SAN DIEGO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM), a life sciences company committed to enabling healthier lives through the development of innovative products and services, today reported total revenues of $27.6 million, total accessioned units of 46,400, and a net loss of $13.4 million, or $0.11 per basic and diluted share, for the first quarter of 2016.

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"During the quarter, we executed on a number of key initiatives designed to return Sequenom to sustainable growth, resulting in quarter over quarter growth in our unit volume," said Dirk van den Boom, Ph.D., President and CEO of Sequenom. "Overall, we made meaningful progress toward achieving our goal of becoming financially self-sustaining while solidifying our position as a leader in reproductive health."

Operational Updates

To date in 2016, Sequenom and Sequenom Laboratories((TM)) made significant progress on several key corporate objectives:


    --  Total tests accessioned in the first quarter of 2016 reflect growth of
        10% in test volume compared to the fourth quarter of 2015.  Sequenom
        Laboratories' total noninvasive prenatal test (NIPT) accessions in the
        first quarter of 2016 were up 3,900 units sequentially from the fourth
        quarter of 2015, for growth of 11%;
    --  Completed the consolidation of Sequenom Laboratories' North Carolina
        laboratory location into the San Diego laboratory location;
    --  Enhanced San Diego laboratory productivity and restructured other key
        functions, consistent with the annualized cost reduction goal of greater
        than $20 million before the end of 2016;
    --  Negotiated in-network contracts with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
        Health Plans for 11 states.  Sequenom Laboratories has coverage for over
        200 million commercial lives and 46 million lives under Medicaid
        programs;
    --  Filed a writ of certiorari asking the U.S. Supreme Court to decide if
        the claims of Sequenom's '540 patent are directed to patent-eligible
        subject matter;
    --  Launched Sequenom Laboratories' testing portfolio into the average-risk
        pregnancy market and optimized its sales approach to better serve the
        obstetrician channel; and
    --  Introduced a multi-faceted physician and patient customer experience
        program that seeks to provide a best-in-class experience at every step
        of the customer journey.

First Quarter 2016 Results

First quarter 2016 revenues of $27.6 million declined 27% from $37.8 million in the first quarter of 2015. Revenues and unit volumes in the first quarter of 2016 were lower than the first quarter of 2015, primarily reflecting the conversion of certain laboratory customers to licensee status under the Pooled Patents Agreement, and a smaller amount available to collect during the first quarter of 2016 for testing services performed in prior periods. This latter factor reflects the improvement in the timeliness of Sequenom Laboratories collections as a result of additional payor contracts. These changes resulted in approximately $10 million in net revenue reduction for the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015.

Total patient samples accessioned decreased by 12% to 46,400 patient samples during the first quarter of 2016, compared to the prior year's first quarter. Approximately 41,200 of those patient samples accessioned were for NIPT, including the MaterniT(® )21 PLUS, VisibiliT((TM)) and MaterniT(®) GENOME laboratory-developed tests, which is a 9% decrease in testing volume compared to the first quarter of 2015. The decrease in tests accessioned was driven by the conversions of laboratory customers to licensee status, as described above, partially offset by the increase in tests accessioned for patients in the average-risk pregnancy market.

The total volume of tests from Sequenom's core business increased by 7% over the first quarter of 2015, largely as a result of Sequenom Laboratories' entry into the average-risk pregnancy market. In this press release, "core business" refers to Sequenom's revenue and unit volume excluding the effect of the conversion of certain laboratory customers to licensee status in 2015. Notably, the volume of NIPT tests in Sequenom's core business, which includes average-risk pregnancies, increased by 14% for the first quarter of 2016 over the first quarter of 2015.

License revenue was $2.2 million in the first quarter of 2016, compared to $2.1 million for the first quarter of 2015, and $2.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2015. Sequenom continues to expect a total of $10 million in license fee revenue for 2016.

