Advancis Pharmaceutical Corporation (NDAQ:AVNC) shares dropped $0.16, or 6.32%, to $2.37 today after the company announced fourth quarter net losses of 44 cents per share on total revenue of $1.2 million in an
8K filing with the SEC. This compares to the company's four analysts who expected the company to report a loss of 39 cents per share on revenue of $2.31 million. The losses come as the company has been facing increased problems with its PULSYS approvals, having received a "refusal to file" letter from the FDA for its once-daily Amoxicillin PULSYS NDA last month. According to the company's CEO Edward Rudnic, "We achieved clinical and operational progress during 2006, and we look forward to continuing the advancement of our Amoxicillin PULSYS product following our NDA resubmission last week. However, as we look forward into 2007, completing a financing and providing necessary capital to fund our business is a primary focus."
Advancis also announced that it had authorized the company to evaluate various strategic alternatives to further enhance shareholder value. The company has since retained an investment bank focused on the life sciences industry to assist in the evaluation of a full range of strategic alternatives available to the company. These could include a possible sale of the company, execution of its existing strategies, partnering or other collaboration agreements, or a merger or other strategic transaction. Further, the company's policy is to not disclose and developments with respect to this process unless and until the evaluation of strategic alternatives has been completed. Given the company's difficulties obtaining financing and FDA approvals, the company may be forced to engage in some type of strategic transaction in order to finance their ongoing research. This is definitely a
stock to watch as the company works to explore alternatives and get its products approved.
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