On Wednesday, H.C. Wainwright adjusted its outlook on Sage Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SAGE), lowering the price target to $14 from the previous $25 while maintaining a Neutral rating on the stock. The firm recognized the successful launch of Sage's product, Zurzuvae, which achieved sales of $11 million, surpassing both their estimate of $10.6 million and the consensus of $9.5 million.
This figure reflects a 49% growth in sales from the second quarter. It should be noted that Zurzuvae is marketed in partnership with Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB), with each company recording 50% of the revenue, indicating a combined sales total of approximately $22 million for the quarter.
Sage Therapeutics has recently initiated a restructuring of its business operations to extend its cash runway. This decision comes after the announcement that Sage and Biogen will discontinue the development of zuranolone for major depressive disorder (MDD). This follows the FDA's complete response letter last August, which would require significant new investment and time to conduct additional studies.
Furthermore, Biogen has terminated its collaboration and license agreement with the SAGE-324 program, transferring full ownership of the compound back to Sage. However, Sage has not disclosed any further development plans for SAGE-324 at this time.
The discontinuation of SAGE-324, due to tolerability issues, has led the company to shift its focus to other early-stage assets. Among these is SAGE-319, an extra-synaptic preferential GABA PAM currently in Phase 1 trials. With these strategic changes and a narrowed pipeline focus, H.C. Wainwright has decided to reduce the price target for Sage Therapeutics. The firm's lowered expectations reflect the revised potential of Sage's portfolio following the recent developments in their collaborative efforts and drug development programs.
In other recent news, Sage Therapeutics has announced significant restructuring plans, including a workforce reduction of approximately 33% and changes in its executive team. The company anticipates a non-recurring charge of approximately $26 million to $28 million due to these changes. Sage also announced the departure of CFO Kimi Iguchi and General Counsel Anne Marie Cook. Chris Benecchi will assume the roles of principal financial officer and principal accounting officer.
The restructuring is designed to support the ongoing launch of ZURZUVAE™ for postpartum depression treatment and to prioritize development efforts before the expected data readout for dalzanemdor in Huntington’s Disease. Sage reported a net loss of $102.9 million for Q2 2024, despite generating $7.4 million in collaboration revenue from Zurzuvae.
Analysts from Raymond James resumed coverage on Sage shares with a Market Perform rating. Other firms such as Scotiabank, Baird, Oppenheimer, and RBC Capital Markets have also adjusted their outlooks on Sage Therapeutics.
InvestingPro Insights
Recent InvestingPro data provides additional context to Sage Therapeutics' current financial situation and market performance. The company's market capitalization stands at $517.71 million, reflecting its current valuation in the biotech sector. Notably, Sage has experienced a significant revenue growth of 837.55% over the last twelve months as of Q2 2024, with quarterly revenue growth of 249.8% in Q2 2024. This aligns with the successful launch of Zurzuvae mentioned in the article.
However, InvestingPro Tips highlight some challenges. Sage is "quickly burning through cash" and "not profitable over the last twelve months," which explains the company's recent restructuring efforts to extend its cash runway. The tip that Sage "holds more cash than debt on its balance sheet" suggests a relatively stable short-term financial position, despite the ongoing cash burn.
The stock has shown a "strong return over the last month" with a 17.45% price total return, and a "significant return over the last week" of 10.85%. This recent positive performance could be attributed to the better-than-expected Zurzuvae sales figures mentioned in the article.
For investors seeking a more comprehensive analysis, InvestingPro offers 10 additional tips for Sage Therapeutics, providing a deeper understanding of the company's financial health and market position.
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