Total cost of revenues decreased to $16.8 million for the first quarter of 2016, compared to $19.3 million for the prior year period. Cost of revenues decreased primarily due to the decrease in test volumes as a result of the conversion of certain laboratory customers to licensee status.

Gross margin for the first quarter of 2016 was 39% compared to gross margin of 49% for the first quarter of 2015. The effect of laboratory customers who converted to licensee status, costs associated with Sequenom Laboratories' laboratory consolidation and restructuring, the impact of entering the average-risk pregnancy market and increased MaterniT GENOME volume largely drove the decrease. Incremental costs related to the laboratory consolidation reduced gross margin for the first quarter of 2016 by 3%. Sequenom continues to expect gross margin to increase for the remaining quarters of 2016.

Total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2016 were $22.1 million, compared to $23.0 million for the first quarter of 2015. Total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2016 were up only slightly from total operating expenses of $21.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2015, due to the costs associated with Sequenom Laboratories' laboratory consolidation and other restructuring activities, which offset the benefit of reduced spending for research and development and general and administrative activities.

Operating loss for the first quarter of 2016 was $11.4 million, compared to operating income of $16.5 million for the same period in 2015. Operating and net income for the first quarter of 2015 included a $21.0 million gain on the Pooled Patents Agreement with Illumina. Net loss for the first quarter of 2016 was $13.4 million or $0.11 per basic and diluted share, as compared to net income of $14.3 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, and $0.12 per basic share for the same period in 2015.

Cash burn for the first quarter of 2016 was $10.4 million, compared to $9.4 million in the same period of 2015 and $4.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2015. Cash burn increased in the first quarter of 2016 primarily due to reduced revenue collected for testing services performed in prior periods and delays in collections related to the launch of tests into the average-risk pregnancy market. Cash burn in the first quarter also included semi-annual interest payments on Sequenom's convertible debt.

Unrecorded accounts receivable for tests performed and recognized on a cash basis are estimated to be $16 million to $18 million as of March 31, 2016, the same as the estimate as of December 31, 2015.

As of March 31, 2016, cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaled $66.1 million.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

"GAAP" refers to financial information presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. To supplement the condensed consolidated financial statements and discussion presented on a GAAP basis, this press release includes non-GAAP financial measures with respect to the quarter ended March 31, 2016. Management uses non-GAAP financial measures because it believes that a cash flow metric incorporating cash used in operations and certain other uses of cash are important to understand the cash requirements of the business. The Company reported cash burn as a non-GAAP financial measure. This non-GAAP financial measure is not in accordance with, or an alternative to, GAAP.

Management uses cash burn to evaluate performance compared to forecasts. Cash burn is calculated as the sum of net cash used in operating activities, purchases of property, equipment and leasehold improvements, and payments on long-term obligations. The reconciliations of cash used by operating activities, the GAAP measure most directly comparable to cash burn, is provided on the attached schedule.

Conference Call Information

A conference call hosted by Dr. Dirk van den Boom, President and CEO of Sequenom, and other members of senior management, will take place on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. PT) and will be webcast live on the Sequenom website.

Call participants should dial 877-883-0383 (U.S. / Canada) or 412-902-6506 (other countries). Please use code 4043466. A telephonic replay will be available through June 3, 2016 by dialing 877-344-7529 (US toll free), 855-669-9658 (Canada toll free), or 412-317-0088 (international toll), and entering the conference number 10085264.

The conference call webcast is also accessible through the "Investors" section of the Sequenom website at http://sequenom.investorroom.com/webcasts

About Sequenom

Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM) is a pioneering genetic testing company dedicated to women's health through the development of innovative products and services. The Company serves patients and physicians by providing early patient management information. For more information, visit www.sequenom.com.

