Bavarian Nordic
Written by
Bavarian Nordic |
Private placement trumps IPO |
Funding update |
Pharma & biotech |
26 April 2016 |
ADR research
ADR share price performance
Business description
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Analysts
Bavarian Nordic is a research client of Edison Investment Research Limited |
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The current weak US IPO conditions have resulted in a slight change of plan for Bavarian Nordic. It recently shelved its US listing plans and instead completed a private share placement, which raised c $100m vs. the expected $86m in the F-1 filing. New funds will be used for the same purposes as the IPO, namely advancing the development of CV-301, MVA-BN RSV and for capex. Prostvac has passed its first interim analysis and the Phase III trial will continue without modification.
Year end |
Revenue |
PTP* |
EPADR |
DPADR |
P/E |
Gross yield |
12/14 |
185.5 |
16.8 |
0.01 |
0.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/15 |
155.6 |
12.2 |
0.01 |
0.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/16e |
155.5 |
(18.4) |
(0.02) |
0.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/17e |
390.2 |
216.9 |
0.23 |
0.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
Note: Converted at DKK6.56/US$1 Dividend yield excludes withholding tax. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding the application of any domestic and foreign tax laws.
Private placement completed, cash inflow increases
Instead of a public offering, Bavarian Nordic has closed a private offering of 2.77m shares (almost 9% of issued shares after the offering) at a price of DKK240 per share ($12.2 /ADR) raising approximately $100m in gross proceeds. As a result, the company expects to exit 2016 with a cash preparedness position of $290m which comprises cash and equivalents, offering proceeds and undrawn credit lines.
Smart move adapting to current market conditions
We view Bavarian’s decision as a smart one given the fact that public markets have been hostile to biotech companies lately. The private offering was oversubscribed due to strong support from existing shareholders, as well as new European and US investors, and raised more funds than originally planned in the US IPO. This demonstrates that Bavarian’s investment case as a well-funded revenue-generating company with an interesting pipeline, resonates with investors.
Valuation: rNPV of $1.97bn or $21.4/ADR
We are updating our valuation to $1.97bn or $21.4/ADR (from $1.83bn or $65.55/ADR) on account of rolling forward in time, updating net cash and a strengthening DKK/US$ rate. With an improved cash runway, there is now more clarity on development plans/timelines for MVA-BN RSV and CV-301. RSV is a significant opportunity; however, in the absence of clinical data, we do not yet include a contribution for MVA-BN RSV. CV-301, which has clinical data and will be tested in three oncology indications, is now included in our valuation. Further insight into the clinical program for MVA-BN Brachyury (not yet included in our valuation) and additional income from J&J for MVA-BN Filovirus and MVA-BN HPV represent further upside.
Cash boost to increase long-term value
Bavarian Nordic has raised c $100m from new and existing investors in a private offering and, although a future NASDAQ IPO is still a possibility longer term, this private placement leaves the company well funded for an eventful year. In fact, the strategic rationale for a US IPO remains intact as US investors have participated in the follow-on offering. With these funds, Bavarian Nordic plans to expedite the development of two key programs: MVA-BN RSV and CV-301, along with investment in manufacturing capabilities for clinical studies and commercial-scale production, in particular for future government orders of Imvamune. This is part of the company’s strategy to create long-term value.
As mentioned, proceeds from the offering will be used in the further development of clinical-stage candidates MVA-BN RSV and CV-301. With respect to the RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) program, results from a Phase I trial in healthy volunteers are expected by mid-2016, with a potential initiation of Phase II testing in the second half of the year. The RSV vaccine represents a significant commercial opportunity as RSV infection causes more than 177,000 hospitalizations in the elderly every year, plus an additional 100,000 in children. Further market information can be found in our update note published in August 2015. The fact that this program uses the same vector as Imvamune, which has previously reported no safety issues, gives confidence in the successful completion of the Phase I trial and advancement to Phase II studies.
With regard to the CV-301 cancer immunotherapy, Bavarian Nordic will use the funds to study the product in three cancer indications. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been prioritized as the lead indication and a Phase II trial of CV-301 in combination with PD-1 (programmed cell death-1) inhibitor nivolumab will start in H216. Recent advances in immuno-oncology have highlighted the potential to combine CV-301 with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor to improve efficacy. There are a large number of lung cancer patients who could benefit from a CV-301/checkpoint inhibitor approach and potential for trials based on shorter endpoints such as overall response rate and progression-free survival to rapidly establish proof-of-concept. Other studies in bladder and colorectal cancer are slated to start in H117, although the design of all three studies is still to be confirmed.
