Exelixis (EXEL) Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Beat
Exelixis, Inc. EXEL reported breaking earnings in the first quarter of 2021, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of earnings of 4 cents. The bottom-line figure declined from the year-ago quarter’s earnings of 15 cents per share due to higher operating expenses.
Exelixis, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Exelixis, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Exelixis, Inc. Quote
Net revenues came in at $270.2 million, which increased from $226.9 million reported in the year-ago quarter and marginally beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $269 million.
Quarter in Detail
Net product revenues came in at $227.2 million, up from $193.9 million reported in the year-ago quarter.
The upside in net product revenues was primarily driven by an increase in sales volume that was partially driven by the strong uptake for the combination therapy of Cabometyx (cabozantinib) and Bristol-Myers’ BMY Opdivo (nivolumab) following FDA approval in January.
Cabometyx generated $223.6 million of revenues. Cabometyx (cabozantinib tablets) are approved for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and previously treated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cometriq (cabozantinib capsules) for the treatment of medullary thyroid cancer generated $3.6 million in net product revenues. Exelixis earned $23.8 million in royalty revenues.
Collaboration revenues, comprising license revenues and collaboration services revenues, were $15.5 million in the quarter under review compared with $12.1 million in the year-ago quarter.
In the reported quarter, research and development expenses increased to $159.3 million from the year-ago quarter’s $101.9 million due to a rise in clinical trial costs. Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $102.4 million, up from $62.9 million in the year-ago quarter.
Pipeline Update
In January 2021, Exelixis obtained FDA approval for its supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for Cabometyx in combination with Opdivo as a first-line treatment of patients with advanced RCC. Subsequently, in March 2021, Exelixis’ partner Ipsen received approval from the European Commission for this combination as a first-line treatment for advanced RCC.
In April 2021, Exelixis announced that the FDA accepted its IND to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary antitumor activity of XB002 in patients with advanced solid tumors.
In March 2021, it entered a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck KGaA and Pfizer PFE for the ongoing phase Ib dose-escalation study, STELLAR-001 (previously called “XL092-001”), adding three new cohorts that will evaluate the safety and tolerability of XL092 in various forms of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC).
2021 Guidance Reiterated
Revenues are projected at $1,150-$1,250 million while product revenues are estimated in the range of $950-$1,050 million.
Our Take
Exelixis’ first-quarter results were mixed as earnings missed estimates but revenues beat the same. The approval of Cabometyx in combination with immuno-oncology drug, Opdivo, for advanced RCC should boost sales, going forward, given the market potential.
Exelixis’ shares have gained 15.7% in the year so far against the industry’s loss of 6.8%.
The pipeline progress has been impressive too. Exelixis expects to report top-line results from the phase III COSMIC-312 pivotal study evaluating the combination of cabozantinib and Roche’s RHHBY Tecentriq as a first-line treatment in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in the second quarter, and file up to three sNDA for cabozantinib across multiple indications by year-end.
However, competition is stiff from the recently-approved combination therapies.
Exelixis currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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