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8-K - FORM 8-K - DURECT CORPd310349d8k.htm

Exhibit 99.1

DURECT Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter and Year End 2011 Financial Results

CUPERTINO, CA, March 1, 2012/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) announced today financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2011. Total revenues were $8.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2011, up from $8.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2010. Net loss for the three months ended December 31, 2011 was $2.1 million, down from a net loss of $5.3 million for the same period in 2010.

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, total revenues were $33.5 million, up from $31.6 million for the same period in 2010. Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2011 was $18.8 million, down from a net loss of $22.9 million for the same period in 2010.

At December 31, 2011, DURECT had cash and investments of $30.8 million, compared to cash and investments of $49.6 million at December 31, 2010. The Company has no debt obligations, other than normal liabilities associated with running our business.

“Our most advanced development programs are REMOXY® and POSIDUR™. We continue to support an experienced team at Pfizer in resolving the remaining issues related to REMOXY as Pfizer executes specific activities in preparation for a meeting with the FDA,” stated James E. Brown, D.V.M., President and CEO of DURECT. “For POSIDUR, we are currently preparing the integrated summary of safety and efficacy for the overall program in anticipation of a pre-NDA meeting which we expect to hold in mid-year. Financially, we have recently taken steps to reduce our anticipated cash burn rate in 2012 from the $15-17 million range stated in November 2011 to our current guidance of approximately $12 million, which assumes no new collaborations and no milestone payments.”

In 2012, we look forward to:

 

   

Pfizer conducting a meeting with the FDA to discuss the REMOXY resubmission

 

   

Conducting of a pre-NDA meeting with the FDA for POSIDUR, with a potential NDA submission in 2012

 

   

Supporting Zogenix as they initiate a Phase I study with Relday™

 

   

Selecting a formulation based on our Phase I studies to take forward in our ORADUR-ADHD program

 

   

Potentially entering into additional feasibility studies and collaborations

Highlights for DURECT in Fiscal Year 2011 and Major Potential Milestones over the Next 12-18 Months:

 

   

REMOXY. On June 23, 2011, Pfizer received a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the REMOXY NDA which had been resubmitted in December 2010 by King Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer in February 2011). The FDA’s Complete Response Letter raised concerns related to, among other matters, the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) section of the NDA for REMOXY. Pfizer has efforts underway to resolve these issues and stated in its last earnings call on January 31, 2012 that it expects to conduct two bioavailability studies in the second quarter of 2012 and then meet with the FDA in the third quarter to discuss next steps.

 

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REMOXY, an investigational drug, is a unique long-acting oral formulation of oxycodone intended to treat moderate to severe pain. Based on DURECT’s ORADUR® technology, which is covered by issued patents and pending patent applications owned by us, REMOXY is designed to resist common methods of prescription drug misuse and abuse. DURECT is eligible for a potential royalty on REMOXY of between 6.0% to 11.5% of net sales depending on the sales volumes. In addition, we supply to Pfizer two of the key excipients used in the manufacture of REMOXY for which we are paid our manufacturing cost plus a specified percentage mark-up.

 

   

POSIDUR (SABER™-Bupivacaine) Post-Operative Pain Relief Depot. After preparation of integrated safety and efficacy summaries combining our previous well controlled studies with data from the BESST trial, we intend to hold a pre-NDA meeting with the FDA in mid-2012, with a potential NDA submission later in the year. The BESST trial supplemented our safety database with an additional 305 patients, each of whom agreed to extensive cardiac monitoring. While the results trended positive for both pain reduction and reduction of supplemental opioid use in the first three days after surgery, they did not reach statistical significance for the selected primary endpoints. Previous well controlled Phase II studies for hernia and shoulder surgery demonstrated positive efficacy results compared to placebo for both pain reduction and reduction of supplemental opioid use in the first three days after surgery.

POSIDUR is our post-operative pain relief depot that utilizes our patented SABER technology to deliver bupivacaine to provide up to three days of pain relief after surgery. POSIDUR is licensed to Hospira for commercialization in the U.S. and Canada. We retain commercialization rights in all other countries.

