For the first quarter of Fiscal 2024, sales of EGRIFTA SV® reached $9,586,000 compared to $12,711,000 in the first quarter of the prior year, representing a decrease of 24.6%. Lower sales of EGRIFTA SV® were mostly the result of lower unit sales due to unusual loading of inventories which occurred in the first quarter of 2023 (mostly in December 2022 and January 2023). EGRIFTA SV® sales were also impacted by larger government rebates and returns in the first quarter of fiscal 2024.
In the first quarter of Fiscal 2024, Trogarzo® sales amounted to $6,661,000 compared to $7,197,000 for the same quarter of 2023, representing a decrease of 7.4%. Trogarzo® unit sales in the first quarter of 2024 were down mostly as a result of the inventory loading at specialty pharmacies that occurred in the first quarter of 2023.
Cost of Sales
For the three-month period ended February 29, 2024, cost of sales was $5,284,000 compared to $4,693,000 in the comparable period of Fiscal 2023. In 2024, cost of sales was affected by a $837,000 provision related to the manufacturing of a batch of F8 formulation of tesamorelin, as the F8 Formulation was not yet approved by the FDA for commercialization. Excluding the provision taken in 2024, cost of goods sold was relatively stable for Trogarzo, but was affected for EGRIFTA SV® by slightly higher production related costs.
R&D Expenses
R&D expenses in the three-month period ended February 29, 2024 amounted to $3,752,000 compared to $9,356,000 in the comparable period of Fiscal 2023, a decrease of 60%. The decrease during the first quarter of Fiscal 2024 was largely due to lower spending on life-cycle management projects as well as lower activity in our oncology program. R&D expenses in 2023 also included expenses related to the production of the validation batches of BWFI ($536,000) and expenses related to the production of clinical batches of TH1902 ($838,000). No such expenses were recorded in 2024.
Selling Expenses
Selling expenses in the three-month period ended February 29, 2024, amounted to $5,701,000 compared to $6,814,000 in the comparable period of Fiscal 2023 or a 16.3% decrease. Lower selling expenses are related to the management of expenses in alignment with our goal of reaching and maintaining positive adjusted EBITDA on a yearly basis.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses in the first quarter of Fiscal 2024 amounted to $3,756,000, compared to $4,452,000 reported in the same period of Fiscal 2023, representing a decrease of 15.6%. The decrease is a result of lower overall spending across the Company, which results in the lower level of administrative support required.
Net Finance Costs
Net finance costs for the three-month period ended February 29, 2024, were $2,125,000 compared to $4,940,000 in the same period last year. The decrease in net finance cost is mostly due to the loss on debt modification, in 2023, of $2,650,000 related to the issuance of the Marathon Warrants issued in connection to the amendments to the Credit Agreement. Interest expense was $2,274,000, higher than $1,784,000 in 2023, mostly related to the higher interest rate and higher outstanding balance on the Marathon Credit Facility.