Sio Gene Therapies Announces Fiscal Year 2021 Year-End Financial Results

NEW YORK and DURHAM, N.C., June 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sio Gene Therapies Inc. (NASDAQ: SIOX) today provided financial results for its fiscal year ended March 31, 2022.

Fiscal Fourth Quarter Financial Summary

For the fourth fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022, research and development expenses were $12.6 million, an increase of $4.4 million compared to the prior year quarter. The current period increase was primarily related to increased AXO-AAV-GM1 clinical trial material manufacturing expenses.

General and administrative expenses for the fourth fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022 were $0.5 million, a decrease of $3.5 million compared to the prior year quarter. $3.4 million of the decrease was stock-based compensation expense primarily associated with a reversal of expense related to certain equity instruments of our affiliate, Roivant Sciences Ltd. (“RSL”), held by our former CEO (the “RSL Equity Instruments”), who resigned in January 2022. Expensing of the RSL Equity Instruments commenced upon the liquidity event vesting condition being met upon the closing of RSL’s business combination with Montes Archimedes Acquisition Corp. on September 30, 2021.

The net loss for the fourth fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022 was $13.3 million, or $0.18 per share, compared to a net loss of $3.3 million, or $0.05 per share, in the prior year quarter.

Fiscal Year Financial Summary

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, research and development expenses were $53.4 million, an increase of $28.5 million compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. The current period increase was primarily related to (i) a $10.8 million increase in AXO-AAV-GM1 program expenses primarily related to clinical trial material manufacturing expenses (not including a milestone payment disclosed in (iii)), (ii) a $7.0 million increase in AXO-AAV-GM2 program expenses primarily related to non-GMP and GMP manufacturing expenses and clinical trial expenses (not including a milestone payment disclosed in (iii)), (iii) $5.0 million in total milestone payments in the year ended March 31, 2022 under the AXO-AAV-GM1 ($1.5 million), AXO-AAV-GM2 ($1.5 million) and AXO-Lenti-PD ($2.0 million) programs.

General and administrative expenses for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 were $18.2 million, an increase of $0.9 million compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021.

The current period increase was primarily related to an increase of $3.9 million of stock-based compensation expense associated with the “RSL Equity Instruments”. This increase was partially offset by decreases of (i) $1.7 million for rent, depreciation and facility expenses primarily due to the downsizing of our New York office footprint, (ii) $0.7 million for tax, auditing and accounting fees resulting primarily from the simplification of our corporate structure and the domestication of Sio Gene Therapies Inc. from Bermuda to Delaware that was completed in November 2020, and (iii) $0.7 million for stock-based compensation expense unrelated to the RSL Equity Instruments.

The net loss for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 was $71.9 million, or $0.98 per share, compared to a net loss of $32.4 million, or $0.62 per share, in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021.

As of March 31, 2022, we had $63.7 million of cash and cash equivalents. We hold no short-term or long-term debt on the balance sheet.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. The use of words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “may” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For example, all statements Sio makes regarding costs associated with its operating activities and funding requirements and/or cash burn runway are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions by Sio’s management that, although Sio believes to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that Sio expected. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Sio’s operations; the actual funds required for planned operating activities, including wind-down activities for clinical programs and exploration of strategic alternatives; costs and risks related to headcount reductions and capital conservation plans; the ability to explore and execute upon strategic alternatives; the ability to efficiently wind down clinical programs and conduct required activities during wind down processes; and the outcome of interactions with regulatory agencies. These statements are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties that are described in Sio’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 14, 2022, as updated by its subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Sio undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts:

Media

Josephine Belluardo, Ph.D.
LifeSci Communications
(646) 751-4361
jo@lifescicomms.com
info@siogtx.com

Investors and Analysts

David W. Nassif
Sio Gene Therapies Inc.
Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel
david.nassif@siogtx.com

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