 

   

ORADUR-ADHD Program. We and Orient Pharma have completed several Phase I pharmacokinetic studies with multiple formulations. Based on information from those studies, we are continuing to evaluate our lead formulations. Orient Pharma is our licensee for certain Asian and South Pacific countries.

 

   

Relday™ (Risperidone Program). In July 2011, we signed a development and license agreement with Zogenix to develop Relday, a product candidate targeting the antipsychotic market. Zogenix expects to initiate clinical studies for Relday in patients with schizophrenia in 2012.

Relday is a proprietary, long-acting (once-monthly) injectable formulation of 0.5 mL of risperidone using DURECT’s SABER controlled-release formulation technology in combination with Zogenix’s DosePro® needle-free, subcutaneous drug delivery system.

 

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ELADUR (TRANSDUR®-Bupivacaine). In February 2012, Pfizer notified us that they are returning their worldwide development and commercialization rights to ELADUR. Pfizer has committed to assist in an orderly and rapid transition of program data back to DURECT. We intend to initiate discussions with other potential partners regarding licensing development and commercialization rights to this program.

ELADUR is our proprietary transdermal patch intended to deliver bupivacaine for a period of up to three days from a single application. ELADUR demonstrated a positive efficacy trend in a Phase 2a study for post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN); a poster describing this study was presented at the 27th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society on May 8, 2008 and is accessible on DURECT’s website at www.durect.com/wt/durect/page_name/Publications.

 

   

TRANSDUR-Sufentanil. We continue discussions with potential partners regarding licensing development and commercialization rights to this program to which we hold worldwide rights.

TRANSDUR-Sufentanil is our proprietary transdermal patch intended to deliver sufentanil to chronic pain sufferers for a period of up to seven days from a single application.

 

   

Feasibility Projects and Other Activities. During 2011, we continued work on several feasibility projects as a means of demonstrating that our technologies can achieve the drug delivery objectives set forth by our collaborators and are worthy of further development. The Zogenix program, described above, was one such project which has matured into a development and license agreement.

 

   

Financial Guidance. Our net cash consumption is influenced by the timing and structure of new corporate collaborations, the achievement of milestones under existing collaborations, and the extent to which we choose to fund unpartnered programs. While we anticipate entering into new collaborations in the future, assuming current funding plans for our R&D programs, no new collaborations and no milestone payments, we currently anticipate our net cash consumption in 2012 will be approximately $12 million.

 

   

Business Development Activities. We have multiple programs that may potentially be partnered over the next 12-18 months. These include POSIDUR for Japan and other territories outside the U.S. and Canada, TRANSDUR-Sufentanil worldwide rights, ELADUR worldwide rights, ORADUR-ADHD for territories outside certain Asian and South Pacific markets, as well as various internal programs which we have not described publicly in detail.

 

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Earnings Conference Call

A live audio webcast of a conference call to discuss 2011 results will be broadcast over the internet at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on March 1 and is available by accessing DURECT’s homepage at www.durect.com and clicking “Investor Relations.” If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived on DURECT’s website under Audio Archive in the “Investor Relations” section.

About DURECT Corporation

DURECT is a specialty pharmaceutical company developing innovative drugs for pain and chronic diseases, with late-stage development programs including REMOXY®, POSIDUR™, ELADUR®, and TRANSDUR®-Sufentanil. DURECT’s proprietary oral, transdermal and injectable depot delivery technologies enable new indications and superior clinical/commercial attributes such as abuse deterrence, improved convenience, compliance, efficacy and safety for small molecule and biologic drugs. For more information, please visit www.durect.com.

NOTE: POSIDUR™, SABER™, ORADUR®, TRANSDUR® and ELADURare trademarks of DURECT Corporation. Other referenced trademarks belong to their respective owners. REMOXY, POSIDUR, ELADUR, TRANSDUR-Sufentanil and Relday are drug candidates under development and have not been approved for commercialization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other health authorities.

