Ceapro Inc. Reports Record 2022 Second Quarter and Six-Month Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update
– Company boasts highest second quarter sales to date; Q2 2022 sales of $5,500,000 vs $4,409,000 in Q2 2021, a 25% increase
– YTD Sales increased 28% vs 2021 – $11,672,000 vs $9,110,000
– Income before tax of $2,177,000 in Q2 2022 vs $676,000 in Q2 2021
– YTD Income before tax increased 402% vs 2021 – $4,790,000 vs $1,191,000
– Pursued advanced development of delivery systems using PGX Technology
EDMONTON, Alberta, Aug. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ceapro Inc. (TSX-V: CZO; OTCQX: CRPOF) (“Ceapro” or the “Company”), a growth-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of active ingredients for healthcare and cosmetic industries, today announced financial results and operational highlights for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2022.
“I could not be more excited for the future of Ceapro. With our very strong performance year to date, we are on track to achieve another solid year with double-digit growth. Progress continues on all fronts from production operations to research and development, allowing us to advance our pipeline while expanding our business model. We have learned a lot from our encouraging development work and studies and will continue to invest in research and development and remain focused on our pipeline. We are well positioned for the next steps in becoming a high-value life sciences company,” stated Gilles Gagnon, M.Sc., MBA, President and CEO.
Corporate and Operational Highlights
Pipeline Development:
The Company’s focus is on avenanthramides, alginate, yeast beta glucan and new chemical complexes/delivery systems.
Avenanthramides
Formulation:
Production and preparation of the selected 30mg and 240mg pill formulation of the drug product was scaled-up in preparation of the clinical batches for a Phase 1 safety and tolerability study. Stability studies are ongoing.
Clinical batches were manufactured, packaged and labeled in June 2022 by Corealis Inc. GMP Manufacturing Services.
Phase 1 Clinical Trial:
The clinical trial protocol completed with Montreal Heart Institute was further discussed with Health Canada for expansion into a Phase 1/ 2a to include a cohort of patients suffering from mild inflammation. A response from Health Canada for clearance to proceed with this study is expected in Q4 2022.
Alginate
- Pursued and fine-tuned the development of new PGX-dried chemical complexes with sodium alginate (SA) as a carrier. Emphasis put on thin strips of alginate/yeast beta glucan as a potential nutraceutical product with immune boosting properties.
- Announced publication of results for PGX-Processed Alginates in the Journal of CO2 Utilization. PGX Technology demonstrated that it could effectively dry, purify and increase the surface area of SA while producing a unique fibrous morphology that cannot be obtained by any other conventional drying method.
- Subsequent to quarter, announced publication of positive results for PGX-processed alginates impregnated with CoQ10 in The Journal of Supercritical Fluids. This publication confirms alginate as a carrier for other bioactives.
- Alginate-Co-Q10 is currently part of bioavailability studies at University of Alberta. Results are expected at the end of Q3 2022.
Yeast Beta Glucan (YBG)
- Progress achieved for the pre-processing of YBG to ensure homogeneous dispersion and deagglomeration of polymers and batch-to-batch consistency. Several commercially available formulations of spray-dried YBG were further PGX processed and tested following the installation of a new piece of equipment. Promising results obtained showing that this new unit should enable the production of uniform particle sizes nearly independent of suppliers. The next step is to develop a processing sequence to ensure that the final PGX processed YBG meets not only particle size requirements and morphology, but also the targeted microbial load, composition, and immunological functions.
- In collaboration with research partners at McMaster University, the team prepared and shipped additional samples to advance the development of PGX processed YBG for drug delivery and potential treatment of lung fibrotic disease. Results from animal studies are being analyzed as part of a PhD thesis.
- Of interest, the size of PGX processed YBG particles (around 5 microns) would allow them to be “swallowable” by macrophages that would carry them to remote sites in the body. Thus, the loading of drugs onto PGX YBG is currently under further investigation, since numerous research studies suggest that YBG cells being swallowed by macrophages could be utilized as “Trojan Horses” to carry bioactives (potentially CoQ10, antioxidants, pain killers or potent pharmaceutical drugs) into the body to the target tissue.
Technology:
- Pursued technical upgrades of PGX demo plant in Edmonton especially for the commercial scale up of an impregnation unit to produce chemical complexes mostly with alginate as a carrier for other bioactives like yeast beta glucan.
- Pursued engineering design for PGX processing commercial scale unit. Decision made to use a stepwise approach to ensure standardization of product specifications at each scale level from current 10 Liters to 50-100 Liters vessels. These scale-ups will be first conducted for food/nutraceuticals grade applications which should pave the way to advance key aspects of a pharma processing unit. More specifically, the strategic path is for the production of alginate and the development of YBG as an immune booster (nutraceutical) at first and secondly, as an inhalable therapeutic (pharmaceutical).
