PBYI Puma Biotechnology, Inc.

NASDAQ
$9.77

Puma Biotechnology, Inc. Q3 F2026 Earnings Call Transcript

AI Conference Call Analysis

Sign in or subscribe to read.
LaTanya
Conference Call Operator
Good afternoon. My name is LaTanya, and I will be your conference call operator today. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the speaker's formal remarks, there will be a question and answer session. If you would like to ask a question during that time, simply press the star key, then the number 1 on your telephone keypad. If you would like to withdraw your question, please press star 2. If you should require operator assistance during the conference, please press star 0 on your telephone keypad. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference call over to Mariann Ohanesian, Senior Director of IR for PUMA Technology. You may begin the conference.
Mariann Ohanesian
Senior Director of Investor Relations
Thank you, LaTonya. Good afternoon and welcome to PUMA's conference call to discuss our earnings results for the third quarter of 2026. Joining me on the call today are Alan Auerbach, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of PUMA Biotechnology, Maximo Nougues, Chief Financial Officer, Heather Blaber, Senior Vice President of Marketing, and Roger Storms, Senior Vice President of Sales. After the close today, PUMA issued a news release detailing earnings results for the third quarter of 2026. That news release, the slides that Roger will refer to, and a webcast of this call are accessible via the homepage and investor sections of our website at Pumabiotechnology.com. The webcast and presentation slides will be archived on our website and available for replay for the next 90 days. Today's conference call will include statements about PUMA's future expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of federal securities laws. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and actual events and results may differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. For a full discussion of these risks and uncertainties, please review our periodic and current reports filed with the SEC from time to time, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this live conference call, November 5, 2026. PUMA undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this conference call, except as required by law. During today's call, we may refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures that involve adjustments to our GAAP figures. We believe these non-GAAP metrics may be useful to investors as a supplement to but not a substitute for our GAAP financial measures. Please refer to our third quarter 2026 earnings release for a reconciliation of our GAAP to non-GAAP results. I will now turn the call over to Alan.
Alan Auerbach
Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board
Thank you, Mariann. and thank you all for joining our call today. Today PUMA reported total revenue for the third quarter of 2026 of $55.1 million. Total revenue includes product revenue net which consists entirely of Neuralink sales as well as royalties from our sub-licensees. Product revenue net was $54.1 million in the third quarter of 2026, an increase from $53.6 million reported in Q2 2026 and 51.9 million reported in Q3 2025. As a reminder to investors, PUMA reported Nearlink sales includes both U.S. net sales of Nearlinks and product supply revenues of Nearlinks to PUMA's ex-U.S. partners. Product revenue for the third quarter of 2026 included approximately 1.5 million of inventory drawdown at our specialty pharmacies and specialty distributors. Royalty Revenue was slightly below $1 million in the third quarter of 2026 compared to $2.9 million in Q2 2026 and $2.6 million in Q2 2025. We reported 2,818 bottles of Neuralink sold in the third quarter of 2026 compared to 2,929 bottles sold in Q2 2026. In Q3 2026, we estimate that inventory decreased by 82 bottles. In Q1, 2026, new prescriptions were down approximately 13% compared to Q2, 2026 and total prescriptions were down approximately 5% compared to Q2, 2026. Roger will provide further details in his comments and slides. I will now provide updates from PUMA's ongoing phase two trials of alicerib in small cell lung cancer and HER2 negative ER positive breast cancer, also referred to as ALISCA lung 1, Aliska Lung 2, and Aliska Breast 1. Heather Blaber and Roger Storms will add additional color on New Orleans commercial activities. Maximo Nougues will follow with highlights of the key components of our financial statements