H. Lundbeck A/S: Accelerated growth for strategic brands (+21% CER) drives revenue up 13% CER in the first nine months of 2024
Accelerated growth for strategic brands (+21% CER) drives revenue up 13% CER in the first nine months of 2024
Key highlights
Lundbeck's total revenue grew by +13% CER[1] (+10% DKK) to DKK 16,463 million in the first nine months of 2024, with all regions contributing to growth- United States: DKK 8,342 million (+14% CER; +14% DKK)
- Europe: DKK 3,815 million (+12% CER; +10% DKK)
- International Operations: DKK 4,062 million (+9% CER; +3% DKK)
- Rexulti®: DKK 3,806 million (+16% CER; +15% DKK)
- Brintellix®/Trintellix®: DKK 3,576 million (+14% CER; +12% DKK)
- Abilify LAI franchise[2]: DKK 2,618 million (+10% CER; +10% DKK)
- Vyepti®: DKK 2,116 million (+76% CER; +76% DKK)
Adjusted EBITDA[3] increased to DKK 5,196 million (+12% CER; +7% DKK) reflecting the strong revenue growth across all strategic brands. Adjusted EBITDA margin (DKK) reached 31.6% equivalent to a decrease of 0.9 percentage points due to higher raw material and manufacturing costs and increased R&D investments in the maturing pipeline. Furthermore, unfavorable net currency and hedging effects of DKK 185 million, negatively impacting the adjusted EBITDA margin by 0.6 percentage points. EBITDA increased to DKK 4,495 million (+6% CER; +1% DKK), impacted by an impairment loss from a negative read-out of one of the MAGLi projects affecting R&D costs, while the first nine months of 2023 included a provision for Vyepti obsolescence.
Lundbeck has raised the lower end of its full year guidance range, and the revenue growth is now expected to be 12% to 14% at CER, previously 11% to 14% at CER, when compared to revenue of the prior year excluding the effect from hedging. The Adjusted EBITDA growth is now expected to be 17% to 20% at CER, previously 15% to 20% at CER, when compared to adjusted EBITDA of the prior year excluding effects from hedging.
Lundbeck's President and CEO, Charl van Zyl said:
"I am pleased with our strong performance throughout the first nine months of 2024, which during the third quarter was further bolstered by accelerating growth of our strategic brands including Vyepti® and Rexulti®. The expected acquisition of Longboard Pharmaceuticals and its lead asset bexicaserin will complement the promising developments in our internal pipeline, enabling us to take decisive steps towards the establishment of the neuro-rare franchise that will be a cornerstone in the realization of our Focused Innovator strategy."
Key figures
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DKK 9M 9M Change Change(DKK) Q3 Q3 Change Change(DKK)
million 2024 2023 (CER)[1] 2024 2023 (CER)[1]
Revenue 16,463 14,934 13% 10% 5,722 4,952 18% 16%
EBITDA 4,495 4,463 6% 1% 1,278 1,385 (2%) (8%)
Adjusted 5,196 4,859 12% 7% 1,831 1,521 26% 20%
EBITDA
EPS 2.57 2.17 18% 0.78 0.68 15%
(DKK)
Adjusted 3.94 3.65 8% 1.30 1.17 11%
EPS
(DKK)
.
Recent events
On October 31, 2024, Lundbeck announced that Vyepti® (eptinezumab) met the primary and all key secondary endpoints in SUNRISE, a phase III pivotal clinical trial predominantly conducted in Asia evaluating the efficacy and safety in patients with chronic migraine. Based on the trial results Lundbeck plans to initiate discussions with relevant regulatory authorities with the aim of making Vyepti available for people suffering from migraine across Asia.
On October 23, 2024, Lundbeck hosted a Capital Markets Event (CME) in Valby, Denmark where Lundbeck provided a broad progress update on its Focused Innovator strategy.
On October 14, 2024, Lundbeck and Longboard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Longboard) announced an agreement for Lundbeck to acquire 100% of the company, a publicly owned U.S. company based in La Jolla, California, listed on Nasdaq. Under the terms of the agreement, Lundbeck will commence a tender offer for all outstanding shares of Longboard common stock for USD 60.00 per share, to be paid in cash. The total consideration is valued at USD 2.5 billion (approximately DKK 17 billion), on a fully diluted basis, excluding the company's cash holdings. The transaction is expected to close in December 2024, subject to the tender of at least a majority of the total number of Longboard outstanding voting shares, receipt of required regulatory clearances, and other customary conditions.
On October 3, 2024, Lundbeck announced taking one further step in developing treatments for indications in the neuroimmunology and neuroinflammatory space with the initiation of the first clinical trial of its CD40L blocker, Lu AG22515, in patients. Lundbeck's proof-of-concept trial will evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of Lu AG22515 as a potential treatment for Thyroid Eye Disease, an autoimmune disease causing a debilitating, disfiguring, and potentially blinding periocular condition.
On September 27, 2024, Lundbeck announced data from the TALISMAN natural history study, as well as additional data from the AMULET trial of amlenetug (Lu AF82422) in Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) at the International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement disorders (MDS congress) in Philadelphia, USA.
On September 26, 2024, Lundbeck and Iambic Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics using its unique AI-driven discovery platform, announced that the companies have entered a strategic research collaboration to focus on discovery of a small molecule therapeutic for the treatment of migraine.
Conference call
Today at 13.00 CET, Lundbeck will be hosting a conference call for the financial community. You can find dial-ins and a link for webcast online at www.lundbeck.com under the Investor section.
[1] Change at CER (Constant Exchange Rates) does not include effects from hedging.
[2] Abilify long-acting injectable (LAI) franchise comprises following products: Abilify Maintena®, Abilify Maintena® 960 mg and Abilify Asimtufii®
[3] EBITDA refers to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization, including impairment losses. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA adjusted by certain items, for details see section 4 Notes, note 4 Adjusted EBITDA.