About Sequenom Laboratories

Sequenom Laboratories, a CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics laboratory, has developed a broad range of laboratory tests, with a focus principally on prenatal care. Branded under the names HerediT(®), HerediT(®) UNIVERSAL, MaterniT(®) GENOME, MaterniT(®) 21 PLUS, NextView(®), SensiGene(®) and VisibiliT((TM)) these molecular genetic laboratory-developed tests provide early patient management information for obstetricians, geneticists, and maternal fetal medicine specialists. Sequenom Laboratories is changing the landscape in genetic diagnostics using proprietary cutting edge technologies. Visit www.laboratories.sequenom.com and follow @SequenomLabs.

SEQUENOM(®), HerediT(®), MaterniT(®) GENOME, MaterniT(®) 21PLUS, NextView(®), SensiGene(®), VisibiliT((TM)) and Sequenom Laboratories((TM)) are trademarks of Sequenom, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements regarding initiatives designed to return Sequenom to sustainable growth, Sequenom's goal of becoming financially self-sustaining, solidifying Sequenom Laboratories' position as a leader in reproductive health and a multi-faceted physician and patient customer experience program that seeks to provide a best-in-class experience at every step of the customer journey. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risks are described more fully in Sequenom's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation Sequenom's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Sequenom's most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Sequenom's most recently filed Current Reports on Form 8-K and other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Sequenom undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.


                                                  SEQUENOM, INC.

                                  CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

                                                   (Unaudited)

                                   (In thousands, except per share information)


                                                      Three Months Ended
                                                    ------------------

                                             March 31,                 March 31,
                                                   2016                      2015
                                                   ----                      ----

    Revenues:

    Diagnostic
     services,
     net                                                     $25,410                        $35,703

    License                                       2,160                              2,102
                                                  -----                              -----

    Total
     revenues                                    27,570                             37,805
                                                 ------                             ------

    Costs and expenses:

    Cost of
     revenues                                    16,804                             19,306

    Selling and
     marketing                                    8,510                              8,486

    Research
     and
     development                                  4,901                              5,869

    General and
     administrative                               7,854                              8,676

     Restructuring
     costs                                          859                                  -
                                                    ---                                ---

    Total costs
     and
     expenses                                    38,928                             42,337

    Gain on
     pooled
     patents
     agreement                                        -                            21,000
                                                    ---                            ------

    Operating
     (loss)
     income                                    (11,358)                            16,468

    Interest
     expense                                    (2,057)                           (1,994)

    Interest
     income                                          38                                 11

    Other
     income
     (expense),
     net                                             23                              (125)
                                                    ---                               ----

    (Loss)
     income
     before
     income
     taxes                                     (13,354)                            14,360

    Income tax
     expense                                       (95)                              (76)
                                                    ---                                ---

    Net (loss)
     income                                                $(13,449)                       $14,284
                                                            ========                        =======


    Net (loss) income per common
     share, basic

    Net (loss)
     income per
     share                                                   $(0.11)                         $0.12
                                                              ======                          =====

    Weighted
     average
     number of
     shares
     outstanding,
     basic                                      118,859                            117,737
                                                =======                            =======


    Net (loss)  income per common
     share, diluted

    Net (loss)
     income per
     share                                                   $(0.11)                         $0.11
                                                              ======                          =====

    Weighted
     average
     number of
     shares
     outstanding,
     diluted                                    118,859                            146,642
                                                =======                            =======


                                       SEQUENOM, INC.

                           CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

                                        (Unaudited)

                                       (In thousands)


                                March 31,                 December 31,
                                      2016                         2015
                                      ----                         ----

    Assets

    Current assets:

    Cash,
     cash
     equivalents,
     and
     marketable
     securities                                 $66,057                            $76,170

     Accounts
     receivable,
     net                             6,950                                  6,421

    Inventories                      2,994                                  2,417

    Other
     current
     assets
     and
     prepaid
     expenses                        2,960                                  2,943

    Total
     current
     assets                         78,961                                 87,951

     Property,
     equipment,
     and
     leasehold
     improvements,
     net                             7,651                                 10,059

    Other
     assets                         18,004                                 18,718