for the third quarter of 2026. As investors are aware, PUMA currently has three ongoing phase two studies of our investigational drug, Alicertib. Aliska Breast 1, a phase two trial of Alicertib in combination with endocrine treatment, and patients with HER2-negative hormone receptor-positive recurrent or metastatic breast cancer, ALISCA Lung 1, a Phase II study looking at the efficacy of allosterative monotherapy in patients with small cell lung cancer, and ALISCA Lung 2, a Phase II trial of allosterative in combination with paclitaxel for the treatment of patients with advanced small cell lung cancer. As a reminder, the ALISCA Breast 1 trial investigates allosterative in combination with endocrine treatment consisting of either anastrozole, exomesting, letrozole, fulvestrant, or tamoxifen in patients with HER2 negative, hormone receptor positive, recurrent, or metastatic breast cancer. Patients must be chemotherapy naive in the recurrent or metastatic setting, have had previous treatment with a CDK4-6 inhibitor, and have received at least two prior lines of endocrine therapy to be eligible for the trial. Patients were initially dosed with alacertib given at either 30 milligrams 40 mg or 50 mg twice daily on days 1 to 3, 8 to 10, and 15 to 17 of a 28-day cycle in combination with endocrine therapy of the investigator's choice. Patients must not have previously been treated with the endocrine treatment in the metastatic setting that will be given in combination with L-acertib in the trial. Interim data from this trial was presented on the company's first quarter conference call. As discussed during that presentation, the company believes that the data obtained to date from Mellisca Breast 1 is providing a preliminary indication of potentially better activity in patients with biomarkers where the aurora kinase pathway plays a role. Based on feedback that we have received from breast cancer key opinion leaders on this interim data, the trial has been amended such that we are only continuing enrollment in the 40 milligram and 50 milligram dose groups only. We began enrollment under that amended protocol during Q3. We are anticipating that updated interim data from the ALISCA Breast 1 study, including longer patient follow-up, will be presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December. Based on our initial analysis of this data, we believe that the data from ALISCA Breast 1 is supportive of a Phase 3 trial of alicerib in patients with HER2-negative hormone receptor-positive Recurrent or Metastatic Breast Cancer. The company is looking to engage with global regulatory authorities regarding the design of this Phase 3 trial in the first half of 2027. With respect to the ALISCO Lung 1 study, as investors are aware, PUMA has an ongoing Phase 2 trial of our investigational drug alicerib to investigate the efficacy of alicerib monotherapy in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer. Interim data from this trial was presented on the company's first quarter earnings call. As discussed during that presentation, the company believes that the data obtained to date from a LISCA lung is providing a preliminary indication of potentially better activity in patients with biomarkers where the Aurora kinase pathway plays a role. As was also discussed on the call, the company previously amended the trial to increase the dose from 50 milligrams BID to 60 milligrams BID. Dosing in this trial was further increased to 70 mg BID, and the company is currently enrolling patients at this 70 mg BID dose level. PUMA also initiated a second trial of Alacertib in advanced small cell lung cancer, ALISCA Lung 2, where Alacertib is given in combination with Paclitaxel, similar to the Phase II randomized trial that was previously published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology in September 2026. The company anticipates that they will have additional interim data from the ALISCA Lung 1 trial and initial data from ALISCA Lung 2 in 2027. As mentioned on prior earnings calls and in response to investor questions, PUMA continues to evaluate several commercial stage and development stage drugs to potentially in-license or acquire that would allow the company to diversify itself and leverage proven existing R&D, regulatory, and commercial infrastructure. The company will keep investors updated on this as it progresses. I will now turn the call over to Heather Blaber for an update on our marketing initiatives. Roger Storms will follow with a review of our commercial performance during the quarter.
