EX-99.1 2 filing_224-1.htm PRESS RELEASE, DATED AUGUST 10, 2006 ISSUED BY THE COMPANY Filing
Press Release, dated August 10, 2006 issued by the Company
EX-99.1

Press Release


CONTACT:

Stellar Pharmaceuticals Inc.                   -OR-

INVESTOR RELATIONS COUNSEL:

Peter Riehl, President & CEO

The Equity Group Inc.

           

(800) 639-0643

Adam Prior

(519) 434-1540                                              

(212) 836-9606 –or—aprior@equityny.com

Arnold Tenney  

Devin Sullivan

Cell (416) 587-3200

(212) 836-9608 –or—dsullivan@equityny.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


STELLAR PHARMACEUTICALS ANNOUNCES 2006 SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS


Company to Hold Conference Call Today at 11:00 AM ET


LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA, August 10, 2006 - Stellar Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCBB: SLXCF; TSXV: SLX) (“Stellar” or “the Company”), a Canadian pharmaceutical developer and marketer of high quality, cost-effective products for select health care markets, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2006.  All amounts in this press release are in Canadian dollars, have been rounded to the nearest thousand, and are the result of the use of U.S. GAAP.


Second Quarter 2006 Review

Total revenues, which include product sales and royalty and licensing revenues, for the three months ended June 30, 2006 were $440,000, as compared to $496,000 in the same period last year.  Direct (Canadian) sales of NeoVisc® declined primarily due to the impact of promotional product pricing by two new market entrants.  Canadian sales of Uracystâ grew 31.3% during the 2006 second quarter compared to the same period in 2005, largely due to increased sales and marketing efforts.  Outlicensed sales of NeoVisc and Uracyst both increased during the second quarter of 2006, as did in-licensed sales of NMP22Ò BladderChekÒ (“BladderChek”).    


Peter Riehl, Stellar’s President and CEO, stated, “We are analyzing an array of operational actions, including cost-cutting initiatives, to counter the impact of the evolving viscosupplementation market in Canada.  However, we remain confident that over the long-term, Stellar’s low-cost, high quality NeoVisc product offers customers the best value per healthcare dollar spent.  We are also continuing to identify new niche markets as part of our global licensing strategy.  As a result, royalty and licensing revenue should continue to represent a growing percentage of our total sales as approvals are received and sales commence.  We commenced sales in two new countries during the second quarter, and in July signed an agreement with BIO-TECHNIC ROMANIA SRL for the distribution of NeoVisc in Romania.”


Royalty and licensing revenue increased to $103,000, or 23.4% of total revenues, in the second quarter of 2006 versus $75,000, or 15% of total revenues, for the same period last year, and $89,000 sequentially from the first quarter of 2006.  

In the past year, Stellar has announced out-licensing agreements for NeoVisc and Uracyst in Israel, Kuwait, Turkey, Lebanon, China and Romania, giving the Company out-licensing distribution partners in 28 countries.  Stellar expects to commence sales in each of these territories as regulatory approvals are granted.  Stellar is also continuing to seek out potential new partners for NeoVisc and Uracyst in the United States.  The Company has approached, and has been approached by, a number of companies and hopes to continue reaching distribution and licensing agreements that will help to accelerate the growth of these products globally.  


BladderChek sales rose during the second quarter of 2006, largely as a result of the implementation of a number of sales initiatives to ease the physician prescription process, which, in turn, have helped to increase the adoption of this product in Canada.  

Cost of sales in the second quarter of 2006 was $84,000, or 24.9% of direct sales, versus $92,000, or 21.8% of direct sales, in the second quarter of 2005.  This percentage increase was largely due to stability testing for the new higher modular weight of NeoVisc.  Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses in the second quarter of 2006 decreased to $493,000 from $643,000 in the second quarter of 2005; SG&A in the second quarter of fiscal 2006 also declined sequentially from $586,000 in the first quarter of 2006.  This decrease came as a result of a number of cost-cutting initiatives, offset by increased costs associated with the pursuit of a European CE mark for NeoVisc and consulting fees related to researching potential U.S. opportunities for NeoVisc and Uracyst.   Research and development expenses declined to $68,000 in the 2006 second quarter from $91,000 in the same period last year, which included expenses related to the engineering of a higher molecular weight for NeoVisc.




Stellar Pharmaceuticals Inc.

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August 10, 2006




Stellar’s net loss in the second quarter of 2006 narrowed to $232,000, or $0.01 per share, on 23.5 million weighted average common shares outstanding (“shares outstanding”), versus a net loss of $347,000, or $0.02 per share, on 23.0 million shares outstanding in the same prior year period.  


