Avadel Pharmaceuticals Provides Corporate Update and Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results

-- $7.0 million in third quarter LUMRYZ™ net revenue from U.S. commercial launch --

-- Generated robust demand for LUMRYZ with greater than 1,000 patients enrolled in RYZUP^TM and more than 400 patients initiating therapy as of September 30 --

-- LUMRYZ to be added to preferred position for CVS commercial formularies effective January 1, 2024 --

-- Submitted sNDA for LUMRYZ in pediatric narcolepsy population on November 7^th --

-- Management to host a conference call today at 8:30 a.m. ET --

DUBLIN, Ireland, Nov. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avadel Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: AVDL), a biopharmaceutical company focused on transforming medicines to transform lives, today provided a corporate update and announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023.

“We are very pleased with the significant progress we made during the first full quarter of the launch of LUMRYZ, underscored by the early patient demand and the overwhelmingly positive feedback received from across the narcolepsy community. Our team continues to execute on our launch plan, actively engaging with all stakeholders, driving patient enrollments, converting RYZUP enrollments to patients on therapy, and securing key coverage policy decisions with payers, such as the recent CVS decision to move LUMRYZ to preferred status effective January 1, 2024,” said Greg Divis, Chief Executive Officer of Avadel Pharmaceuticals. “We are building on the momentum we saw during the quarter, as we continue our mission to transform the lives of those living with narcolepsy. This includes the recently completed submission of our supplemental NDA for LUMRYZ in the pediatric population, which, if approved, will allow us to bring LUMRYZ to eligible children living with narcolepsy and expand the reach of LUMRYZ.”

Third Quarter and Recent Company Highlights

LUMRYZ Commercial Updates:

• Launch progress through September 30, 2023:
  
  • Generated $7 million of LUMRYZ net revenue in the first full quarter of launch.
  • Greater than 1,000 patients enrolled in Avadel’s RYZUP patient support services:
    
    • More than 400 patients initiated therapy with LUMRYZ during Q3.
    • Approximately 600 patients remained in the RYZUP process, going through the benefits investigation or pending their first shipment.
    • RYZUP enrollments and patients currently being treated with LUMRYZ includes majority switch patients from first generation oxybates, followed by patients who previously tried and discontinued a first generation oxybate, and patients who are new to oxybates.
  • Secured LUMRYZ coverage policies for over 100 million commercial lives representing approximately 60% of the total commercially insured lives across the country.
    
    • Announced that LUMRYZ is moving to preferred status within the CVS commercial formularies effective January 1, 2024.
  • Nearly 1,400 health care providers have completed the LUMRYZ REMS certification process, including both experienced oxybate prescribers as well as providers who have never previously prescribed an oxybate.
    

Pipeline Updates:

• Submitted Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for LUMRYZ for treatment of cataplexy or EDS in the pediatric narcolepsy population on November 7, 2023. An approval decision is expected in the second half of 2024.
  
  • LUMRYZ has the potential to significantly alleviate the burden placed on families and caregivers of children with narcolepsy who are responsible for waking up in the middle of the night to administer a second dose.
  • Pediatric patients currently represent approximately 5% of all oxybate treated narcolepsy patients.
    

Clinical Updates:

• In October, announced new and encore data supporting the clinical profile for LUMRYZ and patient preference for a once-nightly oxybate in 15 poster presentations and two oral presentations, at World Sleep 2023.
  
  • New post-hoc analyses demonstrated the robust clinical efficacy of LUMRYZ and provided further insight into the improvements on measures of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and cataplexy compared with placebo in different demographic and clinical subgroups.
  • Post-hoc analyses reinforced data from the completed pivotal Phase 3 REST-ON trial, demonstrating that treatment with LUMRYZ resulted in statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in EDS.
  • RESTORE study poster demonstrated long-term tolerability and clinically significant improvement in symptoms.

Overview of Third Quarter Results

Recognized $7.0 million in net product revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. Net product revenue consists of LUMRYZ product sales, which was launched in the U.S. on June 5, 2023.

R&D expenses were $2.8 million in the quarter ended September 30, 2023, compared to $2.9 million for the same period in 2022.

SG&A expenses were $39.2 million in the quarter ended September 30, 2023, compared to $14.1 million for the same period in 2022. This increase was driven by higher compensation costs due to increased headcount, higher selling and marketing and launch-related activities and higher legal fees.

Net loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, was $36.3 million, or ($0.41) per diluted share, compared to net loss of $20.1 million, or ($0.33) per diluted share, for the same period in 2022.

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $153.2 million as of September 30, 2023. The Company drew the first $30.0 million tranche from a $75.0 million royalty financing arrangement on August 1, 2023. Subsequent to September 30, 2023, the Company paid off the remaining $21.2 million of convertible notes.

About LUMRYZ™ (sodium oxybate) for extended-release oral suspension 

LUMRYZ, is an extended-release sodium oxybate medication approved by the FDA on May 1, 2023, as the first and only once-at-bedtime treatment for cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in adults with narcolepsy.
 