Heather Blaber
Senior Vice President of Marketing
Thank you, Alan. I appreciate the opportunity to share some additional insights into our marketing strategy. The marketing team is focused on continued awareness of both clinical data for Neuralinks as well as reinforcing the continued unmet need and HER2 positive early stage breast cancer after adjuvant therapy. We continue to invest in market research to help us understand and validate the most effective ways to communicate our data with healthcare professionals through both personal and non-personal promotion. Our strategy is focused on increasing awareness of our dual indication and HER2 positive breast cancer. We believe Neuralinks plays an important role in the early stage by reducing the risk of recurrence and in the metastatic setting by helping protect against progression. Not only do physicians who have experience with Neuralinks continue to identify appropriate patients that could benefit from additional therapy post-adjuvant treatment, but we continue to adopt new prescribers year over year who recognize the unmet need and HER2 positive early stage breast cancer and how Neuralinks may help their patients reduce their risk of recurrence. In summary, We are excited and committed to engage with more oncologists and support their patients diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer in both the early and metastatic setting. I will now turn the call over to Roger Storms to provide an overview on the commercial performance for the second quarter.
Roger Storms
Senior Vice President of Sales
Thank you, Heather, and thanks to everyone for joining our third quarter earnings call. Before I move into the commercial review, just a reminder that I'll be making forward-looking statements. The sales team remains committed to expanding the appropriate use of Nearlinks with a primary emphasis on patients at elevated risk of recurrence. The team continues to strengthen clinical education and healthcare provider engagement through non-personal promotional initiatives while leveraging patient support resources to encourage treatment adherence, persistence, and successful completion of Nearlinks therapy. Let me now transition to some of the commercial slides that will provide some additional specifics around performance. Slide 3 is an illustration of our distribution model, which is broken out into the specialty pharmacy channel and the specialty distributor or in-office dispensing channel. Regarding the overall distribution of our business, in Q3 2026, about 61% of our business was purchased through the SP channel and the remaining 39% was purchased through the SP channel. We continue to see stronger growth in the SD channel driven by two main factors. One, increased sales in the Group Purchasing Organizations or GPO segment and two, increasing 340B purchasing. Nearlink's net product revenue in Q3 2026 was $54.1 million, an increase from the $53.6 million we reported in Q2 of 2026 and the $51.9 million we reported in Q3 of 2025. As a reminder to investors, PUMA's reported Neuralink sales include both U.S. net sales of Neuralinks and product supply revenues of Neuralinks to PUMA's ex-U.S. partners. Please note that in Q3 2026, we reported $3.6 million of product supply revenue versus about $17,000 in Q2 of 2026. I'll provide some more details around inventory changes, and Maximo will provide some additional specifics around gross to net expenses during his update. In Q3 2026, we estimate that inventory decreased by about 1.5 million. As a comparator, we estimate that inventory decreased by about 1 million in Q2 of 2026. Slide 5 shows Q3 2026 ex-factory bottle sales and also provides both a year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter comparison. As a reminder, xFactory bottle sales include sales to our SP and SD channels. In Q3, 2026, Neuralink xFactory bottle sales were 2,818, which represents an approximate 4% decrease quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year. Let me specifically call out the inventory changes from a bottle perspective. In Q3, 2026, we estimate that inventory decreased by 82 bottles. As a comparator, we estimate the inventory decreased by 57 bottles in Q2 of 2026 and increased by about 182 bottles in Q3 of 2025. Slide 6 highlights our commercial demand for the quarter. In Q3 2026, U.S. demand was 2,899 bottles, which represents an approximate 3% decrease quarter over quarter and 5% increase year over year. As noted earlier, strong account management and pull-through drove 19% year-over-year growth in the SB channel, extending the growth and shift towards this channel seen in recent quarters. In the SP channel, total prescriptions, or TRXs, decreased by 5% quarter-over-quarter, while remaining flat year-over-year. Our Q3 2026 call activity decreased 8% year-over-year and 9% quarter-over-quarter, largely due to a temporary increase in vacancies and time off territory that were expected to normalize shortly. Enrollments in the quarter decreased by 12% quarter over quarter and 6% year over year while commercial new patient starts decreased by 13% quarter over quarter and 9% year over year. Continued messaging and adoption of dose escalation remains an important commercial priority and 80% of patients started near links at a reduced dose. We believe dose escalation coupled with patient education resources will give patients better support throughout their narrow-linked therapy and ultimately help them reduce the risk of recurrence. Slide seven highlights the strategic collaborations we formed across the globe. The most recent launch remains the Q1 2026 narrow-linked launch in Thailand in the extended adjuvant setting. We really appreciate the excellent work being done by our partners around the world and look forward to supporting their continued success moving forward. I'll close by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to the entire PUMA team for their unwavering dedication to patients and families impacted by breast cancer. While significant progress has been made in the fight against this devastating disease, important challenges remain. Together, we have the opportunity to continue making a meaningful difference in advancing outcomes for those who need it most. I will now turn the call over to Maximo for a review of our financial results.
