Sangamo BioSciences fourth quarter revenues increase to $8.9 million

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO) today reported fourth quarter and full year 2012 financial results and accomplishments.

For the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2012, Sangamo reported a consolidated net loss of $3.5 million, or $0.07 per share, compared to a net loss of $6.4  million, or $0.12 per share, for the same period in 2011. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and interest receivable of $76.3 million.

Revenues were $8.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to $4.7 million for the same period in 2011.  Fourth quarter 2012 revenues were generated from the Company's collaboration agreements with Shire AG (Shire), Dow AgroSciences (DAS) and Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (Sigma), and research grants. The revenues recognized for the fourth quarter of 2012 consisted of $8.5 million in collaboration agreements and $0.4 million in research grants, compared to $3.2 million and $1.5 million, respectively, for the same period in 2011.

The increase in collaboration agreement revenues was primarily due to the Company's collaboration and license agreement with Shire established in January 2012.  Pursuant to the agreement, Sangamo received an upfront payment of $13.0 million, which is being amortized on a straight-line basis over the initial six-year research term, of which the Company recognized $0.5 million as revenue for the fourth quarter of 2012. Sangamo also recognized $4.3 million of revenues related to research services performed under the collaboration agreement with Shire in the fourth quarter. The increase in collaboration agreement revenues for the fourth quarter of 2012 was also partly attributable to increased minimum annual sublicensing revenue from DAS.

Research and development expenses were $9.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to $7.9 million for the same period in 2011. The increase in research and development expenses for the fourth quarter of 2012 was primarily related to the increase in external research expenses associated with our preclinical programs, partially offset by lower clinical trials and manufacturing expenses for our SB-728-T HIV/AIDS program.  General and administrative expenses were $3.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2012 and $3.2 million for the same period in 2011.

Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2012 were $12.3 million, compared to $11.1 million for the same period in 2011. 

Full Year Results
For the year ended December 31, 2012, the consolidated net loss was $22.3 million, or $0.42 per share, compared to a consolidated net loss of $35.8 million, or $0.71 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2011.  Revenues were $21.7 million in 2012, compared to $10.3 million in 2011, with the increase primarily due to Sangamo's collaboration agreement with Shire. Total operating expenses were $43.9 million for 2012 and $46.1 million for 2011.

Recent Events

• The Company Provided a Comprehensive Overview of its ZFP Therapeutic® Development Programs at its December 6, 2012 Analyst and Investor Briefing. Sangamo's management team provided an update on the Company's technology platform advancements and pipeline of ZFP Therapeutics^® as well as near- and mid-term operating and financial goals during an Analyst and Investor Briefing on December 6, 2012. A webcast of the presentation can be accessed Company's website in the Investor section under Events and Presentations.
• Presentation of Data Demonstrating a Disruptive and Broadly Leverageable Platform For Protein Replacement Therapies at the American Society Of Hematology Meeting (ASH). New pre-clinical data were presented demonstrating the successful application of Sangamo's In Vivo Protein Replacement Platform^TM. Based on the Company's zinc finger DNA-binding protein nuclease (ZFN) genome-editing technology, the platform enables the permanent production of therapeutic proteins from the liver with a single systemic treatment, potentially providing curative treatments for a range of monogenic diseases including hemophilia and lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) such as Gaucher and Fabry disease. Such diseases are currently treated by regular infusions of protein or enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) throughout the patient's life.
• First Presentation of Data from ZFP Therapeutic® for Huntington's Disease at 2012 Annual Meeting of Society for Neuroscience. Data from Sangamo's program with Shire AG (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPG) to develop a novel ZFP Therapeutic approach to Huntington's disease (HD), an inherited progressive neurodegenerative disease, were presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, the world's largest forum for neuroscientists.  The data demonstrate that Sangamo's ZFP gene regulation technology (ZFP TF) can be used to selectively repress the expression of the mutant disease-causing form of the huntingtin gene (HTT) while leaving expression levels of the normal gene unchanged in cells derived from HD patients. Research in animal models of the disease has shown that lowering the levels of the defective HTT protein can prevent, or even reverse, disease progression.  Sangamo's ZFP approach is unique in that it selectively shuts down the disease-causing HTT gene copy at the DNA-level while preserving activity of the normal gene copy.

Financial Guidance for 2013

• Cash and Investments: Sangamo expects that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will be at least $55 million at the end of 2013, inclusive of research funding from Shire but exclusive of funds arising from any additional new collaborations or partnerships, or other new sources. 
• Revenues: Sangamo expects that revenues will be in the range of $20 to $24 million in 2013, inclusive of research funding from Shire.
• Operating Expenses: Sangamo expects that operating expenses will be in the range of $46 to $50 million for 2013.