Eli Lilly and Company announced financial results for the second quarter of 2017.
"Lilly delivered strong revenue growth in the second quarter, building on the momentum of Trulicity, Taltz and the other new products in our portfolio," said David A. Ricks, Lilly's chairman, president and CEO. "To deliver on our mission and maximize our opportunity, we have four key priorities -- launching with excellence, replenishing the pipeline, driving productivity, and building talent and capability in our core areas of focus."
The company provided an update to its oncology research and development strategy. In addition to building upon new oncology products such as Cyramza (ramucirumab), Lartruvo (olaratumab) and abemaciclib, Lilly will pursue new standard-of-care changing therapies that target tumor dependencies in molecularly enriched populations, build rational combinations that overcome resistance, and develop next-generation immunotherapies. Using this framework, Lilly will now focus on seven pipeline assets for priority internal development and three additional assets which are pending data from ongoing trials. The company has or will seek external partners on the other molecules in clinical development as appropriate.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Priority Review designation for abemaciclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4 & 6 inhibitor. The company's submission of abemaciclib includes two indications: abemaciclib monotherapy for patients with hormone-receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer who had prior endocrine therapy and chemotherapy for metastatic disease; and abemaciclib in combination with fulvestrant in women with HR+, HER2- advanced breast cancer who had disease progression following endocrine therapy.
The FDA granted Fast Track designation for tanezumab for the treatment of chronic pain in patients with osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain. Tanezumab, which is being studied in collaboration with Pfizer, is an investigational humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively targets, binds to and inhibits nerve growth factor.
The company and Incyte announced that a resubmission to the FDA for the New Drug Application (NDA) for baricitinib, a once-daily oral medication for the treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, will be delayed beyond 2017. The companies will be further discussing the path forward with the agency and evaluating options for resubmission, including the potential for an additional clinical study, as requested by the FDA. The length of time to a resubmission for the NDA will depend on which option the companies pursue and further FDA discussions, but is anticipated to be a minimum of 18 months.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare granted marketing approval for Olumiant (baricitinib) 2-mg and 4-mg tablets for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (including the prevention of structural injury of joints) in patients with inadequate response to standard-of-care therapies. Olumiant is part of a collaboration with Incyte.
The company announced that galcanezumab, an investigational treatment for the prevention of episodic and chronic migraine, met its primary endpoint in three Phase 3 studies demonstrating statistically significant reductions in the number of monthly migraine headache days compared to placebo at both studied doses.
The company announced that a Phase 3 study of Cyramza met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement. The Phase 3 global, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial is evaluating ramucirumab in combination with docetaxel in patients with locally advanced or unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma whose disease progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.
The company passed an interim analysis in a Phase 3 study of lanabecestat in patients with early Alzheimer's disease. As a result, Lilly will make a $50 million milestone payment in the third quarter of 2017 as part of the company's collaboration with AstraZeneca.
The UK Supreme Court has decided in the litigation relating to alternative salt forms of Alimta (pemetrexed disodium) that Actavis's products directly infringe Lilly's vitamin regimen patents in the UK, France, Italy and Spain. The UK Supreme Court also affirmed the indirect infringement finding by the UK Court of Appeal.
The company entered into a settlement agreement with generic companies to resolve pending patent litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia regarding the Cialis (tadalafil) unit dose patent. This patent was set to expire on April 26, 2020. As part of the agreement, Cialis exclusivity is now expected to end at the earliest on September 27, 2018.
The company and Nektar Therapeutics announced a strategic collaboration to co-develop NKTR-358, a novel immunological therapy discovered by Nektar. NKTR-358, which achieved first human dose in Phase 1 clinical development in March of 2017, has the potential to treat a number of autoimmune and other chronic inflammatory conditions. Subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary closing conditions, Lilly expects to provide an initial payment of $150 million to Nektar in 2017.
The company and KeyBioscience entered into a new collaboration focused on the development of Dual Amylin Calcitonin Receptor Agonists (DACRAs), a potential new class of treatments for metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes. Lilly will provide an initial payment of $55 million to KeyBioscience in the third quarter of 2017.
The company and Purdue University announced a strategic collaboration to conduct life science research in a five-year agreement, where Lilly will provide up to $52 million.
The company announced completion of a $90 million expansion of its Biotechnology Center in San Diego, California. Lilly's new space will help foster and accelerate the discovery of medicines within the company's core therapeutic areas of immunology, diabetes, oncology and neurodegeneration, as well as the emerging area of pain.
In the second quarter of 2017, worldwide revenue was $5.824 billion, an increase of 8 percent compared with the second quarter of 2016. The revenue increase was driven by a 5 percent increase due to volume and a 4 percent increase due to realized prices, partially offset by a 1 percent decrease due to the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange rates. The increase in worldwide volume was largely due to 8 percent pharmaceutical growth driven by Trulicity and other new products, including Taltz, Basaglar, Jardiance, Lartruvo and Cyramza. These volume increases were partially offset by decreased volumes for Cialis, Zyprexa, Alimta and Strattera. The increase in realized prices was primarily driven by Cialis and Forteo. Revenue decreased for animal health products, despite the inclusion of $78.3 million in revenue from the acquisition of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica's U.S. feline, canine and rabies vaccine portfolio.
Revenue in the U.S. increased 15 percent, to $3.324 billion, due to higher realized prices for several pharmaceutical products, primarily driven by Cialis and Forteo, and increased volume for new pharmaceutical products, driven by Trulicity, Taltz, Basaglar, Jardiance and Lartruvo. The increase in revenue was partially offset by decreased volume for several established pharmaceutical products, including Cialis and Strattera, as well as decreased revenue for animal health products.
Gross margin increased eight percent, to $4.273 billion, in the second quarter of 2017 compared with the second quarter of 2016. Gross margin as a percent of revenue was 73.4 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage points compared with the second quarter of 2016. The increase in gross margin percent was primarily due to higher realized prices and manufacturing efficiencies, partially offset by negative product mix and higher expenses to support new pharmaceutical products.
In the second quarter of 2017, the company recognized asset impairment, restructuring and other special charges of $50.0 million. The charges are primarily associated with integration costs and asset impairments related to the acquisition and integration of Novartis Animal Health. In the second quarter of 2016, the company recognized asset impairment, restructuring and other special charges of $58.0 million, composed of integration costs, severance costs and asset impairments related to the acquisition and integration of Novartis Animal Health.
Operating income in the second quarter of 2017 was $1.264 billion, an increase of $341.1 million compared with the second quarter of 2016, primarily driven by higher gross margin.
In the second quarter of 2017, net income increased 35 percent, to $1.008 billion, and earnings per share increased 34 percent, to $0.95, compared with $747.7 million and $0.71, respectively, in the second quarter of 2016. The increases in net income and earnings per share were primarily driven by higher operating income.