Other recent news includes publication of positive Phase I data of the Ebola vaccine in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).1 This program is partnered with Janssen and is part of a global private-public partnership in which Bavarian Nordic’s MVA-BN technology is used as part of a prime boost regimen with Janssen’s AdVac to enhance immune response. In the trial, 21 days after the boost with MVA-BN, 100% of participants (n=87) generated Ebola-specific antibodies with no serious adverse events reported, and at eight-month follow-up, all participants were producing antibodies to Ebola.
Safety and Immunogenicity of Novel Adenovirus Type 26- and Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Vectored Ebola Vaccines A Randomized Clinical Trial http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2514196.
However, the main value driver is the prostate cancer vaccine Prostvac. The first interim analysis (at 40% of the number of events for final overall survival analysis, or 214 events) of the three event-driven analyses has already occurred; the second (at 60% or 321 events) is likely to happen in H216 and the final one (at 80% or 427 events) at the end of 2016/early 2017 ahead of final data readout (534 events) in 2017. The program is partnered with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) in an option deal that could be worth up to $1bn depending on survival data, regulatory milestones and sales performance. In addition, BMS will study Prostvac in two Phase II trials in combination with its own checkpoint inhibitors, ipilimumab and nivolumab.
Prostvac is undergoing several Phase II studies in collaboration with the US National Cancer Institute (NCI), two of which will read out this year: a combination trial with enzalutamide (Xtandi, Medivation/Astellas) in early prostate cancer and a monotherapy trial as neoadjuvant in localized prostate cancer. A comprehensive overview of Bavarian’s clinical cancer programs will be provided at ASCO 2016 on 4 June at an investor and analyst reception.
Valuation
Our updated Bavarian Nordic sum-of-the parts valuation stands at $1.97bn or $21.4/ADR (previously $1.83bn or $65.55/ADR). We have rolled our valuation forward in time and updated the number of ADRs outstanding to 92.4m to include the new ADRs from the capital increase. Other specific changes to our valuation are the inclusion of two additional indications for CV-301, NSCLC and bladder cancer, in addition to mCRC, now that the company has a clear development path for the product and the funds to execute it. We continue to assume that Bavarian Nordic will out-license this program for commercialization. We have updated our end-FY16 forecast cash to include the net proceeds from the private offering and FX rates, which reflect the strengthening of the Danish kroner (now US$/DKK6.56 vs DKK6.62 previously). We summarize the components of our valuation in Exhibit 1. All product valuations represent the present value of future cash flows forecast for each product, risk-adjusted where appropriate, and then taxed.
At this stage, we do not include a contribution for MVA-BN RSV, as it is in Phase I and assessing its potential, in the absence of any clinical data, is challenging. However, as highlighted in our previous update note, there are no approved RSV vaccines and this could be a significant opportunity, hence it represents pure upside potential to our valuation. For a similar reason we do not include MVA-BN Brachyury; Phase I data are available, although this immunotherapy has broad potential and the cancer types in which further development is planned have not yet been disclosed.
Other sources of potential upside come from additional income for MVA-BN Filovirus and MVA-BN HPV from existing deals with J&J; our valuation includes the upfront payment of $9m from the HPV deal, but does not capture additional milestones or any future royalty contributions, or the potential for any contract extensions, all of which are possible.
Exhibit 1: Bavarian Nordic sum-of-the-parts valuation
Value driver |
Value ($m) |
Value per ADR ($) |
Key assumptions |
Prostvac (CRPC) |
1,421 |
15.4 |
Launch: 2018. Peak sales: $2.6bn. Price: $50k pa. Probability of success: 65%. Effective royalty: 30%. |
Imvamune/Imvanex |
463 |
5 |
Includes expected revenues under existing contracts (US and Canada) in addition to risk-adjusted forecasts for future contracts (US, Canada and EU). US average price of $28.5; assume premium price ex-US. WACC of 10% as limited development risk (approved in EU and Canada). |
MVA-BN FiloVirus (J&J) |
4 |
0.04 |
Includes future payments under existing J&J deal; excludes future royalty payments or contract extensions. |
MVA-BN HPV (J&J) |
6 |
0.1 |
Includes US$9m upfront payment (to be recognized in 2016); excludes future development and regulatory milestones and future royalty payments. |
CV-301 (NSCLC) |
19 |
0.2 |
Launch: 2020. Peak sales: $292m. Price: $50k pa. Probability of success: 25%. Royalty: 20%. |
CV-301 (mCRC) |
46 |
0.5 |
Launch: 2021. Peak sales: $883m. Price: $50k pa. Probability of success: 25%. Royalty: 20%. |
CV-301 (bladder cancer) |
23 |
0.3 |
Launch: 2021. Peak sales: $450m. Price: $50k pa. Probability of success: 25%. Royalty: 20%. |
R&D |
(170) |
(1.8) |
Risk-adjusted future R&D spend. |
SG&A |
(82) |
(0.9) |
Risk-adjusted future SG&A spend. |
Net cash |
248 |
2.7 |
End-December 2015 cash plus net private placement proceeds. |
Total |
1,977 |
21.4 |
Source: Edison Investment Research. Note: DCF out to 2027; WACC of 12.5% (unless specified). US$/DKK6.56.