DURECT Forward-Looking Statement

The statements in this press release regarding the potential action on REMOXY by the FDA, our anticipated net cash consumption, potential regulatory meetings and submissions for POSIDUR, anticipated clinical trials (including timing and results) for TRANSDUR-Sufentanil, ELADUR, ORADUR-ADHD, Relday and our other drug candidates, the potential benefits and uses of our drug candidates, collaborations with third parties and potential business development activities are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk of adverse decisions by regulatory agencies, including rejection of meeting requests or product non-approval, delays and additional costs due to requirements imposed by regulatory agencies, potential adverse effects arising from the testing or use of our drug candidates, the potential failure of our clinical trials to meet their intended endpoints, our potential failure to maintain our collaborative agreements with third parties or consummate new collaborations and DURECT’s (and that of its third party collaborators where applicable) difficulty or failure to obtain approvals from regulatory agencies with respect to its development activities and products, or ability to design, enroll, conduct and complete clinical trials, complete the design, development, and manufacturing process development of the referenced product candidates, manufacture and commercialize the referenced product candidates, obtain marketplace acceptance of the referenced product candidates, avoid infringing patents held by other parties and secure and defend patents of our own, and manage and obtain capital to fund operations and expenses. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in DURECT’s Form 10-Q on November 7, 2011 under the heading “Risk Factors.”

 

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DURECT CORPORATION

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

     Three months ended
December 31,
    Year ended
December 31,
 
     2011     2010     2011     2010  

Collaborative research and development and other revenue

   $ 6,454      $ 5,929      $ 22,360      $ 20,091   

Product revenue, net

     2,481        2,567        11,127        11,500   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues

     8,935        8,496        33,487        31,591   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

        

Cost of revenues (1)

     927        1,177        4,713        4,275   

Research and development (1)

     7,013        9,447        34,053        36,214   

Selling, general and administrative (1)

     3,154        4,045        13,574        14,937   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     11,094        14,669        52,340        55,426   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss from operations

     (2,159     (6,173     (18,853     (23,835

Other income (expense):

        

Interest and other income

     25        838        134        943   

Interest and other expense

     (4     19        (46     (6
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net other income (expense)

     21        857        88        937   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss

   $ (2,138   $ (5,316   $ (18,765   $ (22,898
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss per share, basic and diluted

   $ (0.02   $ (0.06   $ (0.21   $ (0.26
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share

     87,514        86,976        87,410        86,868   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)    Includes stock-based compensation related to the following:

        

Cost of revenues

   $ 81      $ 88      $ 328      $ 341   

Research and development

     904        1,223        4,181        4,941   

Selling, general and administrative

     389        497        2,132        2,520   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stock-based compensation

   $ 1,374      $ 1,808      $ 6,641      $ 7,802   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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DURECT CORPORATION

BALANCE SHEET DATA

(in thousands)

 

     As of
December 31, 2011
     As of
December 31, 2010 (1)
 
     (unaudited)         

ASSETS

     

Current assets:

     

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 8,896       $ 10,437   

Short-term investments

     19,535         35,005   

Short-term restricted investments

     367         66   

Accounts receivable

     3,448         3,716   

Inventories

     3,252         2,836   

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     1,803         2,785   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current assets

     37,301         54,845   

Property and equipment, net

     3,124         1,776   

Goodwill

     6,399         6,399   

Intangible assets, net

     53         71   

Long-term investments

     1,530         3,197   

Long-term restricted Investments

     501         867   

Other long-term assets

     288         405   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 49,196       $ 67,560   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

     

Current liabilities:

     

Accounts payable

   $ 1,274       $ 981   

Accrued liabilities

     4,884         6,740   

Contract research liability

     1,361         2,109   

Deferred revenue, current portion

     7,372         8,079   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     14,891         17,909   

Deferred revenue, noncurrent portion

     30,090         34,849   

Other long-term liabilities

     738         315   

Stockholders’ equity

     3,477         14,487   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 49,196       $ 67,560   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1) Derived from audited financial statements.

 

SOURCE: DURECT Corporation
CONTACT: Matt Hogan, Chief Financial Officer, DURECT Corporation, 408-777-4936

 

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