 was $10.6 million, compared with $8.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2012. The increase was principally due to higher expenditures associated with AWC growth initiatives including the hiring of additional personnel.

Research and development expense for the fourth quarter of 2013 was $2.4 million, compared with $2.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2012. Research and development expenses for both years are associated with conducting the DSC127 Phase 3 program.

The net loss for the fourth quarter of 2013 was $5.4 million, or $0.31 per share, compared with a net loss for the fourth quarter of 2012 of $3.7 million, or $0.27 per share. The increase in net loss was principally due to higher growth related selling, general and administrative expenses including higher stock-based compensation and legal expenses and taxes.

For the year ended December 31, 2013, net sales were $79.7 million, up 9.7% over $72.6 million in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2012. The Company reported a net loss for 2013 of $24.0 million, or $1.40 per share, compared with a net loss for 2012 of $12.1 million, or $0.97 per share.

As of December 31, 2013, Derma Sciences had cash, cash equivalents and investments of $23.0 million (excluding a $6.9 million investment in Comvita common stock held as a long-term investment), compared with $45.8 million as of December 31, 2012. Subsequent to the close of the quarter the Company raised approximately $80.7 million in net proceeds from an underwritten offering of 7.5 million shares of common stock.

Conference Call and Webcast

Derma Sciences management will host a conference call to discuss fourth quarter financial results and answer questions beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time today. In addition, management will provide a business update and discuss recent and upcoming milestones.

To access the conference call, U.S. participants should dial 888-563-6275 and international participants should dial 706-634-7417. All participants should provide the following passcode: 9188900. Individuals interested in listening to the live conference call via the Internet may do so by logging on to the Company’s website at www.dermasciences.com.

Following the conclusion of the conference call, a replay will be available through March 20, 2014 and can be accessed by dialing (855) 859-2056 from the U.S. or (404) 537-3406 from outside the U.S. All listeners should provide passcode 9188900. The webcast will be available for 30 days.

About Derma Sciences, Inc.

Derma Sciences is a tissue regeneration company focused on advanced wound and burn care. It offers a line of products with patented technologies to help better manage chronic and hard-to-heal wounds, many of which result from diabetes and poor vascular functioning. The company recently entered the $500 million market for skin substitute products with its licensing of AMNIOEXCEL® and AMNIOMATRIX® in the first quarter of 2014. AMNIOEXCEL was launched to customers in March 2014, and AMNIOMATRIX will be launched in the second quarter. Its MEDIHONEY® product is the leading brand of honey-based dressings for the management of wounds and burns. The product has been shown in clinical studies to be effective in a variety of indications. TCC-EZ® is its gold-standard total contact casting system for diabetic foot ulcers. Other novel products introduced into the $14 billion global wound care market include XTRASORB® for better management of wound exudate, and BIOGUARD® for barrier protection against microbes and other contaminants. Its pharmaceutical wound care products include DSC127, which is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials for the healing of diabetic foot ulcers. The drug candidate is also part of a BARDA grant program for the healing/prevention of tissue damage due to ionizing radiation exposure. The patented API peptide used in DSC127 is also in preclinical testing for scar prevention/reduction. The Company also offers a full product line of traditional dressings.

For more information please visit www.dermasciences.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "estimate" or "continue" are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that certain important factors may affect the Company's actual results and could cause such results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements that may be made in this news release or that are otherwise made by or on behalf of the Company. Factors that may affect the Company's results include, but are not limited to, product demand, market acceptance, impact of competitive products and prices, product development, completion of an acquisition, commercialization or technological difficulties, the success or failure of negotiations and trade, legal, social and economic risks. Additional factors that could cause or contribute to differences between the Company's actual results and forward-looking statements include but are not limited to, those discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 
DERMA SCIENCES, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
 
 
        Three Months Ended
December 31, (unaudited)
          2013         2012
Net Sales $ 20,692,739           $ 20,111,260  
Cost of sales           12,714,665             12,953,320  
Gross Profit           7,978,074             7,157,940  
Operating Expenses            
Selling, general and administrative   10,624,540             8,838,653  
Research and development           2,422,368             2,569,426  
Total operating expenses           13,046,908             11,408,079  
Operating loss           (5,068,834 )           (4,250,139 )
Other (income) expense, net           (97,077 )           52,171  
Loss before income taxes   (4,971,757 )           (4,302,310 )
Income tax provision (benefit)           454,080             (617,835 )
Net Loss           (5,425,837 )           (3,684,475 )
Other Comprehensive Loss            
Foreign currency translation adjustment   (180,841 )           (62,756 )
Unrealized loss on investment           (717,571 )           -  
Total other comprehensive loss           (1,615,983 )           (62,756 )
Comprehensive Loss           (7,041,820 )           (3,747,231 )