Stellar’s balance sheet at June 30, 2006 was highlighted by $1.3 million in cash and cash equivalents, $1.7 million in working capital and no long-term debt.    


Conference Call

Management will conduct a conference call today at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss these results.  Interested parties may participate in the call by dialing 877-461-2814 (in the United States) or 416-695-9753 (in Canada) approximately 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and ask to be connected to the Stellar Pharmaceuticals Conference Call.  


About Stellar Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Stellar has developed and is marketing direct in Canada, and in countries around the world through out-license agreements, three products based on its core polysaccharide technology: NeoVisc(R), for the treatment of osteoarthritis; and Uracyst(R) and the Uracyst(R) Test Kit, its patented technology for the diagnosis and treatment of interstitial cystitis (IC), an inflammatory disease of the urinary bladder wall. Stellar also has an in-licensing agreement for NMP22(R) BladderChek(R), a proteomics-based diagnostic test for the diagnosis and monitoring of bladder cancer.


This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties impacting the Company's business including increased competition; the ability of the Company to expand its operations, to attract and retain qualified professionals, technological obsolescence; general economic conditions; and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings.


The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

###




Stellar Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Page 3

August 10, 2006



Stellar Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Statement of Operations

(Canadian Funds; US GAAP)

(Unaudited)



 

For the Three Month Period

For the Six Month Period

 

Ended June 30

Ended June 30

 

 

 

 

 

2006

 

2005

 

2006

 

2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRODUCT SALES

$

336,828

$

421,459

$

693,480

$

780,914

COST OF GOODS SOLD

 

83,707

 

91,586

 

214,477

 

185,619

MARGIN ON PRODUCT SOLD

 

253,121

 

329,873

 

479,003

 

595,295

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROYALTY AND LICENSING REVENUES

 

103,454

 

74,882

 

192,719

 

140,725

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GROSS PROFIT

 

356,575

 

404,755

 

671,722

 

736,020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXPENSES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selling, general, and administrative

$

493,368

$

643,370

$

1,079,596

$

1,256,374

Research and development

 

67,716

 

91,450

 

123,493

 

284,685

Amortization

 

38,954

 

34,681

 

78,351

 

67,682

 

 

600,038

 

769,501

 

1,281,440

 

1,608,741

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOSS FROM OPERATIONS

 

(243,463)

 

(364,746)

 

(609,718)

 

(872,721)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTEREST AND OTHER INCOME

 

11,136

 

17,434

 

23,347

 

70,754

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NET LOSS FOR THE PERIOD

 

(232,327)

 

(347,312)

 

(586,371)

 

(801,967)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOSS PER SHARE

$

(0.01)

$

(0.02)

$

(0.02)

$

(0.03)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING

 

23,494,283

 

23,159,131

 

23,483,367

 

23,089,571

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 






Stellar Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Page 4

August 10, 2006



Stellar Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Balance Sheets

(Canadian Funds; US GAAP)

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at

 

As at

 

 

June 30, 2006

 

December 31, 2005

CURRENT

 

(Unaudited)

 

(Audited)

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

1,300,245

$

2,108,755

Accounts receivable

 

227,385

 

157,749

Inventories

 

281,731

 

288,337

Prepaid, deposits, and sundry receivables

 

102,520

 

152,514

 

 

1,911,881

 

2,707,355

 

 

 

 

 

PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT

 

909,227

 

959,999

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER ASSETS

 

45,509

 

46,187

 

$

2,866,617

$

3,713,541

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CURRENT

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

$

225,769

$

487,359

Accrued liabilities

 

35,062

 

122,999

Deferred revenues

 

               -

 

43,397

 

 

260,831

 

653,755

 

 

 

 

 

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAPITAL STOCK

 

 

 

 

AUTHORIZED

 

 

 

 

Unlimited          Non-voting, convertible, redeemable, and retractable preferred

 

 

                         shares with no par value

 

 

 

 

Unlimited          Common shares with no par value

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ISSUED

 

 

 

 

23622690        Common shares (2005 – 23,470,190)

 

8,151,428

 

8,100,253

                        Paid-in capital options - outstanding

 

626,221

 

545,025

                                                         - expired

 

98,913

 

98,913

DEFICIT

 

(6,270,776)

 

(5,684,405)

 

 

2,605,786

 

3,059,786

 

$

2,866,617

$

3,713,541