Health and Healthcare

Is There a Method to Inovio Pharma's Cost-Cutting Madness?

rclassenlayouts / iStock

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: INO) shares dipped on Wednesday after the company said that it was taking measures to cut costs and its overall burn rate. When a company says it is cutting costs, one thing it can mean is that the firm is in for a rough road ahead.

Inovio said that it has sharpened its corporate strategy to focus on the commercial development of its late-stage HPV assets and reallocate capital to develop fast-to-market product candidates.

Inovio has cut selected early-stage research and development programs and discontinued further development of its Phase 1/2 study in advanced bladder cancer, while reducing its annual burn rate by 25% and its workforce by 28%.

It’s important to note that Inovio’s partner-funded programs will be unaffected by the realignment, including MEDI0457 in HPV-related cancers with AstraZeneca; Lassa and MERS vaccine programs with CEPI; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded Zika dMAb clinical development program; and Inovio’s commercial intra-dermal 3PSP delivery device development funded by Medical CBRN Defense Consortium.

Looking on the balance sheet as of the March quarter, the company has roughly $128 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. This makes up about 44% of Inovio’s market cap of $294 million (prior to the stock move).

Dr. J. Joseph Kim, Inovio’s president and CEO, commented:

From a position of strength with a healthy balance sheet and a 200-person team, Inovio sharpened its focus to create a more efficient organization with greater financial flexibility and a longer runway. With a refined strategy, Inovio will continue to advance our later-stage HPV programs while devoting more resources to develop fast-to-market product candidates such as GBM, RRP and dBTEs. We continue to expect near-term value drivers in the second half of this year that include interim data from Phase 2 studies targeting HPV-related vulvar and anal dysplasia and from our Phase 2 GBM study. We also anticipate the potential for significant new partnerships as our technology continues to attract attention from U.S. and international markets.

Shares of Inovio traded down about 12% on Wednesday at $2.64, in a 52-week range of $2.15 to $6.30. The consensus price target is $10.25.


Want to Retire Early? Start Here (Sponsor)

Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?

Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.