Antares Pharma fourth quarter revenues increase 65% to $5.4 million

Antares Pharma, Inc. (NYSE Amex: AIS) today reported financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011 and outlined key objectives and milestones for 2012.

Recent Highlights

• Achieved record fourth quarter revenues of $5.4 million, an increase of 65% compared to $3.3 million recorded during the same period one year ago. Total 2011 revenue increased by 28% to $16.5 million, compared to $12.8 million in 2010.
• Ended the year with $34.4 million in cash and investments and no debt.
• Received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Company's topical oxybutynin gel 3% product for the treatment of overactive bladder. Our partner Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. anticipates launching the product in the first half of 2012.
• Continued to advance Vibex™ MTX for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, on track to file a New Drug Application (NDA) with the FDA in early 2013.
• Announced a licensing agreement with Pfizer Inc.'s Consumer Healthcare Business Unit for one of Antares' drug delivery technologies to develop a product on an exclusive basis for North America.
• Announced a licensing agreement with Daewoong Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. for South Korean marketing rights for our oxybutynin gel 3% product.

Paul K. Wotton, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Over the past year, we met or exceeded all of our key objectives including an increased focus on expanding our pipeline, delivered a number of new key pharmaceutical partnerships, and progressed with our existing collaborations. Our transdermal gel portfolio recently produced another FDA approved product and we anticipate the launch of oxybutynin gel 3% will occur in the first half of this year."

Dr. Wotton continued, "I am particularly excited as we embark on a new phase in our strategy to deliver sustainable growth and create a leader in the high-value, self-administered injection products space. In 2012 we will maintain focus on developing our drug-device combination product pipeline which we believe could produce two additional US drug application filings within the next twelve months."

2012 Key Objectives and Milestones

• Increase total revenues year-over-year
• Watson's US launch of our oxybutynin gel 3% product
• Complete trials of Vibex™ MTX and prepare to file NDA
• Initiate new Vibex Quick Shot (QS) pipeline product development program
• Continue to progress the auto-injector programs and file an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for our first pen injector product with our partner Teva

Fourth Quarter and Year End 2011 Financial Results

Total revenue was $5.4 million and $16.5 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2011, respectively, compared to $3.3 million and $12.8 million for the comparable periods in 2010. Product revenue increased in the fourth quarter to $1.8 million compared to $1.6 million in the prior year, and increased in the full year by 32% to $7.6 million compared to $5.8 million in 2010. The increase in product revenues for the year was primarily a result of increases in sales of needle-free injector devices and disposable components to both Teva and Ferring.

Development revenues were $1.7 million and $4.5 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2011, respectively, compared to $0.4 million and $2.1 million during the same periods of 2010. The development revenue in the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2011 included auto injector and pen injector development work for Teva, and development revenue earned under the Watson license agreement. The revenue in the corresponding periods of 2010 consisted primarily of development work for Teva.

Licensing revenue increased in the fourth quarter to $0.6 million compared to $0.4 million in the prior year, and decreased in the full year to $1.2 million from $2.9 million in the prior year. Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2011 was primarily related to an upfront payment from Pfizer and the full year period of 2011 included revenue recognized in connection with license agreements with Teva, Ferring and BioSante. The 2010 licensing revenue was primarily attributable to recognition of revenue deferred in 2009 under a license agreement with Ferring.

Revenue from royalties was $1.3 million and $3.1 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2011, respectively, compared to $0.8 million and $2.1 million for the comparable periods in 2010. The increase in royalties in the quarter and year-to-date periods was primarily a result of royalties received from Teva and Ferring, as both companies experienced growth in their hGH business in 2011.

Total gross profit increased in the fourth quarter of 2011 to $3.3 million compared to $2.4 million in 2010, and increased for the year to $9.7 million in 2011 compared to $8.5 million in 2010. The increases were primarily attributable to increases in product sales and royalties.

Total operating expenses were approximately $3.4 million and $3.6 million for the fourth quarters of 2011 and 2010, respectively, and approximately $14.1 million and $14.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Decreases in operating expenses in 2011 compared to the prior year following completion of the Phase III study of oxybutynin gel 3% and filing of our NDA in the fourth quarter of 2010 were partially offset by increases in spending on our Vibex MTX development program and increases in general and administrative expenses.

Net loss was approximately $0.2 million and $1.3 million for the fourth quarters of 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $4.4 million and $6.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010.

Net loss per share decreased for the year to $0.05 in 2011 from $0.07 in 2010, primarily due to an increase in gross profit along with an increase in weighted average common shares outstanding. Net loss per share decreased to $0.00 for the fourth quarter of 2011 from $0.02 in 2010.

At December 31, 2011, cash and investments totalled approximately $34.4 million compared to approximately $9.8 million at December 31, 2010.