In late October 2018, CollPlant and United Therapeutics (NASDAQ: UTHR) announced a licensing, development and commercialisation agreement for 3D bioprinted lung transplants using rhCollagen-based BioInk. This news follows the United Therapeutics’ Science Day in September, where its founder and CEO presented the company’s R&D using CollPlant’s rhCollagen to 3D bioprint lung scaffolds. This co-development agreement further validates CollPlant’s technology.
Written by
CollPlant Holdings |
Enters into licensing and commercialisation agreement |
Development update |
Pharma & biotech |
28 October 2018 |
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In late October 2018, CollPlant and United Therapeutics (NASDAQ: UTHR) announced a licensing, development and commercialisation agreement for 3D bioprinted lung transplants using rhCollagen-based BioInk. This news follows the United Therapeutics’ Science Day in September, where its founder and CEO presented the company’s R&D using CollPlant’s rhCollagen to 3D bioprint lung scaffolds. This co-development agreement further validates CollPlant’s technology.
Year end |
Revenue (NISm) |
PBT* |
EPS* |
DPS |
P/E |
Yield |
12/16 |
0.3 |
(27.9) |
(27.72) |
0.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/17 |
1.7 |
(20.9) |
(15.68) |
0.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/18e |
21.1 |
(12.7) |
(6.10) |
0.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/19e |
7.3 |
(20.1) |
(8.57) |
0.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
Note: *PBT and EPS are normalised, excluding amortisation of acquired intangibles, exceptional items and share-based payments.
rhCollagen-based BioInk co-development agreement
On 22 October 2018, CollPlant announced a licensing, development and commercialisation agreement with United Therapeutics for 3D bioprinted lung transplants using CollPlant’s proprietary rhCollagen-based BioInk. The agreement entitles CollPlant to a $5m upfront payment and up to $15m in additional milestone payments for the development of 3D bioprinting lung scaffolds for human transplants. The agreement also enables United Therapeutics to expand its licence to utilise BioInk for the development of three additional organs, which in turn may generate more financial upside for CollPlant, with an additional $9m upfront payment and up to another $15m in milestones. Furthermore, CollPlant is entitled to royalties on sales.
United Therapeutics Science Day foreshadowing
In late September, United Therapeutics described its process of 3D bioprinting lung scaffolds using CollPlant’s rhCollagen-based BioInk at its Science Day held in New York City. As a reminder, CollPlant previously announced that it had received multiple orders of BioInk from a biotechnology company intended for research into the development of bioprinted organs and that it was in discussions regarding a possible co-development agreement.
Validating CollPlant’s technology
CollPlant’s rhCollagen produces a highly organised collagen matrix with tuneable properties and a well-controlled number of cell-binding sites, unlike collagen reclaimed from animal sources. This co-development agreement between CollPlant and United Therapeutics provides further validation of CollPlant’s technology.
Valuation: $84.1m or $22.08 per ADS (NIS1.58/share)
We have slightly increased our valuation of CollPlant to $84.1m or $22.08 per ADS from $79.9m or $20.96 per ADS, driven by the increase in cash attributed to the $5m upfront payment from United Therapeutics associated with its collaboration.
BioInk used to 3D bioprint lung scaffolds
On 22 October 2018, CollPlant and United Therapeutics, a NASDAQ-listed biotechnology company with a market capitalisation of ~$5.3bn, announced a global licensing, development and commercialisation agreement for 3D bioprinting lung scaffolds for human transplants. Foreshadowing this event in September, United Therapeutics held a Science Day in New York City to provide an in-depth update on its research and development pipeline in late September 2018. Its founder and CEO, Martine Rothblatt, PhD, presented on organ manufacturing via 3D printing. Dr Rothblatt described how they used a customised design of collagen “…derived from a genetically modified tobacco plant…” to “3D print more and more parts of the lung scaffolds”. Importantly, Dr Rothblatt also added that the other “types of collagen that are out there are infeasible to use in a 3D printing process”.