Maximo Nougues
Chief Financial Officer
Thanks, Roger. I will begin with a brief summary of our financial results for the third quarter of 2026. Please note that I will make comparisons to Q2 2026, which we believe is a better indication of our progress as a commercial company than year-over-year comparisons. For more information, I recommend that you refer to our third quarter 2026 thank you which will be filed by Monday and includes our consolidated financial statements. For the third quarter of 2026, we reported net income based on GAAP of 6 million or 11 cents per diluted share. This compares to net income in Q2 2026 of 8.2 million or 16 cents per share. On a non-GAAP basis, we just adjusted to remove the impact of stock-based compensation expense. We reported net income of 8 million for 15 cents per basic undiluted share for the third quarter of 2026. Gross revenue from Netlink sales was 75.1 million in Q3 2026 and 74.3 million in Q2 2026. As Alan mentioned, net product revenue from Netlink sales was 54.1 million An increase from $53.6 million reported in Q2 2026 and $51.9 million reported in Q3 2025. As a reminder to investors, PUMA reported NERLINK sales include both U.S. net sales of NERLINKs and product supply revenue of NERLINKs to PUMA ex-U.S. partners. Please note that in Q3 2026, we reported product supply revenue to our international partners of about 3.6 million. Therefore, U.S. net sales of Nerlinks in Q3 2026 were 50.6 million versus 53.6 million in Q2 2026. The reduction in net revenue in Q3 2026 versus Q2 2026 was driven by lower demand, inventory decrease in Q3 of about 1.5 million, and others. In the third quarter of 2026, royalty revenue totaled $0.9 million in the third quarter of 2026 compared to $2.9 million in Q2 2026. Under our sub-license agreement covering China, the royalty rate payable to us is subject to reduction with a market share of generic versions of Nerlings in China reaches a specific threshold. In October of 2026, the company received new third-party market data indicating that the market share of generic versions of Nerlings in China reached a specific threshold during 2025. To reflect this, the company recorded a 2.1 million cumulative reduction to royalty revenue in Q3 2026, a reduced A reduced royalty rate will be applied to China sales going forward. Our gross net adjustment in Q3 2026 was about 28% and 27.9% in Q2 2026. The higher gross net adjustment was mostly driven by higher Medicaid share. Cost of sales for Q3 2026 was $15.2 million and includes $2.4 million for the amortization of intangible assets related to our Neratinib license. Cost of sales for Q2 2026 was $12.5 million. Going forward, we will continue to recognize amortization of milestones to the last sensor, about $2.4 million per quarter as cost of sales. For fiscal year 2026, PUMA anticipates the net Netherlands product revenue will be in the range of 205 to 208 million, slightly lower than our prior guidance of 205 to 209 million. We also anticipate that our gross to net adjustment for the full year 2026 will be between 27.5% and 28%, higher than our prior guidance, mostly due to Medicaid share. In addition, for fiscal year 2026, We anticipate receiving royalties from our partners around the world in the range of 18 to 19 million, slightly lower than our prior guidance of 20 to 23 million. As mentioned, the China royalty generic threshold has been reached and is reflected in our current guidance. We don't expect any license revenue in 2026. We also expect that net income for the full year will be in the range of 20 to 22 million. higher than our prior guidance of 17 to 20 million. The current guidance does not include any potential release of any additional tax asset valuation allowance in our net income estimate. The company is reviewing its deferred tax assets as part of its ongoing tax valuation analysis and has not yet determined whether any adjustment will be required or, if so, the potential timing or size of such an adjustment. We will continue to keep investors updated on this as it progresses. At this time, we do not believe that tariffs imposed or proposed to be imposed by the United States, particularly with other countries, will have a material impact on our product cost or results of operation. However, shifting trade policies in the United States and other countries