Original from: GlobeNewswire

Burning Rock Biotech Limited (NASDAQ: BNR and LSE: BNR, the “Company” or “Burning Rock”), a company focused on the application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology in the field of precision oncology, today reported financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2023.

Recent Business Updates 

-    Therapy Selection and Minimal Residual Disease (MRD)

    · Presented study results on extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer and ovarian cancer at the ASCO in June 2023. “A Multicenter Phase I/II trial of Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Camrelizumab, Apatinib plus Chemotherapy as First-line Treatment for Extensive-stage Small-cell Lung Cancer” and “DNA methylation patterns between tissue and blood samples in ovarian cancers”.

    · Precision oncology diagnostics product supports advancement in late-stage breast cancer treatment, with results published in the New England Journal of Medicine in June 2023. The study, CAPItello-291, sponsored by our pharma client AstraZeneca, is a phase 3 trial that assessed the efficacy and safety of Capivasertib–fulvestrant therapy in advanced breast cancer patients with hormone receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) cancer whose disease had progressed during or after aromatase inhibitor therapy. The study demonstrated that Capivasertib–fulvestrant combination therapy resulted in significantly longer progression-free survival than treatment with fulvestrant alone.

    · Results of the study “Pharmaco-proteogenomic characterization of liver cancer organoids for precision oncology” were published at the Science Translational Medicine in August 2023. Through integrative analyses of LICOB pharmaco-proteogenomics data, we identified the molecular features associated with drug responses and predicted potential drug combinations for personalized patient treatment. The synergistic inhibition effect of mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus and the multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib was validated in organoids and patient-derived xenografts models.

-    Pharma Services

    · New companion diagnostics (CDx) development for breast and prostatic cancer announced with AstraZeneca in China.

    · Total value of new contracts for the provision of pharma services entered into during the second quarter of 2023 amounted to RMB88 million, representing a 60% year-over-year increase.

Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Revenues were RMB146.3 million (US$20.2 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 11.8% increase from RMB130.8 million for the same period in 2022.

    · Revenue generated from central laboratory business was RMB66.2 million (US$9.1 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 15.7% decrease from RMB78.6 million for the same period in 2022, primarily due to a drop in the number of tests, as the Company continued to focus on its in-hospital business.

    · Revenue generated from in-hospital business was RMB53.8 million (US$7.4 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 57.5% increase from RMB34.2 million for the same period in 2022, driven by an increase in sales volume.

    · Revenue generated from pharma research and development services was RMB26.2 million (US$3.6 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 44.9% increase from RMB18.1 million for the same period in 2022, primarily attributable to a further increased testing volume performed and higher average contract value from existing and new customers.

Cost of revenues was RMB45.8 million (US$6.3 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 5.0% decrease from RMB48.2 million for the same period in 2022, primarily due to a decrease in cost of central laboratory business, which was in line with the decrease in revenue generated from this business.

Gross profit was RMB100.4 million (US$13.8 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 21.6% increase from RMB82.6 million for the same period in 2022. Gross margin was 68.7% for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to 63.1% for the same period in 2022. By channel, gross margin of central laboratory business was 78.3% for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to 73.3% during the same period in 2022, and such increase was primarily due to a decrease in inventory write down and royalty fee; gross margin of in-hospital business was 62.0% for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to 58.6% during the same period in 2022, and such increase was primarily due to an increase in sales volume to high margin hospitals; gross margin of pharma research and development services was 58.0% for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to 27.8% during the same period of 2022, and such increase was primarily due to an increase in test volume of higher margin projects.

Non-GAAP gross profit, which excludes depreciation and amortization expenses, was RMB109.4 million (US$15.1 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 20.3% increase from RMB90.9 million for the same period in 2022. Non-GAAP gross margin was 74.8% for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to 69.5% for the same period in 2022.

Operating expenses were RMB236.1 million (US$32.6 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 32.2% decrease from RMB348.1 million for the same period in 2022. The decrease was primarily driven by budget control measures and headcount reduction aimed at improving the Company’s operating efficiency.

    · Research and development expenses were RMB95.8 million (US$13.2 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 4.0% increase from RMB92.1 million for the same period in 2022, primarily due to (i) an increase in research and development project cost due to the temporary disruption of R&D activities during Covid lock-down in 2022, and partially offset by (ii) a decrease in research and development personnel’s staff cost.

    · Selling and marketing expenses were RMB70.8 million (US$9.8 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 32.9% decrease from RMB105.6 million for the same period in 2022, primarily due to (i) a decrease in staff cost resulted from the reorganization of our sales department and improved operating efficiency, and (ii) a decrease in marketing and conference fee.

    · General and administrative expenses were RMB69.5 million (US$9.6 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, representing a 53.7% decrease from RMB150.3 million for the same period in 2022, primarily due to (i) a decrease in amortized expense on share-based compensation; (ii) a decrease in general and administrative personnel’s staff cost, and (iii) a decrease in allowance for doubtful accounts resulting from accelerated settlement with customers with longer accounts receivable.

Net loss was RMB131.2 million (US$18.1 million) for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to RMB262.1 million for the same period in 2022.

Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments were RMB733.3 million (US$101.1 million) as of June 30, 2023.

Source: Burning Rock Reports Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results