Exhibit 99.1
Kala Pharmaceuticals Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update
-- Launched EYSUVIS™, First and Only Prescription Therapy Approved Specifically for Short-Term Treatment of the Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease --
-- Progressing Pipeline Programs to Address Front and Back of Eye Diseases --
-- Cash Position and INVELTYS Revenue Expected to Provide Runway Into at Least 4Q 2022; EYSUVIS Revenue Expected to Provide Additional Runway --
-- Conference Call and Webcast at 8:00 a.m. ET –
WATERTOWN, Mass., February 25, 2021 – Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:KALA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases of the eye, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2020 and provided a corporate update.
“2020 was a pivotal year for Kala, highlighted by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of EYSUVIS, the first and only prescription therapy specifically for the short-term treatment of dry eye disease and our second product approval in as many years. Now, with launch activities underway, we are seeing prescription growth and pleased to have secured formulary access with Express Scripts as we continue to broaden our managed care coverage,” said Mark Iwicki, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kala Pharmaceuticals. “As we begin the new year, we are operating from a position of strength. We believe we are well-funded, with sufficient resources to support our commercial efforts and investments in our pipeline, which includes several preclinical programs with the potential to address multiple front and back of the eye diseases.”
Fourth Quarter and Recent Highlights:
EYSUVIS™ (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension) 0.25%: EYSUVIS became commercially available in January 2021 as the first and only FDA-approved medicine for the short-term (up to two weeks) treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. EYSUVIS is now available through national and regional U.S. pharmaceutical distribution centers, as well as local pharmacies and for home delivery. Kala’s ophthalmic sales force, which was expanded during the fourth quarter of 2020 and now consists of 91 sales professionals, is actively calling on eye care professionals, including both ophthalmologists and optometrists.
As of February 12, which marked six weeks of full promotional launch, an aggregate of more than 2,200 EYSUVIS prescriptions were filled by over 550 unique prescribers. These figures reflect data from both Symphony Health and the EYSUVIS I-Save program, Kala’s patient hub. Additionally, in February 2021, EYSUVIS was added to Express Scripts’ National Preferred, Basic and High Performance Formularies. Kala continues to engage in contract discussions with other commercial and Medicare Part D health plans and expects to further expand formulary coverage in the coming weeks and months.
INVELTYS® (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension) 1%: Approximately 41,000 INVELTYS prescriptions were reported by Symphony Health in the fourth quarter of 2020, which represents an increase of approximately eight percent compared to the third quarter of 2020. For the full year 2020, INVELTYS prescriptions grew approximately 11% over the full year 2019.
Kala continues to believe that INVELTYS prescriptions and revenues will grow over time. However, the Company is unable to project the specific timing or quantify the specific potential impact on future revenues given the continued uncertainty around the impact and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic on elective procedures, which includes ocular surgeries. Kala expects that net revenues could continue to be negatively impacted in 2021.