The successful closing of the $100m private placement provides greater financial resources to advance the development of MVA-BN RSV and CV-301. We await further disclosures from the company regarding trial design and timelines, which will inform our assumptions for future commercial potential (and future R&D spending), as well as our assessment of the economics of downstream licensing deals. We will update our valuation when this information is forthcoming.
Financials
We have updated our model with the FY15 results and 2016 guidance, while we await Q116 results on 13 May. The company has guided that it expects 2016 revenues to be c DKK1bn ($152m), most of it in the second half of the year, and break-even EBIT. Most of the revenues (DKK 750m/$17.4m) will come from US government orders of Imvamune, whereas a quarter will come from R&D contracts along with the Ebola/Marburg partnership with Janssen. Bavarian Nordic also expects to incur R&D costs of DKK580m ($88.4m), of which DKK475m ($72.4m) will be incurred in the P&L. We have also updated our model to reflect the recent cash raise.
Exhibit 2: Bavarian Nordic financial guidance versus Edison estimates for 2016 (DKKm)
Measure |
Guidance |
New Edison estimates |
Old Edison estimates |
Revenue |
1,000 |
1,020 |
1,299 |
EBIT |
0 |
(152) |
137 |
Cash preparedness* |
1,900 |
1,994 |
1,394 |
P&L R&D costs |
475 |
472.5 |
387 |
Source: Edison Investment Research; Bavarian Nordic. Note: *Cash preparedness includes cash, cash equivalents and credit lines.
Exhibit 3: Bavarian Nordic financial guidance versus Edison estimates for 2016 (US$)
Measure |
Guidance (US$m equivalent) |
New Edison estimates (US$m equivalent) |
Revenue |
152.4 |
155 |
EBIT |
0 |
(23.2) |
Cash preparedness* |
290 |
304 |
P&L R&D costs |
72.4 |
72 |
Source: Edison Investment Research; Bavarian Nordic. Note: *Cash preparedness includes cash, cash equivalents and credit lines. FX rate US$/DKK6.56
According to FY15 results, Bavarian Nordic had cash and cash equivalents of DKK1bn ($152.44m), which increase to DKK1.5bn ($228.66m) with the addition of readily available credit lines. Of the total revenues of DKK1bn ($152m), most came from the sale of bulk drug substance for MVA-BN Filo to Janssen, worth DKK762m ($116.2m), and the rest from the sale of Imvamune to the US and Canadian governments DKK78m/$12m) and ongoing research and development contracts (DKK181m/$27.6m).
Bavarian Nordic received DKK631m ($96.2m) prepayments from customers in 2015, of which DKK579m ($88.3m) was recognized as revenue. These payments included two milestone payments from Janssen from the Eblola program from 2014 and 2015 and US government orders of Imvamune from 2013 and 2014. Therefore, current deferred revenue on the balance sheet is DKK405m vs. DKK375m ($61.7m vs. $57.2m) at end 2014
Exhibit 4: Financial summary
$m |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016e |
2017e |
||
Year end 31 December |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
||
Convenience FX translation: |
DKK/$ |
6.56 |
|||||
PROFIT & LOSS |
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Revenue |
|
|
184.8 |
185.5 |
155.6 |
155.5 |
390.2 |
Cost of Sales |
(73.9) |
(75.5) |
(63.3) |
(69.5) |
(72.0) |
||
Gross Profit |
110.9 |
110.0 |
92.3 |
86.1 |
318.2 |
||
EBITDA |
|
|
27.7 |
9.5 |
7.3 |
(19.4) |
224.9 |
Operating Profit (before GW and except.) |
27.7 |
9.5 |
0.6 |
(19.4) |
215.4 |
||
Intangible Amortisation |
(22.6) |
(6.9) |
(0.4) |
(3.8) |
(1.0) |
||
Other |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Exceptionals |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Operating Profit |
5.1 |
2.5 |
0.2 |
(23.2) |