    Total
     assets                                    $104,616                           $116,728
                                               ========                           ========


    Liabilities and
     stockholders' deficit

    Current liabilities:

     Accounts
     payable                                     $7,078                             $5,234

    Accrued
     expenses                       12,523                                 15,368

    Long-
     term
     debt
     and
     obligations,
     current
     portion                           311                                    316

    Other
     current
     liabilities                       578                                    589

    Total
     current
     liabilities                    20,490                                 21,507

    Long-
     term
     liabilities                   134,054                                133,619

    Total
     stockholders'
     deficit                      (49,928)                              (38,398)
                                   -------                                -------

    Total
     liabilities
     and
     stockholders'
     deficit                                   $104,616                           $116,728
                                               ========                           ========


                                                 SEQUENOM, INC.

                                 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

                                                   (Unaudited)

                                                 (In thousands)


                                                      Three Months Ended
                                                    ------------------

                                             March 31,                 March 31,
                                                   2016                      2015


    Operating activities

    Net (loss)
     income                                                $(13,449)                        $14,284

    Adjustments to reconcile net
     (loss) income to net cash
     used in operating
     activities:

    Share-
     based
     compensation                                 1,694                               1,542

     Depreciation
     and
     amortization                                 2,175                               2,892

    Other non-
     cash
     items                                          343                                 236

    Gain on
     pooled
     patents
     agreement                                        -                           (21,000)

    Changes in operating assets
     and liabilities:

    Accounts
     receivable                                   (529)                              1,468

    Inventories                                   (148)                              1,737

    Prepaid
     expenses
     and other
     assets                                         761                                 578

    Accounts
     payable
     and
     accrued
     expenses                                   (1,066)                            (7,715)

    Other
     liabilities                                    146                             (1,220)

    Net cash
     used in
     operating
     activities                                (10,073)                            (7,198)
                                                -------                              ------


    Investing activities

    Purchases
     of
     property,
     equipment
     and
     leasehold
     improvements                                 (200)                              (289)

    Purchases
     of
     marketable
     securities                                 (9,967)                           (10,007)

    Maturities
     and sales
     of
     marketable
     securities                                  15,009                              10,052

    Proceeds
     from
     pooled
     patents
     agreement                                        -                              6,000

    Net cash
     provided
     by
     investing
     activities                                   4,842                               5,756
                                                  -----                               -----


    Financing activities

    Payments
     on term
     loan and
     capital
     lease
     obligations                                   (87)                            (1,909)

    Proceeds
     from
     common
     stock
     issued
     under
     employee
     stock
     plans                                          223                                 177

    Net cash
     provided
     by (used
     in)
     financing
     activities                                     136                             (1,732)
                                                    ---                              ------

    Effect of
     exchange
     rate
     changes
     on cash
     and cash
     equivalents                                      -                               (45)

    Net
     decrease
     in cash
     and cash
     equivalents                                (5,095)                            (3,219)

    Cash and
     cash
     equivalents
     at
     beginning
     of period                                   50,344                              63,309

    Cash and
     cash
     equivalents
     at end of
     period                                                  $45,249                         $60,090
                                                             =======                         =======


                                              SEQUENOM, INC.

                                        RECONCILIATION OF CASH BURN

                                                (Unaudited)

                                              (In thousands)


                                                  Three Months Ended
                                                 ------------------

                                            March 31,              March 31,
                                                 2016                    2015
                                                 ----                    ----

    Cash Burn:

    Net cash
     used in
     operating
     activities                                          $10,073                             $7,198

    Purchases
     of
     property,
     equipment
     and
     leasehold
     improvements                                 200                                289

    Payments on
     term loan
     and
     capital
     lease
     obligations                                   87                              1,909

    Cash burn
     (1)                                                $10,360                             $9,396
                                                         =======                             ======


    (1) See accompanying Non-GAAP Financial Measures section for description of adjustments

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