The FDA approval of LUMRYZ was supported by results from REST-ON, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pivotal Phase 3 trial in adults with narcolepsy. LUMRYZ demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in the three co-primary endpoints: EDS, clinicians’ overall assessment of patients’ functioning (CGI-I) and cataplexy attacks, for all three evaluated doses when compared to placebo.
 
With its approval, the FDA also granted seven years of Orphan Drug Exclusivity to LUMRYZ for the treatment of cataplexy or EDS in adults with narcolepsy due to a finding of clinical superiority of LUMRYZ relative to currently available oxybate treatments. In particular, the FDA found that LUMRYZ makes a major contribution to patient care over currently available, twice-nightly oxybate products by providing a once-nightly dosing regimen that avoids nocturnal arousal to take a second dose.

About Avadel Pharmaceuticals plc 

Avadel Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: AVDL) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on transforming medicines to transform lives. Our approach includes applying innovative solutions to the development of medications that address the challenges patients face with current treatment options. Avadel’s commercial product, LUMRYZ, was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) as the first and only once-at-bedtime oxybate for the treatment of cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in adults with narcolepsy. For more information, please visit www.avadel.com. 

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

INDICATIONS
LUMRYZ (sodium oxybate) for extended-release oral suspension is a prescription medicine used to treat the following symptoms in adults with narcolepsy:

• sudden onset of weak or paralyzed muscles (cataplexy)
• excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)

It is not known if LUMRYZ is safe and effective in people less than 18 years of age.

Do not take LUMRYZ if you take other sleep medicines or sedatives (medicines that cause sleepiness), drink alcohol or have a rare problem called succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency.

Keep LUMRYZ in a safe place to prevent abuse and misuse. Selling or giving away LUMRYZ may harm others and is against the law. Tell your doctor if you have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines or street drugs.

Anyone who takes LUMRYZ should not do anything that requires them to be fully awake or is dangerous, including driving a car, using heavy machinery or flying an airplane, for at least six (6) hours after taking LUMRYZ. Those activities should not be done until you know how LUMRYZ affects you.

Falling asleep quickly, including while standing or while getting up from the bed, has led to falls with injuries that have required some people to be hospitalized.

LUMRYZ can cause serious side effects, including the following:

• Breathing problems, including slower breathing, trouble breathing and/or short periods of not breathing while sleeping (e.g., sleep apnea). People who already have breathing or lung problems have a higher chance of having breathing problems when they take LUMRYZ.
• Mental health problems, including confusion, seeing or hearing things that are not real (hallucinations), unusual or disturbing thoughts (abnormal thinking), feeling anxious or upset, depression, thoughts of killing yourself or trying to kill yourself, increased tiredness, feelings of guilt or worthlessness and difficulty concentrating. Tell your doctor if you have or had depression or have tried to harm yourself. Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of mental health problems or a change in weight or appetite.
• Sleepwalking. Sleepwalking can cause injuries. Call your doctor if you start sleepwalking.
  

Tell your doctor if you are on a salt-restricted diet or if you have high blood pressure, heart failure or kidney problems. LUMRYZ contains a lot of sodium (salt) and may not be right for you.

The most common side effects of LUMRYZ in adults include nausea, dizziness, bedwetting, headache and vomiting. Your side effects may increase when you take higher doses of LUMRYZ. LUMRYZ can cause physical dependence and craving for the medicine when it is not taken as directed. These are not all the possible side effects of LUMRYZ.

For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including BOXED Warning.

Cautionary Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements relate to our future expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies, objectives, results, conditions, financial performance, prospects or other events. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, expectations regarding the potential therapeutic benefit of LUMRYZ; the success of the commercialization of LUMRYZ; the anticipated market availability, demand and sales opportunity of LUMRYZ; the potential expansion of LUMRYZ into the pediatric narcolepsy population including acceptability for filing and FDA’s review of the sNDA for such population; the potential benefits of payor coverage, including CVS preferred status; the Company’s anticipated financial condition, expenses, uses of capital and other future financial results. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “will,” “may,” “could,” “believe,” “expect,” “look forward,” “on track,” “guidance,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “next steps” and similar expressions and the negatives thereof (if applicable).

The Company’s forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions that are made within the bounds of our knowledge of our business and operations and that we consider reasonable. However, the Company’s business and operations are subject to significant risks, and, as a result, there can be no assurance that actual results and the results of the company’s business and operations will not differ materially from the results contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations in the Company’s forward-looking statements include the risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 29, 2023, and subsequent SEC filings.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and are not guarantees of future performance. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise our forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Investor Contact:
Courtney Turiano
Stern Investor Relations, Inc.
[email protected]
(212) 698-8687

Media Contact:
Lesley Stanley
Real Chemistry
[email protected]
(609) 273-3162