La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company Announces Financial Results for the Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2019

SAN DIEGO, March 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (Nasdaq: LJPC), which is dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative therapies that improve outcomes in patients suffering from life-threatening diseases, today announced financial results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019.
For the three months ended December 31, 2019, GIAPREZA U.S. net sales were $7.3 million, up 74% from the three months ended December 31, 2018 and up 28% from the three months ended September 30, 2019. Vials of GIAPREZA shipped from distributors to hospitals (hospital demand) grew 74% for the three months ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 18% as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2019. GIAPREZA U.S. net sales were $23.1 million in 2019 compared to $10.1 million in 2018, an increase of 129%. La Jolla announced the commercial availability of GIAPREZA in the U.S. in March 2018.La Jolla’s net loss for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019 was $25.2 million and $116.5 million, or $0.93 per share and $4.30 per share, respectively, compared to $45.4 million and $199.5 million, or $1.73 per share and $7.85 per share, respectively, for the same periods in 2018.As of December 31, 2019, La Jolla had $87.8 million in cash, compared to $172.6 million as of December 31, 2018. Net cash used in operating activities for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019 was $17.1 million and $85.0 million, respectively, compared to $32.0 million and $152.4 million, respectively, for the same periods in 2018. La Jolla has no debt.About GIAPREZAIn December 2017, GIAPREZA™ (angiotensin II) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a vasoconstrictor indicated to increase blood pressure in adults with septic or other distributive shock. In August 2019, GIAPREZA was approved by the European Commission (EC) for the treatment of refractory hypotension in adults with septic or other distributive shock who remain hypotensive despite adequate volume restitution and application of catecholamines and other available vasopressor therapies. GIAPREZA mimics the body’s endogenous angiotensin II peptide, which is central to the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which in turn regulates blood pressure. Prescribing information for GIAPREZA is available at www.giapreza.com. GIAPREZA is marketed by La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company on behalf of La Jolla Pharma, LLC, its wholly owned subsidiary.IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATIONContraindicationsNone.Warnings and PrecautionsThere is a potential for venous and arterial thrombotic and thromboembolic events in patients who receive GIAPREZA. Use concurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis.Adverse ReactionsThe most common adverse reactions that were reported in greater than 10% of GIAPREZA-treated patients were thromboembolic events.Drug InteractionsAngiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may increase response to GIAPREZA. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) may reduce response to GIAPREZA.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.For additional information, please see Full Prescribing Information for the United States.About LJPC-0118LJPC-0118 (I.V. artesunate) is La Jolla’s investigational product for the treatment of severe malaria. The active pharmaceutical ingredient in LJPC-0118, artesunate, was compared to quinine in patients with severe falciparum malaria infection in two randomized, active-controlled, clinical studies. In both studies, in-hospital mortality in the artesunate group was statistically significantly lower than in-hospital mortality in the quinine group. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy designation and Orphan Drug designation for LJPC-0118 for the treatment of malaria in April 2019 and July 2019, respectively. La Jolla filed a New Drug Application (NDA) with the FDA for LJPC-0118 for the treatment of severe malaria in the second half of 2019. Severe malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito. Symptoms include: fever, chills, sweating, hypoglycemia and shock. In 2013, an estimated 2 million cases of severe malaria occurred worldwide. In 2018, an estimated 405,000 people died from malaria worldwide.About La Jolla Pharmaceutical CompanyLa Jolla Pharmaceutical Company is dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative therapies that improve outcomes in patients suffering from life-threatening diseases. In December 2017, GIAPREZA™ (angiotensin II) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a vasoconstrictor indicated to increase blood pressure in adults with septic or other distributive shock. In August 2019, GIAPREZA was approved by the European Commission (EC) for the treatment of refractory hypotension in adults with septic or other distributive shock who remain hypotensive despite adequate volume restitution and application of catecholamines and other available vasopressor therapies. LJPC-0118 (artesunate) is La Jolla’s investigational product for the treatment of severe malaria. For more information, please visit www.ljpc.com.Forward-looking StatementsThis press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from what we currently expect. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those associated with: GIAPREZA™ (angiotensin II) sales; regulatory actions relating to La Jolla’s products by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Commission and/or other regulatory authorities; cash used in operating activities and our capital requirements; and other risks and uncertainties identified in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements in this press release apply only as of the date made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
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Company ContactsSandra Vedrick
Senior Director, Investor Relations
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company
Phone: (858) 207-4264 Ext: 1135
Email: svedrick@ljpc.comandDennis Mulroy
Chief Financial Officer
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company
Phone: (858) 207-4264 Ext: 1040
Email: dmulroy@ljpc.com