Devgen announces its results for the first half year 2007.
Ghent (Belgium), September 14, 2007 - 8 am. Devgen today announces
its results for the first half year ending June 30, 2007.
Webcast on Friday 14 September 11 am CET at www.devgen.com.
Operational highlights H1 2007
- Devgen and Monsanto Company sign new five-year research and
development agreement and a five-year technology exchange agreement
to identify potential product candidates based on technologies from
both companies (February '07).
- Extensive global nematicide development activities executed
as planned - results expected in Q3-Q4 '07 dependent on crop and
geography.
- Devgen raised ¤ 31 million through a private placement in
February to develop traits and invest in seed businesses in India.
- Broadening of inflammatory disease platform based on
positive efficacy studies.
Financial highlights H1 2007
- Revenue at ¤ 4.3 million in H1 '07 as compared to ¤ 5
million in H1 '06.
- 18% increase of R&D investments based on successful
execution of programs
- H1 burn rate ¤ 5.3 million as compared to ¤ 5 million in H1
2006
- Cash position at ¤ 47.3 million end of June '07.
H1 2007 results
¤ 000 except loss / share June 30, 2007 June 30, 2006
Revenue 4,282 5,006
EBITDA -6,142 -4,082
Loss from operations -6,713 -4,595
Financial result 497 114
Net loss for the period -6,216 -4,481
Basic loss per share (¤) -0.38 -0.30
Cash and cash equivalents[1] 47,291 28,180
Details of H1 2007 results
Revenue
Devgen's revenues for the first six months of 2007 totalled ¤ 4.3
million, compared to ¤ 5 million recorded for the same period of
2006. This is in essence due to the completion of the R&D contract
with Pioneer in December 2006.
Government grant income for the first six months of 2007 totalled ¤
1.4 million, compared to ¤ 1.1 million in the same period of 2006. In
September 2006, Devgen was awarded a new grant from IWT[2] for the
development of new targets for the treatment of obesity, which
accounted for ¤ 0.5 million of revenue in the first half of 2007.
EBITDA
The EBITDA for H1 2007 was ¤ -6.1 million, an increase of ¤ 2 million
compared to the EBITDA of ¤ -4.1 million for the first six months of
2006. The difference is due to the Pioneer contract completion in
2006 (see revenue section above) and to an increase of ¤ 1.3 million
in operating expenses from ¤ 9.9 million in the first half of 2006 to
¤ 11.2 million. This increase is entirely due to an increase of R&D
expenses, of which the global nematicide development cost is the most
important item in view of the extensive, worldwide testing. Selling,
general and administrative expenses came in at the same level as last
year.
Cash flow and cash position
A net increase of ¤ 23.5 million in cash and cash equivalents was
recorded during the first half of 2007, composed of:
§ ¤ -6.1 million EBITDA, minus ¤ 1 million non cash expenses
and ¤ 1.9 million increase in working capital
§ ¤ 30.5 million cash gained in financing activities (¤ 30.7
million capital increase minus ¤ 0.2 million debt payments)
Devgen's cash and cash equivalents[3] totalled ¤ 47.3 million on June
30, 2007.
Subsequent events
- The nematicide team has been strengthened with a senior
business development person with significant industry experience.
- In July 07, Thierry Bogaert, CEO, has accepted 200,016
warrants at an exercise price of
¤ 20.73, as a significant component of his remuneration; this
supplements the 24,588 warrants which he obtained in May '07 at an
exercise price of ¤ 21.61.
Auditor's report
"We have performed a limited review of the consolidated balance sheet
as of June 30 2007, the consolidated income statement and the cash
flow statement (jointly the "interim financial information") of
Devgen NV for the six month period ended June 30, 2007. This interim
financial information has been prepared under the responsibility of
the Board of Directors.
Based on our limited review, no elements or facts have come to our
attention that cause us to believe that the interim financial
information for the six month period ended June 30, 2007 is not
prepared in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements and the
recognition and measurement criteria of IFRS as adopted by the
European Union."
September 13, 2007
The Statutory Auditor
DELOITTE BEDRIJFSREVISOREN
Represented by Gino Desmet
Conference call and webcast
Devgen will conduct a conference call on Friday September 14, 2007 at
11.00 am CET, which will also be broadcasted via internet. The event
is open to the public and is accessible via www.devgen.com and via
telephone at +32 2 290 14 07. To ask questions during the Q&A
session, please join the event via telephone 10 minutes prior to the
start of the conference call. A recording of the event will also be
made available at www.devgen.com shortly after the call.
About Devgen
Devgen is a top 10 public agro biotech company with agricultural
business units focussed on: developing and commercializing:
* a novel generation of biotech products to protect a wide
spectrum of crops from damage incurred from pests;
* biotech traits[4] and germplasm[5] to meet the growing
needs for high yielding, high quality hybrid rice and selected
small grains in India and S.E. Asia;
* agro-chemical products with a safer and more environmental
friendly profile to protect crops from damage inflicted by plant
parasitic nematodes.
Devgen's biopharmaceutical division is developing a new class of
preclinical drug candidates, based on novel therapeutic concepts, for
treatment of a range of inflammatory and metabolic diseases
(diabetes, obesity) and arrhythmia.
Devgen has entered into partnerships with industry leaders in
biotechnology and agro chemistry. Incorporated in 1997, Devgen has
offices in Ghent (Belgium), Singapore and Hyderabad (India), with a
total work force of about 100 people. Devgen is listed on Eurolist by
Euronext Brussels (ticker: DEVG) since June 2005. For more
information on Devgen, please visit the company's web site:
www.devgen.com.
For more information, please contact:
Thierry Bogaert Hilde Windels
CEO CFO
0032 9 324 24 22 0032 9 324 24 22
thierry.bogaert@devgen.com hilde.windels@devgen.com
This press release may contain forward-looking statements containing
the words "anticipates", "expects" , "intends", "plans", "estimates",
"may" and "continues" as well as similar expressions. Such forward
looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties
and other factors which might cause the actual results, performance
or achievements of Devgen to be materially different from any future
results or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. These forward looking statements speak only as of the
date of publication of this document. Devgen disclaims any obligation
to update such forward looking statements in this document to reflect
any change in its expectations, conditions or circumstances on which
such statement is based, unless required by law or regulation.
[1] Including restricted cash of ¤ 1,680k and "available for sale
financial assets" of ¤ 5,029k per 30.06.'07 and restricted cash of ¤
1,820k per 30.06.'07.
[2] IWT : Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and
Technology in Flanders
[3] Including restricted cash of ¤ 1,680k and "available for sale
financial assets" of ¤ 5,029k
[4] Trait: a plant characteristic that improves its growth,
resistance to pests, nutrient content or the like
[5] Germplasm: the genetic material of a plant in the form of seed
or entmaterial