Half-year Trading update

RNS Number : 2138Q

Yourgene Health PLC

26 October 2021

 

Yourgene Health plc

("Yourgene" or the "Company")

Half-year Trading update

Improved H1 and year-to-date performance supporting higher full-year expectations

Manchester, UK - 26 October 2021: Yourgene (AIM: YGEN), a leading international molecular diagnostics group, provides the following update on performance for the six months ended 30 September 2021 ("H1 FY22"), on year-to-date trading and expectations for the full year .

First half performance (unaudited)

· Revenues for the half grew strongly to £17.5m, more than double the £8.2m recorded for H1 FY21 and ahead of previous guidance of at least £15.0m

-  Genomic Services revenues up 260% to £10.5m (H1 FY21: £2.9m), driven by COVID-19 testing

-  Genomic Technologies revenues up 32% to £6.9m (H1 FY21: £5.3m)

· Positive adjusted EBITDA* of approximately £2m expected to be reported when unaudited half year results are published around mid-December 2021 (H1 FY21: loss of £0.2m)

· Unaudited revenues in FY22 to date already represent 96% of total FY21 revenues of £18.3m, with full year top line performance now expected to exceed consensus expectations

* Adjusted EBITDA is the operating profit/(loss) before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and expenses

In line with stated strategy, management and employees have worked hard, supported by focused investment, to establish a broader operating platform from which to sell a growing range of products and services. There has recently been a shift in the balance between genomics services and genomic technologies with the focus on the integration of these unique portfolios being an enabler for precision medicine.

Genomic Services (unaudited H1 FY22 revenues: up 260% to £10.5m)

Launched as Yourgene Genomic Services (YGS) in September 2020, the Company has established an international laboratory network capable of processing human samples as a full life-cycle partner for clinical, research and pharmaceutical organisations. YGS now offers non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), high throughput COVID-19 testing services and a range of services to clinical research organisations.

COVID-19 testing services in the UK were the major driver of growth, recording unaudited revenues of £9.1m in the first half. Testing volumes have steadily increased over the period, with record volumes processed in September 2021. Whilst travel PCR testing was an early contributor to growth, market channels have been expanded into non-travel related testing, particularly through our previously announced surge testing contract with the Department of Health and Social Care and other third-party channels. Other non-COVID-19 services offered from Yourgene's UK laboratory also delivered double digit growth and the YGS laboratory in Taiwan continues to rebound from a challenging FY21.

Genomic Technologies (unaudited H1 FY22 revenues: up 32% to £6.9m)

The Genomic Technologies business stream provides an integrated portfolio of instruments, reagents, consumables and software, all aimed at supporting laboratory customers around the world. Flagship screening and diagnostic products include NIPT, Cystic Fibrosis, DPYD genotyping and Clarigene™ SARS-CoV-2.  DNA handling platforms include the LightBench with Ranger® Technology, acquired as part of Coastal Genomics acquisition, for size selection in cell-free DNA applications such as NIPT, oncology and liquid biopsy. This capability supports longer sequencing reads and is a key attraction to customers seeking efficiency and accuracy gains.

Sales of the Company's Clarigene® SARS-CoV-2 PCR test to third-party testing providers contributed revenues of £1.4m in the period (H1 FY21: £0.2m), and non-COVID product sales delivered growth of 7% to £5.5m (H1 FY21: £5.1m). The growth rates in non-COVID product sales reflect the slow, but now evident, post pandemic normalisation of international NIPT and other reproductive health markets, as well as the Company's Illumina-based NIPT platform becoming more established in antenatal screening workflows after a transitional year in FY21.  Revenues from Ranger® Technology have exceeded US$1m for the first time in the six-month period, more than double the equivalent period prior to its acquisition in August 2020 and before further anticipated inflection points when recent new contract wins start to go live in the coming months.

