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Pharmasset Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2010 Financial Results

 

PRINCETON, N.J., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pharmasset, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRUS), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing novel drugs to treat viral infections, today reported financial results and operational highlights for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2009.

Financial Results

Revenues were $0.3 million during the quarter ended December 31, 2009 compared to $0.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 and reflect the amortization of up-front and subsequent collaborative and license payments received from Roche.

Net cash used in operating activities was $14.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 as compared to $15.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2008. Pharmasset held $42.3 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the fiscal first quarter.

Total operating expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 were $13.4 million as compared to $18.1 million for the same period in 2008. The decrease in operating expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 was primarily the result of a decrease in clinical development expenses for clevudine, our discontinued hepatitis B virus (HBV) product candidate.

Pharmasset reported a net loss of $13.9 million, or $0.49 per share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, as compared to a net loss of $18.3 million, or $0.78 per share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.

Recent Highlights:

-- On November 23, 2009, Pharmasset announced the continued enrollment of the RG7128 Phase 2b trial in treatment-naive HCV genotype 1 and 4 patients following a scheduled safety and efficacy review by an independent data monitoring committee

-- On January 21, 2010, Pharmasset announced the initiation of a phase 2a trial with PSI-7977, an isomer of PSI-7851

-- On February 2, 2010, Pharmasset completed a public offering that raised net proceeds of approximately $32.7 million.

"Pharmasset continues to make solid progress across all of its clinical programs." stated Schaefer Price, President and Chief Executive Officer. "2010 is shaping up to be an important year for the company with phase 2a data from our proprietary PSI-7977 program and phase 1 data with our first purine analog, PSI-938, coming in the third quarter. We believe nucleoside/tide analogs have the potential to become the backbone of treatment regimens, not only for genotype 1, but also across a broad range of HCV genotypes. We look forward to reporting data from all our programs throughout 2010."

Calendar Year 2010 Anticipated Milestones:

-- Roche has initiated a 24 week Phase 2b study with RG7128 in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin

-- Roche anticipates completion of enrollment of the RG7128 Phase 2b trial by the end of the first quarter of 2010

-- Roche expects to initiate INFORM-2 in the first quarter of 2010

-- Roche expects to initiate longer duration INFORM studies to investigate SVR in the first half of 2010

-- Roche expects to initiate an RG7128 Phase 2 study in HCV GT2 and GT3 patients in the second half of 2010

-- Pharmasset anticipates reporting topline data from its 28-day Phase 2a study with PSI-7977 in the third quarter of 2010

-- Pharmasset expects to initiate a PSI-7977 Phase 2b program in the second half of 2010

-- Pharmasset expects to submit an IND or foreign regulatory equivalent for PSI-938 in the first quarter of 2010 with topline phase 1 data available in the third quarter of 2010

-- Pharmasset expect to submit an IND or foreign regulatory equivalent for its next purine nucleotide, PSI-879 in the fourth quarter of 2010

About Pharmasset

Pharmasset is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing novel drugs to treat viral infections. Pharmasset's primary focus is on the development of oral therapeutics for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and, secondarily, on the development of Racivir™ for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Our research and development efforts focus on nucleoside/tide analogs, a class of compounds which act as alternative substrates for the viral polymerase, thus inhibiting viral replication. We currently have three clinical-stage product candidates. RG7128, a nucleoside analog for chronic HCV infection, is in two Phase 2b clinical trials in combination with Pegasys® plus Copegus® and is also in the INFORM studies, the first series of studies designed to assess the potential of combinations of small molecules without Pegasys® and Copegus® to treat chronic HCV. These clinical studies are being conducted through a strategic collaboration with Roche. Our other clinical stage candidates include PSI-7977, an isomer of PSI-7851, an unpartnered, next generation HCV nucleotide analog that is in a Phase 2a trial, and Racivir, for the treatment of HIV, which has completed a Phase 2 clinical trial. We also have two purine nucleotide analogs, PSI-938 and PSI-879, in advanced preclinical development.

Pegasys® and Copegus® are registered trademarks of Roche.

Contact

Richard E. T. Smith, Ph.D.