According to the agreement, CollPlant granted United Therapeutics, via its Lung Biotechnology PBC (ie a wholly owned subsidiary focused on organ manufacturing and transplantation), an exclusive licence to its proprietary rhCollagen-based BioInk technology for the development of 3D bioprinted lung transplants. CollPlant will continue to manufacture and supply BioInk for a number of years in order to meet development demands and will provide technical support as United Therapeutics establishes a US facility for rhCollagen and BioInk manufacturing. Moreover, the agreement includes an option for United Therapeutics to expand its licence and add up to three additional organs.
CollPlant will receive an upfront payment of $5m and up to $15m in milestone payments, based on operational and regulatory achievements related to lung scaffold development and manufacturing. The agreement also permits an option to exercise payments of up to $9m and additional milestone payments of up to $15m if United Therapeutics chooses to manufacture other organs using CollPlant’s technology. Furthermore, CollPlant is entitled to royalties on sales of commercialised products covered by its licensed patents, in addition to reimbursement for specific costs. More important than the cash, however, is the validation from an industry leader, which will automatically give CollPlant additional credence when negotiating other deals.
Valuation
We have slightly increased our valuation of CollPlant to $84.1m or $22.08 per ADS from $79.9m or $20.96 per ADS. This increase is driven by the increase in cash attributed to the $5m upfront payment from United Therapeutics, which we expect in Q418. We do not include recurring revenue from the BioInk product in our model, although we may add this at a later date if the company receives additional milestone payments from United Therapeutics, or if BioInk is integrated into a commercial product.
Exhibit 1: Valuation of CollPlant
Product |
Status |
NPV ($m) |
rNPV ($m) |
VergenixFG: Woundcare |
Europe market |
29.1 |
29.1 |
VergenixSTR: Tendonopathy |
Europe market |
58.3 |
58.3 |
Portfolio total |
87.5 |
87.5 |
|
R&D |
(7.1) |
||
SG&A |
(4.4) |
||
Cash (estimated Q318 + upfront payment from United Therapeutics) |
8.2 |
||
Overall valuation |
84.1 |
||
ADSs |
3.81 |
||
Value per basic ADS |
22.08 |
||
Warrants, Options, and Debentures |
3.5 |
||
Total diluted ADSs |
7.3 |
||
Diluted value |
108.7 |
||
Value per diluted ADS |
14.80 |
||
Source: Edison Investment Research
Financials
CollPlant reported revenue of $170,000 (NIS653,000) in Q218 from sales of its BioInk product in the US as well as sales of its Vergenix product brands in Europe (primarily its VergenixSTR for tendinopathy). We expect the company to receive $5m as an upfront payment, which we record as revenue in Q418, from United Therapeutics associated with the recently announced co-development agreement. We have therefore decreased our funding requirement to $5.6m (NIS20m) from $7m (NIS25m) to reach profitability in 2021, which we record as illustrative debt in 2019. The company includes prefunded warrants in its basic shares outstanding and in its EPS calculations, and our estimates reflect this calculation. As a reminder, CollPlant plans to delist its ordinary shares, Series I warrants and Series K warrants from the TASE and that the last day of trading on the TASE will be on 29 October 2018. The company’s American depository shares (ADS) (ie ADSs trade at a 1 to 50 ratio of ordinary shares) will continue to trade on the NASDAQ.