- Keynote presentation made by Dr. Bernhard Seifried at the 13th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids in Montreal featuring the ability of the PGX Technology to generate novel bioaerogels, composites and bioactive delivery systems for nutraceuticals, drug delivery and wound healing.
Corporate:
- Appointed Mrs. Genevieve Foster, an accomplished lawyer, Corporate Director of Governance and businesswoman to the Company’s Board of Directors.
- Pursued out-licensing discussions for PGX-processed new chemical complexes.
Subsequent to Quarter:
- Announced appointment of Ms. Sigrun Watson as Chief Revenue Officer. Ms. Watson is a recognized commercial leader with over 20 years of experience across diverse healthcare industries.
- Expanded collaborative research program with McMaster University to develop an inhalable immuno-therapeutic/prophylactic for COVID-19-induced lung fibrosis.
- Successfully completed audits conducted by two major customers at the Edmonton facility.
Financial Highlights for the Second Quarter and the Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2022
- Total sales of $5,500,000 for the second quarter of 2022 and $11,672,000 for the first six months of 2022 compared to $4,409,000 and $9,110,000 for the comparative periods in 2021, respectively, representing increases of 25% and 28%. The increase in sales revenue for the six-month period ended June 30, 2022 was primarily driven by a 23% increase in the sale of avenanthramides and a 75% increase in the sale of beta glucan.
- Income before tax of $2,177,000 for the second quarter of 2022 and $4,790,000 for the first six months of 2022 compared to $676,000 and $1,191,000 for the comparative periods in 2021.
- Net profit after tax of $1,662,000 for the second quarter of 2022 and $3,659,000 for the six-month of 2022 compared to $676,000 and $1,191,000 for the comparative periods in 2021.
- Cash flows generated from operations of $3,958,000 for the first six months of 2022 vs $2,433,000 in 2021.
- Positive working capital balance of $16,189,000 as of June 30, 2022.
- Cash on hand of $11,367,997 as of June 30, 2022.
“While we are very pleased with the strong financial results so far, proper planning and management of supply chain challenges will be key in securing success during this transformative year for Ceapro. With a strengthened management team, a renewed agreement with our long-time and committed partner, Symrise and with a solid and clean balance sheet and positive cash flows, we are in a position to financially support the projects that will enable the expansion to a new business model from a contract manufacturer/commodity company to a high-value, life science/biopharmaceutical company. More specifically, we are very enthusiastic for the many opportunities which we expect have the potential to drive significant value, including the Phase 1 clinical trial with our newly developed avenanthramides pill formulation, the development of new chemical complexes as potential delivery systems for bioactives with alginate as a carrier, the development and assessment of yeast beta glucan as an immune booster and as a potential inhalable therapeutic for lung fibrotic diseases including COVID-19 conditions and the implementation of the intermediary scale level of the PGX processing unit in Edmonton,” concluded Mr. Gagnon.
| CEAPRO INC. | ||
| Condensed Interim Consolidated Balance Sheets | ||
| Unaudited | ||
| June 30, | December 31, | |
| 2022 | 2021 | |
| $ | $ | |
| ASSETS | ||
| Current Assets | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 11,367,997 | 7,780,989 |
| Trade receivables | 3,360,751 | 2,092,842 |
| Other receivables | 90,723 | 45,850 |
| Inventories (note 3) | 2,116,159 | 1,644,893 |
| Prepaid expenses and deposits | 169,978 | 162,919 |
| Total Current Assets | 17,105,608 | 11,727,493 |
| Non-Current Assets | ||
| Investment tax credits receivable | 766,629 | 766,629 |
| Deposits | 79,539 | 79,539 |
| Licences (note 4) | 14,069 | 15,551 |
| Property and equipment (note 5) | 16,802,060 | 17,499,774 |
| Deferred tax assets | – | 439,063 |
| Total Non-Current Assets | 17,662,297 | 18,800,556 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | 34,767,905 | 30,528,049 |
| LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | ||
| Current Liabilities | ||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | 613,721 | 682,057 |
| Current portion of lease liabilities (note 6) | 303,354 | 290,055 |
| Total Current Liabilities | 917,075 | 972,112 |
| Non-Current Liabilities | ||
| Long-term lease liabilities (note 6) | 2,202,269 | 2,358,862 |
| Deferred tax liabilities | 692,843 | – |
| Total Non-Current Liabilities | 2,895,112 | 2,358,862 |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES | 3,812,187 | 3,330,974 |
| Equity | ||
| Share capital (note 7 (b)) | 16,657,044 | 16,557,401 |
| Contributed surplus (note 7 (e)) | 4,681,131 | 4,680,690 |
