Trading update14 Jul 2020 09:56
Clinigen Group PLC (LON:CLIN) said the 2020 financial year was one of strong organic growth, though the headwinds from the coronavirus lockdown were felt in the final quarter.
In a trading update ahead of the pharma and services company’s September prelims, it said revenues are estimated to have grown by around 17% at constant currencies, or 13% on a gross reported basis for the year to June 30, 2020.
Analysts Clinigen follow closely as a benchmark gross profit, which the group said is expected to have advanced by at least 20% (both on a reported and constant currency basis), or 9% if you strip out the impact of acquisitions.
Underlying earnings (EBITDA), meanwhile, are forecast to have jumped by at least 29% year on year “with organic EBITDA growth ahead of organic gross profit growth”.
In the update, investors were told cash conversion returned to “normal levels” in the second half, with net debt of around £312mln at the period-end, or 2.3-times EBITDA.
Clinigen, which has its own line of specialist treatments as well as providing access to drugs not available in certain markets, reiterated its gross profit growth guidance of 5%-10% over the medium-term.
However, it cautioned that the financial year 2021 is likely to be at the lower end of that range as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) disruption and the expected launch of a lower-cost ‘generic’ competitor to its antiviral Foscavir in the EU.
Clinigen said it expects the effect of COVID-19 will likely be felt into at least the first quarter of the new financial year. It estimates the financial impact to have been “at least £8mln to EBITDA” in the 12 months just gone, which was “primarily related to Proleukin”, the company’s cancer treatment.
"We continue to see organic growth in line with our medium-term guidance at this early stage of the new financial year, despite COVID-19 and expected competitive pressure to Foscavir,” Clinigen chief executive Shaun Chilton said in the statement
“As we look beyond the financial year 2021, we see growth significantly accelerating as we onboard new asset Erwinase and we continue to gain share in the end-markets we serve," he added.