FY22 Outlook

Due to the strong performance in H1 FY22, and despite the inherent unpredictability of COVID-related revenue streams, the Board is confident that trading for the full year will remain robust and that full year revenues are therefore likely to exceed current market expectations. However, the exact scale of out-performance remains difficult to judge at this stage in the financial year. The Company expects to report positive adjusted EBITDA of approximately £2m for the first half (H1 FY21: loss of £0.2m), when it publishes its unaudited half year financial results in mid-December 2021. With travel corridors now open for business travel we remain confident in the continued recovery of non-COVID revenue streams to underpin previously stated longer-term forecasts.

Lyn Rees, Chief Executive Officer of Yourgene, commented:   "These results demonstrate the breadth and depth of the integrated service offering that Yourgene has created to support its increasingly global customer base. I am very proud of the hard work that has driven a strong improvement in performance and created a more diverse platform for future growth. Yourgene is now a truly global genomic services and technologies business working in partnership with world leaders in DNA technology to develop and commercialise high quality diagnostic solutions.

"Performing a significant role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has also enabled us to expand our capabilities rapidly, not just to capture the current opportunity, but with a very clear focus on our longer-term progress. The growth in non-COVID services demonstrates the advantage of having multiple capabilities to deploy flexibly according to our clients' needs and in rapidly changing market conditions. Having invested significantly in our capabilities and business development last year, we look forward with confidence for the rest of this year and at the broader growth prospects ahead."

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the UK Market Abuse Regulation.
The Directors of the Company take responsibility for this announcement.

Yourgene Health plc Lyn Rees, Chief Executive Officer	Tel: [phone] [e-mail]
Barry Hextall, Chief Financial Officer
Joanne Cross, Director of Marketing
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (NOMAD)	Tel: [phone]
Liam Murray / James Caithie / Ludovico Lazzaretti
Singer Capital Markets (Joint Corporate Broker)	Tel: [phone]
Aubrey Powell / Tom Salvesen / George Tzimas
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Corporate Broker)		Tel: [phone]
Nicholas Moore / Matthew Blawat / Ben Maddison
Walbrook PR Ltd (Media and Investor Relations)	Tel: [phone] or [e-mail]
Paul McManus / Lianne Applegarth / Alice Woodings	Mob: [phone]

About Yourgene Health

Yourgene Health is an international molecular diagnostics group which develops integrated genomic technologies and services enabling precision medicine. The group works in partnership with global leaders in DNA technology to advance diagnostic science. 

Yourgene primarily develops, manufactures, and commercialises simple and accurate molecular diagnostic solutions, for reproductive health, precision medicine and now infectious diseases. The Group's flagship products include non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) for Down's Syndrome and other genetic disorders, Cystic Fibrosis screening tests, invasive rapid aneuploidy tests, and a recent extension into the oncology space with DPYD genotyping.

The launch of Yourgene Genomic Services has enabled Yourgene to offer a global laboratory service network equipped to be a full life-cycle partner for clinical, research and pharmaceutical organisations to support partners at the preclinical, clinical, and post-market stages to develop, manufacture, obtain regulatory approval and commercialise new products and services. In addition, Yourgene Genomic Services offers an NIPT and high throughput COVID testing service.

In August 2020, Yourgene acquired Coastal Genomics , Inc., a sample preparation technology company based in Vancouver, Canada, enabling the Company to extend its offering and IP portfolio in the DNA sample preparation sector. The acquisition increased Yourgene's geographical penetration into the US and Canada, supplementing existing coverage in the UK, Europe, MEA and Asia.

Yourgene Health is headquartered in Manchester, UK with offices in Taipei, Singapore, the US and Canada, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market under the ticker "YGEN". For more information visit www.yourgene-health.com and follow us on twitter @Yourgene_Health.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, and projections about its industry; its beliefs; and assumptions. Words such as 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control, are difficult to predict, and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. The Company cautions security holders and prospective security holders not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the view of the Company only as of the date of this announcement. The forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. The Company will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances, or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority.

 

END

 

 

TSTFFFIVITLEFIL