214.4 |
||
Net Interest |
(4.1) |
7.3 |
11.6 |
1.0 |
1.5 |
||
Other |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Profit Before Tax (norm) |
|
|
23.5 |
16.8 |
12.2 |
(18.4) |
216.9 |
Profit Before Tax (FRS 3) |
|
|
0.9 |
9.8 |
11.8 |
(22.2) |
216.0 |
Tax |
(8.1) |
(5.9) |
(2.8) |
(1.6) |
(3.9) |
||
Deferred tax |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Profit After Tax (norm) |
15.4 |
10.9 |
9.5 |
(19.9) |
213.0 |
||
Profit After Tax (FRS 3) |
(7.1) |
4.0 |
9.1 |
(23.7) |
212.1 |
||
Average number of ADRs outstanding (m) |
78.3 |
78.5 |
83.4 |
92.4 |
92.4 |
||
Average Number of Shares Outstanding (m) |
26.1 |
26.2 |
27.8 |
30.8 |
30.8 |
||
EPS - normalised (DKK) |
|
|
0.4 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
(0.4) |
4.5 |
EPS - FRS 3 (DKK) |
|
|
(0.2) |
0.1 |
0.2 |
(0.5) |
4.5 |
Earnings per ADS - normalised ($) |
|
|
0.02 |
0.01 |
0.01 |
(0.02) |
0.23 |
Earnings per ADS ($) |
|
|
(0.01) |
0.01 |
0.01 |
(0.03) |
0.23 |
Dividend per share (DKK) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Gross Margin (%) |
60.0 |
59.3 |
59.3 |
55.3 |
81.6 |
||
EBITDA Margin (%) |
15.0 |
5.1 |
4.7 |
(12.5) |
57.6 |
||
Operating Margin (before GW and except.) (%) |
15.0 |
5.1 |
.4 |
(12.5) |
55.2 |
||
BALANCE SHEET |
|||||||
Fixed Assets |
|
|
84.1 |
86.6 |
89.2 |
91.5 |
84.9 |
Intangible Assets |
15.9 |
16.6 |
16.5 |
17.3 |
16.3 |
||
Tangible Assets |
49.2 |
51.3 |
49.7 |
52.8 |
51.1 |
||
Other |
19.0 |
18.7 |
23.0 |
21.5 |
17.6 |
||
Current Assets |
|
|
137.3 |
201.1 |
214.1 |
280.7 |
445.5 |
Stocks |
35.6 |
18.6 |
13.9 |
28.6 |
29.6 |
||
Debtors |
81.1 |
149.3 |
161.3 |
215.9 |
341.1 |
||
Cash |
20.5 |
33.2 |
28.2 |
25.6 |
64.1 |
||
Other |
0.0 |
0.0 |
10.7 |
10.7 |
10.7 |
||
Current Liabilities |
|
|
(59.3) |
(88.9) |
(90.0) |
(87.1) |
(29.2) |
Creditors |
(58.0) |
(88.6) |
(89.7) |
(86.8) |
(28.9) |
||
Short term borrowings |
(1.3) |
(.3) |
(.3) |
(.3) |
(.3) |
||
Long Term Liabilities |
|
|
(13.2) |
(7.9) |
(8.6) |
(8.6) |
(8.6) |
Long term borrowings |
(11.0) |
(5.1) |
(4.8) |
(4.8) |
(4.8) |
||
Other long term liabilities |
(2.3) |
(2.8) |
(3.8) |
(3.8) |
(3.8) |
||
Net Assets |
|
|
148.8 |
190.9 |
204.6 |
276.5 |
492.6 |
CASH FLOW |
|||||||
Operating Cash Flow |
|
|
24.4 |
52.7 |
11.9 |
(30.1) |
133.0 |
Net Interest |
(1.7) |
2.3 |
6.2 |
1.0 |
1.5 |
||
Tax |
(0.3) |
(3.4) |
(2.1) |
(0.1) |
(1.6) |
||
Capex |
(23.7) |
(16.2) |
(9.1) |
(7.7) |
(7.8) |
||
Acquisitions/disposals |
0.3 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Financing |
0.0 |
40.4 |
4.4 |
91.5 |
0.0 |
||
Dividends |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Other |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Net Cash Flow |
(1.0) |
75.9 |
11.5 |
54.6 |
125.2 |
||
Opening net debt/(cash) |
|
|
(70.2) |
(68.9) |
(144.0) |
(156.2) |
(210.8) |
HP finance leases initiated |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Exchange rate movements |
0.0 |
(0.0) |
(3.3) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Other |
(0.4) |
(0.8) |
4.1 |
0.0 |
(0.0) |
||
Closing net debt/(cash) |
|
|
(68.9) |
(144.0) |
(156.2) |
(210.8) |
(336.0) |
Source: Edison Investment Research; Bavarian Nordic accounts. Note: Solely for the convenience of the reader the financial summary table has been converted at a rate of US$1 to DKK6.56. Bavarian Nordic reports statutory accounts in Danish kroner. These translations should not be considered representations that any such amounts have been or could be converted into US dollars at the assumed conversion rate. ADS 3:1 split effective 15 January 2016 has been applied retrospectively to earnings per ADS.
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