Exhibit 2: Financial summary
NIS'000s |
2016 |
2017 |
2018e |
2019e |
||
Year end 31 Dec |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
||
PROFIT & LOSS |
||||||
Revenue |
|
|
292 |
1,668 |
21,122 |
7,312 |
Cost of Sales |
0 |
(52) |
(10,169) |
(3,656) |
||
Gross Profit |
292 |
1,616 |
10,953 |
3,656 |
||
R&D expenses,net |
(16,789) |
(14,066) |
(14,064) |
(14,767) |
||
SG&A expenses |
(11,048) |
(8,303) |
(9,727) |
(9,050) |
||
EBITDA |
|
|
(27,023) |
(19,670) |
(11,764) |
(18,743) |
Operating Profit (before amort. and except) |
|
(27,545) |
(20,753) |
(12,838) |
(20,161) |
|
Intangible Amortisation |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Exceptionals |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Operating Profit |
(27,545) |
(20,753) |
(12,838) |
(20,161) |
||
Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Net Interest |
(348) |
(127) |
90 |
94 |
||
Profit Before Tax (norm) |
|
|
(27,893) |
(20,880) |
(12,749) |
(20,067) |
Profit Before Tax (FRS 3) |
|
|
(27,893) |
(20,880) |
(12,749) |
(20,067) |
Tax |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Profit After Tax (norm) |
(27,893) |
(20,880) |
(12,749) |
(20,067) |
||
Profit After Tax (FRS 3) |
(27,893) |
(20,880) |
(12,749) |
(20,067) |
||
Average Number of Shares Outstanding (m) |
100.6 |
133.2 |
209.0 |
234.1 |
||
EPS - normalised (NIS) |
|
|
(27.72) |
(15.68) |
(6.10) |
(8.57) |
EPS - FRS 3 (NIS) |
|
|
(27.72) |
(15.68) |
(6.10) |
(8.57) |
Dividend per share (NIS) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
BALANCE SHEET |
||||||
Fixed Assets |
|
|
6,364 |
5,631 |
6,779 |
6,233 |
Intangible Assets |
1,631 |
1,454 |
1,363 |
1,363 |
||
Tangible Assets |
4,008 |
3,582 |
4,729 |
4,183 |
||
Other |
725 |
595 |
687 |
687 |
||
Current Assets |
|
|
8,069 |
22,414 |
25,189 |
30,843 |
Stocks |
487 |
700 |
1,038 |
2,983 |
||
Debtors |
3,785 |
3,897 |
5,417 |
3,147 |
||
Cash |
3,797 |
17,817 |
18,734 |
24,713 |
||
Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Current Liabilities |
|
|
(6,806) |
(4,918) |
(5,461) |
(5,465) |
Creditors |
(5,189) |
(2,922) |
(3,911) |
(3,915) |
||
Short term borrowings |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Short term leases |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Other |
(1,617) |
(1,996) |
(1,550) |
(1,550) |
||
Long Term Liabilities |
|
|
(2,467) |
(14,044) |
(6,011) |
(26,011) |
Long term borrowings |
(286) |
(12,700) |
0 |
(20,000) |
||
Long term leases |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Other long term liabilities |
(2,181) |
(1,344) |
(6,011) |
(6,011) |
||
Net Assets |
|
|
5,160 |
9,083 |
20,496 |
5,600 |
CASH FLOW |
||||||
Operating Cash Flow |
|
|
(19,384) |
(17,903) |
(7,527) |
(13,053) |
Net Interest |
8 |
19 |
562 |
(94) |
||
Tax |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Capex |
(492) |
(447) |
(2,260) |
(873) |
||
Acquisitions/disposals |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Financing |
18,219 |
20,234 |
22,573 |
0 |
||
Dividends |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Other |
0 |
0 |
210 |
0 |
||
Net Cash Flow |
(1,649) |
1,903 |
13,558 |
(14,021) |
||
Opening net debt/(cash) |
|
|
(5,317) |
(3,511) |
(5,117) |
(18,734) |
HP finance leases initiated |
0 |
(253) |
0 |
0 |
||
Other |
(157) |
(44) |
59 |
0 |
||
Closing net debt/(cash) |
|
|
(3,511) |
(5,117) |
(18,734) |
(4,713) |
Source: Company reports, Edison Investment Research
|
|
Research: Healthcare
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