In reporting lower earnings on its second-quarter revenues, Mylan may have surprised industry observers by offering the possibility of some changes in strategic direction. Although Mylan executives sounded hopeful notes on the company’s biosimilar portfolio, the hints CEO Heather Bresch provided may affect the marketing of the biosimilars as well as its other pharmaceutical business.
Chief Executive Officer Heather Bresch said that Mylan’s generic drug business was the main reason for the declines in overall revenues, with adjusted gross profit from US business down 6% from the previous quarter last year. Sales revenues from North America as a whole were down 22% compared with an increase of 10% for the rest of the world.
On a conference call to announce the earnings, she noted that “our efforts to serve patients in the U.S. have been shaped by the industry’s transformation there, and our results and guidance for 2018 are directly correlated with the ongoing rebasing of the US healthcare environment.”
According to Rajiv Malik, President of Mylan, “This past quarter, Mylan continued to execute on its commitment to expand access to medicine through the advancement of our complex product portfolio across our global diversified platform. For example, we launched Fulphila™, our pegfilgrastim biosimilar, in the US, and CHMP issued a positive opinion for our biosimilar of Humira in Europe.”
The Board of Directors released its own statement, however, indicating that it may take a number of actions that could dramatically change the picture (though not specified, these could include selling off assets, seeking a merger, or restructuring the organization). In a press release, the Board said, “we believe that the US public markets continue to underappreciate and undervalue the durability, differentiation and strengths of Mylan’s global diversified business, especially when compared to our peers around the globe. Therefore, while we will continue to execute on our best-in-class, long-term focused sustainable strategy, the Board has formed a strategic review committee and is actively evaluating a wide range of alternatives to unlock the true value of our one-of-a-kind platform. The Board has not set a timetable for its evaluation of alternatives and there can be no assurance that any alternative will be implemented.”
Observers will be greatly interested in how Fulphila performs in the third quarter and beyond, particularly around the deep discount offered by Mylan. This could be a considerable shot in the arm to Mylan’s US revenues or simply a ratification of its opinion that the US health system is incentivized by higher prices.