Net loss per common share - basic and diluted

        $ (0.31 )         $ (0.27 )
Shares used in computing net loss per common share – basic and diluted           17,291,385             13,742,392  
       
                     
Year Ended
December 31,
(Derived from audited financial statements)
          2013         2012
Net Sales $ 79,710,980           $ 72,648,198  
Cost of sales           50,320,506             47,507,349  
Gross Profit           29,390,474             25,140,849  
Operating Expenses            
Selling, general and administrative   42,044,484             32,485,368  
Research and development           11,335,672             7,123,123  

Total operating expenses

          53,380,156             39,608,491  
Operating loss           (23,989,682 )           (14,467,642 )
Other income, net:   (185,740 )           (26,729 )
Loss before income taxes   (23,803,942 )           (14,440,913 )
Income tax provision (benefit)           160,111             (2,370,482 )
Net Loss           (23,964,053 )           (12,070,431 )
Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income
Foreign currency translation adjustment (370,880 ) 86,357
Unrealized loss on investment           (137,860 )           -  
Total other comprehensive (loss) income           (508,740 )           86,357  
Comprehensive Loss         $ (24,472,793 )         $ (11,984,074 )
Net loss per common share – basic and diluted         $ (1.40 )         $ (0.97 )
Shares used in computing net loss per common share – basic and diluted           17,056,634             12,488,263  
 
 
 
 
DERMA SCIENCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Derived from audited financial statements)
 
December 31, December 31,
ASSETS         2013         2012
Current Assets            
Cash and cash equivalents $ 6,501,586           $ 41,616,657  
Short-term investments   15,478,000             3,730,000  
Accounts receivable, net   7,332,756             7,085,713  
Inventories   16,472,640             13,670,588  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets           3,746,753             3,209,031  
Total current assets   49,531,735             69,311,989  
Long-term investments   7,858,140             498,000  
Equipment and improvements, net   2,953,469             3,304,852  
Identifiable intangible assets, net   14,635,998             17,128,883  
Goodwill   13,457,693             13,457,693  
Other assets           139,318             141,213  
Total Assets         $ 88,576,353           $ 103,842,630  
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                    
Current Liabilities            
Accounts payable $ 4,522,508           $ 3,993,687  
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities           4,969,225             4,132,934  
Total current liabilities   9,491,733             8,126,621  
Long-term liabilities   242,325             268,517  
Deferred tax liability           1,694,147             1,736,299  
Total Liabilities           11,428,205             10,131,437  
Stockholders’ Equity            
Convertible preferred stock, $.01 par value; 1,468,750 shares authorized;
issued and outstanding 73,332 at December 31, 2013 and
December 31, 2012 (liquidation preference of $3,222,368
at December 31, 2013)   733             733  
Common stock, $.01 par value; 35,000,000 shares authorized;
issued and outstanding 17,347,071 at December 31, 2013 and
16,524,723 at December 31, 2012)   173,471             165,247  
Additional paid-in capital   140,064,607             132,163,083  
Accumulated other comprehensive income   1,080,148             1,588,888  
Accumulated deficit           (64,170,811 )           (40,206,758 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity           77,148,148             93,711,193  
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity         $ 88,576,353           $ 103,842,630  

Contacts

Derma Sciences, Inc.
John E. Yetter
Executive Vice President of Finance, CFO
609-514-4744
jyetter@dermasciences.com
or
LHA
Kim Sutton Golodetz, 212-838-3777
kgolodetz@lhai.com
or
Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100
bvoss@lhai.com

Contacts

Derma Sciences, Inc.
John E. Yetter
Executive Vice President of Finance, CFO
609-514-4744
jyetter@dermasciences.com
or
LHA
Kim Sutton Golodetz, 212-838-3777
kgolodetz@lhai.com
or
Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100
bvoss@lhai.com