have been rapidly evolving and are difficult to predict. As a point of reference, Our manufacturing product cost accounts for mid to high single-digit percentage of our total cost of goods sold. We anticipate that for Q4 2026, Narling's product revenue net will be in the range of $56 to $58 million. We expect Q4 royalties revenues will be in the range of $11 to $12 million and no license revenue. We further estimate that the gross net adjustment in Q4 2026 will be approximately 28% to 29%, whom anticipates a Q4 net income between $10 and $12 million. SG&A expenses worth $16.3 million in the third quarter of 2026 compared to $17.5 million in the second quarter of 2026. SG&A expenses included non-cash charges for stock-based compensation of $1.3 million for Q3 2026 and $1.2 million for Q2 2026. Research and development expenses were $18.3 million in the third quarter of 2026 and $18.9 million in Q2 2026. R&D expenses included non-cash charges for stock-based compensation of about $0.7 million in Q3 2026 and $0.8 million in Q2 2026. On the expense side, PUMA anticipates higher total operating expenses in 2026 compared to 2025. More specifically, we anticipate SG&A expenses to remain flat and R&D expenses to increase by 28 to 30% year over year. The higher increase in R&D is driven by the progress of our clinical trials. In the third quarter of 2026, Puma reported cash earned of approximately $14.7 million. This compares to cash earned of approximately $9.7 million in Q2. Please note that during Q2, 2026, we made our final quarterly principal loan payment of $11.1 million related to our obligation with Ethereum. As a result, Puma is now debt-free. On September 30, 2026, We had approximately $108.5 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, versus $97.5 million at year end in 2025. Our accounts receivable balance was $32.8 million. Our accounts receivable terms range between 10 and 68 days, where our DLSL substandings are about 44 days. We estimate that as of September 30, 2026, Our distribution network maintains approximately two weeks of inventory. Overall, we continue to deploy our financial resources to focus on the commercialization of Nearlinks, the development of our assertive, and controlling our expenses.
Alan Auerbach
Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board
Thanks, Maximo. On past earnings calls, we have stressed that PUMA Senior Management, in cooperation with the Board of Directors, continues to remain focused on Nearlink sales trends and recognizes It's fiscal responsibility to shareholders to continue to maintain positive net income. We believe that this focus has contributed to our commercial execution thus far in 2026. According to our current projections, 2026 will mark the second year-over-year demand increase for Nearlinks in the United States and the first time in the history of the launch of Nearlinks in the United States that we have seen two positive consecutive year-over-year increases in demand. We are pleased to report this demand-driven growth in the third quarter of 2026 and believe that the positive net income that the company is guiding to for the full year 2026 has resulted from both this increased demand as well as the continued financial discipline across the company over the last few years. The company remains committed to continuing to achieve this positive net income in 2026 and will continue to reduce expenses if needed to achieve this. We look forward to updating investors on this in the future. There continues to remain a significant unmet need for patients battling breast cancer, lung cancer, and other solid tumors. We at PUMA are committed and passionate about finding more effective ways at helping these patients during their journey, and we will continue to strive to achieve that goal. This concludes today's presentation. We will now turn the floor back to Mariann for closing remarks.
Mariann Ohanesian
Senior Director of Investor Relations
Thank you all for joining us today. As a reminder, this call may be accessed via replay of the webcast at PumaBiotechnology.com beginning later today. Have a good evening.
LaTanya
Conference Call Operator
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for participating in today's conference call. This concludes our program. Everyone have a great day and you may now disconnect.