| Retained earnings | 9,617,543 | 5,958,984 |
| Total Equity | 30,955,718 | 27,197,075 |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | 34,767,905 | 30,528,049 |
| CEAPRO INC. | ||||||
| Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Net Income and Comprehensive Income | ||||||
| Unaudited | ||||||
| Quarters Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||
| $ | $ | $ | $ | |||
| Revenue (note 13) | 5,500,399 | 4,408,631 | 11,672,023 | 9,110,374 | ||
| Cost of goods sold | 1,861,064 | 1,770,153 | 4,078,079 | 4,213,953 | ||
| Gross margin | 3,639,335 | 2,638,478 | 7,593,944 | 4,896,421 | ||
| Research and product development | 543,924 | 830,511 | 899,205 | 1,647,358 | ||
| General and administration | 1,069,275 | 952,847 | 1,838,320 | 1,665,054 | ||
| Sales and marketing | 9,248 | 16,362 | 14,547 | 29,600 | ||
| Finance costs (note 10) | 32,175 | 38,344 | 120,210 | 132,254 | ||
| Income from operations | 1,984,713 | 800,414 | 4,721,662 | 1,422,155 | ||
| Other (income) expense (note 9) | (191,841 | ) | 123,942 | (68,803 | ) | 230,807 |
| Income before tax | 2,176,554 | 676,472 | 4,790,465 | 1,191,348 | ||
| Deferred income tax expense | 514,283 | – | 1,131,906 | – | ||
| Total net income and comprehensive income for the period | 1,662,271 | 676,472 | 3,658,559 | 1,191,348 | ||
| Net income per common share (note 16): | ||||||
| Basic | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.02 | ||
| Diluted | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.02 | ||
| Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (note 16): | ||||||
| Basic | 77,734,865 | 77,673,832 | 77,710,854 | 77,662,495 | ||
| Diluted | 78,474,139 | 78,684,303 | 78,405,883 | 78,684,344 | ||
| CEAPRO INC. | ||||
| Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows | ||||
| Unaudited | ||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||
| Six Months Ended June 30, | $ | $ | ||
| OPERATING ACTIVITIES | ||||
| Net income for the period | 3,658,559 | 1,191,348 | ||
| Adjustments for items not involving cash | ||||
| Finance costs | 65,210 | 71,662 | ||
| Depreciation and amortization | 939,191 | 937,356 | ||
| Accretion | – | 5,592 | ||
| Deferred income tax expense | 1,131,906 | – | ||
| Share-based payments | 39,924 | 6,828 | ||
| 5,834,790 | 2,212,786 | |||
| CHANGES IN NON-CASH WORKING CAPITAL ITEMS | ||||
| Trade receivables | (1,267,909 | ) | 218,155 | |
| Other receivables | (44,873 | ) | 56,311 | |
| Inventories | (471,266 | ) | 41,916 | |
| Prepaid expenses and deposits | (7,059 | ) | 51,179 | |
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities relating to operating activities | (20,582 | ) | (75,337 | ) |
| (1,811,689 | ) | 292,224 | ||
| Net income for the year adjusted for non-cash and working capital items | 4,023,101 | 2,505,010 | ||
| Interest paid | (65,210 | ) | (71,662 | ) |
| CASH GENERATED FROM OPERATIONS | 3,957,891 | 2,433,348 | ||
| INVESTING ACTIVITIES | ||||
| Purchase of property and equipment | (239,995 | ) | (296,534 | ) |
| Deposits relating to the purchase of equipment | – | (16,733 | ) | |
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities relating to investing activities | (47,754 | ) | (134,554 | ) |
| CASH USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES | (287,749 | ) | (447,821 | ) |
| FINANCING ACTIVITIES | ||||
| Stock options exercised | 60,160 | 25,620 | ||
| Repayment of lease liabilities | (143,294 | ) | (110,748 | ) |
| CASH USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES | (83,134 | ) | (85,128 | ) |
| Increase in cash and cash equivalents | 3,587,008 | 1,900,399 | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period | 7,780,989 | 5,369,029 | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period | 11,367,997 | 7,269,428 | ||
The complete financial statements are available for review on SEDAR at https://sedar.com/Ceapro and on the Company’s website at www.ceapro.com.
About Ceapro Inc.
Ceapro Inc. is a Canadian biotechnology company involved in the development of proprietary extraction technology and the application of this technology to the production of extracts and “active ingredients” from oats and other renewable plant resources. Ceapro adds further value to its extracts by supporting their use in cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, and therapeutics products for humans and animals. The Company has a broad range of expertise in natural product chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology and process engineering. These skills merge in the fields of active ingredients, biopharmaceuticals and drug-delivery solutions. For more information on Ceapro, please visit the Company’s website at www.ceapro.com.
For more information contact:
Jenene Thomas
JTC Team, LLC
Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Advisor
T (US): +1 (833) 475-8247
E: czo@jtcir.com
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