VP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

richard.smith@pharmasset.com

Office: +1 (609) 613-4181


Forward-Looking Statements

Pharmasset "Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding our business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the risk that adverse events could cause the cessation or delay of any of the ongoing or planned clinical trials and/or our development of our product candidates, the risk that the results of previously conducted studies involving our product candidates will not be repeated or observed in ongoing or future studies involving our product candidates, the risk that our collaboration with Roche will not continue or will not be successful, and the risk that any one or more of our product candidates will not be successfully developed and commercialized. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause our actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission entitled "Risk Factors" and discussions of potential risks and uncertainties in our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    
    
    
                              PHARMASSET, INC.                          
        CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE NET LOSS   
                                (UNAUDITED)                            
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                     Three Months Ended 
                                                          December 31,  
                                                         ------------   
                                                       2009        2008 
                                                       ----        ---- 
                                                                        
    Revenues                                           $269        $464 
                                                       ----        ---- 
                                                                        
    COSTS AND EXPENSES:                                                 
      Research and development                        9,197      14,023 
      General and administrative                      4,239       4,069 
                                                      -----       ----- 
                                                                        
               Total costs and expenses              13,436      18,092 
                                                     ------      ------ 
                                                                        
    Operating Loss                                  (13,167)    (17,628)
                                                                        
    Investment Income                                     4         110 
    Interest Expense                                   (706)       (757)
                                                       ----        ---- 
                                                                        
    Loss before income taxes                        (13,869)    (18,275)
    Provision for income taxes                            -           - 
                                                       ----        ---- 
                                                                        
    Net loss                                       $(13,869)   $(18,275)
                                                   ========    ======== 
                                                                        
    COMPREHENSIVE NET LOSS:                                             
    Net loss                                       $(13,869)   $(18,275)
    
    Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-                            
     sale investments                                     -           1 
                                                       ----        ---- 
    Comprehensive net loss                         $(13,869)   $(18,274)
                                                   ========    ======== 
                                                                        
                                                                        
    NET LOSS PER SHARE:                                                 
         Basic                                       $(0.49)     $(0.78)
         Diluted                                     $(0.49)     $(0.78)
                                                                        
    WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING:                                
         Basic                                   28,287,609  23,369,487 
         Diluted                                 28,287,609  23,369,487 
    
    
    
    
                                 PHARMASSET, INC.                            
                             CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS                        
                                                                             
                                                                             
                                                                             
                                                       As of          As of  
                                                 December 31,  September 30, 
                                                         2009           2009 
                                                         ----           ---- 
                                                  (unaudited)                
    ASSETS                                                                   
    CURRENT ASSETS:                                                          
      Cash and cash equivalents                       $42,273        $58,408 
      Amounts due from collaboration partner               52            369 
      Prepaid expenses and other assets                   564          1,656 
                                                          ---          ----- 
               Total current assets                    42,889         60,433 
                                                       ------         ------ 
                                                                             
    EQUIPMENT AND LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS:                                    
      Equipment                                         3,638          3,613 
      Leasehold improvements                            1,837          1,837 
                                                        -----          ----- 
                                                        5,475          5,450 
      Less accumulated depreciation and                                      
       amortization                                    (3,669)        (3,419)
                                                       ------         ------ 
               Total equipment and leasehold
                improvements, net                       1,806          2,031 
    Restricted cash                                       100            100 
    Other assets                                          160            172 
                                                          ---            --- 
               Total                                  $44,955        $62,736 
                                                      =======        ======= 
                                                                             
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                                     
    CURRENT LIABILITIES:                                                     
      Current portion of long-term debt                $8,030         $7,513 
      Accounts payable                                  2,445          2,533 
      Accrued expenses                                  3,813          7,675 
      Deferred rent                                        48             80 
      Deferred revenue                                    985            985 
                                                          ---            --- 
               Total current liabilities               15,321         18,786 
                                                                             
      Deferred revenue                                  2,710          2,956 
      Long-term debt, net of discount of $376 and
       $472 as of December 31, 2009 and September
       31, 2009, respectively                           9,834         12,096 
                                                        -----         ------ 
               Total liabilities                       27,865         33,838 
                                                       ------         ------ 
                                                                             
    Commitments and contingencies                                            
                                                                             
    STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:                                                    
    Common stock, $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares                       
     authorized, 28,318,573 and 28,268,004 shares issued
     and outstanding at December 31, 2009, and September
     30, 2009, respectively                                28             28 
    Warrants to purchase 127,248 shares of common stock                      
     for $12.05 per share as of December 31, 2009                        
     and September 30, 2009, respectively               1,230          1,230 
    Additional paid-in capital                        197,086        195,025 
    Accumulated deficit                              (181,254)      (167,385)
                                                     --------       -------- 
               Total stockholders' equity              17,090         28,898 
                                                       ------         ------ 
               Total                                  $44,955        $62,736 
                                                      =======        ======= 
    

SOURCE Pharmasset, Inc.

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